Appelflappen and oliebollen (out of the oven, not deep-fryed!)
Saucijzenbroodjes right here:
And a fish salad and champagne (real this time !) in the fridge:)
Hope you all are having great time! See you next year...
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Ready For 2018
Best wishes to all the readers of my blog!!! Your favourite housewife has done her festive baking on time this year:
Appelflappen and oliebollen (out of the oven, not deep-fryed!)
Saucijzenbroodjes right here:
And a fish salad and champagne (real this time !) in the fridge:)
Hope you all are having great time! See you next year...
Appelflappen and oliebollen (out of the oven, not deep-fryed!)
Saucijzenbroodjes right here:
And a fish salad and champagne (real this time !) in the fridge:)
Hope you all are having great time! See you next year...
Thursday, December 28, 2017
12 Days Of Christmas
With Martha Stewart. I know I should have probably written something, and in fact, I had some posts planned but being still in a rather festive mood I don't care for discussing any serious subjects. So, instead, you all can just watch this video and enjoy - remember, that there are twelve days of Christmas, or Yuletide, if you like.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Friday, December 22, 2017
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...
Pictures from our last romantic weekend in the Christmas city of Europe (under 100.000, that is:)
Monday, December 18, 2017
Friday, December 15, 2017
Good Nutrition Advice?
I wonder if any of my readers are fans of the Weston. A. Price foundation ? I'm not sure I agree with all of their ideas, some advice I sure wouldn't follow (like drinking raw milk when pregnant or eating brains as it appears dangerous to me), yet I had a personal experience which somewhat supports their statements. When a year ago I switched to eating less animal fat and dairy, my teeth fillings started falling out.
One tooth in particular was giving me a lot of trouble but became considerably better when I went back to my previous diet, without any professional assistance, I must say. I have also started taking cod liver oil recently, though not as concentrated as they suggest. I did pay attention to vitamin A - vitamin D balance, just as stated on their webpage. As a result, my winter blues became considerably better and I don't suffer as much from colds as last year.
I find their stories about traditional diets interesting, and I'm tired of "politically correct" nutrition and demonisation of normal foods like butter and eggs. I've tried to do some research as to find support for their claims by asking (old) people I know about their parents and grandparents and what they ate. Some of my husband's relatives lived practically to 100 and their dietary staple was brown beans with fatty bacon.
My Granny became 92 and she ate lots of bacon as well. They all also ate liver and organ meats, and took cod liver oil 8 months a year (all months with an "R" in them) and they and their kids all turned out fine. Didn't go to the doctor, either. (hey, may be, that's the real reason behind their longevity?)
So if you have any experience with following Weston A. Price nutrition guidelines or have a story to tell, feel free to comment!
One tooth in particular was giving me a lot of trouble but became considerably better when I went back to my previous diet, without any professional assistance, I must say. I have also started taking cod liver oil recently, though not as concentrated as they suggest. I did pay attention to vitamin A - vitamin D balance, just as stated on their webpage. As a result, my winter blues became considerably better and I don't suffer as much from colds as last year.
I find their stories about traditional diets interesting, and I'm tired of "politically correct" nutrition and demonisation of normal foods like butter and eggs. I've tried to do some research as to find support for their claims by asking (old) people I know about their parents and grandparents and what they ate. Some of my husband's relatives lived practically to 100 and their dietary staple was brown beans with fatty bacon.
My Granny became 92 and she ate lots of bacon as well. They all also ate liver and organ meats, and took cod liver oil 8 months a year (all months with an "R" in them) and they and their kids all turned out fine. Didn't go to the doctor, either. (hey, may be, that's the real reason behind their longevity?)
So if you have any experience with following Weston A. Price nutrition guidelines or have a story to tell, feel free to comment!
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
They Don't Make Them Like That Any More
Many modern men habitually complain about modern women: they are all lazy and entitled, lousy wives, bad mothers and homemakers etc etc. Yes, we modern women often fall short of the traditional Western ideal. What about men though?
According to this article, in the times when most women were successful and industrious homemakers, in the United States the work-week around the year 1900 was typically 60 hours. Men were frequently engaged in occupation and trade from Monday to Saturday so they could put food on the table and keep their family warm and free from the cares of the harsh world.
An average working week for many men nowadays is 40 hours, and in many European countries, even less. So if many modern women are lousy homemakers, many modern men are lousy providers. Since most married women in my country typically work between 12-20 hours, if the men went back to longer working weeks, their wives could stay home and engage in all things domestic, don't you think?
Of course, I do believe that even with shorter working hours for men, it's still possible to live on one income if you are prepared to be frugal. For instance, many newly pregnant ladies buy new prams which can cost anywhere from 800 to 1500 euros while it's possible to buy a second-hand pram online for 15. Yes, 15, and it was in a good condition, too!
While I don't agree that the meaning of Proverbs 31 is to command all wives to have a side business and earn extra money, I absolutely believe that the wife should be a good financial manager and spend the money wisely. A penny saved is a penny earned, after all, and efficiency in running a household is important.
Again, some folks (especially some men, I should say) claim to be traditional but are really confused about the role of a housewife in modern society. One issue which always pops up is that since we have a vacuum-cleaner and other domestic appliances, there is no housework left to do any more. The reality is that all these devices create more work simply by virtue of existence:
The introduction of electric appliances in the home sometimes had unexpected results. Electric clothes washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and other appliances could make housework more efficient, but they also raised the minimum standard of household cleanliness. Women who had previously cleaned carpets once every season were now expected to keep them spotlessly clean all the time with vacuum cleaners. Ironically, the overall result of laborsaving electrical appliances was often more work for women.
There is enough work to do at home, and having one person fully in charge of all domestic affairs is more efficient and practical than most other arrangements, after all, the reason behind modern specialisation is the fact that it works.
While men probably have some reasons to complain, the truth is that theirs is the leading role. If the husband is a good provider, there is a good chance his wife will naturally become a good homemaker, after all, as some vintage lady author wrote, homemaking is in women's blood.
According to this article, in the times when most women were successful and industrious homemakers, in the United States the work-week around the year 1900 was typically 60 hours. Men were frequently engaged in occupation and trade from Monday to Saturday so they could put food on the table and keep their family warm and free from the cares of the harsh world.
An average working week for many men nowadays is 40 hours, and in many European countries, even less. So if many modern women are lousy homemakers, many modern men are lousy providers. Since most married women in my country typically work between 12-20 hours, if the men went back to longer working weeks, their wives could stay home and engage in all things domestic, don't you think?
Of course, I do believe that even with shorter working hours for men, it's still possible to live on one income if you are prepared to be frugal. For instance, many newly pregnant ladies buy new prams which can cost anywhere from 800 to 1500 euros while it's possible to buy a second-hand pram online for 15. Yes, 15, and it was in a good condition, too!
While I don't agree that the meaning of Proverbs 31 is to command all wives to have a side business and earn extra money, I absolutely believe that the wife should be a good financial manager and spend the money wisely. A penny saved is a penny earned, after all, and efficiency in running a household is important.
Again, some folks (especially some men, I should say) claim to be traditional but are really confused about the role of a housewife in modern society. One issue which always pops up is that since we have a vacuum-cleaner and other domestic appliances, there is no housework left to do any more. The reality is that all these devices create more work simply by virtue of existence:
The introduction of electric appliances in the home sometimes had unexpected results. Electric clothes washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and other appliances could make housework more efficient, but they also raised the minimum standard of household cleanliness. Women who had previously cleaned carpets once every season were now expected to keep them spotlessly clean all the time with vacuum cleaners. Ironically, the overall result of laborsaving electrical appliances was often more work for women.
There is enough work to do at home, and having one person fully in charge of all domestic affairs is more efficient and practical than most other arrangements, after all, the reason behind modern specialisation is the fact that it works.
While men probably have some reasons to complain, the truth is that theirs is the leading role. If the husband is a good provider, there is a good chance his wife will naturally become a good homemaker, after all, as some vintage lady author wrote, homemaking is in women's blood.
Monday, December 11, 2017
Science Fiction Becomes Reality
Now tell me again how we need all women to work + endless immigration...
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Links For December
Haven't done these for a loong times:)
Living For The Moments
Bread That Gives Life
from Lady Lydia
Disney and the Forces of Evil
from Patriactionary
November Was a Bad Month
from Mark Moncrieff
Taheyya Kariokka
Listen to Me
from What's Wrong With Equal Rights
Teaching Our Daughters About Biblical Womanhood
How Our Clothing Choices Reflect the Gospel
from Redeeming Home
The usual disclaimer follows: I don't necessarily agree with everything, just find the articles above thought-provoking.
Living For The Moments
Bread That Gives Life
from Lady Lydia
Disney and the Forces of Evil
from Patriactionary
November Was a Bad Month
from Mark Moncrieff
Taheyya Kariokka
Listen to Me
from What's Wrong With Equal Rights
Teaching Our Daughters About Biblical Womanhood
How Our Clothing Choices Reflect the Gospel
from Redeeming Home
The usual disclaimer follows: I don't necessarily agree with everything, just find the articles above thought-provoking.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Treating People As Expendable
I remember reading a Canadian magazine someone brought me years ago. It had a story about a feminist lady, and the author's attitude was obviously positive. One thing I still remember is that when the lady in question was getting married and the preacher was doing the wedding sermon, when he came to the words "for better for worse" she interrupted him and said "for better or never". I think it sums up modern attitudes about marriage pretty well, for both men and women.
I also remember how I was a little girl and wondering why people divorce. I asked my mother if she ever could divorce my father. She told me that my father was just as much her family as me or her parents and that you can't divorce your family because whatever they do, they still stay your family. If you have children, teach them that family aren't expendable, by words of mouth and by example.
C.Lewis wrote about divorce that it wasn't so much the sexual aspect, but rather breaking your solemn oath, which made it truly despicable. Ironically, he himself married a divorced woman, yet I still think it was a good argument to make. Our culture is shallow and materialistic, it values feelings above common sense, material wealth above friends and family and mocks such traditional virtues as chastity and loyalty. It went so far that in discussion on some supposedly Christian site, women were belittled and attacked for staying virgins as apparently, it made them "holier than thou." We aren't afraid to fall in sin any more, we are afraid to judge.
Yet sometimes it's necessary. Many Christians nowadays say something along the lines of "hate the sin, love the sinner." It's true, to a degree, yet the Scriptures teach us that it's sinners and not their sins that are going to burn in Hell for eternity, something we never like to think about any more. The Scriptures also call the wife departing from her husband "treacherous" and have some things to say about the men divorcing, too.
In our licentious times, the last thing one should be afraid of is "legalism" (mostly trotted out when a woman wants to dress and behave modestly), and being "holier than thou" for following God's commandments on sexual behaviour and marriage. The good news is, we still have a choice. Every day, every single minute we can choose to do right or to follow the multitudes to do evil. You may lose out on material comforts, but there is immense satisfaction in sticking to your convictions and persevering. Because doing what is right is its own reward.
I also remember how I was a little girl and wondering why people divorce. I asked my mother if she ever could divorce my father. She told me that my father was just as much her family as me or her parents and that you can't divorce your family because whatever they do, they still stay your family. If you have children, teach them that family aren't expendable, by words of mouth and by example.
C.Lewis wrote about divorce that it wasn't so much the sexual aspect, but rather breaking your solemn oath, which made it truly despicable. Ironically, he himself married a divorced woman, yet I still think it was a good argument to make. Our culture is shallow and materialistic, it values feelings above common sense, material wealth above friends and family and mocks such traditional virtues as chastity and loyalty. It went so far that in discussion on some supposedly Christian site, women were belittled and attacked for staying virgins as apparently, it made them "holier than thou." We aren't afraid to fall in sin any more, we are afraid to judge.
Yet sometimes it's necessary. Many Christians nowadays say something along the lines of "hate the sin, love the sinner." It's true, to a degree, yet the Scriptures teach us that it's sinners and not their sins that are going to burn in Hell for eternity, something we never like to think about any more. The Scriptures also call the wife departing from her husband "treacherous" and have some things to say about the men divorcing, too.
In our licentious times, the last thing one should be afraid of is "legalism" (mostly trotted out when a woman wants to dress and behave modestly), and being "holier than thou" for following God's commandments on sexual behaviour and marriage. The good news is, we still have a choice. Every day, every single minute we can choose to do right or to follow the multitudes to do evil. You may lose out on material comforts, but there is immense satisfaction in sticking to your convictions and persevering. Because doing what is right is its own reward.