In dedication to my mom..baking/sewing extordinaire

Hi, so I started the Faux Martha blog so I could talk about the random goings-on of non-practical things like bargain shopping, politics, parenting and more....and sadly, I just have not been able to give it the attention it deserves. Faux Martha will rise from the ashes some day, but in the meantime, I am going to statisfy my over-complusive personality and start a new blog about home economics. Economics sort of freaks me out so I am just going to call it Home-Ec.

Here is what Wiki says: Home Economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community.[1] Home economics is a field of formal study including such topics as consumer education, institutional management, interior design, home furnishing, cleaning, handicrafts, sewing, clothing and textiles, cooking, nutrition, food preservation, hygiene, child development, and family relationships. It prepares students for homemaking or professional careers

The blog may be a little light on hygiene or institutional management (is that referring to institutions--like psych ward institutions? odd)---but we will definitely have crafts and cooking and child development and family relationships (cleaning, what is cleaning?)

I am starting this blog because I like to bake and I aspire to be crafty....let's just say I have tons of ideas, actually seeing them to fruition has been my problem. I am also hoping my mom can contribute some ideas (hint hint MOM!) or for that matter....if anyone wants to contribute anything of "home-ec" slant...by all means..sock it to me.

And as I final note, I have figured out a ratings system for whether something was a tasty treat or not.

It will be referred to as the COWORKER FACTOR. I will make treat A and feed it to coworkers B so that Chef C doesn't get too fat and if the plate is empty by 2:00 (A+B+C)....that equates to good recipe.

FYI...and if a recipe asks for butter or margarine...yer getting BUTTER....hello....butter = cows, margarine = oil refinery (or at least in my head that is what I picture).

Recipe #1--RHUBARB BARS (rhubarb courtesy of Rose Hill).....

RECIPE:
Rhubarb Bars
Ingredients:
1 cup all-pupose flour
1/3 cup slfted powdered sugar (or confectioners sugar)
1/3 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

Procedure:
In a mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup flour and the powdered sugar. Cut in butter or margarine till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat the crumb mixture into the bottom of an llx7x1 1/2-inch or 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 BA oven for 12 minutes. In the mixing bowl, beat together sugar, 1/4 cup flour, eggs and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over warm crust in baking pan. Return to oven and bake for 35 minutes more or till done. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 16 servings.

The end result:

Coworker Factor: All gone=good recipe.

And now for some crafts. Let me talk to you about Emily Falconbridge, the dreadheaded goddess of crafts. I have been admiring her from afar (aka, I read her blog) and she is just so dang hip. Well, today she wrote this great article on how to resurrect your kids clothes....check it out.

A little dirty secret--I am a total and utter bargain shopping addict. That is different then a shopping addict. I like to get a good deal on the cool things I buy. So there is a place I go that we jokingly call Ghetto 70. It is a clearance liquidation discount maven's DREAM come true. I was there recently and found the dress (see below)...the straps had been ripped off/came unsewn from the dress and it was a tad too big. But guess what, it was only $3.00. So I took that badass dress home and I pulled out Rex(sewing machine) and made those repairs and now Rex and I are friends again.

Granted it is sort of Mary-Ann--ish....I still dig it.