The saying opposites attract couldn’t be a truer phrase to describe my husband and I. Jake and I both spent most of our youth in Iowa. Knowing this you wouldn’t think that we would have had such different up brings. I am a small town girl who spent my adolescents participating in competitive sports, organizing school events, and traveling within the US, Central America, and Europe. My husband was raised on a farm. He spent his time showing cows and pigs at the local county fair, roping on his high school rodeo team, and summers skiing at the lake. Our biggest similarity is also our biggest difference – our love of food!
Fresh fish, chicken, and hamburgers were staples in our house as I grew up, as well as fruit and fresh green salads. If it was fried we didn’t touch it, spices were rarely used, and junk food was saved for special occasions. Jake’s mother is what I consider a well seasoned cook – making most of her meals from scratch (pasta, bread, baked goods)! Meats such as steak, bacon, and pork were staples in Jake’s house. If it’s green, he won’t touch it. If it’s sweet, one is not enough and the spicier a meal is the better. As we dated there were many conversations had about foods I have never tried and bargaining to get the other to try this or that! When Jake and I moved in together we relied on quick and convenient cooking to satisfy our varying taste. We didn’t put much thought into our meals, expenses, or what we were putting into our bodies.
It really wasn’t until we tied the knot that I found a love for not only cooking and being organized but also living healthy. What sparked this passion? Maybe it was my husbands voice echoing in my ear, “You need a hobby besides work.” Maybe all the wonderful kitchen gadgets we received from our bridal registry sparked it, or maybe it was just in my genes, being my mother’s daughter. Whatever it was, I have fallen in love – not only with my husband for being brave enough to play along but I am in love with my new found passion for winning housewife of the year (who cares if my husband is the only one that gets to vote). In the last year I have learned to plant and tend a garden, I’ve tried my hand at canning, created monthly dinner menus to help cut down on our grocery cost, and have learned to enjoy housework while sipping fine wines! Yes all of this takes some time and effort, but being organized at home has helped us save money and allows us more time to enjoy each other and indulge in our other interest!
This blog, just like our marriage, is a work in progress. I love the adventure I’m on and hope you will enjoy reading about my trials and tribulations as a housewife in training.
*Please note the term housewife does not mean that I have quit my day job as an educator!
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