The House Husband's Guide to Baking

   I’m a big supporter of ensuring food is cooked through properly. I’m also a supported of the idea that with most foods (not all foods) reheating and making sure they get to scoldingly hot temperatures will ensure they are still edible, at the same time as removing some flavour of course.
   Over thanksgiving we visited my mother-in-law for a sit-down meal. One of the items on the menu was her famous secret-recipe turkey dressing, served as a food item in its own right. After the meal we were gifted with a huge tub of the glorious stuff and I set out to find ways to use it other than just heating it up on its own. My first attempt involved making pastries out of it. I par-boiled some potatoes, made a stock out of random potent smelling spices and boiled some left-over turkey in that, dash of cream of mushroom condensed soup and a spoonful of the magic dressing. I put this into some pastry I made, I could only find a recipe for apple-pie pastry so it didn’t turn out quite as I envisioned. In short it was a bit of a failure but fed us for an evening.

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   So, yesterday I was listening to the radio in the car. They were talking about how men, after years of living in a house, still don’t know where anything is in the kitchen. I think this isn’t entirely inaccurate. I don’t know what it is, but many a time I have found myself unable to find one particular item. Repeatedly. Lets say it is salt. Always in the same place, always in the same cupboard, but no matter how many times I go looking for it I always find myself looking in every cupboard a number of times before finally noticing that extra cupboard hiding there above the fridge. The one with the vase in front of it, acting as gatekeeper. Causing me to have to find a surface to place the vase down on (not easy when the surfaces are covered in cooking gadgets and dishes drying as we can’t use our dishwasher (no hot running water).

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So, my name is Rhys Lawson. Originally from Wales I moved here to Arkansas, USA in the August of this year. What originally was planned to be a holiday and a trip to visit my long-distance girlfriend and propose before having to go back to Britain again turned into a whirlwind three months of entirely new experiences. Including… a Fall wedding!
As I struggle with immigration forms and whatnot and await authorisation to work, my wife is a student and barista. This means, of course, that I have to find productive ways to spend my days. I don’t vacuum clean nearly as much as I should and each time I do the dishes I tend to create more. We currently do not have hot running water so I find myself at the stove a lot boiling pans of water to shave or wash dishes. As a result I’ve found myself starting to cook or bake something everyday. Usually with horrific consequences.

This blog is my Guide to staying (moderately) sane when things are a bit dyer on the work front.
I am all for equality for men and women but I will admit that it can feel a bit strange staying at home whilst my wife works. I’m very much looking forward to helping “win the bread” as well. Until then, however, I will happily try and take up the role of the stay at home husband.
Hereafter are my trials, tribulations, tips and recipes of my adventures in our 2 bed, 1 bath duplex. Exciting right?
Maybe, maybe not. Chances are, if you are reading this you may well be in a similar situation. It’s good to know you aren’t alone.
Enjoy!