I used to dissect crayfish as a biology teacher , now I eat them. This blog focuses on cooking ideas, recipes and thoughts on current food trends and techniques.

After 35 years of teaching Biology/Life Science I retired. As a working mother I had become fairly adept at providing meals for my family that were nourishing and substantial. Along the way I created recipes and won cooking contests.This blog is the result ...

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Aprons

I don't think most kids know what an apron is. They should because I always wear one cooking because I can be quite messy – especially if flour is involved!

My mom did and I remember my Mamere and of course my Gran! But it was a different era. As seen by the lovely image above of Mom with her in-laws.

I bet many of my generation if they took some home ec learned how to use a sewing machine and the first item we made was an apron! Just like this!

 
This little piece was sent to me by a dear friend from height order in grade school- yup we go back that far….
"The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..
And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron' that served so many purposes
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love..."

I actually have a collection of aprons. Some were won in contests featuring brand names and sponsors such as King Arthur or Pillsbury. Some were made for me and some were gifts. My talented older daughter even made me a cutting board to remind me to wear one that she bought me in Italy! Hmmm.

Salsa Chicken Chowder is the recipe that started it all  as far as my contest cooking was concerned. The contest was sponsored by Goldkist Chicken and I found the contest info stuck to a package of - what else ? Chicken from my local food store. After reading the info I contacted the talented daughter of a good friend .who loved to cook. She happened to be studying wine making at school and first prize was a tour of wine country in France! So I told her that I had entered and it was her turn. She didn't win but as you can see I placed second nationally! This was sent to me a beautiful framed professional photo of my chowder. I also won a set of knives , a set of scan tron pans and a Firemaster Grill! 

Amazing. My first contest. Oh and the daughter - she is now a wine professor !