Homemaking Meme

I saw this over at another blog and thought I'd give it a whirl:

Aprons (Y/N): Yes! I hadn't been cooking for too long before I got tired of splattering oil or batter or sauces all over myself when preparing to have company. (Or just tired of splattering myself, period. Because that means I have to wash clothes before I've worn them the requisite 5-10 times.) Just ask my husband - I love my apron and wear it almost daily. It keeps me fresh, it gives me a place to wipe my hands other than the dishtowel, and it makes a pretty decoration when hanging on its hook.

Baking (Favorite thing to bake): Pumpkin chocolate chip bars are what I bake the most. Followed in a close second by almond koek (family recipe for a Dutch almond pound cake).

Clothesline (Y/N): Umm, no. But in winter, the steam from our dryer makes a lovely, fresh-scented mist billowing out of our apartment building. That's got similar aesthetic charm, right?

Donuts: Growing up, my family used to have donuts as a special treat on Sundays. Store-bought, not homemade. (Although my mom occasionally made oliebollen, another Dutch dessert.) I've never attempted to make my own donuts, but I often wonder if it is kosher to just take the free donut without making any purchase when the Krispy Kreme "Hot Donuts Now" sign is on.

Every Day (One homemaking thing you do every day): Applying a loose definition of "every," it's a tie between making the bed and cooking dinner.

Freezer (Do you have a separate deep freeze?): No. See reference to apartment life under clothesline.

Garbage Disposal (Y/N): Yes, and we are still grateful for it 3 years after leaving our first apartment which had none.

Handbook (What is your favorite homemaking resource?): Everyday Food Magazine

Ironing (Love it or hate it?): I tend to put it off, so I guess that tips me toward the "hate" side of the balance. But it's not so bad now that we send Aaron's shirts to the cleaners.

Junk drawer (Y/N) (Where?): It's more like a whole junk area, and it is our desk and surrounding floor space.

Kitchen (Design and decorating): Considering that we rent and thus did not have a lot of choice in kitchen design, I like our kitchen. It has tile floor, faux wood cabinets, and is open above the countertops on the side that faces the rest of the living area (I especially like this feature when we have people over). The decorations are mostly contributed by Aaron - a wood-art-thingy depicting the four seasons, inherited from his great-aunt, and a water-color of a pear that he bought in Honduras. Also, the apron!

Love (What is your favorite part of homemaking?): Cooking. I never thought I would like it (I have a distaste for getting my hands messy), but my inner-gourmet fought its way out!

Mop (Y/N): Yes, although Aaron can't tell when the tile is dirty.

Oven (Do you use the window or open the door to check?): Both. I usually try to look through the window, can't see clearly enough, then crack the door for a better view.

Pizza (What do you put on yours?): Pepperoni. Or tomato and basil.

Quiet (What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?): Read. Oh, and did I mention that I read? And if I have a little extra time, I'll read.

Recipe card box (Y/N): Yes, but the recipes in there were collected before I really knew what to do in the kitchen, so I never open the box anymore.

Style of house: one-bedroom apartment

Tablecloths and napkins? I really like tablecloths (I have one that matches my apron!), but we don't use napkins too much - just occasionally for company.

Under the kitchen sink (Organized or toxic wasteland?): Decently organized.

Vacuum (How many times per week?): Once. Probably twice if we have had small group or nephews at our house - both tend to leave trails of crumbs.

Wash (How many loads of laundry do you do in a week?): Two or three.

X's (Do you keep a daily list of things to do and cross them off?): Only on Mondays.

Yard (Who does what?): Apartment = no yard. But I like to have potted plants on our patio, and Aaron grills.

Zzz's: We try to go to bed by 10 p.m., but lately 11 is the new 10.