STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

jen · Kate Spade

How did you learn to cook/clean?

Becca · Kate Spade

My mom loves giving people The Joy of Cooking as a gift. It's packed full of recipes. She's a chef and unfortunately I never really cared growing up so I didn't pick up much. I'll get cravings every now and then and I'll call her from the grocery store and ask her how to make stuff. I will say that I made a mean steamed mussels over linguine with a white wine cream sauce once...lol. It was so easy! As far as cleaning though I'm not much more help. I'm super organized at work but when it comes to my house and other stuff I'm all over the place. But anyways, if you get the chance you should check out Food Network. They have some really cute shows.

lynnie · Chanel

while I can't give you many recs for cooking (I can cook from recipes but don't have the time or money to buy all those ingredients, so I don't), I can tell you that cleaning isn't really that bad if you do it regularly. See if you can come up with some sort of chore list- maybe one week you will dust, one you will vacuum, etc. Also, make sure everything is organized and has a place at the beginning, so you don't get as cluttered with things that simply do not have a space to go to. Also, cleaning bathrooms regularly makes it soo much easier and more tolerable. In my dream world, I'd clean it every couple of weeks so nothing builds. I like to use a spray after showers to keep the shower cleaner.

jacL · Coach

Well, I learned to clean from my mother. I knew how to do everything since I was 8 because that's when my mom had my little sister so I had to help out with the chores. I can't say she was the best housekeeper, but she definately raised a daughter who knows how to clean well. I clean weekly and deep clean when it is needed. Here are some of favorite "tips."

I love those bathroom/kitchen wipes to wipe everything down in my bathrooms. I do it weekly and it only takes 10 minutes. I love those things so much that I rarely clean the bathroom with regular cleaners and when I do, I find that Scrubbing Bubbles or Softsoap is easiest.

I don't particularly like it, but a Swiffer-type thing may be right up your alley for the floors. You can get dry and wet wipes to use to replace old-fashioned sweeping and mopping.

As for the kitchen, I clean as I go. Everytime you use the stove or microwave, wipe it down so grease doesn't build up.

Dust before you vacuum in case dust falls to the floor. Use an old rag, prepackaged dusting cloths, or a duster.

If you don't have time to put something away after you use it, place it in a bin or basket, so you can just carry it with you when you are putting things away.

As for cooking, try a slow cooker. There are a great many slow cooker cookbooks out there. I also like Everyday Food, one of those little cookbooks in the magazine aisle. The recipes are simple but very good and creative.

HTH.

kenzie · Chanel

I learned from my mom and grandmother. They starting teaching me to clean when I was pretty young. I learned to cook when I was in high school (I think). I learned to bake at a much younger age. I don't even remember how old I was.

My bf on the other hand was never taught anything and his mom still comes and cleans our house. I've taught him anything that he knows about cooking or cleaning. It's been amusing and somewhat frustrating, but at least I can train him to do it my way and he'll never know the difference! But last night, he was so cute. He came home from work with steaks and he made us steak and eggs for dinner. I was impressed by his effort (and it was gratifying b/c I taught him how to cook steak and how to scramble eggs).

laken1 · Hermes

I have learned, lost it, then relearned both to be honest. My mom taught me to clean, then I got a maid, now I have to clean on my own again. I do the "flylady" system of cleaning - www.flylady.com - but I am home all day - they send you about 15 emails a day & her system is kind of a "15 minutes a day" kind of thing. You end up cleaning things that don't really appear dirty, but then your house is never dirty. I think it's kind of intense, but I had a MESS to clear up so I needed something extreme. You can look at them website that gives you good tips, things you should do, etc without actually signing up for the program which is free, but admittedly can be overwhelming some times. But it reminded me how to "deep clean" & declutter, which I desperately needed help with.

As for cooking, I'm a firm believer that if you can read you can cook, but apparently some people can't follow directions, so I guess that's not true. I have about a trillon cookbooks (really about 50) - the best one ever for basic cooking to me is the "Betty Crocker Cookbook" - it is red checkered & they did a "new" version about 10 years ago. It is classic basic cooking, like how to bake a potato, fix any kind of veggies, basics on cuts of meat, etc. The recipes tend to have few ingredients & are pretty simple, although I don't vouch for their low-fat-ness. I think when looking for a cookbook, look for simple stuff. No Martha Stewart crap, nothing that seems fancy, just easy normal stuff like "campbell's soup" kind of recipes. I'm a great "dump" cook, as in dump in a bunch of cans & mix it up or bake it. I find things on these sites:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/default.aspx?
http://www.campbellkitchen.com/default.aspx
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/

You can sign up for weekly newsletters / recipe ideas from most sites like that. I particularly like those because it is basic ingredients that I usually have on hand (or some part of it in my pantry already).

-- Edited by laken1 at 09:46, 2005-08-03

gruiz · Kenneth Cole

I second "The Joy of Cooking". It even tells you easy things like how to make a hard-boiled egg. Very useful.

These are some key items in my cleaning regimen:
1) a vacuum cleaner (even if you don't have carpeting, it's good for furniture and hard flooring)

2) a Swiffer wet-jet (if you have linoleum, tile or hard wood flooring)

3) Swiffer duster (it's the BEST. It catches all the dust and doesn't just blow it arond your house)

4) Clorox disinfecting wipes (or similar brand, fantastic to clean ANYTHING, stoves, sinks, toilets, table tops, etc.)

5) Windex (for glass or chrome)

6) Some type of good shower cleanser (I like Clorox CleanUp or Scrubbing Bubbles)

I'm sure I'm missing some things, but those are the basics. Also, I'm sure your parent's cleaning lady wouldn't mind if you followed her around one day and saw how she does things. Couldn't hurt to ask. Good luck!

halleybird · Hermes

I don't cook...my stepdad was a gourmet cook (not disposed to teaching). My mom was sort of a die-hard feminist and refused to ever learn to cook (she can make 3 meals, which is what we ate when my stepdad was working. I can make those). My husband is a great cook -- he's trying to teach me, but I'm not a great student.

As for cleaning, I didn't learn that from her, either. My mom is a very thorough cleaner, but her house is NEVER clean. What I mean is, she'll spend an entire weekend scrubbing walls, but the rest of a house is a mess.

I am good at keeping things picked up, and surface cleaning, but I need to do more deep cleaning, so I have been sort of teaching myself to deep clean once a week. There are still things I need to learn, but I am much more efficient than I was when I first bought my house.

I do highly recommend Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean -- it has great tips.

-- Edited by halleybird at 17:24, 2005-08-03

jen · Kate Spade

Thank you ladies for the book rec. and tips. I think I'll get those wipes to clean the bathroom and kitchen next year. Do you guys use endust to dust because someone told me a product in it is bad for the wood but I don't know if that's true or not. Also, I think I'm going to get those toilet bowl disposable thingys. I think it's by Mr. Clean. You just wipe it around the bowl then flush the scrubber thing. I think I can handle that! I just want to be a good roomate next year so I really do plan on cleaning. Thanks again!

CarrieS · Marc Jacobs

For cleaning, my brother and I had to clean our rooms (dust, vacuum, etc.) when we were younger and at home, so I learned the basics that way. She also did spring cleaning (translation: deep cleaning), and we had to also do that in our rooms. So basically, because we had to do cleaning chores, I learned that way. I still ask my mom for specific random things that I don't know, but the rest is easy.

I never really "learned" how to cook though. I would occasionally help my mom with meal preparation and some dessert making (cookies, cakes), but I don't really whip up great meals even now. I'm also a believer in the "if you can read a recipe, you can cook" idea; I might NOT cook, but if I wanted to, I could...

Seashells · Dooney & Bourke

Cooking... I used to want to be a chef when I was little and I would make up these concoctions that were so weird. My sister won't let me live it down. But because I have a good taste for things, I guess it comes naturally.

Cleaning came from mostly my values instilled by my parents. We ALWAYS had people over and living room, dining room, kitchen and bathrooms always had to be clean (bedrooms not so important). People don't want to see your dirty dishes, see your bills or step over your things. Also, when I am in a house that is dusty, I don't want to touch anything... or maybe I am OCD...nevertheless,

I don't necessarily know "how" to clean outside of dusting, washing dishes, vacuuming, but if you keep things neat and clean up after yourself then you don't have to learn I guess!

Also, I subscribe to REAL SIMPLE magazine, so great. Its definately for domestically challenged women like myself. They had a cleaning special a few months back, its definately worth taking a look at. See if its online www.realsimple.com

-- Edited by Seashells at 13:23, 2005-08-04

dot · Marc Jacobs

My parents never cleaned the house and my dad is a freak when it comes to food and I was never allowed to cook growing up. So when I moved out on my own it was alot of learn as you go. But now I take alot of pleasure in cooking and house-keeping.

Also if cleaning is a drag.. getting a nice smelling product may make it more pleasant. For example, in my old apt, it was 1700 sq ft of open space that was dusty all the time. Vacuuming would take forever. I bought these vacuum bag beads that scent the air while you're cleaning. It didn't make me like vacuuming more, but I was always happy when the air was filled with that lovely scent!

For cleaning tips, there are always alot of good tips in Real Simple and Martha Stewart (the website and MS Living magazine).

For cooking, I love watching cooking shows because they inspire you to make the real thing at home. I recommend to watch and subscribe to Everyday Food. The recipes are really simple but not too boring where you wouldn't be psyched to make it. I also love Jacques Pepin. He has alot of great recipes in Fast Food My Way and Simple Healthy Food.

I find that it's fun just to get exciting about one thing at a time.... like what's the best way to organize your closet, a cool looking dessert, whatever.. Just one thing at a time so it's not overwhelming... or more importantly, not fun.

sfcaligirl · Dooney & Bourke

my mom taught me to clean at a pretty young age. i was five when she had my younger sister and she was a handful as a baby/toddler, so i helped out by straightening up/dusting. i was vaccumming by 8, doing dishes and my own laundry by 10. everything else is pretty easy to figure out as you go. sometimes i still call my mom to figure out the best way to clean something.

cooking....eh. i don't cook much. i used to bake a lot with my mom when i was younger and she taught me how to make a few basic dishes, but now i hardly ever cook/bake. i used to think that i could cook anything as long as i had a recipe to follow, but now i'm not so sure- i've had a few things turn out pretty awful! someday when i have more time/money, i'll try to teach myself how to cook real food...

erin · Chanel

we always had chores growing up, so that's mainly how i learned to clean, but i hate doing it! (my husband on the otherhand is borderline ocd and cleans round the clock) cooking i didn't really learn growing up, but i just would try my hand at recipes. i try to take one or two cooking classes a year, so that helps a lot. (i'm a pretty good cook, but not the greatest at baking)

recently my mom has been giving me "laundry lessons." i have been out of the house for almost nine years, but i'm still kind of crap. she is a total laundry master. she can get stains out of ANYTHING.

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

I have found that The New Basics Cookbook is a wonderful tool. Not only do they have basics, but some fancy twists on favorites. Also, each section has a lot of good information. I could read it for pleasure. They also are pretty good at explaining everything. The only downside is that their are no pictures, just sketches. I still think it's a good book to buy. It's pretty thick. I can't imagine they overlooked anything

Also, I love my subscription to Cuisine magazine. The mag has some fancy dishes, and are a little more difficult than some others, but the photos and directions are wonderful. Also, they have a cooking for 2 section that is nice, and their are tips in the front of each one that readers share. They are wonderful things that I wouldn't think of. Instead of getting a subscription, I'd go to the bookstore and look inside the cover. You can buy each years worth in bound volumes, and they have archives of the older issues, so that would be better than having a bunch of loose magazines cluttering up your bookshelf.

-gd

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

A really good book is called "Home Comforts" by Marion or Marianne somebody.

I was in the same boat you are when I graduated form college, but for different reasons. My mom was just the biggest slob - so I didn't know how to do anything. By the way, I am a HUGE fan of the swiffer duster - it seems to keep dirt from building up! Anyway, the trick seems to be to do a lot of small things that will keep clutter and dirt from accumulating - swiffer when you walk in the door from work, vacuume before you go out, wipe down the bathroom counter before you go to bed, that sort of thing. If I wait until it's really dirty and I have a big job, I won't do it. Good luck!

blink · Coach

For seriously basic recipes, I use the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I have plenty of other specialty cookbooks, even one solely for asparagus recipes, but no other cookbook has everything like this one does. It's totally all-American, easy, basic, no weird ingredients, and you can always make anything more creative by experimenting with substitutions.

I also watch food network all the time, Saturday mornings...because you might be already cleaning around the house, are a great time to watch! I love to watch, it inspires me to try new and intimidating ingredients. I still can't quite chop/dice an onion like they do! Any recipe you see made on tv is available on their website!

Ritz · Dooney & Bourke

i agree with jacL about the cleaning as you go.. business nerd that i am, i think of it as cleanliness at the source (like quality.. nm)

my old roommate used to clean everything so no one else had to but now that she is gone i have found that i can handle it as long as i just keep up with stuff- wipe down the counter, stove, microwave etc after i use it and wash my dishes asap. but make sure you share this plan with other roommates b/c it is very frustrating to clean up after yourself consistently but then come back to the kitchen and find someone elses mess!

Deuce · Dooney & Bourke

foodnetwork.com had many recipes. You can search by item difficulty...

My mom is from the south so I know how to fry things, then she went vegitarian?? So I remembered a few things. If I am craving something I look up the recipe on line, I am too cheap to buy books cause I am a picky eater and don't always like alot of recipes in one book enough to buy it.

As for cleaning I am a pro. I am the only girl with 2 brothers and 3 boy cousins in the house. My mom worked a lot so I had chores. But if it is just you clean as you go. Deep clean every week or other week. I dont sweep I have a vacuum attatchment and I love it.

Oh and careful mixing type of cleaners. amoinia and bleach is a bad combo. I had a roomate who did not know that and we had to leave the house for the day and air it out.

NCshopper · Hermes

I learned to cook by necessity. I lived abroad for a semester and forced myself to learn to cook.

I'm also a fan of the Joy of Cooking, but to me, it has a lot of recipes that I'll never use--like duck, liver, etc. and I've found this book to be much more useful in day to day cooking:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0936184744/qid=1124293837/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5485492-1429434?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Everything I've made out of it is AMAZING too. My husband cooked our entire Thanksgiving dinner out of this cookbook and it was the best Thanksgiving food I've ever had, hands down. So, I recommend it.

As far as cleaning goes, I'm still learning...