Domestic Goddess: poetically, euphemistically or ironically, a homemaker or housewife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Goddess)

I am a housewife.  A very happy housewife.  I love my role within my family.  I clean, cook and look after my husband and children happily.  The term Domestic Goddess is not something to take lightly but I do like the idea of being a Goddess.  I wonder if there is a set of standards that must be achieved to reach Domestic Goddess status?  Is it possible to be great at some things and a bit lacking in others? 

I think back to my days at school.  My Mum is without doubt an amazing cook and my God can she clean.  If you stand still long enough in her company she will have a hot wet cloth to your grubby face no matter who you are!  I feel she qualifies as a Domestic Goddess, she makes everyone feel at home in her house and the food, lets not forget about the food. 
So my school uniform lost a button.  I take the shirt to my Mum to be fixed so I can wear it for school.  I watch as she sews the button on, I thank her and take my uniform back to my room.  I put on my uniform, well I try to put it on but it just wont go on!  I go back to Mum.  I discover a flaw in my mothers Domestic Goddess armour- she cannot sew!  She has sewn the button onto the uniform but has also sewn the front of the uniform to the back of the uniform.  The button is not moving but neither am I going to get much wear out of this uniform any time soon! 

The lesson of all of this I suppose is that it actually taught me to sew.  I had to learn, otherwise I would have been doomed to show my bra every time I lost a button.  So maybe a Domestic Goddess does not need every feather in her cap, perhaps the true Goddess of Homemaking is one that is just good at making a house a home and keeping her family happy?

I like to get involved.  Whatever it is, whatever it is for, count me in.  I am an enthusiastic person.  My Nan and first school Head Teacher observed, as a child that no matter what I took part in it wasn't long before I was in charge and organising everyone and everything!  So with a letter from school asking for volunteers to read in front of your child's class- count me in! 

I have worked with children before, in fact I have an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification, for those of you who do not reside in the UK), in Childcare, Learning and Development.  I always thought having children was qualification enough but now I have a certificate!  I love reading for my own children and we have some wicked books about aliens underpants and everything! 

Sitting here now I have had a thought!  What if they do not understand my dodgy Northern (proud Northerner of course), UK accent?  I do not speak like the English people in movies- in fact I have yet to meet anyone who does?  Will my son be the only one to laugh at the alien underpants?  Living in Canada its hard to think that I sound odd, everyone else sounds odd, I am normal! 

I refuse to give into the change of accent yet.  I hear it in my son, awwwwesome is not a word I can convert to my own tones yet.  I will just have to go slowly and hope that pulling faces at them is enough to make them smile at me and accept that they will go home and tell their parents that "Harry's mom talks funny!"

I have a play date tomorrow with my son.  Its perfect, my little trouble gets to play and I get to chat with a grown up.  Making friends was one of the things I worried about with our move to Canada.  Everyone in the UK commented on how I would find friends easily with my chatty (never shuts up) personality.  This only made me worry more as I doubted myself.  I questioned whether I was bubbly, loud and chatty because I already had friends around me or was that just really how I am?

Making friends is a slow process and not made any easier by my shocking lack of ability to remember names.  Luckily I have remembered the name of my grown up to chat to for tomorrow and in my effort to "make freinds and influence people" I have made some biscotti- lets hope they work!

Chocolate, Lemon and Ginger Biscotti
2 medium eggs
100g caster sugar
250g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g as good as you can get, dark lemon and ginger chocolate

1. Heat oven to 340 F 
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar till light and fluffy
3. Sift the flour and bicarb into a bowl
4. Chop the chocolate- not too small, you want nuggets of chocolate through the biscotti
5. In the flour bowl add the chocolate and fold in the egg mix
6. Tip onto a floured surface and mould into a long fat sausage about 25cm long and 3cm thick.  Place onto a lined baking tray and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes till lightly browned on top
7. Remove from the oven and slide onto a chopping board.  Cut into 1cm thick slices and return to the tray.
8. Reduce the oven temp to 300 F and place back in for 10-15 minutes to crisp up. 
9. Remove and cool.  Keep these beauties in airtight conditions and they will last 3 weeks- they never do in my house!

This is my Great Grandmother's recipe which has been passed down to me.  My Mum says that she always remembers a tin of these being in the farmhouse pantry.

1lb (450g) plain flour
12oz (335g) butter
4oz (115g) sugar
1 tsp caraway seeds

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and rub the mixture until it all comes together
2. Roll out until its about 1 cm thick.  Cut into rounds.
3. Bake in a slow oven - approximately 140 C/280 F for approximately 40-50 minutes.  The secret to a good sugar cake is keeping the biscuit as pale as possible.
4 Sprinkle with caster sugar and cool on a wire rack.
5. Store in an airtight tin and should you be able to resist they will keep for weeks!