Simple Homemaker: A Beginner’s Guide from a Seasoned Wife

After 30 years of being married, I’ve learned a lot over the years. I’ve had some major fails but I’ve also had some big wins. Therefore, as we go through life, we grow and develop wisdom over time. I’m excited to share with you this Simple Homemaker: A Beginner’s Guide from a Seasoned Wife. I’ve linked several guides, freebies and information for you below. Everything is printable as well.

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The Seasoned Wife

I became married in March of 1995. I did a lot of learning and growing as a new wife and cook. During my childhood, I grew up watching and helping all the special ladies on both sides of our family cook and bake. My mom, aunts and grandmas were all my inspiration for the love of cooking and baking that I have today. I do have to give my grandpa Jimmy credit for my love of growing my own garden and making bread. I actually named my Sourdough starter after my grandpa.

As stated above, I did a lot of learning and failing in the beginning. I’ve come up with my own way of doing things. I used to watch the FoodNetwork Channel a lot learning from the “OG’s” like Robin Miller, Tyler Florence and Ina Garten. Alton Brown taught me how to make scrambled eggs fluffy and creamy.

The first tip I can give you once you become a new wife/homemaker is that food is always the way to your sweet husband’s heart. I was determined to cook Bill (my husband, I call him BIlly) good meals. We both worked full-time when we first got married. His job moved us from Florida to Ohio that same year. I was so blessed to land a job that had wonderful ladies that helped me get started preparing meals for Bill and I. Those ladies would bring in their tried-and-true cookbook, recipes, and allow me to make copies. I still have and use those today. Many of them are from Amish and Mennonite recipes.

The Kitchen – The Heart of Your Home

I was fortunate to have my mom, many aunts and my grandma’s that were all great cooks. As a child, I always enjoyed watching and helping them in the kitchen when I was little. I used to dream of having a little cafe or bakery when I was younger. I know it’s a lot of work to own a restaurant so that’s probably why I never did it. You might find yourself as you get started, that you pretend your kitchen is a restaurant/bakery but just for your friends and family. With a smaller non-paying customer base, your heart for being in the kitchen becomes more meaningful.

A Well-Stocked Pantry

A good meal begins with a well-stocked pantry. By keeping supplies and items on hand at all times, you’ll be able to create nutritious and delicious meals for your loved ones. If you are constantly having to go to the grocery store, stress may become the center of your meals. That will ultimately lead to just grabbing quick processed foods that can be made in a hurry. I believe what we feed our family will set everyone up for good health in our body and mind.

1. Buy in Bulk – this has been a game changer for me. I probably started doing this 23+ years ago. I’ve always been an organized one with everything in my life – I mean, am I the only one who organizes their clothes by colors and then by style (short sleeve, jeans, shorts, etc.)?
2. One of my favorite things to see in my pantry are pretty clear jars filled with all of my goods. I also like to label them with this “old school” labeler. My bulk items, I keep below behind the curtains. I also have drawers where I keep all of my big grain buckets.
3. Keeping the pantry tidy, will keep you, as the homemaker, more organized. You’ll love walking into your pantry and grabbing your ingredients that you need to make your meals.

“Do what you can, with what you have.”

Homestead Pantry Goods

Keep a well-stocked pantry with this essentials list. Make sure you always have these items on hand. Grab these 2 sheets to help manage your pantry and create meals in a more timely manner.

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Send it my way! 

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Cooking From Scratch

I grew up as child in the 70’s and 80’s. Junk food had already hit the stores so I had access to it all the time. I’m talking donuts, candy bars, milkshakes, etc. on the weekends at my grandparent’s house. All of us grandkids would spend Friday nights with them and my grandpa (we called him Poppy) would take us to get the donuts haha. We were able to pick out whatever flavor we wanted. He also took us to the local market and I would grab Reese Cups, Milk Way candy bars and who knows what else.

Fast forward to being married and having two young kids. They didn’t eat McDonald’s happy meals like all their friends. I started reading labels and paying attention to what was in our food. Yes, I got sucked into the whole “low fat” scheme. We were lied to and I learned a lot from that. I moved on and I’ve been cooking from scratch since my two were around five and seven years old.

Tips on Getting Started

Don’t get overwhelmed in the beginning if you are switching over from a processed/“boxed food” diet. Start with just a few things and cut them out. You’ll be more apt to continue on this clean eating journey. I’m an “All or nothing” kinda lady but do what works best for you. For instance, start with sodas (if you drink them excessively) and fast food (Burger King, Taco Bell and yes, even Chick-fil-A). The worst part is the seed oils that everything is fried in, not to mention the quality of the food.

Simple Meals

If you are new to cooking, learn a few easy meals before attempting the fancy ones. I personally love cooking just traditional home cooked meals for my family. We aren’t fancy and love good ‘ole country food. Here are some basic things you can start with. You can usually throw a good meal on the table with these simple essentials.

• Roasting a chicken
• Making soup from bones
• Baking bread or buttermilk biscuits
• Sunday Pot Roast
• Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Glazed Carrots
• Oven Baked French Fries
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

Plan your meals with what you have on hand. By keeping a well-stocked pantry, you should be able to whip something up quick. We all have those hurried weeknights when we are rushing to get home from work or a kid’s practice. You still need to eat.

A Way to a Man’s Heart

“A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

The above saying is an old saying I used to hear my grandma’s tell me. At the time I really didn’t know what it meant. It is saying that cooking for a husband can strengthen the relationship. This reflects the idea that providing meals can show care and affection in a marriage. I know whenever I cook and go out of my way to make something special for dinner, Bill’s eyes light up. When he takes the first bite and I hear that moan, that then tells me how much he loves it. That in itself, is why I have a love for cooking and baking.

One thing I have always done was made sure Bill could come home to a home-cooked meal. It may just be an egg sandwich and a side of fruit, but it was all he really required. 

Meal Prep and Such

Here are some of my favorites that I use and do regularly. Keep this list handy and I’ve linked to all my blog posts to each item.

• Make Anything Freezer Chicken (freeze shredded cooked chicken for meals like Chicken Enchiladas, Old-fashioned Chicken and Dumplings, Harvest Chicken Pie, Homestead Chicken Noodle Soup or White Chicken Chili).

• Keep a Pantry/Freezer Inventory – download the sheets for FREE

• Authentic Sunday Sauce (family Italian recipe you can use for so many meals)

• How to Water Bath Can – here’s my FREE beginner’s guide

• Wood Butter (how to keep your wood spoons, cutting boards, etc. looking pretty all year long)

• How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet – keep your cast iron rust free with this simple tip

When You are Ready

Adding fresh-milled flour to your meals is a game changer in your health. Your family will love all your home baked goodies and will benefit from all the nutrition. When you feel comfortable, get started below.

Simple Homemaking

On top of feeding your husband good meals, I know most men like coming home to a clean home where they feel love on the inside. Most men take care of the outside of the home and the wives take care of the inside. The husbands/dads usually mow the lawn, maintain the landscape and fix whatever needs fixin’. The ladies/moms are usually the ones cleaning and decorating the home. I was raised with a mom that kept a spotless home. As I got older, I think I told her once that we could’ve eaten off the kitchen floor that it was so clean haha.

I wasn’t really good at all the cleaning part when I first got married. Our apartment was clean as in bathrooms, kitchen and dirt but I always had piles somewhere. I kinda still have piles of papers but at least I know what’s in them haha. 

Tips

Here’s a few tips that I’ve learned over the years that are important for both Bill and I. I always used to stop and say to myself, “He lives here too.” What I mean by that is that as the homemaker, it’s not just me in the home. I didn’t have a brother growing up so I needed to learn to talk with Bill about style and decorating. Fortunately, we have the same taste haha. I also had to make sure I kept up with the laundry, planned the meals, cleaned the bathrooms, mopped the floors and pick up after the kids. It was exhausting nonetheless. Bill did help me when he could but he worked outside of the home more than I did when we started having babies.

1. Write down a schedule. Get a calendar and put what days you want to clean each part of the house. Example: Bathrooms – Monday, Kitchen – Tuesday, etc. 
2. Whether you work outside of the home or you are a SAH wife/mama, utilize delivery services. It is a game changer for me. We don’t live near a Sam’s or Costco so by the time I drive an hour there, an hour back and spend an hour or so inside the store, I could’ve done so many chores in my home. Most of the stores now offer InstaCart for deliveries and I highly recommend it. 
3. Make your bed every day. Bill has never complained but I’ve always been pretty good at making our bed right when I wake up. My dad was in the U.S. Army so he instilled in my sister and I to keep our rooms tidy. You feel a sense of accomplishment and honestly have a better day because of it. Besides, the two of you will love getting into nice straightened sheets and a fluffy quilt or comforter at bedtime. 

Random Seasoned Tips:

Finally, here are just some random top tips that I have figured out along the way. I’m so happy to share them with you and hope they will bless you in your homemaking skills.

Kitchen

1. Always look at your recipe prior to making it. You might need to go to the store and buy some of the ingredients. That is why I gave a list of all my pantry goods that I like to keep on hand at all times. See above.
2. Prior to starting a recipe, always clean your counters. Starting with a sanitized space, well, it is just good character.
3. A pet peeve of mine is a sink filled with dirty dishes. I never start any kind of meal prep in my kitchen unless my sinks are clean. I do have two sinks. One is a large single sink in front of my kitchen window that is located next to my dishwasher. That one usually is where we put all of the Dirty utensils and dishes after the meal is prepped/eaten. The second sink is smaller and it’s in my island. This is my prep sink. I absolutely love using this sink, especially when I need to rinse things like meat or put small things down the garbage disposal. This is totally optional. I just have an OCD issue about cooking a meal that doesn’t have an empty sink.
4. Learn to love to wear an apron. I have probably close to ten of them. They all have a special place in my kitchen. Full size aprons are great (especially if they have pockets) as you can wipe your hands on them, if needed. They are good for when you are using flour in case some of it would get on your shirt. I also love wearing a few half-aprons. If I’m just cutting up vegetables, this is a great option. 
5. Clean your kitchen as you go. Meaning, as you use your cutting board, knife or food processor, rinse it off in the sink. Either hand wash your item or place it in the dishwasher. 
6. Before you start doing all your meal prep, pre-heat your oven. This will save you some time on allowing the oven to get to the proper temperature. 
7. I’ve switched most of my utensils over to wood. I also have a few wood cutting boards. These always get hand washed. Never stick these in a dishwasher or submerge them for hours in soapy water to soak them. 
8. Meat thermometers come in handy when you are cooking meat, especially, chicken. Chicken needs to be at least 160 degrees when done. I usually will go up to 170-175, just to be safe.
9. Keep a little spoon by your stove so you can taste as things are cooking. All new wives want to make sure their husband enjoys the meal. 
10. Pay attention to the ingredients when you are measuring them into the bowl. Don’t mistake sugar for salt or vice versa. It would be so bad if your pie tasted like a heaping slice of salt instead of a nice blend of sweeteners haha. 
11. Small little spatulas are great for scraping the batter bowls. Or, you can utilize your husband for that. After all these years, Bill still has to lick the beaters and the bowl when I’m making cakes, brownies or cookies. 
12. Keep your kitchen knives sharp. You can do this or that sweet husband of yours can tackle that job. He’ll more than likely tell you that dull knives will cut your worse than a sharp knife. 
13. Do not put potato skins or eggs shells down your garbage disposal. I learned real quick when my disposal wouldn’t turn on and I had to ask Bill for help haha. Poor thing had to take the thing apart and empty all the food pieces before I could use it again. 
14. If you are making anything with dough and water aka a sourdough starter, do not, put your discard down your kitchen sink. If you want a happy marriage, throw your discard either in the trash or keep it in another jar and make something with it. All that sticky flour, will mess your pipes up. 
15. Never put a cold food item or baking dish into a hot oven. You will run the risk of the baking vessel cracking.
16. Always grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded has a caking agent in the bag and trust me, you’ll taste the difference. With this little extra step, you’ll be feeding your family wholesome ingredients. You’ll use the box grater I mentioned above to do this. 
17. If you feel you like to bake a lot, create an area in your kitchen. If you have a large enough pantry, place all of your baking essentials in there. With all of the ingredients in one location, you don’t have to hop around the kitchen grabbing things.  
18. If you have a recipe that calls for oil and honey/maple syrup, always add the honey first, then the sticky sweetener. It will save you some time during clean up. The sweetener slides right off.
19. The kitchen sink – Keep your sink and counters clean at all times. (This kind of ties into #3.) Meaning, don’t just pile dishes up. You can do one of two things and I promise this will make you more calm in your home (especially your kitchen). See below.

Options for keeping the sink cleaned

#1. Before you go to bed, wash all your dishes. If you have started your dishwasher, you might not have room in there for everything so you could wash the rest by hand. #2. Run your dishwasher. Wash anything by hand that needs to be. Soak any pots/dishes that need soaking. Get up earlier than everyone else (it’s really good to do it anyways, at least an hour). Unload the clean dishes from the dishwasher and then load it with everything that has been soaking overnight. I always do number 2. My sink is constantly soaking and I go to bed around 9pm so I don’t want to stay up any later. It makes me feel more at peace when I go prepare the next meal. When you cook mostly three meals a day at home, the sink and drying rack is constantly in use.

Laundry

20. Wash your bath towels, bath hand towels and kitchen towels separately. I don’t like to mix my body, face and cooking together haha. For sanitary purposes, it just keeps everything fresher this way.

21. Schedule days in your calendar for “laundry days”. To save money, use a clothesline like I do. I love the freshness of our sheets and quilts plus I’m saving money by not using the dryer. Speaking of dryer, don’t leave your clothes sitting in there for days. Fold them when the dryer stops. Your clothes will not be wrinkled. As for the washer, pull the clothes out when they are finished washing. If you leave them in there overnight, you stand a chance of them getting a mildew smell.

22. Clean the washing machine out at least once a month. Just run white vinegar on your hottest setting to disinfect it. If you have a front loader, clean out where the rubber drum is with a paper towel and toxic-free cleaner. This will prohibit mold from growing.

A Word of Encouragement

You will burn bread. The soup will be over seasoned. You will grow tired of cooking. Laundry will pile up. None of this means you have failed.

Every homemaker was once a beginner.

Cook simply. Use what you have. Learn steadily. Slow down. Don’t compare yourself to others. In time, your home and kitchen will become a place of confidence and quiet satisfaction.

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I hope these tips form a seasoned wife make you feel encouraged in your homemaking skills. If you have any other tips, drop them in the comments below. Please share this post over on Pinterest and tag me on Instagram. I’d love to see how this guide could help other women in their homemaker role.

Wendy Lea Walker, NTP

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and mistakes I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin. I’m an advocate for eating real food and enjoy sharing all my fresh-milled flour recipes. I’ve learned to slow down over the years from all the noise that came with life and enjoy creating a simple home.