For the Dads and Grads in your Life

Good Morning Apron Goddesses, Suzi here to greet all of you lovelies. Hope you all have a GREAT day. Thought I would give you at least one idea for Father's Day and for the ones in your life who are about to graduate and embark on life.

For those of you who have husbands who LOVE to cook, BBQ, bake, etc. why not consider a personalized apron? They are fun and creative.

For the graduate? Send them off to college or out in the real world with a wonderful reminder of where they came from......a personalized apron.

All you have to do is upload a favorite picture, yours or theirs, and wallah! A special apron for the ones you love.

Go check them out at Bags of Love. Of course they have many other items that can be personalized, but this IS a site all about aprons. So, what are you waiting for? Go see what they can do for you.

Do You Have A Dirty Dishtowel? You're Gonna Want One!! Yep, it's an Apron Giveaway . . .

Good Monday Morning!!!!

Apron Goddesses, it has been slow here lately. Of this I am painfully aware. However, we've an awesome giveaway this week from Dirty Dishtowels LLC.

I. Love. Their. Store.

"What is this?" you say. . .

I said I love Dirty Dishtowels.

Every time I got to their site I leave smiling. These ladies make me laugh and remember to have fun again when I am sinking into the pits of apron despair.

This "Bitch" apron in pink and black to the left is adorable. I know I am sick in some ways, but I can admit that the embroidered sayings that occur on the aprons and dish towels at Dirty Dishtowels LLC crack me up. I know it's probably wrong and some of you ladies may be offended. But sometimes wrong is right.

The ladies at Dirty Dishtowels specialize in saucy sayings which are embroidered on their white dish towels and aprons. And they have a saying . . .

"Because everyone gets a little dirty sometimes."

This half margarita apron to the right also is oh so cute in style. The ladies at DDLLC have "naughty aprons" like these to purchase. The extra swagger is in the embellishments with these aprons. You can custom order any of your favorite sayings from the dishtowel collection on to one of their aprons with pockets. Then it will be embroidered on the pocket for you to wear and enjoy.

Here's another sweet little full apron with a festive floral theme. I don't mind a little margarita while making burritos or fajitas. Nope not one bit.

Now it's time for the giveaway sponsored by DDLLC. You can choose either the pink and black polka dot half apron "Bitch" style or the half margarita apron, as shown above, for your canvas. Then you may pick your favorite embroidered embellishment to go on the pocket.

You will need to go and visit the Dirty Dishtowels LLC store and browse the selection. Come back here to TAG and make a comment about your favorite saying embroidered on the dishtowels. I.e. a saying that you would like on your apron if you win. That will give you one entry into the giveaway.

For five extra entries into the drawing create a blog post about this giveaway, leaving your permalink in your comment. Be sure to mention this in your entry.

And for 10 extra, bonus chances at winning send in a picture of you or a family member wearing an apron and a few words about you and your apron. Give me the dirt! Leave a comment that you are sending in a photograph too! (Contact is above) No headless apron wearers please!! We will write up your "apron-ography" in the weeks to come.

Giveaway closes on June 8, 2010.

Good Luck!!

Can't keep my hands off of these granola bars!

Hey Apron Lovers! It's the Ungourmet...again. Well, today I tied on my favorite apron and made my first ever granola bars. I have to tell ya, these are so darn good I can't keep my hands off of them. They are a nice combination of chewy, crispy, nutty, chocolaty, coconut-y goodness! Homemade granola bars are WAY better than anything from the grocery store and they are so easy to make, too. I can't wait to whip up another batch of these babies!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coconut Granola Bars
by theUngourmet inspired by Salba Smart

3/4 cup creamy (the kind you stir) peanut butter or other nut butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp honey
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tbsp golden flax seeds
2 tbsp Salba seed (optional)
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325. Spray oil a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. In a small pan heat the pb and honey over low heat until melted, stirring often. Cool. In a large bowl mix the oats, cereal, seeds, coconut, chips, cinnamon and vanilla. Gently stir in pb mixture and coat evenly. Slowly mix in the eggs. Using your hands, gently mix everything until evenly coated. Press into prepared pan to form an even layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely in the pan prior to cutting into squares.

These are so scrumptious, it's hard to believe they are actually good for you!

Have a great week!

A Winner!! The Farmer's Wife at Home. And I'm sort of better . . .

Good evening Apron Goddesses! Julia here.

I am still suffering from a variously disturbed stomach. I am not overly nauseous in the mornings. But after eating, especially in the evening, a certain unsettled stomach takes over. They say the virus can last for up to 10 days. I am praying that after day 10, I am miraculously back to normal!! I guess I must be thankful that I am not praying to the porcelain gods any more though.

But I wanted to post a winner to the giveaway from the Farmer's Wife at Home and I ran the numbers......

So to get to the point, I can say that number 5 was drawn by the random number generator AND

Tara Beaulieu at Scarborough Seashells is the winner! Tara said, "Oh my gosh that "chicken or the egg" apron is adorable, I'd love to own that! Great giveaway!"


Congrats Tara! Please contact me and we'll coordinate with the Farmer's Wife at Home for your wonderful apron.

Jizo Statues

Hi all, Suzi here. Julia did a post a while back regarding rocks wearing white aprons. Well I found more pictures depicting the same thing. Since I found so many pictures I had to look into it. These are called Jizō statues.


According to Wikipedia:
Jizō statues are sometimes accompanied by a little pile of stones and pebbles, put there by people in the hope that it would shorten the time children have to suffer in the underworld. (The act is derived from the tradition of building stupas as an act of merit-making.) The statues can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or bibs, or with toys, put there by grieving parents to help their lost ones and hoping that Jizō would specially protect them. Sometimes the offerings are put there by parents to thank Jizō for saving their children from a serious illness. Jizō's features are commonly made more babylike to resemble the children he protects.

As he is seen as the saviour of souls who have to suffer in the underworld, his statues are common in cemeteries. He is also believed to be the protective deity of travellers, and roadside statues of Jizō are a common sight in Japan. Firefighters are also believed to be under the protection of Jizō.

So, now you know. There is a story behind rocks wearing aprons.

I've Been A Little Incapacitated. . .

Greetings all! Julia here. Sorry no posts. I've been working out of town, then was hit by a big nasty rotovirus. Recovering. . .

If you want the brief details you can check out my Dirty Laundry here.

More aprons coming later this week. :)

Poppy Seeds Aren't Just For Muffins!

Hello fellow apron lovers! It's the Ungourmet, bringing you another fun and easy recipe. I love making pancakes for breakfast on the weekends but sometimes I get bored with the same old boring recipe. I decided my pancakes needed a little jazz and pizazz!!

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
adapted from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition

Serves 4

1 large egg
1 1/3 cups almond milk (or soy milk)
1 tbsp lemon zest
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix egg, milk, zest, lemon juice and oil in a medium bowl. Mix flour, almond meal, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until moistened. Using 1/4-1/2 measuring cup drop batter onto a lightly oiled griddle and cook until both sides are golden brown.

Serve with fresh berries and fresh whipping cream (I put a bit of honey and vanilla into my whipping cream.).

These pancakes were such a nice change from the ordinary!

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Reminder to Enter the Giveaway From Farmer's Wife at Home!

Ladies there is still time to enter the "choose your favorite" apron giveaway and promotion for the Farmer's Wife at Home!

These cute and original aprons are darling and would be a great way to stay clean and look adorable in the kitchen!

Be sure to check out the Farmer's Wife at Home Etsy store and enter the giveaway HERE!


Happy Monday!

Flowers for Mother's Day

Hey all! It's me, the Ungourmet. I wanted to pop over and wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all you apron lovin' moms out there! This photo is from a recent trip my mom and I took to the tulip festival. We had such a lovely time together and can't wait to go again next year!

I'd like to pass these flowers on to you! I have them on my desktop right now and you are welcome to do the same if you like.

Have a fantastic day!!

Spotlight: A Beautiful "Green" Apron

Happy Friday Apron Goddesses Everywhere!!

It's Julia here, and I'd like to spotlight a beautiful apron creation that was made by using recycled materials. This darling apron was made by Janet over at The Empty Nest, and she created it by hand using fabrics and materials which had a former life doing something else. . . Can you believe it?

Janet said, "My 'new' apron is almost entirely fashioned from 'old' fabric. I bought the white cotton linen skirt ages ago at my Salvation Macy's. The second I saw it I knew it was destined for a more beautiful life. It originally was all white, but I hand painted the bottom flounce a pretty watery blue."

Then she continued, "I found a lovely thrift shop, where I immediately spotted a whole rack of fabulous antique embroidered runners, hankies and doilies." We can see those got put to use splendidly!

So my only question is WHO could wear this and get it dirty??? Not me.

Well, Janet does not have to worry since she SOLD it on her Etsy store within 5 minutes of listing it. Imagine that. To see the whole story hop on over and see the full write up in Janet's words HERE, plus there are more close up photos to inspect!

Great work Janet! You are definitely upholding the Apron Goddess spirit with sewing skills that produced this apron!

Cubes of Fun for Everyone

See this guy? He was one of the 2 culprits that led me to the LEGO store (not that what they did makes it okay). Because of him and his middle brother, I found these fun ice cube trays. He and Trevor thought it would be good fun to destroy their youngest brother's LEGO man's head. Smashed it! Trashed it! Destroyed it!

When I was looking around I found these fun LEGO man ice trays. The tray is a nice blue silicone ice mold. I took them home and immediately made some ice.

As you can see, Luke is thrilled by them and can't wait to pop them in his mouth.

Up close, a little more personal.

When the ice cubes are finished I think I am going to try some juice, maybe melt some chocolate for a tasty treat in their lunch. The possibilities are endless. What will you make with your fun ice trays?

Miss Cherry Bubbles is an Apron Goddess!

I have a daring and forward thinking Apron Goddess to show you today. She is one who is not afraid of a little whip cream. Sneaking a spoonful or a spatula full is apparently not on her "Don't" list.

OK I HAVE snuck some spoonfuls of whip cream before, but I'd never be caught on camera doing so.

I secretly wish I was as bold and unabashedly fearless.

I think Miss Cherry has the great and wonderful spirit which embodies an Apron Goddess. Don't you agree??

Miss Cherry Bubbles wrote, "Here is my apron photo for extra bonus chances to win your fabulous giveaway :) This is from Thanksgiving and I'm wearing a vintage half apron to protect my dress from homemade whipped cream."


Thank you Miss Cherry Bubbles for your contribution to The Apron Goddesses!!!

Please go say hi to MCB at her blog Past Life. We all like some new visitors to say Hello!!

A bit of Hawaiian sunshine for breakfast

Hey, hey, the Ungourmet here. Lately, I've been dreaming. Dreaming of hanging up my apron and jetting off to Hawaii for a little sunshine and relaxation. Unfortunately, all of my fun money goes to my kids. Darn! Well, I'll have to settle for the next best thing...a bit of Hawaiian sunshine in my breakfast bowl (or plate).

I love baked oatmeal for breakfast. There are so many different combination possibilities. This one is bursting with sunny, tropical flavors like pineapple, coconut and banana. Mmm!

Baked Hawaiian Oatmeal
by theUngourmet

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup all-bran cereal
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 large egg
2 tbsp of melted butter, cooled to room temperature
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1/4 cup raw honey
1 cup fresh pineapple, roughly chopped
2 ripe bananas, diced
1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 inch round (or square) baking pan.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, cereal, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl combine the egg, butter, ginger, vanilla, coconut extract, milk, honey, fruit and coconut.

Stir the oat mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes until center is fairly firm and top of oatmeal is golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting. Top with vanilla yogurt if you wish.

Give this vacation in a bowl a try soon. I know you'll love it!