A MODERN GIRL’S (ATTEMPTED) GUIDE TO HOUSEKEEPING… That’s what I need. A guide. I used to have a job (a career even!) but more often than not, I now find myself in pajamas well past the acceptable time to be found in pajamas, pondering ice cream for breakfast and which version of Pride and Prejudice to waste my afternoon on. I’ve worked almost every day since I was sixteen… until now. And I don’t quite know what to do with myself. I purposely never learned to clean because I never wanted to have to. I purposely never learned to cook because the idea of winning over a man through his stomach seemed archaic and insulting. I purposely never learned to garden because I’d hate to ruin my manicure- if I ever actually got one. But here I am. Nothing to do but pull my weight around our apartment, i.e. cook, clean, and generally keep house for The Boyfriend, who lovingly doesn’t seem to mind if I never go back to work again. And when I can get out of my pajamas at a reasonable hour, I find I don’t hate it, this housekeeping thing. In fact, I might love it, being a House Girlfriend- and maybe I’ll write that guide myself. If only I could get up the courage to scrub out the bathtub…Tumblr (3.0; @housegirlfriend)http://www.housegirlfriend.com/Living in Los Angeles, land of endless burgers, one becomes a little inured to their charms. Not...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/24214978243http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/24214978243Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:15:25 -0700House GirlfriendCookingUnsolicited EndorsementHearst RanchBeefBurgersWilliam Randolph HearstCitizen KaneThe Boyfriend and I have been traveling, which for us always seems to mean days of bad and...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23869953083http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23869953083Sun, 27 May 2012 09:58:42 -0700House GirlfriendCookingHome AgainSalmonQuinoaDecorating can be tricky when you’re both very particular and very strapped for cash.  But,...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23772427932http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23772427932Fri, 25 May 2012 19:41:14 -0700House GirlfriendProjectsDecorChairLiving RoomNot that long ago, I didn’t even like potato salad. I was fine with it… but crave it?...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23739649564http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23739649564Fri, 25 May 2012 09:50:53 -0700House GirlfriendCookingPotato SaladAsparagusAfter a lot of rather large and overwhelming cooking projects of late, I’m scaling back for a...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23614412656http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23614412656Wed, 23 May 2012 09:39:35 -0700House GirlfriendCookingFrench ToastI didn’t really think anything would come of the little cilantro seeds I planted amidst my...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23486903239http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23486903239Mon, 21 May 2012 10:14:55 -0700house girlfriendHerb GardenProjectsCilantroLast summer, when The Boyfriend and I first moved in together, I made gazpacho. But the peeling,...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23338582069http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23338582069Sat, 19 May 2012 00:11:00 -0700House GirlfriendLessonsCookingTomatoPeel and SeedGazpachoMy mother’s last food request of me this week was strawberry shortcake- something I did not...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23170805192http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23170805192Wed, 16 May 2012 09:56:00 -0700House GirlfriendCookingRecipeDessertStrawberry ShortcakeThis last meal, made for my mother on her birthday, should tell you a lot about her: her love of...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23155945356http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23155945356Wed, 16 May 2012 00:33:25 -0700CevicheCookingGazpachoHouse GirlfriendMother's BirthdayRecipeIn Tennessee, tomatoes are a way of life. You spend all year waiting for that day when all of a...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23056915836http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/23056915836Mon, 14 May 2012 14:02:10 -0700House GirlfriendCookingChicken SaladTomatoes and BasilMother's DayIn honor of Mother’s Day, I’ve prepared some of my own mother’s favorite meals: a...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22982245665http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22982245665Sun, 13 May 2012 11:03:03 -0700CookingCucumber SaladDeviled EggsFruit SaladHouse GirlfriendMother's DayRecipes!Fried ChickenUnfortunately, my mother lives many many states away. So I very rarely have the chance to see her on...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22978548213http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22978548213Sun, 13 May 2012 10:03:00 -0700House GirlfriendMother's DayProjectsSo, I had some eggplant around because I initially intended to make my newly-babied friends an...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22757886383http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22757886383Wed, 09 May 2012 19:28:48 -0700House GirlfriendCookingRecipeEggplant SaladWell, it’s that time again. Two more of our friends have had a baby and it’s The...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22757503677http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22757503677Wed, 09 May 2012 19:23:23 -0700House GirlfriendCookingRecipefood treeVegetarian LasagnaZucchiniSpinachThe first time I went to New York City, at the tender age of 18, we were set loose on a place called...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22535319236http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22535319236Sun, 06 May 2012 12:37:43 -0700House GirlfriendCookingDinnerPastaRecipeOrecchietteEvery time I need fresh herbs for a recipe I end up spending $3 on a tiny bushel that lasts just the...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22326176752http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22326176752Thu, 03 May 2012 10:02:10 -0700House GirlfriendProjectsHerbsGardeningBlack ThumbAs I am SURE you will remember, about a month ago I began the fight against light in our bedroom....http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22227198269http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22227198269Tue, 01 May 2012 17:14:00 -0700House GirlfriendProjectswindow filmDecorI’ve been tortured by a bag of frozen Mahi Mahi pieces I bought at Trader Joe’s a while...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22199960259http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/22199960259Tue, 01 May 2012 10:16:22 -0700House GirlfriendCookingDinnermahi mahiavocado saladMaybe it’s the coming summer, and my overwhelming desire for the tomatoes and peaches I spent...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/21995493471http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/21995493471Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:24:36 -0700House GirlfriendCookingCobblerRecipeBerriesSo, not having any children and not being at a point in my life where I want any children, I had...http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/21893332542http://www.housegirlfriend.com/post/21893332542Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:02:35 -0700House GirlfriendCookingFood TreeRecipeLasagnaTomato Sauce