Aprons have been used by cooks for hundreds of years. Cooking aprons were used by women and men for a many tasks long before they were seen on 1950s television. In the 1950s, women were portrayed as good mothers and homemakers and you hardly saw then without their kitchen aprons on.
There are Biblical references about aprons. Some researchers cite a passage in which Adam and Eve sewed together fig leaves to make aprons to use for cover. We usually think of kitchen aprons and cooking aprons, but aprons also have served as a cover-up for other tasks that are usually messy. Butchers, welders and bakers have always used full aprons to protect both their clothing and bodies from their messy work.
For centuries, homemakers have used aprons. Full and half aprons have been used to keep women’s clothing clean. They have also used kitchen aprons to carry utensils, for gathering and carrying eggs and for transporting wood. Cooking aprons have been an effective tool for a long time.
It wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s that people started to see the stereotypes of the “”perfect mother”" who always wore a kitchen apron. Up until then, kitchen aprons were thought of as a functional piece of the wardrobe.
Today’s full and half aprons are more stylish. Aprons have made a fashionable comeback with the help of TAYGA’s stylish apron sets.
Instead of cooking squash in your oven try this great quick cook method!
Clean your microwave tray and pour water onto it to cover the entire tray. Place your squash upside down on the tray and microwave for 25-30 minutes.
The squash comes out beautiful and you didn’t have to heat your oven for over an hour.
Butternut has many health benefits. It helps the fight against cancer, heart disease, and cataracts. The beta-carotene may also play a role in reducing lung inflammation and emphysema. Butternut also contains beneficial amounts of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
See the nutritional facts below:
Butternut Squash
Serving Size: 1/2 cup, cooked
Calories 41
Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Carbohydrate 11 g
Protein 1 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sodium 4 mg
Vitamin A
Niacin 1 mg
Pantothenic Acid <1 mg
Vitamin C 15 mg
Calcium 42 mg
Potassium 290 mg
Don’t forget to wear your favorite kitchen apron while making this heart healthy treat!
This Monday, October 12th, we honor the first voyage of Italian navigator Christopher Columbus. In honor of Mr. Columbus I’d like to post my favorite Italian recipe. This hearty lasagna is packed with two pounds of meat and eight cups of cheese. You may need to keep your cooking apron on to eat it! Navigate below to explore a delicious feast!
Peg’s Lasagna
1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound bulk pork sausage
24 oz tomato sauce
12 oz tomato paste
2 garlic gloves minced
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 eggs
3 T fresh parsley minced
24 oz small curd cottage cheese
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 c parmesan cheese
8 lasagna noodles
6 slices provolone cheese
3 c shredded mozzarella cheese
In a skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat. Heat until no longer pink and drain. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine eggs, parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese.
Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in an ungreased 9×13 pan. Layer with 4 lasagna noodles, 2 cups meat sauce, 3 provolone cheese slices, 2 cups cottage cheese mixture and 1.5 cups mozzarella. Repeat layers again using all ingredients.
Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite Italian bread.
Living with Amy is a local cooking show on FOX here in Wisconsin. We were honored to be included in her favorite things show last month. Our kitchen aprons are one of Amy’s favorite things and she wears them often on her show. One of her favorite recipes is Chicken Pot Pie Soup and I thought I’d share. You’ll want to make this again and again!
Melt butter and cook onion and celery in butter on low until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour and cook on low for a minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Add 4 cups milk and chicken base and stir with a whisk until it comes to a boil and has thickened. If too thick, add more milk. Turn down heat and add the chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for a minute on low. Add the cream. Taste to see if more chicken soup base is needed. Whisk in more if needed.
For a fun crust on top, let soup cool a bit. Ladle into oven safe bowls and top with pieces of chilled puff pastry. You can brush pastry with beaten egg. Add bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated 425 degree oven until pastry or crust is cooked, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
What’s in a name? Finding a name for your business can be difficult. It needs to be memorable, but unique. The name should be a mini-advertisement for your company and let people know what you do. Catchy names are fun and serve a purpose as well.
We recently changed our website’s domain name from www.taygalook.com to www.taygaaprons.com. It is now clear what we sell when others come across our website address. This reminded me that not everyone knows where we got our TAYGA name from.
TAYGA is an acronym for This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Apron. We can’t take all the credit for the clever name. Well, we can’t take any of the credit! Debbie’s friend came up with the saying while they were having girls night. Many other ideas and names where shared that night and another friend of Debbie’s finally made it into the acronym TAYGA and it stuck!
Now that you know, go “TAYGA look” at www.taygaaprons.com. Don’t buy just one, “TAYGA few.”
