Heather Solos 
Heather says: This recipe is versatile, use any 3 – 5lbs of bone in chicken, use breasts, thighs, or a cut up a whole chicken. If you have young children they can help with shaking, but only if your container has a tight fitting lid or said child is old enough to understand they need …
Heather says: Let’s say it together chia, like the pet, peeno. Most recipes I offer here on Home Ec 101 are budget friendly in nature. This one isn’t, unless you happen on some rocking seafood sales. According to Foodtimeline.org, cioppino is believed to have evolved in the San Francisco Bay area. I became a fan …
Hi Ivy and Heather, Long time reader, 2nd time emailer. 😉 I was squealing with delight when I saw Barkeeper’s Friend at my local Bed Bath and Beyond. I know in many of your posts, you recommend using it for cleaning various things. Of course, now that I have it, I can’t think of one …
Heather says: If you have a wilting bunch of cilantro or parsley you can perk it back up by cutting 1/2″ off the stems and placing the bunch in a glass of water, just like a bouquet of flowers. Place the glass in the fridge and please, try not to knock it over. Alternately, you …
Before I took the training wheels off my Internet, I used to hang out on AOL’s Kitchen Frugality message board. This soup recipe came from one of those fine ladies and has become a standard in our home. Even if you think you can’t boil water, I promise you can make this soup while standing …
Retro Saturdays give us a chance to spend time with our families. Enjoy this blast from the Home Ec 101 past, originally published in January of 2008. Ivy says: If you’re trying to live on less money and you are not yet acquainted with the joy of thrift store shopping, let me introduce you. Reader, …
Dear Home Ec 101,An old roommate of mine borrowed a dresser from me and used it while we lived together. After she gave it back, the drawers had a musty smell that I couldn’t get rid of. If I put any clothes in the drawers, they come out smelling funky and musty too. What should …
Dear Home Ec 101, We scored a great deal on a 7 cubic ft freezer. Since our family gardens and we have a teenager, it’s great to have the extra storage space, but the storage part of that is a problem. It only has one lone basket on the top where I keep bread. Otherwise, …
Heather says: Always keep several cans of evaporated milk in the pantry. It has an incredibly long shelf life and can prevent an “Oh crap, we’re out of milk” trip to the store. To use a substitute for fresh milk, dilute the evaporated milk with an equal amount of water. Evaporated milk can also be …
Retro Saturdays give Ivy and I a chance to hang out with our families and gives our newer readers a peek at what’s in our archives. Please thank Ivy for holding down the fort while I took a much needed vacation with the kiddos. Heather says: My family goes through oatmeal at an amazing rate. …