Heather Solos - Home-Ec 101

Sunday Confessional

Heather says: Sometimes, when Mr. Heather is home, I take my laptop into the kitchen, load the recipe for what I’m creating onto one tab, and linger attending dishes that really don’t need me. I check my email, chat with Ivy, etc “Can you get the baby? I’m busy making dinner!” Cue the sound of …

Sautéed Cabbage

Dear Home Ec 101, Would you post about how you cook cabbage? That’s something I never cook… is it cheap and healthy? Thanks! Signed, Cravin’ the Cruciferous Heather says: Yes, cabbage when purchased in season, is both cheap and healthy. It is a great source of both vitamin C and fiber. Here in North America …

How to Debone Chicken Thighs

Dear Home Ec 101,
I’ve heard that you can substitute chicken thighs in some recipes that call for boneless skinless chicken breasts, but I am not sure what to do. How do you remove the bones?
Signed,
Boneheaded in Bonneville
Heather says:
It would be embarrassing for me to admit how long I sat here trying to think of a title that wouldn’t bring the perverts out of the woodwork. I’ve given up and decided to just say, I don’t think we’re offering what you have in mind, carry on, but thanks for the page view.
I am placing a page break for the benefit of some of our more sensitive viewers who probably don’t want to stare at raw chicken. Heck, I don’t want to stare at raw chicken. The tutorial follows the break.

Cheese Sauce

Dear Home Ec 101,

My three year old son is allergic to eggs and I’m trying to find a cheese sauce for vegetables that is simple, but not greasy.
Can you help?

Signed,
Cheesin’ in Chester
Heather says,

Most of us who grew up in the 1980s can probably sing the jingle for Velveeta, “Cheddar’s greasy, cheddar’s oily.” I am not sure why I’m encouraging y’all to sing as I am not recommending Velveeta. That stuff is spendy and fake, a mortal culinary sin in the Handbook of Heather.

A little flour, butter, milk, and cheddar make a great kid friendly cheese sauce for vegetables. Ready? Good.

Economic Fear

Heather says: Yesterday I monitored the news as the House of Representatives voted down an economic bailout package. Wall St.’s reaction was swift and concerning, but the reactions I saw through various social media platforms ran the gamut from logical and relevant to, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling and a piece of …

Sunday Confessional

Heather says: Welcome to the “When Home Improvement Projects Go Awry” edition of the Sunday Confessional. Mr. Heather and I are usually competent do it yourself type people. In our old home, a 100+ year old home in Minnesota, we hired out for some major projects. Thankfully, our curent home is newer and thus far …

Retro Saturday: Super Simple Broccoli Soup

Heather says: A non-blogging friend of mine recently admitted that she has never attempted to make soup. After I picked my jaw off the ground, she does know her way around the kitchen, but she finds the idea of soup intimidating. I offered to hold her hand and walk her through a few recipes. You, …

how to remove decoupage or modpodge from clothing

Dear Home Ec 101: I recently made fabulous folders with pretty paper and also a great magnetic memo board with fabric on a silver tray all thanks to decoupage. But I’m a bit of a mess and the decoupage is all over my favorite yoga pants and a cute t-shirt. How can I get it …

Hoagie Roll Tutorial

Heather says:

After getting the hang of basic white bread, these rolls should be a cinch. There are no fancy ingredients, but you will need a rolling pin.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup warm water + extra for sprinkling
2 1/2 tsp yeast
2 1/2 TBSP olive oil
3 1/2 cups flour (for best results use bread flour)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp sugar

Directions are after the jump.

Peas and Almonds

Heather says: I used to hate peas. Deep down in my heart I knew the cafeteria ladies despised me each time they plopped a spoonful of wrinkly, mushy peas onto my tray. Thankfully, I have learned that most often it isn’t the original food item I have hated, but simply the manner in which it …