Share Your Emergency Budget Ideas

Heather says: I talked about this yesterday on the Facebook Fanpage, but I thought it would be a good idea to continue the discussion over here. Home-Ec101.com is an apolitical site; this means that neither party will get an endorsement, political bashing is not allowed, and for the most part I really hope that political …

Read more

How to Remove Heat Marks from Furniture

Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m having some dining room table woes. The wood is super sensitive to heat. When it was given to me it had a couple of small white marks, but I just put a table cloth over it and called it good. Even with out the cloth they weren’t that bad. Well, at Thanksgiving I …

Read more

Freeze Your Jeans?

Heather says: I don’t quite know where to begin with this. I suppose I must say I find it ridiculous, mostly because when I wear jeans, they get dirty. Maybe, maybe if I had a super fancy, only wear-out-to-events pair of jeans, I would consider the jeans freezing trick an option. However, I’m not that …

Read more

Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Ginger

Heather says: Broccoli rabe, also called rappini or broccoli raab -pronounce it rob, not rab-  is a new-to-me vegetable. I know it’s sort of common and in some areas it has been available for years. There’s no reason that I haven’t tried it. Broccoli rabe just never jumped into my cart saying, “I’m delicious,” the …

Read more

Home Ec 101 Menu and Shopping List #14

Heather says: Spring is here, despite a rather mean prank by Mother Nature on our North Eastern friends, it is time to start revamping the menu and focusing on spring vegetables and fewer starches. Over on the forums I mentioned that I’m fighting off an emotional funk. One of the signals was I have almost …

Read more

How to Remove Detergent Build Up in a Washing Machine

Dear Home-Ec 101,I’ve recently noticed a layer of scum around the agitator.  I’d probably find it throughout if I could get my head in there.  Is there a way to get this out without scrubbing the thing?Signed,Build Me Up, Buttercup This response focuses on top-loading clothes washers, but the same problem often occurs in front-loading …

Read more

Review: Clutter Rehab by Laura Wittman

clutter rehab

Heather says: It’s no secret that I’m a fan of OrgJunkie.com. I had the pleasure of meeting the site’s author, Laura Wittman, last October and let me tell you, she is just as lovely as person as one could hope. Recently her publisher Ulysses Press sent me a copy of Laura’s book, Clutter Rehab 101 …

Read more

Home Ec 101 Menu and Grocery List #13

Heather says: Here’s another week of menus with recipes and a complete shopping list, courtesy of SayMmm.com. Click for the printable shopping list. Monday – Black Bean Burritos, Spanish Rice, Fried Green Corn (use frozen) Tuesday – Chili Honey Chicken Thighs, Lentil Pilaf, Roast Broccoli Wednesday – Clean Out Refrigerator Night Thursday – Grilled Ham …

Read more

Pressure Cooking for Vegetarians

Dear Home Ec 101, I am coverting to Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and several books suggest using a pressure cooker as a good tool in the kitchen. My questions are: 1. Are the European models better than the American ones? That was suggested in one book. 2. Are they safe now? My grandmother never had an accident with …

Read more

How to Clean a Smooth Top Range / Stove

Dear Home-Ec 101: I have a glass smooth-top stove. Recently I managed to burn it pretty badly – I think there were some food particles either on the burner or the bottom of my pot because when I put the pot on the burner, it sizzled and then a very bad burning smell filled the …

Read more