Heather Solos Dear Home Ec 101, When I was younger (much, much, younger) we would cover bottles with tissue paper – the kind you use for wrapping packages – torn into various sizes and dipped in liquid fabric softener. When it dried, it was tough as nails, and you had an unusual-looking vase. I’d like to cover …
Heather says: I mentioned a couple of months ago that I was working on getting more fish into our diet. Salmon is our go to, it’s a reliable fish, but like chicken it can go with a number of flavors. With the weather cooling off I find my tastes turn toward warmer flavors. The toasted …
Dear Home Ec 101, What exactly does thread count mean? If I’m buying sheets is it true that I should buy the highest thread count I can? Signed, Threadhead Heather says: This is the non-technical explanation. I could start throwing around words like warp and weft, but there’s no need just to get the general …
Heather says: I know where there’s an abandoned house. Technically I suppose it belongs to a bank, but the bank isn’t keeping up the property. It just so happens that this lot has a couple of pear trees. Oh, these aren’t grocery store pretty pears, these are mottled and ugly cooking pears. I suppose there …
Dear Home Ec 101, I have tan microsuede dining room chairs and, with four children, you can imagine what they look like. I’ve looked, but there isn’t a cleaning recommendation tag on them. What is the best way to clean them? Signed, Dingy Diner Heather says: Oh I can imagine. I’ve given up on salvaging the …
Dear Home Ec 101: My totally awesome, yet annoyingly prepared sister-in-law has just begun her 7th month of her first pregnancy and is in major nesting mode. She emailed me last week looking for recipes that she can make now, freeze, and just reheat after the baby comes or as she puts it, ‘I won’t …
Have you fallen off the wagon with menu planning? You are not alone.
Dear Home Ec 101, I am a 25 years old mother. My daughter just started her terrible twos and I need some me time. A great way for me to relax is to curl up on the sofa once she is asleep, light some candles and put my iPod on. It helps me relax. But …
Dear Home Ec 101, I have tile floors and a couch, this sounds normal enough, but the couch slips and slides all over the tile and drives me crazy. How do I stop the couch from sliding? And the cushions, don’t get me started on the cushions, why won’t they stay on my couch? While …
Yesterday when I wrote the post on how to cook with dried beans, I had that nagging feeling, you know the one that says I was forgetting something important. It turns out I was, I edited it into yesterday’s post, but I wanted to be sure everyone saw the update. Unless you are willing to …