Blog - 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 …

Awesome New Giveaway: $100 Diaper Cake Giveaway!

Ivy says: The non-parents in the crowd are probably wondering what in the world a diaper cake is. I know the first time I heard the term, I was mighty perplexed. A diaper cake is an awesome baby shower gift made from (usually) disposable diapers and made to look like a cake. Still wondering what …

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.

Heather’s Household Truths: Ivy Edition

Ivy says: Black cats truly are unlucky, or else they’re just master destroyers. In the space of 5 minutes, it is entirely possible for one Baby-cat to take down your tablecloth and all your breakfast dishes, then head over to your curtains and take them down as well. Be forewarned.

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.

What Kind Of Swimmer Are You?

Ivy says: The past year has been one of vast changes for me. Some have been beyond my control, like the death of my grandma. Others I have initiated, like my weight loss/exercise program. All of it reminds me of how people approach a pool that’s somewhat cold. Now, I like to swim in water …

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, …