My grandmother passed away Friday afternoon. It was quite surprising. She was in the hospital for vomiting, and the next thing we knew, she died. Here’s the tip part: When someone you love has passed away, and you have to tell another loved one about it, don’t shriek into their voicemail, “DAD, THIS IS IVY! …
Dear Home Ec 101: How long will butter last in the freezer? ~Freezing my Assets Heather says: It depends, at 0°F butter will last 6 – 9 months and still retain its quality. I have frozen it for much longer with no noticeable change, but our deep freeze is only used for long term storage. …
Heather says: Now is the time to start watching the flyers for good sales on items you may need for fall baking. This week butter is on sale at my local grocer; I’ll be loading up my freezer. With the corn crop suffering and being diverted to ethanol production, the price of dairy products may …
Dear Home Ec 101: I’m in need of a cake icing recipe. One like you would see on a birthday or wedding cake from a bakery. One that can be smoothed fairly well and does not drip, run, or otherwise need refrigeration to keep it on the cake, it’s pretty sticky around here. I also …
Ivy says: I have read several bloggers who say they spend less money when they deal only in cash. I am the opposite, it seems to be such a pain to me to have to save the receipt and enter in how much I spent in my financial tracking software, that I hesitate a lot …
Heather says: What is your most dreaded regular household chore? For me, it’s the biweekly stripping, washing, drying, and reassembling of mattress pads. However, if I avoid this chore I pay for it twice over with sneezing and itchy eyes.
Heather says: Time and again I hear people lamenting their inability to cook. It’s a skill that takes practice; start with a basic, forgiving item like today’s French toast If you have children, involve them in the process, it will help them become comfortable in the kitchen. This is a great way to use up …
Dear Mavens of Fabulosity, Our family went on a 3 week vacation only to come home to flock of little tiny gnats in the kitchen. The sink was clean, dishwasher clean and empty, but alas they were there and from where, I don’t know. I cleaned the sink again with Clorox. We don’t have a …
Dear Home Ec 101: I have several faux wood white blinds that I have stored in the garage. I want to use these now and they have -needless to say- their share of spider webs, dust and other weird things on them. What is the best way to clean them? Thanks! ~Dust in the Windows …
Dear Home Ec 101: Recently my son spilled a bottle of Downy on the wood floor in our den. Now, no one in our family can go in that room because of the smell. What can we do? ~Fumin’ in Fullingham Heather says: What a headache! The perfumes responsible for your odor problem are suspended …