Dear Home-Ec 101, I live in NH and have hard water well water, which has been staining all of our light colored clothing and towels since we moved here 6 years ago. I figure I probably can’t get out the stains in our towels by now, but to prevent future stains, and to be able …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Are soap nuts ok to use in my high efficiency washing machine? Since HE washers don’t agitate like standard top loading washers, I was curious if the soap nuts would be effective. Signed, Curious in Cupertino Heather says: I have never used soap nuts, so my answer is based on the manufacturer’s …
Heather says: First of all, if you are Facebook fan and use Facebook to follow this site, you should be aware that the recent changes may be causing you to miss a majority of Home-Ec 101 updates. If you look at the upper right hand corner of this site, there are several other ways to …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I see a lot of recipes that sound really good that call for fish–salmon, tuna, and so on. The thing is that I don’t like fish. With recipes like “Glazed Salmon,” can I substitute chicken in the recipe? Thanks, Truly Chicken When it Comes to the Sea. . .food Heather says: Absolutely. …
Heather says: This autumn skillet recipe is a simple framework, feel free to use your imagination and modify it however you see fit. This recipe is great for a new cook who wants to become comfortable with the art of substitution. Don’t like squash, try peeled and cubed sweet potatoes, toss in some apple slices. Turnips …
We’re well into autumn, which means the availability of produce is changing. (Those of you in South Florida, Southern California, and similar areas can hush, the rest of us have these magical things known as seasons that can affect our shopping habits). Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall vegetables, but preparing it for …
Heather says: After taking a hiatus from creating the weekly menu plans with shopping lists, I’m finally ready to bring back this series. These menu plans are written for a family of 4 – 6. Assuming the children are not toddlers with tiny appetites, leftovers are served or packed for lunch. One night a week …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Okay, so I LOVE to make peanut brittle or pecan brittle…YUM! Its really easy in the microwave. We haven’t had a microwave in a while and I miss it for things like my brittle and popcorn. With all the negative stuff about High Fructose Corn Syrup (seriously, even my husband is now …
It’s fall, and it’s finally cool enough to switch from salads back to soups and stews, and I’ve been waiting for months to make this recipe for chicken gumbo. This recipe is a good use for chicken thighs or those cheap leg quarters I mention from time to time. This version of chicken gumbo calls …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have an odd problem, but you seem to be pretty good at those. I recently had my bathroom flooring replaced (it’s vinyl)and in the process, the toilet’s wax ring was also replaced. There is waxy residue where the ring squished out the sides.. I’ve cleaned up the bulk of the wax, …