All - Home-Ec 101

Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe

A roll with poppy seeds on a white plate, a plate of ground beef stroganoff over egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream, roasted carrots, and pan seared green beans with multi-colored grape tomatoes, a water glass and a blue napkin

This budget-friendly recipe for stroganoff made with ground beef, mushrooms simmered in a gravy made with paprika, red wine, beef stock and sour cream is excellent for weeknights!

Friendly Spring Cleaning Encouragement

Blue and white background that says Spring Cleaning Encouragement with a woman with her arms full of laundry on a yellow background.

This post was updated on March 19, 2022. Lisa says: Now’s a good time to get your spring cleaning started, particularly if you have minions children on spring break. I’m extra lucky, my son is in college, and his spring break was last week, so I’m a little ahead of the game. Luckily, my mom …

Baked potato topped with chili, cheese, sour cream, and chives

Fellow blogger and brand new mom Julieann asked, “How do you make your baked potatoes?” Yes, we are heading way back into the archives, blowing off the dust, and freshening up an old post. Baked potatoes are a favorite around Home-Ec 101. Why? Well, we’re heading back to the basics in the kitchen and baked …

Thanksgiving Turkey with Text Overlay that says Countdown to Turkey Day Let's Go

Today starts Countdown to Turkey Day 2021. Did you know that we’re counting down to our 14th Turkey Day together? A lot of things have changed. There are different faces around the table, some are new and some are no longer with us. Also, most of us did not expect to be spending a second Thanksgiving …

Hey, This update is going to wander a little bit, it covers a bit of ground, so if it’s anywhere near as cold and dreary as it is here this morning, grab yourself a warm beverage and settle in. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve last written. I’d say a lot has happened. and …

black ball cap on white counter with pineapple in background

Hi! I want to clean up my baseball cap without ruining the fabric or construction of the cap (the bill). Thanks,Sweaty in Sweetwater Hey there, I wasn’t expecting the level of research that it would take to answer this question. There are so many variables when it comes to baseball cap construction. Not only do you have …

Sorry, my oldest son has been playing football for twelve years. Sports references now slip in whether I want them to or not. It’s been one heck of a year, and we are not quite done with everything COVID has to throw at us, but that light at the end of the tunnel is getting …

Today’s topic has several meanings. First, know your literal, next-door neighbors. Know their names and phone numbers. Yes, this means you might have to introduce yourself after having lived in your neighborhood or apartment complex for several years. (If your neighbors are a little weird, maybe use a Google Voice number so you don’t have …

Picture of clouds over flat image of earth from nasa

Two things before we start this basic how to evacuate safely discussion. Please note that this is a beginner look at emergency preparedness. It’s for those who are just beginning to think about how they or they and their families will handle an emergency and isn’t the place to show off how awesomely prepared you …

I live in a part of the country where our usual emergency preparedness includes being ready for hurricanes from June until the end of November, small tornadoes in the spring, and extremely rare earthquakes. 2020, of course, threw in plague and civil unrest. Your home may have other risks, including some that you didn’t expect—looking …