Our blended family is going to get a bit bigger. Remember how I mentioned that I was recovering from mono and taking some time to rest? Well, I went straight from mono to morning sickness. Consequently, productivity has not been at an all-time high around here. Throw in a couple of hurricanes to monitor, a …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have a fairly new ice machine at the beach, a house we use roughly every other weekend. Lately, the ice machine does not seem to be cold enough to keep the ice it makes frozen. I have vacuumed the coils, ran a “Clean cycle” with the cleanser, turned it off and …
Hey there, I hope all of you are well. I know things have been pretty quiet here on the site. Initially, things were just getting quite busy at work, but one thing is never enough. Very recently my father was in the ICU with sepsis, but he’s home and doing much better. That unexpected trip …
Dear Home Ec 101, In 2006, we bought several pieces of microsuede furniture in a chocolate brown. Over time, the arms and headrests have become oily and dirty. The code on the label is “WS”. Can we remove the grime from our couch and recliner? How hard is it to clean microsuede without damaging the …
I was once asked how I could call Home-Ec 101 a frugal site when overall money isn’t mentioned. The short answer? I believe life skills are some of the most underutilized assets of the general population. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. This is the mantra of the frugal …
Spinach salad: Toss ingredients in a large bowl, and reserve some egg and bacon for garnish. Optional additions: Candied Peppered Bacon Preheat oven to 425. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar and fresh ground pepper. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, watch closely. Drain on …
Home-Ec101 is turning 10 and it’s about to get personal. If you don’t want to know the back story, we’ll see you next week. We could just talk about the numbers, more than 16 million people have visited and read more than 30 million pages of this site. I can no longer wrap my head …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I put my pasta in a new container to store in my pantry and still found moths. What did I do wrong and how can I prevent pantry moths in the first place? Sincerely, Bugged in Buckhead Heather says Unfortunately, pantry moths are a part of life. We can take a lot …
Heather says Tomorrow, for many, is a much-anticipated new beginning. Our New Year started a little bit early, on the 27th, with a wedding. Ours. This should be all I need to say about why it’s been so quiet around here. We’re looking forward to 2017 and all that is ahead. We’ll be relaunching the …
Heather says: I overthink gifts. I want the recipient to not only be excited to get the gift but I need to know that this gift will actually get used. I know I feel guilty when I receive a gift and never use it. I worry about making other people feel guilty. (Yes, I am …