A hearty welcome to the new kid on the block!

Ivy says: Heather had her baby today at 5:29 PM Eastern time.  It’s a GIRL! She weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and her name is Elizabeth Suzanne. Everybody welcome her to the world, we’re sure excited she’s here. (And Heather’s sure excited to not be pregnant anymore, I bet, ha!)

Meatloaf: Back to Basics

Dear Home Ec 101 Ladies, I was talking to my sweetie yesterday about my inability to make a meatloaf. I have tried everything. I once bought a pan with holes in the bottom that would drain the grease into another pan – this was to make my meatloaf grease free but delicious. It was nasty. …

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Beans, beans. . . you know the rest

Dear Home Ec 101: I am working to improve our diet and I’ve read that dried beans have a lot less sodium than canned. I’m not a planner and can never remember to soak the beans the night before. Can I do a big batch and freeze them in portions? ~Trying in Trenton Heather says: …

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All grown up and nowhere to hide

Dear Home Ec 101: I hate and when I say hate, I mean it is with a loathing complete with skin crawling, heart palpitations, and cold sweats, to deal with customer service reps. Do you have any tips? ~Feeling shafted in Shakopee Heather says: I feel your pain, in every day life I am not …

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Sodium percarbonate? What is it again?

Dear Home Ec 101:Where can I get sodium percarbonate?Thanks,Short and Sweet Heather says: For those not in the know, sodium percarbonate is the generic name for the active ingredient oxygen bleach products like Oxo-Brite, OxiClean, or Clorox Multi-Purpose Stain Remover. The short answer is you can find sodium percarbonate on the laundry aisle in almost every grocery …

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Cats in the Carpet

Dear Home-Ec 101, Our cat marks all areas of our house by peeing especially when another animal comes to visit or where she last marked. We are at our wit’s end…. is there any solution to this problem? Signed, Kitty Mama in Kalamazoo Ivy says: I know way more about cat behavior than any normal …

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Extreme Makeover: White Rice Edition

Dear Home-Ec 101, Is there any way to keep rice good in the fridge? I love that nice and sticky rice they give you from take-out Chinese places, and I’ve never been able to recreate it, so I usually keep it in the fridge for the next day or so. When I heat it back …

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Wrinkly, soggy feet

Dear Home-Ec 101, Okay, I live in Taipei, Taiwan, and, as you may or may not know, it never stops raining here during the winter. It’s gotten so bad that my toes are wet nearly every day for hours (until I can get home to change). It’s anoying the sin out of me, so I’ve …

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Stupid questions, volume 3

Ivy says: Kathy T has provided us with a new list of questions! This one doesn’t actually involve any bodily fluids, much to our relief. So without further ado, here are the answers! 1. How can you easily clean artificial plants in your home without having to wipe 200 individual leaves and when the little …

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Answers to some of life’s questions

Ivy says: Kathy T over at Where’s the Mute Button asked us some questions. We at Home-Ec 101 are here to help, so here’s where I answer those questions. Kathy’s questions are in bold: 1. How to clean up *shart-stains. In case anyone was unaware, shart stains are those brown stains that mysteriously appear in …

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