Dear Home Ec 101, I have always followed my Mom’s advice about running hot water in the kitchen sink before (and while) turning my dishwasher on. She also says that if you run the cold water at any point while your dishwasher is running, the water in your dishwasher will be cold. My husband recently …
The next time you are at the store and snicker when you see the canned air, remember The Lorax. Grab a can anyway. Why? Because it’s time to clean out your computer. I never remember to do this until my computer decides to throw a tantrum. Which it does if I haven’t taken care of it. Yay? …
Dear Home Ec 101, I am having a dinner party and I want to have chicken wings as part of the meal. How long should I bake them for to make them taste perfectly tender? Signed, Winging it in Wyndham Heather says: Actually I have a couple of answers for you depending on how you …
Dear Home Ec 101, When I am in the basement, my allergies kick in, immediately, with all the typical allergy symptoms! It may be associated with dampness in an 1880’s basement. We keep it very clean, and no moisture seems to be present, except on a wall or two in which the paint is affected. …
Dear Home-Ec 101, What is the best way to clean a mattress? Dec 2008 I splurged and upgraded from a queen bed to a fabulously huge king size bedset. I’m wondering what is the best way to clean the mattress? I have a small “spot” cleaner by Hoover (I think) – and I use that to …
Dear Home Ec 101,I found your article on How to Clean Up After a Toilet Overflow helpful, but I was wondering if you could tell me how to clean my daughter’s colorful bath mat?Thanks!My Cup Overflows With Gratitude Isn’t adulthood fun? The good news is that your bath mat is not a tablecloth. If you …
Heather says: I love to have people over for dinner; opening my home and sharing my table is my favorite way to show people I care and want them to be a part of our lives. As that circle of people expands -and ages, heh- I’m finding that more and more often I have friends …
Heather says: Have you ever cooked a turkey? No? Well, hosting your first ever Thanksgiving dinner should probably not be your first attempt to cook a turkey. Thanksgiving is a busy enough holiday, and even if you’re super organized, there’ll probably be a little self-induced stress, even with a timetable, all of your recipes organized, …
Heather says Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite time of the year. It’s no secret that I love food and I love to cook for others and Thanksgiving Dinner is the Superbowl of company dinners. It’s a chance to gather with friends and family and indulge in the traditional and the exceptional. Are you planning on …
Heather says: Last week it hit me that October passed and I hadn’t even given my annual pre-Turkey Day photo shoot any thought. It simply didn’t happen. Yesterday I drove to my old house to drop off something and I was struck by how autumn had finally arrived while I wasn’t paying attention. There are …