Dear Home Ec 101, Settle this for me, please. My mother says you dust after you vacuum, my mother-in-law says you dust then vacuum. I’d rather knit sweaters for my cat from the dust bunnies, but could you settle the debate? Signed, Dust in the Wind Heather says: <sidestep>To be truthful I usually don’t dust …
Dear Home Ec 101, How come if I put a pie in the oven it’s baking, but if I put a chicken it could be called roasting or it could be called baking? Signed, Flummoxed in Florence Heather says: Some of it is cultural conditioning and evolving language as many people use the terms interchangeably, …
Dear Home Ec 101: Please solve an argument between my husband and myself! When heating up the oven, I don’t wait for the required temp to reached before putting the food in, but do give extra time in case the oven wasn’t quite hot enough. My husband says that you have to wait until the proper …
Hi Home Ec 101, My fridge had an unexpected surge of over-efficiency and froze a lot of stuff, including 3 dozen eggs. Will they be okay after they thaw (still in the fridge)? Signed, Eggspecting Disappointment Heather says: It is not recommended to freeze eggs whole, in the shell, but hang tight before you toss …
Dear Home Ec 101, How does one remove dried milk from wood? Every low surface in my kitchen (chair legs, table legs, cabinets) is full of dried milk spots from spills that always go farther and cover more area than you can initially see. No matter how I try to clean them, I get the …
Dear Home Ec 101, How do you keep a clean house? Signed, N00b in Newford Heather says: The short answer? You put crap away. If every person in every home simply put things where they belonged, keeping a clean house would only be a matter of dealing with dirt. Unfortunately the universe tends toward entropy, …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Everyone acts like dried beans are the end all. How do I get the beans in the bag to work like the beans in the can? I’ve soaked them overnight and they still aren’t like what I get out of a can. Am I legume challenged? Signed, Baffled Bostonian Heather says: …
Dear Home Ec 101, How in the WORLD do you clean off the reflectors on the stove top after you’ve successfully made them the most horribly dirty items in your house? I am down to one burner that I can use without setting my fire alarms off! Signed, ~Smells Like Smoke in Smallville Heather says: …
Dear Home Ec 101, When nothing goes wrong, our budget we have set works perfectly. But it seems like the littlest thing happens- we have to buy a new tire, we have to replace our refrigerator, whatever- and our budget is blown and we’re back to our old spendthrift ways. We do budget for emergencies, …
Dear Home Ec 101, I was given a whole bunch of glass canning jars and I was wondering if I could use them to freeze things like homemade stock? I don’t own a pressure canner, but don’t want these to go to waste. Signed, You Really Frost My Glass Heather says: Some canning jars are …