Dear Home Ec 101, I’m pregnant with my second child. If I could I would sleep until noon and nap after lunch, too. I know I need some sort of routine for when the baby arrives. Any advice? ~Yawning in Yemassee Heathers says: First of all, take heart, part of your problem is simply being …
Dear Home Ec 101: What’s the difference between pastry flour and regular flour? I came across this– and looks like it’d be easy enough to do gluten free if I can just figure out which grain would best cross over to pastry flour. ~Wheatless in Wilshire Heather says: Supermarkets often carry four kinds of white …
Dear Home Ec 101, I made some pottage the other day. (Lentil beans, brown rice, leeks, garlic.) It was really good! Last night in some sort of mad crazed binging spree my boyfriend and I were munching on it and somehow left it out all night, uncovered. *sigh* So out, uncovered, for about 10 hours …
Dear Home Ec 101, What is all the hoopla about butter, shortening, and margarine. Does it matter if I substitute one for the other? And lard? Ew! Signed, Baffled Baker Heather says: I’ll address lard at the end. There are many differences between the other three, but I’ll try to keep this short rather than …
Dear Home Ec 101, I’m going to try to do a lot of baking this holiday season, can you explain the difference between baking powder and soda? If I run out what can I use as a substitute? Thanks, Rising in Raleigh Heather says: I’ve mentioned before that baking is a matter of chemistry. Both …
Dear ladies, Please forgive my lack of experience, but I am staring down a rock solid 25 pounder and I MUST thaw it by Wednesday night. My mother in law is cooking it her special way which is a slow overnight roast. So, lead me! I just found out that usually, you thaw for 24 …
Dear Home Ec 101, Do you have a good cornbread recipe or tips on baking cornbread? I generally use a corn meal mix and it always comes out too dry and “crummy”. I like for the outside to be crisp but for the inside to be soft and to stay together instead of falling apart …
Dear Home Ec 101, I have 3 things to cook at 350 degrees and 1 thing to cook at 400 degrees all at the same time. Can I bake the “baked macaroni and cheese” that’s supposed to be baked at 400 degrees at 350 degrees and increase the time? Signed, ~Supersides Me Heather says: First …
Dear Home Ec 101, I’m getting ready to make some pumpkin pies. I’m just using the canned pumpkin that makes two pies and don’t really want to bake both tonight. Can I prepare the second pie and just freeze it without baking it so that we can enjoy it next week? Signed, ~Peter Peter Heather …
Dear Home Ec 101, I know we’re supposed to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day, but I hate it and can never make myself do it. Any ideas? Signed, Parched in Parkersville Heather says: Interestingly enough the whole sixty-four ounces of water may be a myth. Like you, I don’t enjoy drinking plain …