Brian says: Growing up in a house without a father meant two things: playing “catch” was primarily a spectator’s sport and by default, you were last when it came to hot water and most other bathroom privileges. This also means acquiring a great deal of manly advice from one of the most influential males in …
I’m still on the road, hanging out in Minnesota. The lovely Louise Baker offered to guest post and I gratefully accepted. Enjoy! It’s important to know when you’re moving into a new rental home or apartment, your landlord carries insurance only on his building. It’s up to you to insure anything inside by purchasing renters …
Heather says: If you are in the market to buy a new electric range, be aware that there is an additional cost to factor into the purchasing decision; you may need new cookware. If you have older nonstick or thin bottomed pans, the pans may have warped which makes cooking on a smooth top range …
Dear Home Ec 101, My youngest daughter and I tried a new recipe last night (Trinidadian Chicken Stew) that called for freshly grated ginger. I admit to being a first time user to fresh ginger. I picked what I thought was a good rhizome (is that the correct term?) and brought it home and we …
Dear Home Ec 101, I’m just starting to get into building an emergency pantry and there’s a great sale on my kids’ favorite cereals. I was thinking of using the sale and coupons to lay in a good supply for the pantry, but I don’t know how long the cereal will last on the shelf. …
Q: How do you make chicken stock? Is there a basic recipe for making chicken stock? A: I have two, one is based on the French method and the other on an Asian method of stock making. The ratios for chicken or turkey parts to water and vegetables is similar in both. While the methods are …
Brian says: I’m talking to all the guys in the room for this one. I know there have been -and still are- times when you decide to go all out and make yourself something relatively good to eat. You break out the dusty knife set your parents bought for your new apartment and tie on …
Dear Home-Ec 101: I’m taking your advice about building an emergency food supply seriously. I’d like to do some of it by canning and preserving foods from my own garden. Besides pickles, jams and jellies, (which are yummy, but don’t exactly fill a belly) what kinds of foods should I be growing so that I …
Brian says: Let’s face it: we all love any chance to leave our places of work to catch some fresh air and go out for lunch. But in this topsy-turvy economy, people are being more compelled to make and take their own lunches. When it comes to this, there are some rules to follow to …
This post is part of the Home Ec 101 series on emergency preparedness. Heather says: Keep a charcoal grill for emergencies. Sounds simple enough, but what if you’ve never used one? A charcoal grill is for outdoor use only. Got that? Outdoor only. Every time there is a hurricane or ice storm, someone hurts themselves or …