Meringue 101: The Great Meringue Caper

Heather says: I’m out of town, getting my geek on at a the Type-A Mom Blog Conference. Patrick Stuckart, an excellent photographer and all around cool guy (don’t let him say otherwise), volunteered to write this post on his meringue making adventure. As I occasionally try to engage the brain cells I still have, I …

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Freezing, A How To, Part Two

Heather says: Yesterday’s post on How to Freeze Food inspired a few more questions. Rather than extend an already long article, this is the second installment on freezer tips. Can you do a post on freezing leftovers? I’m a single gal, and while I do cut down most recipes, sometimes I have a couple stuffed …

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How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken, a Knife Skills Tutorial

Heather says:

Why would anyone want to cut up a whole chicken? It’s a useful skill to have, I tend to buy whatever is on sale and if whole chickens are on sale that week, then I load up. By buying a whole chicken, I have not restricted myself to one form of cooking or another. Additionally some people in this house are white meat fans, while others prefer the dark and good luck finding chicken breasts at a reasonable price on their own.

If you purchase whole chickens, come home and cut them up, they can be frozen in pieces. However, do not thaw the chicken, cut it up, and refreeze. That’s a big no on the safety meter.

As some readers of Home Ec 101 are vegetarian and others read their feeds first thing in the morning, I’m putting a cut, just so no one is surprised with pictures of raw chicken. You’re welcome.

Also, give my stepdaughter a big round of applause, she was a trooper and helped me take the pictures for this tutorial. It’s not every teen who’s willing to hang out with their stepmother over a chicken carcass, you know.

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How to Dice a Tomato

Heather says: Today we’re continuing with our knife skills series with how to dice a tomato. Since I don’t have a photographer or an extra set of hands at my disposal -the latter would totally ruin my frequent “I only have two hands, wait a minute” excuse- the reader should know that during the actual …

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How to Use a Pasta Roller: Fearless Friday May 7, 2010

Many thanks go to Candice of Ragamuffin Design. I’m still recovering and she was fabulous enough to step up to the plate so Fearless Friday would still happen, please be kind and give her an atta-girl or three. If you’re new here, don’t worry about all the text and pictures, the PrintFriendly feature at the …

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Why are Sharp Knives Safer than Dull Blades?

Dear Home Ec 101, I have heard dull knives are more dangerous than sharp knives. I can’t wrap my brain around this idea. Doesn’t a sharp knife do more damage? Signed, Perpetua the Perplexed Heather says: With knives it’s all about control. Think about cutting a firm, slippery object such as an apple. When the …

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