Dear Home Ec 101, If a recipe calls for vegetable oil, is extra virgin olive oil a suitable replacement or is there a specific reason for vegetable oil? Signed, Slick in Slatesville Heather says: It depends on the recipe in question. In baking, oils are often specified for their lack of taste, so for baking…
Hearty White Sandwich Bread
Michele says: I’ll never forget the first time my childhood friend showed me how to make one of her favorite treats. The recipe was simple: one piece of white bread, squished and squeezed into a compact ball. It was kind of like a bread bonbon, and the thought of it horrified me immensely. You see,…
Summer’s Last Hurrah: Happy Labor Day from Home-Ec 101
Heather says: Well, we’re already here, Labor Day Weekend, the last official hurrah of summer. Oh, here in the Lowcountry of SC we’ve still got a long way to go before cooler temperatures set in, but this is still the last weekend that says watermelon and lemonade, sprinklers and popsicles, beaches or lake, picnics and…
Getting past the ick factor: Boiled Beef Tongue – a Fearless Friday Post
We haven’t done it for a while, but Fearless Fridays are where readers of this site share their culinary adventures. For some, it’s simply the act of preparing a meal in their home instead of hitting the drive through. For others it’s trying new foods, recipes, or techniques. It’s a chance to push against our…
Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet Recipe – Hearty Winter Fare
Bobbie says: Winter was almost ignoring us here in south central Pennsylvania: not too frigid and hardly any snow, and heck, I even wore shorts last week. Well, indoors, at least. Then that stupid groundhog saw his shadow on February 2, signaling six more weeks of winter. And then, someone must have passed the message…
Over 30 Christmas Treat Recipes
Heather says: In the past I did a Sweets for the Season series with many Christmas treat recipes, but this year I just didn’t have time. So, here is a quick round up of all the cookie, biscotti, and other possible Christmas treat recipes here on Home-Ec 101. Some of these old posts are in…
Red Velvet Cake Recipe Without Red #40 for Fearless Friday
Heather says: Fearless Fridays are all about pushing boundaries in the kitchen. It’s trying new techniques, recipes, or ingredients. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. All of you are welcome to share your recent kitchen adventures either in the link list or by sharing in the comments. A lot of people forget that cooking is…
Picnic Possibilities
Heather says: If you haven’t menu planned your Memorial Day weekend already, here are some suggestions for cookouts and picnics. Let’s start with main dishes and then move on to sides. Shall we? (Just click the pics to head to the recipe!) Safety Reminder: Don’t forget to use common sense and keep food out of…