We are officially counting down to Thanksgiving 2023.

Thanksgiving is on the 23rd of November this year.

If this is your first Thanksgiving hosting or cooking for your family, we are here to help. We will be covering everything from getting your house ready to host a meal, when and how to invite your guests, food safety—you don’t want to be known for the great deviled egg incident of 2023, do you—menu planning that will please most, how to coordinate the timetable and much more.

Remember, now is probably not the time to take on big home renovations to prepare for your incoming company.

No one needs that kind of pressure. Life is hard enough. As always, we have the printable weekly chore chart to start getting your home ready. You can probably get the public areas of your house presentable in reasonable blocks over the next few weeks. As for that storage room, that’s what locks and boundaries are for.

This will be a good year. Are you ready to join us for Countdown to Turkey Day 2023?

It’s time to start cooking. How do you feel? Excited? I am.

I’m really looking forward to some of our favorites. In my family, it’s always been the tradition to make the pies the night before. This saves time and keeps a lot of traffic out of the oven bottleneck. Additionally, unlike many other items made on Thanksgiving, pies are often much less forgiving of a moment’s distraction. Heather, distracted? Say it isn’t so!

Other items could be done today without adding too much pressure. Please note that these are options, not suggestions, to turn today into a cooking marathon.

If you are making a cornbread dressing, making the cornbread ahead of time is optimal. Either the sweet or plain cornbread works well in the andouille cornbread dressing recipe. Please note that the plain cornbread recipe is not gluten-free, while the sweet one is. Additionally, if you are making cornbread from scratch, you will need to check that you are using plain cornmeal and not a cornmeal mix that contains flour. They are generally right beside each other in the grocery store, which is a very easy mistake.

If you have turkey wings or necks to roast for stock, doing that today will make tomorrow easier..

If you are making a traditional bread-type dressing, you can let the bread get stale today by either laying it out where it’s safe or putting it in a low (200°F) oven.

As we discussed previously, you can prep ahead some items like diced onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Just be sure to store them not only by vegetable type but also by how they are cut.

If you are feeling particularly ambitious today—t could happen not in this house but somewhere—please keep your timetable nearby to make sure any recipes you make ahead and will have to reheat are not going to change your order of operations tomorrow.

Finally

Whether your turkey was fresh or frozen, how is it doing? Is it fully thawed, or does it need some help to get there? You can use the water bath method to finish thawing your turkey for tomorrow.

Remember, no matter what, this is about sharing a meal and love. Even if you make mistakes, there will be successes. You can navigate any conflict. This is your home, your boundaries, and your peace. You’ve got this. You should be proud of yourself.

Previously

Today’s will be short and sweet.

If you have been playing along, we are switching from planning to doing. If you need to catch up, click here.

You don’t like going to the store when it’s full of people, do you? Me neither. I also want to ensure that I have no reason to try to find any place open on Thanksgiving (nor do I want to encourage non-essential places to be open.

So, how do I ensure this in a household of eight? Aside from mostly empty threats, verbal reminders, and angry glares?

Labels. Yes. It is that simple.

A sharpie marker and tape.

Do not eat. Not yours. This is for Thanksgiving. YOU will buy more of this.

It helps that most of our kids now have jobs and are becoming more aware of how money works.

Go through your pantry, fridge and freezer and label the do not touches. While you are checking your grocery items, check your toilet paper, and paper towels. Make a list of any items that are missing. You have one last trip to the store, for any perishable produce and if you opted for it, to grab your fresh turkey..

If you opted for a frozen turkey, is it thawing?

Is your table clear?

Great. You’ve got this.

Previously

Decorating is such a personal decision. Socioeconomics, culture, and family traditions all drive these decisions. In Heather’s house, Christmas decorations don’t start to come out until well into December, while Lisa’s home is already fully decorated.

Whatever your choices are, if you plan on having some decorations up in time for or specifically for Thanksgiving, this is the time to get that project done.

Other minor to-dos today and tomorrow as we wind down the preparing stage and start putting everything into action.

If you set a formal table for Thanksgiving, do you need to pull china from storage? Do you have and use actual silverware? Does it need to be polished? What about a tablecloth, placemats, and napkins? Does anything need to be washed or ironed?

Do you have candles or a centerpiece? Do you plan on making one? If it’s the latter and you also work, not to be a noodge, but the clock is ticking.

Do you have a cooler out in the shed? Do some spiders need an eviction notice? Don’t forget to bleach that properly..

Where’s your turkey? It must be in your refrigerator now if it’s frozen and over 20 pounds. You don’t want a partially frozen turkey on Thanksgiving morning. If it is fresh, it should be at the store. If it’s 20 pounds or smaller, you don’t have to have it in the refrigerator yet, but it will need to be there soon.

While we have your attention, how is your table looking?

Previously

We are now in the home stretch of our series. If you need a review of everything we have covered so far to get ready, here you go. You have done a lot.

Yes, you still have the actual cooking to do, but you have a plan,. Yes, you may have some less-than-perfect relationships to navigate, but you’ve got boundaries in place and plans of action to handle them, too.

In the end, it’s just one more day. One more day with a lot of good food.

Everything is going to be fine.

Better than fine because there will be pie. (Or, in my case, because there’s going to be andouille sausage cornbread dressing, but we all have what we look forward to.)

What are we doing today, brain?

Well, no, that’s later.

First, we are making room for the turkey in the lowest part of the refrigerator.

Why? If you have a frozen turkey that is 21 – 25 lbs, it must come out of the freezer tomorrow., but it won’t hurt to let it start thawing today.

Please remember to place it in a container to catch any liquid. You don’t want raw turkey juice pooling in your refrigerator. It’s not fun to clean up. Also, if that liquid gets into a produce bin, you’ve got a nasty cross-contamination situation. Let’s prevent this from happening.

Second, we’re getting out the shopping list we made and ensuring we have everything.

Why? Because unless you live alone, people eat things. And last time I checked, you’re people, too.

Go through it and make sure you have everything. More important, check the containers to be sure that someone didn’t carelessly put back an empty or nearly empty container. Do you really have a pound of butter, or is it a mostly empty box with a single stick?

That canister of fried onions, make sure no one has been sneaking bits for the last two weeks, leaving only crumbs.

The bag of chocolate chips for your pie, is it actually full or did someone prop it up to make it look full, so when you pick it up, you find it alarmingly light, with only a quarter cup inside?

Do I have teenagers?

Yes, four of them and apparently a couple of strays named Not Me with insatiable appetites. Important side note, if you are an actual friend of my children who I ask to join us for dinner, I am not talking about you. You are welcome, and I love having you over. Just tell your friends —my kids—to put what they finish on the list on the fridge. Thanks. Now, don’t you have something more entertaining to do?

Recap:

Two tasks today:

Make room for the turkey and check to make sure you actually have the ingredients you have been buying. If you don’t have them, buy them.

Previously

How is your house looking? Is the table still clear?

Excellent. You’ve got this, but just in case you are joining us, here’s a list of everything we have covered in our Countdown to Turkey Day.

Yesterday’s task was to confirm the number of guests, as it gives a good idea when it comes to planning how many drinks we need to have on hand for guests, both alcoholic and non.

Our personal friend works with Responsibility.org, and it is a mission we support. Please check it out if you have any questions about making responsible choices when hosting and serving alcohol.

Here are a few easy beverages good for your Thanksgiving Holiday. Please note that some of these may be better before or after the meal or enjoyed after everyone else has gone home and you finally have your feet up.

The choice is yours. Just be ready to call an Uber if ol’ Uncle Al gets out of line.

Previously

You have now been getting ready to host Thanksgiving dinner, a little at a time, for three weeks. If you’ve ever wondered why hosting a dinner or party has felt overwhelming in the past, maybe this series has made some of the unconscious labor that goes into hosting more apparent. Do you have to break it up into four weeks to do it right?

Of course not.

The goal of this series has been to keep everything in bite-sized tasks to keep hosting Thanksgiving from overtaking your life in an already busy season. If you need to check your progress, here you go.

It’s time to check-in with those you have invited to firm up your guest count.

You can then use your guest count to finalize the amounts you need for ice and beverages.

Speaking of ice, I have seen two conflicting guidelines: 1/2 lb per glass or one – two pounds per person. I find the second guideline easier to remember when I’m at the store; we’ll have ten people total, so I’ll grab one bag of ice. No, we will not talk about our ice maker. It’s just too frustrating. The larger estimate seems to include the ice you will need to keep drinks cold, too.

In addition to ice, don’t forget you will need beverages.

Lemonade and iced tea, both sweet and unsweetened, are excellent, budget-friendly options.

Juices are a nice option if there will be children, but check with the parents. Most considerate parents of very young children will bring what their kids need. However, you know your guests and can try to anticipate what may happen. Sodas can be fun, but please consider having an option without caffeine, especially if it will be a dinnertime meal.

Will you be serving coffee? Do you need decaf? Generally, you can estimate one cup per person; the same goes for hot tea. These beverages are often served with dessert. Don’t forget to have sugar, cream, etc., on hand.

Note: Regarding alcohol today, we’re just touching on quantity estimates. Tomorrow, we will discuss serving guidelines and parameters that should be implemented, and we’ll share a few recipes.

If you will be serving wine, estimate approximately one bottle for every two adults who consume it. Just don’t open them until you need them.

Beer – estimate two bottles or cans the first hour and one each subsequent per guest.

Champagne / Prosecco – one bottle will fill six flutes. If you only make a toast and then serve different beverages, you only need the initial serving plus a little extra for the one auntie who prefers prosecco. She gives the best Christmas gifts. Plan accordingly.

Hard alcohol – To control your budget, you may want to limit what is available to one festive or signature drink. If you have a relative/guest with a specific preference, e.g., Uncle Jack’s rum and Diet Coke, and it won’t break your budget, by all means, have those ingredients on hand.

Previously

Have you kept up with the weekly chores? If not, you still have nine days to go. You’ve got plenty of time to give the public areas of your home some attention. Your guests will respect a closed door, right? What about a locked one? Sometimes our boundaries need to be firm. If you need to play catch up on what we have covered so far, don’t worry, we’ve got you.

Today’s task is one of my favorites. For me, it makes everything seem like everything is finally coming together..

Today you’ll need your menu or spreadsheet. For each item, find an appropriate serving dish AND an appropriate utensil to serve it with. As you choose your utensils, try to keep in mind the consistency of the dish that will be scooped. For example, think about vegetables like collard greens. You will want a slotted spoon for these so they can drain before they land on your guest’s plate. No one wants dry greens, but most of us don’t want our mashed potatoes swimming in pot liquor (potlikker). That’s the liquid left when greens have cooked down. Pot liquor is good, but I don’t want my whole plate to taste like collards.

A regular spoon will work just fine for your mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Do you have a gravy boat?

For the record, it’s ok if you don’t, You do not have to have a formal table. I can’t tell you how many years I have used either the pot itself with a ladle or a glass measuring cup. It is perfectly ok to operate function over form when you need to.

On your spreadsheet, write a description of each dish and utensil below the recipe so the night you will be able to locate each item quickly. (The night before I also like to place a post-it with the name of the recipe it belongs to.) This will make it easier for anyone helping you identify the correct dish if your hands are full when they have a question.

Previously

As we do our countdown, we have been talking about a lot of things that not only ensure you feel confident navigating the logistics and expectations of hosting Thanksgiving, but we are also trying to ensure that you can do so safely. If you are just joining us, you can catch up on everything we have covered so far here.

Grab your timetable from yesterday.

Today we will look it over with an eye on food safety. I want you to think about the bacterial danger zone. When food is in the bacterial danger zone, bacteria can double every twenty minutes.

Avoid the bacterial danger zone of 41°F – 140°F

This is the temperature zone between 41°F and 140°F. Foods meant to be served cold should be held at 40°F or lower, and foods meant to be served hot should be held at 140°F or warmer. Food meant to be hot or cold and left at room temperature for two hours, or longer is no longer safe to serve. Please take a look at your timetable and ensure that none of your foods will be sitting at room temperature for too long.

If you have any dishes that could be approaching that limit, please make a plan now that will ensure you are not approaching that limit. While this typically isn’t a problem for most of the United States in November, if the ambient temperature is 90°F, the maximum food she be allowed to sit out is one hour.

What is the safe temperature to serve foods?

Do you have a food thermometer?

This is the most accurate way to ensure that all of your foods have been cooked to the appropriate safe temperature.

If you made your dressings or casseroles ahead of time, please use your food thermometer and ensure that they are reheated to 165°F before serving them to your guests. This is the minimum safe temperature for reheating leftovers.

Your turkey should also reach an internal temperature of 165°F before being removed from the oven for its 30-minute rest. Be sure when taking the temperature that the probe of your thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the muscle and is NOT touching a bone. Bones conduct heat and will give you a false indication. The thigh is the preferred place to check the temperature, but the thickest part of the breast will do if you aren’t certain of the placement of the probe in the thigh. Do take more than one reading from different locations if you are uncertain whether your turkey was fully thawed.

As we discussed in yesterday’s post, don’t forget your refrigerator, oven, and slow cooker are not the only places that can hold food at safe temperatures. One thing I miss about living in Minnesota is having the back porch as an extra refrigerator. If you don’t live in a place that will be colder than 40°F, you can use a cooler as a temporary refrigerator or hot box.

Are you feeling ready to host Thanksgiving? Do you have any questions?

How is your table looking?

Do you have enough butter? Are you sure?

Previously in the Countdown:

Now, we are really getting down to the nitty-gritty of preparing for Thanksgiving. If you are just joining us, you’ll want to play catch-up, but don’t worry. We have a list of everything we need to do to be ready by the 23rd.

When you sent your invitations, you told everyone when dinner would be served. This is our starting point. First, subtract fifteen minutes of human error and buffer time because things never go as smoothly as we want, especially when there are many moving parts.

Will you carve the turkey at the table or in the kitchen before dinner is served?

If you will be carving in the kitchen, subtract another 10 minutes if you are experienced in this art and fifteen if you are new. (Your knife is sharp, correct?)

Currently, we are 25-ish minutes earlier than your planned dinner time.

Now, subtract 30 minutes because your turkey needs to rest after cooking before carving. You have your goal time 50 or 55 minutes before your scheduled dinner. This is when you should plan on pulling your turkey from the oven, smoker, or fryer.

Use this time to determine when your turkey needs to start cooking based on your preferred cooking method and the size of your bird.

If you haven’t purchased your turkey yet and are still trying to figure out how much turkey you need, check out this post to determine your minimum size and how much extra you want for leftovers.

Now that you know how long your turkey will take to cook, you can plan your other menu items’ timetable.

If you will have help in the kitchen, it may be a good idea to either print neatly or type up your plan. This way, everyone knows what needs to be done and when. You can create a 3-ring binder if you use the same recipes year after year. If you tend to vary things, create a sheet and stick it on the fridge or another prominent place. Be sure to put a marker nearby so people can check off what has been done.

Take your list of recipes and determine, based on their cooking methods and tolerance for being held either at a cold or warm temperature, either in the fridge, a cooler, on the stove, in the oven, or in a slow cooker, when each item needs to be made.

Did you know that you can also use a spare cooler as a hot box?

The same insulation that keeps your icy drinks cold will keep your hot foods hot. Assuming this is a cooler with a drain spigot, boil a large pot of water, then with the spigot closed, carefully pour the boiling water into the cooler, close the lid, wait five minutes, and then drain the cooler. Then, line the cooler’s bottom with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and you can store your hot items, like casseroles, dressings, etc., for up to 90 minutes before your meal. Do not store them any longer than this.

Important note concerning the oven space dance:

Remember that items like casseroles generally tolerate temperature variations more than your more delicate baked goods. It is better to let an item like dressing, sweet potatoes, or roasted vegetables deal with a change in temperature than an item that involves more precise factors, like biscuits, cakes, or meringues.

Previously in the Home-Ec 101’s Countdown to Turkey Days We Have:

For the rest of the class, it’s time to get your final menu and your recipes. It’s time to make your final shopping list.

Yes, you are right. We did create a shopping list 11 days ago. You have probably even been to the store since that happened.

A lot can happen in 11 days, especially when other people are in a household. Also, THAT was a tentative grocery list and, was also based on what we were pretty sure was going to be on the menu.

You now have your final menu plan (Does anyone else hear this in their head? It’s just me? Ok, sure)

Grab your spreadsheet, your final menu, and your shopping list. Do you need to print a new one? We’ve got you covered. Go through your spreadsheet and make any needed changes. Don’t forget your spices. Also, please don’t forget that spices have a shelf life, typically around a year. While checking your pantry and spice rack, please ensure that your spices still have flavor.

Once you know what you already have on hand, finalize your grocery list. Take this with you whenever you visit the store between now and Thanksgiving. We are now close enough to Thanksgiving that you can purchase almost everything except your leafy greens or a fresh turkey (did you order that yet?)

Finally, it’s been a while since we’ve asked: How is your table looking? Do you need to put anything away?

Previously in the Countdown:

Here we are, just under two weeks to Thanksgiving! How is your countdown going? Do you need to play catch-up? Don’t worry; we have you covered. Just click here for everything we have done so far to help you get ready for Thanksgiving without being overwhelmed.

After today, it will start feeling like things are coming together as today we are finalizing the menu.

Do you have your guest list from yesterday? Great, you will need that and your notes on allergies for today.

Get your soft menu plan and spreadsheet with the recipe links. It is time to go through your recipes with a careful eye to ensure that there are no allergy concerns for your guests.

Thanksgiving Menu: The Final Countdown

Please note that if someone at your dinner party has celiac or a severe allergy, your responsibility doesn’t stop at just saying, “Ok, there’s no bread in the green bean casserole; I’m good.”

No, you need to check all of the ingredients and read ALL of the labels.

Returning to our green bean casserole example, you would want to notice that the cream of mushroom soup, both the cream of mushroom soup and the fried onions, are not gluten-free. Don’t worry! You can still have a delicious green bean casserole with quick substitutions. You can either buy a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup or make your own using what is referred to as a cup-for-cup replacement gluten-free substitute flour and then use gluten-free fried onions.

Remember you also need to watch for processing warnings, such as this product is made in a plant that also processes x, y, z ingredients, depending on the severity of your guest’s allergy. Communication is key; your guest or their parent knows their needs and should be able to let you know what those are.

If a recipe just doesn’t work without the allergen, you must decide if it is appropriate to serve a menu item that one or more of your guests cannot eat. Is it a situation where you can offer an alternative item? Are there enough other items on the table that this item won’t make that person feel left out? Remember, etiquette is about ensuring everyone is comfortable, and your decision should be based on that.

Now that you have gone through every ingredient and every recipe, you have your final menu for Thanksgiving.

Give it one more look over. How does it look to you? Are you looking forward to the meal? What item are you most looking forward to having?

Past Countdown Turkey Day Posts:

We have two weeks until Thanksgiving. How are you feeling about your upcoming event? Excited? Nervous? Dreading the whole thing? Wherever you stand on the matter, if you need to play catch-up on the countdown, everything we have covered so far is down there.

Nearly everyone’s favorite etiquette expert Emily Post says you need to give two weeks’ notice for formal events, so it is time to invite your guests.

Grab your tentative guest list and get ready to send the invites.

How to send invitations to Thanksgiving Dinner

Here at Home-Ec101.com, when it comes to etiquette, we care less about formality and more about the underlying reason for it, ensuring everyone’s comfort. With that in mind, your invitation method comes down to your guest’s preferred form of communication. If you know that calling your guest will make them break out in hives, sending a text is perfectly fine.

What to include in your Thanksgiving invitations

Include what, where, when, and the event’s formality in your invitation. If you’re having a buffet-style dinner on paper plates, your guest may feel a bit awkward sitting on the ground in their Sunday best. If you are having an early dinner out-of-doors with heat lamps on a patio, your guests may want to wear heavy sweaters instead of light blouses.

Again, etiquette and manners serve to ensure that everyone knows what to expect and how to behave. We don’t have to hang on to outdated expectations. We just need to ensure your guests are safe and comfortable.

However you send your invites, check to ensure your guest has no allergies or dietary needs you need to be aware of. Keep track of these, as you will need this info over the next two weeks to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Dinner.

Previously in the Countdown:

Do you know what size turkey you need to buy?

The amount of turkey you need will depend on the type of turkey you buy.

If you purchase a whole frozen turkey, you can estimate one pound of turkey for each guest if your turkey is a 14-pound bird or smaller. If your turkey is larger than 14 pounds, you can reduce that estimate to 3/4 of a pound. Why? The ratio of bone to meat decreases as the bird gets bigger. In other words, you are getting more meat with a bigger bird. However, when you are cooking your turkey, you need to remember that this is why a really big turkey tends to be drier if it is cooked at a high temperature instead of with a low and slow method like smoking.

If you opt for a boneless turkey breast, you can reduce the estimate of meat-per-person down to two-thirds of a pound per person. While this option is great for not taking up a ton of room in the oven, the trade-off is not having any bones at the end for stock. It’s always something, isn’t it?

Are you buying a fresh turkey this year?

It’s time to place your order. You want to arrange pick up for no earlier than Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Are you ordering a pre-cooked turkey?

This option can be delicious but pricey. This is what led to Heather caving and buying a smoker. After four turkeys and two pork shoulders, the investment in our smoker was worth it. Plus, it’s nice to have smoked turkey whenever we want.

While many people prefer fresh turkey, many of us, due to schedules or other reasons, will opt for frozen. While enormously convenient, the frozen turkey doesn’t present one major complication: waking up on Thanksgiving day and discovering that the turkey is still frozen.

Thankfully the math to figure out your turkey’s thaw time isn’t too difficult. It’s 24 hours in your refrigerator for every 5 lbs. If you have an 11 – 15 pound bird, you would put it in the fridge early on the Monday before Thanksgiving. For turkeys 10 pounds or smaller, they should go in the refrigerator no later than Tuesday morning. If you have a larger bird, 16 – 20 pounds, put it in the refrigerator on Sunday and 21-25 on Saturday. It is also perfectly fine to give it an extra day to be safe. A thawed turkey can be in the refrigerator for four days.

Have you ever cooked a turkey before? If not, and you plan on roasting it, I strongly suggest you go ahead and practice on a chicken or two. This will be a great dry run and give you a great chance to try your hand at gravy, too. <— That link shows how to make gravy with pan juices, and this link demonstrates how to make pan gravy with stock or broth.

Previously in the Countdown

Today isn’t a task you have to do. It’s more of a discussion with some ideas you may want to try if they work for your Thanksgiving dinner plans. Catch up on everything we have covered so far in the Thanksgiving Countdown at the bottom of the page.

If you have been saving bones from chicken dinners, making your own stock can be delicious and very budget-friendly. If you want to ensure your homemade stock has the same rich flavor as your roast Thanksgiving turkey, buy turkey necks or wings and roast them before making stock. Lisa likes to use smoked legs to go with her necks and wings in her Thanksgiving stock recipe.

If you don’t want to freeze your homemade stock, you will want to make it no earlier than the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. For the super-ambitious among us, you can also can your stock. (Make sure you follow all safety regulations for canning food that you plan to use.) If you have never canned food, Thanksgiving is not the time to try something new and make it into a memorable event that will be discussed for generations.

If you have room in your freezer, it is safe to go ahead and make your Thanksgiving stock at any time now. Thaw it either the day before in the refrigerator or in a water bath the day of or just before you want to use it.

Never made stock before? Do you need help troubleshooting your stock-making? Boy, have we got you covered:

Previously in the Countdown

We are one week into Countdown to Turkey Day, and if you want to see what we have covered so far, you’ll want to jump to the bottom of the post to play catch-up.

When you ask someone who isn’t in charge of cleaning out the refrigerator regularly about their favorite part of Thanksgiving, it’s common to get “LEFTOVERS!” as an enthusiastic response.

And as someone who, for no good reason, only makes andouille cornbread dressing twice a year, I get pretty excited about Thanksgiving leftovers myself. What I do not look forward to:

• Figuring out who has my storage containers two weeks later
• Deciding at the moment what to do, as I’m full and want to enjoy a break after that cooking session
• Delegating
• Hunting down where someone hid the foil or plastic wrap
• Looking for lids
• Looking for the right lid
• WHY DON’T WE EVER HAVE MATCHING LIDS?!

Let’s reduce our frustration with Thanksgiving leftovers

Once again, we are going to solve the problem before it happens.

Today, open wherever you hide your storage containers and take stock of your situation. Do you have containers with lids that fit? Yes, they absolutely can be whipped topping containers, sour cream, or yogurt. We are all about that reduce, reuse, and recycle life, with a heavy emphasis on the first two.

That said, did you know you can get quart-size and pint-size containers just like you get from Chinese takeout on Amazon? I love these. They are amazing for collard greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese—for you Midwesterners, all those salads that aren’t really salads—and even my mother’s favorite Waldorf salad. (Still don’t like it, sorry, Mom)

Do you have teenagers that will scavenge all the best bits and leave you with a quart of mashed potatoes and no gravy? Pre-plate their leftovers in meal-prep containers. This is also an easy way to send leftovers home with others who might want some for later.

While you are checking on your storage container situation, check to see if you have any gallon zippered freezer bags. I tend to go name-brand on these, as I have found over the years the generic ones seem (maybe I’m wrong) to have more pinholes, and I find that frustrating when I’m freezing my stocks and soup flat. (We’ll be covering stock-making tomorrow, by the way.)

Also, check on your stash of:

• plastic wrap
• foil
• wax paper
• parchment paper
• storage and freezer bags

Previously in the Countdown

Is your table still clear? Are you sure? See you tomorrow!

Less than a week in, and you can see how we’ve already removed a lot of the stress by breaking this event into manageable steps.

Today’s task: Place Settings

Today, count the total number of possible people you could serve and determine if you have enough place settings.

Will you be using your grandmother’s china? Is it all present and accounted for?

What beverages will you serve? Do you have enough glassware? Coffee cups, tumblers, and stemware (stemless, which is also nice).

Will you be serving a formal meal? How formal?

Do you need a formal setting with multiple forks? Do you have that cutlery? When was the last time you looked at it?

Does it need polishing?

Will you be having a casual dinner?

Do you have children who help with washing dishes, at times unsupervised? If so, do not assume that all of your dishes are present and accounted for. This is a mistake.

If you have teenagers, please count your forks and spoons. Just because no one is supposed to eat in their rooms does not mean that forks and spoons have not gone missing. These things are better to find out ahead of time than when it is time to serve the pumpkin pie and you have to send someone to the kitchen to wash forks.

Disposable works, too.

Single-use items are absolutely an option, especially if your Thanksgiving dinner is an outdoor affair. Go ahead and add those items to your shopping list now.

Do not forget the cutlery and drinkware, and ensure there is enough for dessert. Insulated cups may be needed if you will be serving hot beverages in addition to iced ones.

What about decor?

Do you use a special tablecloth or runner for Thanksgiving?

Do you know where it is? Is it clean?

Do you use special placemats or cloth napkins in your place settings? Do you have enough?

If so, now would be a good time to clean those and set them aside.

Will you have a centerpiece? Do you need to order anything for it or add anything to your shopping list?

Candlesticks? If you use them, do you know where they are? Do you need new candles?

Finally, since we are thinking about the table, how is it looking?

If you are joining us, here is what we have covered so far:

While your menu plan is not final, you certainly have a good idea of what you will serve on Thanksgiving. With this in mind, you can create a general list of your upcoming grocery needs.

Groceries are expensive. I know, tell me something I don’t know, Heather.

Thanksgiving Grocery Planning 101

Adding the cost of a big holiday meal to your budget can be stressful. It can be helpful to spread the cost of Thanksgiving dinner over several weeks rather than adding it to one grocery trip.

To do this takes planning, which is exactly what we are doing.

We want to ensure we can take advantage of every sale over the next few weeks. This isn’t about overbuying. It’s about knowing what we need and being ready.

Enter the Thanksgiving Day Spreadsheet

To create the bones of your Thanksgiving Shopping List, take your Soft Menu Plan and open a spreadsheet. (Go ahead and print out that list, you may need a second copy before we are done.)

I like to use Google Sheets as it’s easy to share with collaborators.

At the top of each column, place the dish’s name or recipe. If the item is not something you make regularly, you will also want to include a link to the recipe in that column to ensure you can easily find it when needed. If you have a backup option you are considering, put it in a column beside the frontrunner, but do not list its ingredients. You don’t want to end up overbuying.

Save this spreadsheet, as we will return to it several times in the next few weeks.

Please note that at this point in our countdown, menu items can still be changed as your guests have not been invited nor confirmed, so we still need to be flexible with our planning if necessary.

Under each menu item, list the recipe’s ingredients and don’t forget to include the spices. They are critical. Apple pie without cinnamon isn’t the same.

Take the printable shopping list and list the items not in your pantry or freezer. One way to arrange your list might be to start with your shelf-stable and frozen items that can be purchased now to perishable items that can only be purchased a few days ahead.

Remember to double-check the amounts as you create your shopping list from your spreadsheet. For example, if you have butter for multiple recipes, make sure that your shopping list accounts for the total amount of butter needed.

Keep Track of the Purchased Ingredients

As you shop for Thanksgiving Dinner items over the next few weeks, mark them off of your shopping list. However, it is very important that those ingredients, like the butter mentioned above, are marked and set aside for Thanksgiving.

This is especially true for those of you who live in homes with either communal fridges (roommate situations) or if you have teenagers who may not consider that the butter in the freezer might not be available for their midnight batch of cookies.

A sharpie and some masking or painter’s tape may go a long way to prevent frustration leading up to Thanksgiving Day.

How is your Thanksgiving planning coming along? Is your table clear?

If you are just checking in, so far, we have the following:

Thanksgiving Traditions, The Good and the Bad

Thanksgiving dinner is one of those meals that comes with many expectations. There are a lot of traditions, some good and some that should definitely be left in the past. As we continue the discussion, I want to be one hundred percent clear that we are discussing recipes. It is absolutely ok to continue to serve your cousin’s green bean casserole or your sister’s sweet potatoes with marshmallows, even if they aren’t your favorite. That’s the only compromise we mean.

We’re not saying to allow Great Uncle Wayne to drink too much and tell problematic stories or jokes. We also don’t think you need to accept anyone’s rude behavior. Yes, Uncle Wayne is an adult, but this is your home.

Boundaries are good.

Got it?

Here is your printable Thanksgiving menu planner

We even have a Thanksgiving Menu Printable – The Soft Menu Plan to make that easier. This printable has three columns: one for your ideal Thanksgiving menu, a second for your planned guests’ ideal menu, and the third for the great compromise.

As you work through your menu plan, here are some things to consider.

How to plan a Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Do your holiday meals feel well put together, or do they more often seem to resemble a potluck mishmash of flavors?

While you are sitting down to plan your Thanksgiving meal, try to think about how the elements of one dish may hint at an aspect of the others on your menu. There is absolutely nothing wrong with serving the same family recipes year after year, but if you are the host and want to add something new, don’t hesitate to make a compromise. Don’t expect to throw out everyone’s favorite recipes and not have a few hurt feelings.

Our Thanksgiving menu has a Southern/Cajun theme, which you can find on this Google Spreadsheet from a past Friendsgiving.

The Cajun seasoning of the turkey also appears in the sausage of the cornbread dressing. The sausage is also used to flavor the collard greens. I swapped out the pecans for almonds in the apple, sage, and cranberry dressing to tie it with the broccoli salad and the green beans.  Cranberries are in the cranberry sauce—surprise!— the apple, sage, cranberry dressing, and broccoli salad.  

In addition to a flow of flavors, textures should be considered, too. Not everything should be a soft casserole. Ensure some crispy bites and crunches that stand out against the warm, rich feels of the mashed potatoes and dressings.

Some of Home-Ec101’s Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Here are some of our favorites:

Collard Greens, no holiday meal would be complete here without them.

Cornbread, we have both sweet and plain.

Roast Turkey if you brine your bird, skip the initial hot blast, or you’ll end up with a very dark turkey.

Cornbread and Andouille Sausage Dressing

You’ve got your mission and printable; now it’s time to do it. Ready? You do know we are always happy to talk it out.

What will you be serving for Thanksgiving this year? Will you be trying new recipes or sticking to old favorites? Is there anything you are looking forward to?

It’s always the cornbread dressing for me.

Here at Home Ec 101, we do not... OK, we try not to have all-day cleaning marathons.

We break projects into manageable pieces spread out over time. Getting ready to host Thanksgiving is a big, often stressful, project.

You’ve got the weekly chore chart to help you with your home over the next few weeks, but today, we have a particular project in mind.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving Guests

Today’s task is simple in concept, but the execution is where many of us run into trouble. Please know I am calling myself out.

It is time to locate your table(s) and any extension you need for Thanksgiving.

But, Heather, I know where my table is. Why would you phrase it that way?

I don’t know about you, but in our home, the dining room table is where my husband works during the day. It also serves as a landing zone for everyone who enters through the front door. It is the repository for paperwork and odds and ends that do not have a home.

The kitchen table serves as the place to feed the preschoolers and as the crafting, coloring, and launching everyone for the day zone.

So yes, technically, we know where the tables are, but for many of us, the surfaces could use clearing and upkeep.

Today’s tasks:

1. Clear the table(s)
2. Clean the table(s)
3. Locate any extension that will be used on Thanksgiving
4. If you have an extension, save its location in your phone’s Note app or Google Keep.

Are you excited to host Thanksgiving this year?

Today we are back in the bathroom. Last week we tackled the visual clutter on top of the vanity. This week we’re going a little deeper and handling the hidden clutter. Every bathroom is a little different. Some have cupboards. Some have drawers. Others have little closets tucked away in hidden corners.

We all know what happens in these spaces, band-aid release liners (yes, I had to look up what those are called), bobby, pins, hair ties, old nail polish, stray cotton balls, that bottle of acetone with just one cotton ball’s worth left chucked off in a corner. Why? I don’t know. It just happens. Slowly. Again and again.

Your mission? Fix it. Trash the trash, donate the personal care items you aren’t going to use, and put the other stuff away neatly.

You may want to vacuum out each space before putting everything back. There always seems to be stray hair, too.

This challenge doesn’t give a big visual win, but I find it to be a nice mental one.

Doesn’t that feel better?

Want to catch up on all of the organizing challenges? Here you:

I am.

Today we are diving into our spices.

The rule of thumb for spices is that ground spices are good for six months.

That’s all well and good if you have an unlimited food budget. For the rest of us, use your nose. If you can still smell the spice, you can use it. If you don’t smell much of anything when you open the jar, it’s time to let it go and replace it. Now, if you have room in your budget, by all means, go ahead and replace spices that are losing their potency.

Unlike many food storage situations, this is a quality concern rather than a safety concern.

As far as organization, if you have spice mixes or rubs, you don’t like, get rid of them. There’s no reason to hang on to food you are not going to use. If you have duplicates that are open, combine them if you can. I can’t be the only one who ends up with multiple containers of basil, can I?

This one shouldn’t take too long.

Don’t forget that your local grocery store is not the only place to replace your spices. Your local Indian, Asian, and Mexican grocers often have spices at much better prices. Don’t let a trip out of your comfort zone get in the way of some of the best resources in your area.

Good luck!

This week we are peeking under the sink. This week you are going to want to be careful with how you dispose of chemicals. Remember, if you store your chemicals under the sink, you need to be careful not to mix chemicals as you dispose of them.

If you need a refresher, we’ve got the handy:

Remember, science is our friend. Let’s use it to our advantage and keep ourselves safe.

Did you know that household cleaners expire? If you count on items like chlorine bleach to disinfect your home, you must replace them regularly. If you’ve had an open container of bleach under your sink for more than a year, it’s time to replace it. Don’t pour it down the drain and follow it with a chaser of ammonia, even if both are expired.

Expired means less effective, not completely inactive. It may not kill all of the salmonella bacteria, but you could still create poisonous gases in a chemical reaction.

Enough disclaimers. While you are cleaning out from under the sink, do a quick check for leaks.

Start at the top. In Heather’s home, this is where all the odds and ends that the youngest two shouldn’t get ahold of inevitably ends up. What does that mean? It is chock full of markers, magnets, balloons, and candy we don’t want to argue about at that moment. Who knows. It’s a dusty catchall that we just ignore until it starts to fall on our heads when we open the door.

It is time to address the situation.

What about the front and any visible sides? Is your appliance covered in old notes, lists, receipts, and artwork? Take a look and decide what to file, what to preserve and what to toss.

While you are at it, grab your vacuum or duster and give everything a good once over.

Want some extra credit?

Vacuum your refrigerator coils if you have the time and motivation. It helps keep your refrigerator running efficiently, which is good for your wallet and the environment.

I’ve been running this site for 15 many years now and still find mystery objects in the bottom of my freezer. Life happens. You don’t live on a TV set, and no one product or system is one hundred percent foolproof. You can always aim for better, but you will have busy seasons, marriage, births, school sports seasons, holidays, or life will hand out the changes none of us want to face: death, divorce, layoffs, illness. Whatever the reason, we lose track.

Let it go.

Get some gloves. This stuff is cold.

You will want a cooler or two to hold the items you want to keep as you sort shelf by shelf (or basket by basket).

Please empty your trashcan before you start. You will probably need the room.

Please get rid of the items that have obviously passed their expiration. Remember, a use-by date is a freeze-by date, not a consume-by date in the deep freeze. You are looking for damaged packaging, obvious freezer burn, and unidentifiable objects.

Make a list of what you have so you don’t waste energy pawing through the freezer and damaging what you have. This will also help you plan meals and take advantage of future sales.

Pro-tip: Your freezer is much more efficient when it is full. If you find that you have a lot of room after you finish organizing today. Find some empty freezer-safe containers one at a time, fill them with water, and freeze them. They will take up room in your freezer. As a bonus, if you live in hurricane country, this can count as part of your water storage. Just save it for the very last. You don’t want to open your freezer, letting any of that cold out.

How to substitute dried lentils for ground beef in recipes

If your recipe calls for one pound of ground beef, you will want to use one cup of dried lentils. This is for a one-to-one substitution. When cooked, one cup of dried lentils yields approximately three cups of cooked lentils.

In most recipes, you will need to cook the lentils before using them, reducing the overall cook time of the substituted recipe.

How to cook lentils

Important: Lentils do not need to be soaked. Before cooking the lentils, check them for any small stones or other debris.

When you cook your lentils, you will use four cups of water for every one cup of lentils. Place the lentils and water in a pot, cover, and bring to a simmer. Green or brown lentils will take 20 – 30 minutes. Red lentils will take approximately 12 – 15 minutes.

As you will be using them in other recipes, it is generally best to leave them with some texture and not let them get too mushy as they will cook further in whatever recipe they will be used in next.

When you are going to be using lentils instead of ground beef and not because you are trying to go meatless, you may find that using beef bouillon in the cooking water makes a big difference in the outcome. You may not need the usual strength (one cube for every cup of water, but experiment until you find what works for you). Be aware that this will increase the sodium content, and watch how you salt and season the rest of your recipe accordingly.

Tip: What Is the Difference Between Boiling and Simmering

Tips for successfully using lentils

I see posts all the time that say things like, “I tricked my family. They never noticed that it wasn’t meat.”

Are you kidding me? I have many questions and don’t know how to ask them without sounding extremely rude. A straight-up, unacknowledged lentil for ground beef substitution would never fly in this household. First, I don’t try to pull things over on my family; second, texture issues are real.

You will almost always want to use green or brown lentils when substituting for ground beef, but if red lentils are all you have in the pantry, use them. The color will differ, and you will want to adjust your seasonings toward the stronger side.

If this is not an emergency budget situation, you could substitute half of the ground beef for cooked lentils. You will still receive the benefit of reducing the overall amount of red meat you are consuming, it is not as immediate.

For example, if you were going to have tacos one night, cook and season the meat, but use twice the seasoning and extra liquid, and then add the cooked lentils toward the end. Remove half of the meat mixture and put it in the refrigerator for later in the week. Enjoy taco night.

Then make a taco skillet, but this time, you’ll need to adjust the recipe a bit since your protein is already cooked. Heat your liquid in a large skillet, then add your pasta and cook until it is nearly done; add your protein, cheese, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

I’ve found using this technique reduces suspicion from young children, and as long as the older ones know what is going on, everyone is cool with it.

It’s really not kind to surprise anyone’s GI tract with a lot of legumes. Let them adjust their portions accordingly. Agency and consent are always important. We have lots of other ideas for budget-friendly recipes if beans aren’t going to work for your family.

Recipes featuring dried lentils:

Lentil pilaf is a side dish, but as it is high in protein, it can reduce the reliance on a main dish.
Lentil burgers, no one will ever think these are hamburgers, but they are good in their own right.
Lentil enchiladas – not a favorite, but it will work in a pinch.

Recipes that would work well with a dried lentil for ground beef swap.

Or a partial swap.
I tend to start with more strongly flavored recipes and proceed accordingly as changes are accepted.

Taco Skillet
Sloppy Joes
Taco Soup
Philly Skillet
Cheeseburger Macaroni

Other Budget-Friendly Recipes featuring Beans

Budget-Friendly Bean Recipes

Beans and Rice a Budget Friendly Dinner

Beans and rice are synonymous with tight budgets, but your tastebuds don't have to feel the pinch. Learn how to make this comforting classic.

Get the Recipe

The Best Taco Soup

This budget-friendly Tex-Mex soup is a family favorite and is easy enough for a weeknight

Get the Recipe

Sue Polinsky's No Tomato Chili

This recipe will feed a crowd. Make it once and freeze the rest for another night.

Get the Recipe

Black Bean Soup Recipe

Get to know black beans and all they have to offer with this easy classic.

Get the Recipe

Hoppin' John

This recipe is a traditional New Year's meal in the South, but black-eyed peas are cheap and don't need to be a once-a-year treat.

Get the Recipe

Refried Beans: Back to Basics

Bean burritos are a favorite here for lunches and dinners. A bag of dried pinto beans costs roughly the same as a can of refried beans and yields far more.

Get the Recipe

Silky Smooth Green Pea Soup Recipe

Pea soup is a wintertime favorite

Read More

You may also want to check out: Short-Term Grocery Budget Strategies

Do you have those three containers we got way back in Week #1? You may need them today. Please note that when I suggest you purge items, consider your financial situation. If an item is needed, it is needed.

Let’s Organize Our Dresser Drawers

We are suggesting getting rid of items that do not fit, that no longer serve their purpose, or that you were never going to wear again anyhow.

The good thing about organizing a dresser is that each drawer is its own contained space. You have a series of little victories ahead of you. You can divide this job over the week or reward yourself as you work through the task.

Tip: Do your best to work in bright light. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get ready for the day without the frustration of discovering a stain or tear just before you leave or, worse, after you’ve already left?

As you decide whether to trash or donate clothing you won’t use, remember there is the option to recycle clothing.

In my area, I keep an eye out for the bins that are specifically for clothing and shoe recycling. The companies that place these bins turn the donated items into carpet padding, insulation, acoustic dampeners, yarns, etc. Whatever it is, they aren’t taking up space in the landfill or adding to the microplastic problem.

It is true that most thrift stores that accept donations have access to textile recycling. However, if it is possible if you know an item isn’t suitable for resale, recycle it if you can. Earth911.com has a locater for recycling options based on your location. (The site also has lots of other valuable information).

Don’t forget your old t-shirts and socks make great cleaning rags, or if you are crafty, you can turn old t-shirts into yarn for projects. Here’s an excellent tutorial for that from Red Ted Art

Good luck! Let’s do this.

We are also happy to announce that we are restarting the Weekly Organizational Challenge.

We ran this back in 2016, and if you are anything like us, life has accumulated in the interim.

Much like The Deep Clean Challenge. each week, we’re issuing a quick organizational challenge to complete by the week’s end. And, just like the Deep Clean Cycle, you can rinse and repeat at the end as many times as you wish. This way, you can repeat any challenges you missed or perform maintenance to keep stuff from sneaking back in and piling back up.

Ready for your first challenge?

Week One’s Challenge: Get Ready for Success

This week, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find three containers. You will be using them throughout the six-month challenge. Each week, as we enter our area to organize, our goal is to limit our need to leave that area until we are done. This strategy is to keep our focus on the immediate challenge, reduce the temptation to clean down the rabbit trail, and make our lives easier by creating a habit.

These containers are to hold the items that need to be moved elsewhere.

One container will be for recycling, shredding, and/or trash, another for items that belong in another place in your home, and the third for items that no longer serve you and need to be donated or sold.

Bonus challenge: Figure out where you will store the “to donate” or “to sell” items until they can be donated or picked up. Having the plan now will remove an objection to starting next week.

As you enter each week’s challenge area, you won’t have to make as many decisions, which increases your chance for success. When you have finished that week’s challenge, you deal with the content of each container and call it good.

Small challenges and fewer decisions equal big wins over time.

Ready?

Let’s do this!

what exactly is mince meat pie? it isn’t meat, i know that much, but [what] is it?

~Concerned

*Updated December 2022*

Dear Concerned:

The gag factor seems to be running high here on Home Ec 101 today.

Lisa here — I love mince pies. In fact, I order them for delivery every December as a special Christmas treat (along with marzipan fruits and British Christmas cake.)

Mincemeat is nothing more than a mixture of fruit, nuts, spices, and suet or vegetable shortening. Older recipes used to include meat, which is omitted in most modern versions. It was typically served as a course following the main course to prepare a dinner for the sweetness of the dessert. Today it is served mostly out of tradition. I’ll pass, thank you.

(They also have a healthy glug of Brandy included in the recipe. ~Lisa)

Heather may want to pass on mince pies, but this rich, sticky, sweet filling wrapped in a shortcrust pastry is the perfect morsel that, for me, says it’s the holiday season and time for me to kick back and enjoy myself just a little bit.

I can hear the questions you’re asking. “Lisa, if they are so tasty, how do you eat them?” Well, I think they are delicious served hot or cold. Eat them plain or as I do with brandy butter. Some folks like them with double cream, but since we can’t get that here in the states, you can make whipped cream or serve them with really good vanilla ice cream.

They also keep well. I’ve been known to freeze a few for a festive Christmas in July when the summer sun is beating me senseless and I’m over the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes.

If you’re buying mince pies, check the ingredients. The filling typically uses suet, which is animal fat. If you’re a vegetarian, look for alternative fats in the ingredients list, such as butter or shortening.

Ease is important to us. We are all at different life stages and want to ensure that everything we do helps you to invite ease and comfort into your life. Sure, work is involved, but once you manage some of the hard things, it does get easier. Taking care of the day-to-day things in life is difficult, and when you add in the holidays, the chaos can zap energy levels, leaving us miserable and cranky. This is why we created a list you can scroll through — it’s easier than searching the site.

Please note that we are retesting and recreating every recipe on Home-Ec 101, including new step-by-step photos. If you see us in the grocery store buying mass quantities of butter, sugar, and flour, with cookie crumbs clinging to our clothing and a dazed look on our faces in 2023, you will know we are doing it all for our Home Ec 101 family.

Christmas Cookie Recipies

All

Nutella No Bake Oatmeal Cookies

Heather Solos Dec 20, 2013 3 min read

Heather says: I was recently thinking about ways to incorporate Nutella into every day? (Kidding, but what day isn’t improved with a spoonful or pretzel-ful of this stuff?) Why not use Nutella in my favorite cookie of all time? If…

Read More

AllCook ItRecipe

No Bake Chocolate – Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Heather Solos Dec 6, 2007 1 min read

These are the black sheep of the cookie family. Not a whole lot of class, but we love them anyhow. Don’t let the no-bake name fool you. These are less kid-friendly than most baked cookies, as the hot butter and…

Read More

AllCook ItRecipe

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies

Heather Solos Dec 20, 2007 1 min read

These cookies may also be called penuche oatmeal drops.  Penuche describes the original flavor of fudge.  It’s what fudge was before someone brilliant decided to add chocolate. They are very simple cookies. However, if you don’t like the texture of…

Read More

AllCook ItRecipe

Peanut Butter Fudge

Heather Solos Nov 30, 2022 2 min read

Updated 2022, Originally published December 2008 I almost wish I hadn’t updated this microwave peanut butter fudge recipe. Why? It’s dangerously easy. I don’t mean it’s dangerous in that you’ll hurt yourself making it. I mean that it’s too easy…

Read More

AllCook ItRecipe

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

Heather Solos Dec 3, 2022 2 min read

This is a simple recipe for classic chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. This will become a family favorite you’ll make year after year.

Read More

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Need something warm and filling to round out your plate?

This lentil pilaf side dish is great for those avoiding simple carbohydrates. It would also easily convert to a vegetarian/vegan dish simply by switching to vegetable stock. I pull out this recipe as the temperatures start to drop. I particularly like it next to the slightly sweet vegetables of Autumn (squashes, pumpkins, roasted vegetables). Whipped sweet potatoes work really well as an option here

Just for the record, I’d like to note that lentils are not the world’s most photogenic legume, but that doesn’t lessen their appeal.

Yield: 6 servings

Lentil Pilaf

Print

A simple blend of vegetables bring flavor to lentils making a side dish that is a perfect complement to your fall and winter dishes.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils
• 2 cups chicken stock or broth or one can + 1/4 cup water
• 1 bell pepper. diced, any color
• 1/2 small or medium sweet onion, diced
• 1  carrot chopped
• 1 rib celery, optional
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup or so mushrooms, roughly chopped *OPTIONAL*
• 2 tablespoons. olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice if you use a fresh lemon, just use half the lemon and squeeze through your hand to catch the seeds
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the chicken stock and lentils to boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and give it a moment to heat.
3. Add the diced onion, carrot and optional celery to the pan and cook for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Once the onion and carrot start to soften, add the bell pepper and garlic. Stir occasionally until the bell pepper starts to soften.
5. Remove from heat and add the mushrooms, if you would like and give it a good stir. When the lentils have simmered for twenty minutes, remove the cover and add the cooked vegetables and lemon juice.
6. Stir well and continue cooking over low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.

What do I need to make lentil pilaf?

• dried lentils
• chicken stock, canned broth, Better than Bouillon or bouillon cubes
• yellow or sweet onion
• carrot
• garlic
• white or baby portabello mushrooms
• olive oil
• lemon or lemon juice
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2-quart saucepan with a lid
• frying pan or skillet
• chef knife
• cutting board

The old picture kept for posterity,

It’s a hit here, but with a family of eight, four of whom are teenagers, we have to make a few adjustments to keep it in the regular rotation. Please note that none of the changes are criticisms. These are modifications for different lifestyles.

First, I’m not a white wine drinker; I found a 500mL of Black-box Chardonnay. Classy? Absolutely not. But it fits on our refrigerator’s condiment shelf, and I will have it for other recipes. I hate buying a bottle of wine for 1/2 a cup and then navigating around it in the fridge. Uh, to be clear, I am a red wine

The original recipe calls for a whole chicken. The author’s goal is to use the back and wings to make stock. This is a great use of extra chicken parts. However, we don’t have enough chicken parts as written. I adjusted the recipe to use chicken thighs.

When buying chicken thighs in an economy pack, the time in the original recipe may need to be significantly adjusted as the thighs’ size can vary significantly within a pack and from what will be found in the 3 – 4 pound chicken recommended in the original recipe. To accommodate this, you must use a cooking thermometer, and the chicken needs to reach 165°F to be safe.

Please do not skip temping the chicken. The smallest thighs we had were done in the original 12 minutes, but the largest took nearly 20.

Remember, stoves vary significantly if you are cooking with gas or induction heat, you have much more control over how quickly you can increase or decrease the heat of your pan than those of us who are limited to electric ranges.

Yield: 8 servings

Budget-Friendly Chicken Fricassee with Mushrooms and Broccoli

Print

Tender chicken with a creamy sauce that pairs well with rice and makes excellent comfort food for cool evenings.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 pounds of chicken thighs or leq quarters
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 16 ounces baby portabello mushrooms, washed, dried, halved or quartered (the smallest can be left whole)
• 3 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 - 5 cups broccoli florets (you could sub a bag of baby spinach)

Instructions

1. Arrange thighs on a baking sheet, skin side up and sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. In a large, deep skillet with a heavy lid or a dutch oven, heat two tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until the foaming begins to subside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Place your chicken thighs skin side down in the skillet and cook for seven minutes. Keep a close eye; we're browning, not burning.
4. Turn the chicken and cook for another two minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside (if your thighs are particularly thick, you can reduce your cooking time by placing them in a 350 oven while you work on your sauce). Be sure to leave the skin side up. Add your onions to the pan and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up the browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent (no longer white).
6. Add your last tablespoon of butter and mushrooms, and cook until they become fragrant.
7. Add the garlic and thyme, cooking until they, too, become fragrant
8. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the dish and stir for one minute to prevent clumps
9. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Then stir in the stock and add the bay leaves.
10. Add the chicken back to the pan. Do your best to ensure that the chicken is in contact with the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cover.
11. Cook for 15 minutes and temp the thickest thigh. If it is not 165°F, continue cooking until that temperature is reached.
12. Remove the chicken to your serving dish and place it somewhere warm
13. Stir the cream into the pan, bring it back to a simmer, and let the sauce reduce for a couple of minutes.
14. Add the broccoli to the pan and cover, cooking until the broccoli is done to your preference.
15. Pour over the chicken and serve.

Enjoy!

I don’t know why oatmeal cookies get the hate they do. They are hands down my favorite cookie. This is my favorite recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, producing a soft, chewy cookie.

Additionally, the raisins in a cookie matter. a lot. To get good raisins that can stand up to the oven, you want to soak them in hot water with a splash of vanilla while you are putting together the rest of the recipe. You can also use spiced rum as a soak for your raisins.

 Step-by-step photos are below the printable recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies.

Yield: 30 cookies

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Print

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter - softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• two eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon OR 1 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground cloves & 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups rolled oats (regular, not quick cooking or instant)
• 1 cup raisins - soaked

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices soda in a small bowl.
3. Cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
4. To the now fluffy butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla beat until just combined
5. Add in your flour mixture and stir until just combined. If you are using a stand mixer, be sure to use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl to ensure all of the flour has been incorporated. Do not over-mix.
6. Add the rolled oats to the batter and stir by hand (with your spatula) just until the oats are mixed in. Add the raisins and carefully mix them in by hand, as well.
7. Use a cookie scoop, and drop by rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly.
8. Bake at 375°F for 8 -10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields approximately 30 cookies.

What do you need to make oatmeal raisin cookies?

Step-by-Step Photos for Making Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I almost wish I hadn’t updated this microwave peanut butter fudge recipe.

Why? It’s dangerously easy.

I don’t mean it’s dangerous in that you’ll hurt yourself making it. I mean that it’s too easy to make when you are hunting for a snack and in the mood for something with peanut butter.

It takes five minutes to put together and time to cool in the refrigerator. That’s it.

This four-ingredient recipe for peanut butter fudge is probably one of the easiest things you’ll have in your cookbook and is perfect for when you are assembling your Holiday treats to give as gifts.

Yield: 32 servings

Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge

Print

Easy microwave peanut butter fudge

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 6 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter + extra for greasing
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

Instructions

1. Line an 8x8-inch pan with a square of foil that has been well-greased with butter.
2. Cut and grease a piece of wax paper to fit over the fudge. Set aside.
3. Place the butter and peanut butter in a large microwave-safe container at least 6 cups in size.
4. Microwave on high for two minutes. Watch carefully for the butter and peanut butter to be fully melted.
5. Carefully remove the container from the microwave and give it a good stir. When you first remove it from the microwave, it will be in three separate layers. Stir enough to create a smooth consistency.
6. Return to the microwave, cover, and heat on high for another two minutes. 
7. Be careful. The peanut butter is extremely hot. Remove the container from the microwave.
8. Stirring constantly, add the vanilla and powdered sugar.
9. Once the mixture is smooth, press it into the foil-lined pan and cover it with your wax paper. Place in the fridge to cool.
10. Allow it to cool completely (at least two hours),
11. Using the foil to lift it, carefully remove it from the pan.
12. Cut into squares and enjoy

What do you need to make microwave peanut butter fudge?

• 1 cup butter + extra for greasing
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• a large microwave-safe container, I like to use my 8 cup batter bowl
• an 8×8 inch pan
• foil
• wax paper
• spatula

Anything to be aware of when making peanut butter fudge with kids?

This is a kid-friendly recipe with supervision. The peanut butter mixture is very hot. If your child is young, you need to steady the bowl to ensure they do not splatter themselves, as with any candy this can cause a severe burn.

Even though this is a microwave recipe, your child needs to be stove-ready to handle the recipe on their own due to the temperatures involved.

Enjoy!

I also know that chili recipes can be highly prized and contentious.

.Some feel it isn’t chili if it contains: or that it isn’t chili if it doesn’t contain . I’m just happy you share your chili recipes with me or have me over for chili. Either works.

The following no-tomato chili recipe is from my dear friend Sue Polinsky. The recipe originated from The Impoverished Student’s Cookbook with, as Sue puts it, “many significant embellishments by. . . [Sue]”

2022 update I’ve made this many times over the past 11 years and have added some measurements to help those that prefer not to cook by feel. Please remember these are just rough guidelines. Adjust the seasonings based on your preferences and tastes. We won’t be offended.

The original instructions were written by Sue Polinsky, but they have been updated by Heather as of 2022. The technique is Sue’s. I’ve added the printable card below (scroll just a little more to get to it).

Enjoy!

Yield: 6 Quarts

Sue Polinsky's No Tomato Chili

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound stew beef (or use an additional pound of ground beef)
• 2 medium white onions, diced
• 8 garlic cloves, minced (you can use more)
• 2 pounds dried pinto beans that have been cooked
• 2 tablespoons black pepper (roughly)
• 5 ounces chili powder (roughly)
• 3 tablespoons cumin (roughly)
• 2 tablespoons oregano (roughly)
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley (roughly)
• A scant amount of ground red pepper (a few shakes)
• approximately 1/2 cup, don't measure apple cider or white vinegar, see instructions
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Begin browning your beef in a large pot over medium heat. If you use stew beef, keep that set aside until the ground meat has been drained.
2. While the beef is browning, dice your onions, and mince your garlic
3. Drain most of the fat, but not all, from the beef and discard it. You need some fat for flavor
4. Add the stew beef, onions, and seasoning to the pot, and stir until the onions are translucent and the outside of the stew beef is no longer pink.
5. You will rely on your sense of smell to determine the correct amount of vinegar to add. Get close to the beef without splattering yourself, and slowly pour vinegar into the pot, until you can just smell it.
6. Stir until combined.
7. Add your cooked beans to the pot using a slotted spoon. Leaving their cooking liquid behind. Once all of the beans have been transferred, stir again carefully to not mash the beans.
8. Add just enough of the bean's liquid to your chili until it is slightly thinner than the consistency you prefer.
9. Taste and adjust your seasonings, adding salt if necessary. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 2 - 3 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Notes

You will need a heavy-bottomed pot, at least 6 quarts in size.

Garnish with your favorite chili toppings:

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• cilantro
• jalapenos
• cornbread
  

Like this recipe? Save it on Pinterest, please.

Like chili flavor? Try these recipes:

• White Chicken Chili
• Chili Maple Pork Chops
• Chili Honey Chicken Thighs

*Chili Powder Photo Credit: Sue Polinsky

You’ve planned it all. Today will go as smoothly as it can. There may still be bumps because that is life. You can handle it, I promise.

A couple of things to remember today when you unwrap your turkey don’t forget to also check the neck cavity for the giblets, and if one dish doesn’t turn out, you haven’t ruined the meal. Try to take it in stride.

Take each challenge as it arrives, not the whole day at once. Stick to your timetable and work from there.

If you run out of butter, eggs or sugar, talk to a neighbor,

Let people help. Give those who maybe can’t be trusted to cook jobs like washing dishes or entertaining small kids that would otherwise be underfoot.

Remember, if you find your turkey hasn’t fully thawed this morning, you can still thaw it and save Thanksgiving. All is well.

I’m thankful to have had this site as a part of my life for the last 15 years. I’m grateful for all of those who have contributed to it previously, Ivy who was there at the start then Bobbie, Michele, Bran, Alice, Brian, Vera, and Patrick. I’m also very happy that we welcomed Lisa and Amanda to the site this year. Good things are ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving

Deep breath. We are nearing the finish line. Have you seen how much you have accomplished? You have done so much planning, including boundary setting, that even minor family issues won’t ruin your day. You’ve got plans. Doesn’t it feel good?

It’s your last trip to the store. Today is the day if you need to pick up any delicate produce. If you serve a fresh turkey, today is the day for that, too.

If you have a frozen turkey, that is safely thawing, correct?

Have you checked on that by the way? Yes, you still have most of today and all of tomorrow, but if your turkey is very large, is it still rock solid or is it starting to give a little when poked?

If your turkey is still rock solid, it is perfectly safe to use the water bath method to thaw it fully and put it back in the fridge until Thursday. Waking up to a partially frozen turkey on Thanksgiving can significantly set your Thanksgiving timetable back, and no one needs that.

If the container your turkey is sitting in is full of liquid, go ahead and empty that. Then give the container a good quick wash with hot, soapy water, followed by a thorough rinse. Giving bacteria one less playground is always a good thing; even if it’s not optimal conditions for growth, it’s best not to roll out the welcome mat.

If you bought wings or turkey necks to roast and make stock, you can make that today if you would like. It will keep in the refrigerator just fine until Thursday..

Don’t forget that you still need to eat regularly, even with all this planning for Thursday’s Thanksgiving dinner. One big meal does not make up for several days, and you will likely have a long day of cooking ahead. Don’t underestimate the amount of energy that takes. Do not starve or yourself as part of the Countdown to Thanksgiving. That is in no way healthy. Rest, hydrate, eat, and enjoy the process. Tomorrow we have pie to prep.

We’ll see you then.

Previously

How has the countdown gone for you? Do you feel ready for Thursday? Good. If you need to review anything that we have covered so far, here’s the link.

Today is review day.

Not just your cooking timetable but everything Thanksgiving-related timetable.

Today:

Grab your timetable. Does everything on there still make sense? Now that you have almost everything you need, Thanksgiving is less a theoretical event that will happen sometime in the future and is looming a bit more like that final exam you’d blown off all semester. Let’s take another look and ensure that the time allotted for each item is realistic and that items that require the oven simultaneously will fit.

If you have questions about oven space, you can practice your oven Tetris while it is off. In fact, I highly encourage you do. Remember that your baking dishes will be more awkward to maneuver when full; figure out where your racks need to be placed so you are not adjusting them when they are hot.

What about guests?

Are any spending the holiday with you? Do they need to be picked up at the airport, bus, or train station? If so, who is in charge of that? Do you have their itinerary? Figure out those logistics now, so you aren’t making many stressed-out calls trying to find each other.

Check those labels you made on the Do not eats. Still there? Good. This is a daily check.

Tomorrow aka Tuesday, there won’t be an email:

It’s finally time to pick up your fresh turkey. If you are serving any kind of salad, it’s also the day to pick up any delicate produce day. This should be the final grocery run. Before you go, do the last call for anything you need warning.

Don’t forget to check for items like toilet paper before you head out for this grocery run.

Wednesday:

Pie and prep day. You may also want to pick up ice from a convenience store if you plan to have extra ice on hand.

Thursday: Thanksgiving Day. You’ve got this.

Previously

Thanksgiving is in ten days. How are you feeling about this? While I’m asking, how are you feeling in general?

Yeah, it’s unfortunate, but we still have to think about this. This is especially true if your guests include very young children, the elderly, or anyone at higher risk of complications. This year, in addition to the flu and Covid, RSV is also having a big season with the kids.

What can you do to ensure your home is less likely to be the inspiration for the next remake of Outbreak?

The least fun but most important rule, cancel if you must.

First, don’t be scared to cancel if anyone in your household exhibits any symptoms of illness. You have checked off the list a hundred times by now every time you make an appointment anywhere. The same rule goes for your guests and their children. If it comes down to it and they wouldn’t have any dinner that night, do a porch or door drop.

Yes, it sucks, and there will be some frustration as you navigate dealing with more leftovers than you planned for, but it’s better than saddling any friends or family with medical debt, right? Right.

This isn’t our first rodeo anymore; we have all learned to deal with disappointment.

Hand hygiene.

In your guest bathroom, you may want to leave a small stack of disposable hand towels on the counter in addition to the guest towel. (People are never quite sure if they are supposed to use that one or not anyway). These will also prevent transfer if someone wasn’t so scrupulous with their handwashing to someone else. We were all kids once. No judgment.

Almost all of us have bottles of hand sanitizer now. Leave one or two out where they are easily accessible to guests but out of reach of small children. This is especially helpful if there will be any infants around. It’s easier to remind people to clean their hands if it doesn’t have to be a big production and can be done wordlessly. If someone asks to hold the baby, and you want them to wash their hands first, just pass the hand sanitizer before handing them the baby.

High touch areas

Before everyone comes over on Thursday, give the doorknobs, switch plates, and TV remote a quick once over.

Ventilation

It’s still a good idea to get the air moving (out) of your home as much as possible when you have guests over. If you have a central air system, go ahead and have the fan running, it doesn’t have to be in heating or cooling mode, just moving the air.

If possible, also open a window to get some fresh air into the mix.

Thankfully it’s no longer 2020, and gathering, with reasonable precautions, is back on the table. Speaking of tables… is yours clear?

Previously

How is your Thanksgiving prep going? Do you need to catch up on everything we’ve been doing in the countdown so far? We’ve got you covered. Click right here.

Today we are discussing ensuring that your Thanksgiving is memorable for the right reasons. and not for making anyone sick through cross-contamination.

For our purposes, cross-contamination can refer to two different scenarios, transferring either foodborne pathogens or allergens from one surface to another.

How can you reduce cross-contamination in your kitchen?

Let’s start with cooking gluten-free items.

First, if you are cooking for someone with celiac disease, it is crucial to understand that even trace amounts of gluten can make that person quite ill. You cannot approach your effort to prepare a gluten-free meal carelessly.

If possible, make all gluten-free items before making any items containing gluten to prevent the possibility of setting an item on a counter that didn’t get thoroughly cleaned between cooking sessions.

Do not use wooden spoons, bowls, or cutting boards when preparing any gluten-free items, as these items are very porous and can be difficult to fully rid of all traces of gluten. Stick to metal and plastic for gluten-free food prep.

Use separate sponges for cleaning items that have been in contact with gluten-containing items and those without, and use disposable wipes to clean your counters frequently.

What about nut allergies?

If you are cooking for someone with a nut allergy, stay away from wood and ensure all utensils and surfaces have either gone through the dishwasher or been cleaned with HOT soapy water. Hot water helps ensure the oils have been removed from the surface.

Now let’s talk bacteria.

When working with raw poultry or eggs, please use paper towels and not your kitchen towels to wipe up any drips or your hands until you can wash them thoroughly.

Immediately clean any surfaces that have come in contact with the raw poultry or eggs.

Mixing up a bottle of dilute bleach spray can be very helpful before you start your Thanksgiving cooking and is perfect for disinfecting your countertops or sink. You can read all about how to use chlorine bleach safely here. Vinegar is an excellent cleaning tool but let’s not trust it to keep great grandma safe from E. coli. She doesn’t want to remember your Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital. She likes her kidneys and would like them to continue working. Thank you very much.

Previously in the Countdown:

How is your Thanksgiving planning going? We’ve covered a lot so far. Please click here if you are playing catch-up. Yesterday we covered some recipes you can make ahead to make Thanksgiving Day easier, but you can also do some of your prep ahead of time, too.

One of our long-time friends of the site, Alice, noted that if you haven’t already, it’s time to sharpen your knives. She’s absolutely right. Having your favorite knife sharp will not only make your prep much easier, it’s safer, too.

What prep work can you do ahead of time for Thanksgiving?

Vegetable prep is my favorite to do ahead.

Take a look at your recipes and note how many call for items like a diced onion, celery, carrots, or bell pepper.

When you are doing prep work like this, it goes much faster if you can do it in batches. It also can make storage easier, too. For instance, you can store all of your diced onions together until you need them, only taking out what you need for each recipe.

Be careful to ensure that the cut for each recipe is the same. Dicing is not the same as slicing. Recipes call for certain cuts to ensure that the ingredients cook at the expected speed required for the way the recipe is written.

Some things can’t be prepped too far ahead.

For your mashed potatoes, you can dice them the morning of Thanksgiving, but place them immediately in the salted water they will eventually be boiled in, or they will oxidize (change to an unattractive color). However, if you are making mashed or whipped sweet potatoes, these can be diced at the same time as your other vegetables.

If you decide to pre-slice your apples for apple crisp or pie, you must toss them with diluted lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Finally, you can make pie crust up to three days ahead of time. Please remember to take it out of the refrigerator in time to come up to room temperature before you want to fill it.

Don’t worry; we are going to talk about pies later.

Previously in the Countdown:

We’re getting ready for Thanksgiving without the overwhelm. If you need to catch up, click here to see what we’ve covered so far. in our twenty-eight part series

Today we are talking about recipes you can make ahead to reduce the amount of effort and time you need to spend cooking on Thanksgiving Day.

What to take into consideration when making preparing items ahead of time for Thanksgiving:

How much storage space do you have?

Will you be able to safely store all of the items you wish to prepare before Thanksgiving? Will you have room in addition to your thawing or fresh turkey? Will you need to use a cooler with ice?

How will you reheat the items you have prepared ahead of time?

What appliances will you use to get everything heated in time for the meal? Don’t forget you can use appliances in addition to your stove and oven. Get creative; you can use your slow cooker, microwave, oven roaster, or InstantPot if you have those, too.

Now that you know how much room you have and how you will reheat the items, here are some ideas for items that work well when made ahead of time.

Make Ahead Recipes

Traditional dressing

Cornbread dressing

Gravy – use this technique but turkey stock instead of beef

Green bean casserole, but hold off on the fried onions until you are ready to reheat it before serving.

Cranberry sauce

Deviled Eggs – keep the yolk mixture in the piping bag (The Ziploc bag you will cut the corner off of until Thanksgiving Day.)

Corn pudding

Sausage balls

Collard Greens

Creamed corn

Dessert

Previously in the Countdown:

Another day, another item we are mentally checking off our to-do list to make Thanksgiving easier this year.

If you are catching up, here is what we have covered so far:

The cleanup is one of the worst parts of hosting a large holiday meal. What if it could be easier? Would that be worth a small investment? For me, it is.

Some of these tips will only apply if you are doing a large gathering. However, you may find some information that may improve your everyday clean-up experience.

Dish tubs or bussing bins are incredibly useful tools.

Having a couple of these bins can make your life much easier, especially when you have many dishes to do. You can generally find small versions at the No longer a Dollar Tree or similar stores, but if you want a couple of heavy-duty ones like bussers use in restaurants, take a trip to your local restaurant supply store, or they are available on Amazon (if you are reading this via email, you’ll have to click the link on the site itself).

How can dish tubs help with holiday cleanup? Most of us only have one sink and dishwasher in our kitchen. On busy days, this can be a bottleneck, and there are few things more obnoxious than having to unload the sink to get started with the dishes.

Having a sanitary way to contain the mess out of the way can be incredibly helpful. Just don’t set the bin on the stove while it’s still hot just because you needed a horizontal surface.

Did you know that you can also order an extra silverware rack for your dishwasher? Yep, I learned this tidbit from KC Davis on TikTok. Rinse the food off, load the basket, then swap it out when you are loading. No pile of silverware in the bottom of the sink waiting its turn.

Having a place to store the dishes will also allow you to wash the items that don’t fit in the dishwasher without having to do everything else first. You could even allow the items in the bins to wait until the dishwasher is done with the first load and just let the dishwasher do the work. For what it is worth, dishwashers are the ecological choice, using significantly less water than handwashing. If you needed one more reason to justify leaving the dishes out for a couple of hours)

While we are talking about clean-up, how are you on trashbags? If you are going to be using disposable items, do you have any large bags?

Improve the dishwashing experience

Over the last few years, I’ve learned a lot about myself—thanks therapy—and I learned that many of the things I was forcing myself to do and put with were completely unnecessary.

What on earth does this have to do with cleaning up tons of dishes, Heather?

There are a few sensory things that go into doing the dishes, that I just do not like. It wasn’t until after my therapist got it through my head that my comfort is something that can be my priority that I started realizing I didn’t have to just muscle through the things I don’t like without tools to make them easier.

Growing up, we never had rubber gloves in the house, but that doesn’t make them wasteful. Go ahead and get yourself dishwashing gloves, and then use the hottest water possible. First, the dishes will get cleaner more quickly, and second, you’re not going to dry out your hands. If you know you will have a guest who will be happy to pitch in, let them and have a spare pair on hand. By the way, that guest may be trying to deal with their anxiety by being helpful… you really are being a good host Give them one chance to back out, and you’ve done your part.

You can get your favorite scent of dishwashing soap if you would like. (I prefer unscented.)

You can have whatever sponges or scrubbers you prefer and replace them when they need replacing. You do not have to use the scrubbers until they are two strands of metal tied in a knot. You don’t have to use a green scour pad until it is soft as felt and your biceps are screaming—and you want to.

Check now to ensure you have Bar Keepers Friend for the pots and pans that need it. Yes, I’m still a fan after all of these years.

An anti-fatigue mat can also help make standing in front of the sink less painful if your back or legs ache when doing jobs like this.

What tools and tricks have you found that make facing a pile of dishes easier?

Who do you want to invite to Thanksgiving Dinner, and who do you have to invite for the safe of family peace? Yes, boundaries are a thing, but sometimes compromises are made, and we grit our teeth and invite that one relative that we would just rather not. Sometimes things can be unpleasant without being a compromise of our boundaries and morals.

Let’s plan our guest list

As you work through today’s exercise, Please keep the following in mind.

Where will dinner be held?

Will everyone be eating inside your home? Is it a casual outdoor buffet? Do you need to think about where to put coats and shoes? What if the weather is bad, do you need an alternative plan?

Do you need to consider parking arrangements?

Seating

Do you have enough chairs? Place settings? Will you use disposable or will you rent? You will need to make reservations quickly if you choose to rent.

When will you have Thanksgiving dinner?

Will you be serving a late lunch or early dinner, or do you plan on having it as a traditional evening meal? In our family, we tend to have an early dinner, around 3 or 4 pm, and then snack on leftovers later after all the leftovers have been done and the dishes have been put away.

How far will the guest need to travel?

Will they need somewhere to stay overnight? Is this something you will have to accommodate, or can they handle it independently?

Allergies, special diets and food sensitivities

Do any of your guests have dietary restrictions that are going to change how you need to prepare some or all of your food? Do you have the knowledge and capability to do so in a manner that prioritizes their health over your comfort?

If you do not have that knowledge, you should work with that guest to ensure their health and safety. That is your responsibility as the host. Please do not take that responsibility lightly.

Social Discomfort

When the guests walk in the door, will they be starving and cranky after a long drive?

Do they tend to get uncomfortable in all social situations and need to be assigned a task to ease some tension?

Are there known tensions between family members?

Does anyone have a problem with drugs or alcohol? Should this be a dry Thanksgiving (we are referencing alcohol, not the turkey)?

I know this can feel like a lot.

Remember that not everyone you invite will be able to come. However, it’s always better to be prepared than to be caught off guard.

What considerations do you keep in mind when making your guest list for Thanksgiving?

Bobbie Laughman added this recipe to Home-Ec101.com back in February 2012. I’ve updated it slightly with new images and my family’s adjustments.

Here is a link directly to the recipe for printing, but our adjustments are written out below. Using the Print Friendly option, you can delete images and paragraphs by clicking on them.

When my family makes the recipe with leftover pot roast, we’ll use Better than Bouillon to make stock and then start on step 4 by adding the tomatoes and skipping the two-hour simmer since the beef is already cooked.

We also kick up the seasoning a bit. We use a small handful of cloves; the original calls for one garlic clove. We use two large onions and increase the other seasonings to either roughly two teaspoons or a tablespoon, as we play fast and loose with measurements. Sometimes we get crazy and throw in some rosemary for good measure.

I have noticed that finding any cuts with bones, much less marrow bones, in them can be hard now unless you go to a butcher.

I found soup meat at the butcher, which fit the bill perfectly.

Also, barley isn’t easy to find in most grocery stores in the South. I found it in Lidl over with the dried beans. Maybe it’s easier to find in high-end stores, but we’ve got a family of eight, and with four teenagers, high-end isn’t in our regular budget.

Here are some more pics from today’s batch.

Have you ever caught a whiff of an unexpected scent that suddenly sent you back in time? Figuratively speaking, of course. The sense of smell is a huge memory trigger, and if there’s a smell that says “home” to me, it’s the comforting aroma of simmering Vegetable Beef Soup the way our mom used to make it. Packed with veggies and beefy bits, it’s a hearty full-meal soup perfect for cold winter days. Serve it alone or paired with fresh-baked bread. It’s sure to warm the spirits as well as the tummies.

I didn’t get recipes for all the dishes my parents and grandparents used to make, but I’m thankful this is one I made certain to get written down before my chance had passed. When I asked her for the recipe, Mom said she’d give it to me the next time she prepared it because she didn’t think she’d remember everything unless she was doing it. So, she made the soup, telling me everything she did so that I could write it down. Some amounts were approximations, so I’ve had to work at it to get it to taste right. Mom always made it the day after we had a big pot roast, saving the leftover meat and all the meat juices to throw in the soup – which pretty much explains the nearly complete lack of beef gravy in family meals of our childhood. Chicken gravy? Yes. Beef? No. The meat stock always got saved for soup. But that’s okay: this soup is totally worth the trade-off.

To allow for room to stir and reduce the chance of boil-overs, I suggest a 6 to 8-quart pot with a heavy bottom*. Thin-bottomed pots will cook unevenly and are more likely to scorch and ruin your soup. (I make the mistakes so you don’t have to – just a public service I provide. Oh, and don’t try to pass off the burned soup as “Smokey Vegetable Beef Soup” – that doesn’t work, either.)  I prepare this in my 8-quart Tramontina stock pot, which I use for practically everything. Crockpot directions are also given, but you’ll need to make a smaller batch if your slow cooker doesn’t hold at least 4 1/2 quarts.

When I was working to standardize this recipe so that it could be made as a standalone rather than as a follow-up meal after pot roast, I decided to use beef shank cross-cuts because I could obtain them at a fair price, and they’re great at yielding a lot of flavors if you cook them right. Some stores label these “soup bones.” Feel free to use whatever cut of beef is cheapest – the long, slow cooking of soup-making is great for tough cuts of meat.

Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

Yield: 5 quarts

Vegetable Beef Soup

Print

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 TBSP olive or vegetable oil
• 2 to 2.5 pounds beef shank cross-cuts, or any cheap cut of beef, preferably something with marrow bones
• 2 quarts cold water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large can whole, peeled tomatoes (about 4 cups worth)
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon whole celery seed
• 2 tablespoons pearled barley (not quick-cooking barley)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
• 16-ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables (the one I used had green beans, peas, corn, carrots and lima beans - 4 cups worth. Use fresh veggies, if you prefer.)

Instructions

1. Set your soup pot over medium heat and add the olive or vegetable oil.
2. Once it’s hot, add the meat, turning to brown it really well on all sides. While the meat is browning, open the can of tomatoes.
3. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.
4. Do not drain the tomatoes – add the whole can. Use a large fork or wooden spoon to smash up the tomatoes against the pot's side. Use your spoon to scrape up the browned bits created from the bottom of your pot.
5. .Add the water, bay leaves, salt & pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Be sure you’re just simmering, not boiling. Long cooking at a slow simmer helps to break down the collagen and tenderize the meat, while boiling can make the meat tough.
6. Remove the meat to a cutting board. When it’s cool enough to handle, cut it off the bones and either chop it up or pull it apart into bits. Discard gristle. Skim fat from the liquid, if desired. (I don’t usually, unless the meat was particularly fatty.)
7. Now, add everything else. If needed, add water to bring the volume up to 4 quarts. Stir to mix well, then turn the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil quickly. Reduce the heat to low and put the lid on. I always tilt the lid slightly. (Because I’m paranoid about boil-overs, even on very low heat. Don’t mind me. Move along.
8. Simmer for at least one hour. Two is better, in my opinion, so the veggies are quite tender, and the flavors can mingle and have a chance to get to know each other. Remember to remove bay leaves and bones before serving. This recipe makes 4 quarts of soup: enough for dinner with some left for the freezer. Make plenty and freeze a bunch for easy meals later on.

Like soup recipes? Here are some more good ones:

• SLOW COOKER SMOKED SAUSAGE POTATO CHEESE SOUP RECIPE
• FRENCH ONION SOUP
• SAUSAGE AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
• SILKY SMOOTH GREEN PEA SOUP RECIPE

Dear Home-Ec 101,
The other night I decided to grill burgers, but I couldn’t get my gas grill to get hot. It was extremely frustrating, and I ended up cooking my burgers under the broiler (with much spite and bitterness, I might add). There was plenty of liquid propane. I just couldn’t get the flames high, even with the burners wide open. Do you have any idea why my gas grill wouldn’t heat?
Signed,
Flummoxed in Florida

Actually, I’m quite familiar with your problem and have had several frustrating evenings cursing my gas grill, too. (Hush, you charcoal grill owners, I want one of those, too—not instead of).

A gas grill—in this case, I’m solely referring to liquid propane—has a safety feature built into the gas regulator that is on the tube connecting your bottle of liquid propane to the grill itself. This safety valve will not open fully until the gas pressure has equalized between the bottle and the grill. If the burners are in the on position, the gas leaves the lines in the grill, and this pressure cannot equalize.

Thankfully there is a very simple fix.

Check your gas grill.

Completely shut the valve on the bottle of propane.

Turn off all of the burners. Check to make sure none of your minions (kids) have turned on the rotisserie you never use or any other accessories.  Double-check to make sure they are all shut.

Ensure the lid of the grill is open.

Open the valve on the bottle of liquid propane fully.

Wait a few seconds.

Do a little dance, hum a little tune. Something. Anything except turn on a burner. If the hose from your bottle of liquid propane is short, you really only need 10 seconds or so unless you are trying to grill when it is VERY cold. If you have several feet of hose, you must wait a couple of minutes.

Now turn on the burner and light the grill.

It’s like magic, no?

No?

Ok, now we move up to phase two. It’s time to check for a gas leak. You should perform this check fairly frequently to comply with safety standards.

Turn off all burners and the valve to the propane tank, too.

Get a spray bottle and partially fill it with very soapy water. (1/3 soap dish, 2/3 water — almost like you were going to blow bubbles.)

Now spray the hose connections with your soapy water.

Open the valve on the tank of liquid propane and then carefully inspect each connection. If any bubbles are forming, turn off the gas, reconnect, and tighten the fittings.

That should fix most problems.

Good luck!

If you want to spruce up other things outside your house, there’s a lot more information about keeping the outside of your house clean.

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

This recipe for stewed chicken is a frequent request and a great use for those giant bags of leg quarters.

Stewed Chicken Recipe

Leg quarters on sale are a mixed blessing. I’m not a huge fan of dark meat, but with the right seasoning, I can be persuaded. My usual go-to is a recipe for garlic and soy chicken thighs, but now -when the weather is cooler- I’ll be reaching for stewed chicken.

Can you blame me?

The recipe uses the braising technique, which produces a very tender chicken dish.

Please don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients. Almost all of them are spices.

*Notes* The 3 – 5 chicken parts can include a mix of dark and white meat, a whole chicken cut up, etc. It is important to note that this recipe requires bone-in chicken. I double the recipe to accommodate 10 lbs of leg quarters, which I stew in two pots. The extra sauce was welcome. This recipe can also be converted to a slow cooker, but this doesn’t eliminate a lot of steps.

Food safety note:
For those who may be worried about using the marinade… The difference between this recipe and a recipe where the marinade must be discarded is important. The sauce here is FULLY cooked. This is entirely different than brushing cooked chicken with a sauce raw chicken has touched after the meat has been cooked. Additionally, this is refrigerated the entire time and, other than the few minutes of preparation, is never stored outside of safe temperature zones.

And yes, when I updated the picture, I put the knife on the wrong side of the fork. You won’t need the knife.

Stewed Chicken

Print

Southern comfort food perfect for cool weather. A warming, filling, budget-friendly recipe.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 - 5 pounds of chicken parts
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 green onions
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 TBSP ground cumin
• 3 TBSP curry powder
• 1 TBSP total of the following herbs - a pinch of each- oregano, thyme, rosemary, black pepper
• 2 TBSP garlic powder*
• 2 TBSP onion powder
• 1/3 cup + 3 TBSP olive oil
• 5 TBSP sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine: lemon juice, green onions, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, ketchup, vinegar, cumin, curry powder,, oregano, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder in a bowl and stir well to combine.
2. Place the chicken pieces in either a shallow dish or a large zippered bag and ensure the chicken is well-coated with the marinade.
3. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours
4. In a large, heavy pot, combine the 1/3 cup olive oil and 5 TBSP sugar and place over medium heat.
5. While the oil is heating, Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and find a second dish to serve as a place to hold the chicken temporarily.
6. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade a few pieces at a time. Brown in the oil for 2 minutes on each side and set aside.
7. Once each piece has been browned, return all the chicken to the pot, pour the marinade over the chicken and cover.
8. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for one to one and a half hours until the meat is slipping from the bones.
9. Serve over rice with your favorite vegetable

Stewed Chicken Marinating

Stewed Chicken Browning

Dear Home Ec 101,

Every day I am killing ten to twenty house flies and horseflies. This happens every summer. I don’t know if it’s the compost pile we have out back or the fact that one of our neighbors aren’t that great about picking up after their pets or our other neighbors don’t ever seem to keep the lids on their trash super tight.

I don’t know what causes this annual fly invasion but I am pulling my hair out and I need some help. What can I do to get rid of these pests? They are driving me crazy. I have tried fly paper and glue traps. I tried the baggy of water over the door, the flies keep coming. What can I do?
Help!

Bugged in Buxton

Flies are the absolute worst. It might be a sensory thing for me, but few things bother me more than trying to cook and being buzzed and dive-bombed by a pesky fly.

I have also tried and failed with fly paper, baggies of water, and glue traps. None of them did much except make a mess or add to an afternoon’s entertainment when some chaos unfolded and they were inadvertently bumped into. (See the fact that we have a plethora of children around here.)

This summer we have taken a two-fold approach to ridding our home of flies. First, as we have many children who are not always the best at quickly shutting the door, we got a magnetic screen for five dollars at the Dollar General. You can find a slightly less shoddy one at Amazon. This was just a test run; we’ll install a real screen door next year. This did cut down on our fly invasion.

However, I was still shelling out money to the older kids on the fly bounty I have.

Our second and much more successful tactic was using disposable, hanging outdoor fly traps. Oh, but Heather, you can make your own.

Do you have any idea how many times I have tried making my own fly traps? Many. I have tried and tested dozens of fly traps as experiments for this site over the years. Nothing has come close to this. I’ve killed a dozen flies here or there, drowning them in concoctions I’ve made from recipes I’ve found on various websites, including the agricultural extensions I always recommend as resources.

Nothing has come even close to these hanging outdoor fly traps in effectiveness.

All you need to do is add water. and hang.

However, I do want to be very honest. These do have one drawback. As my English boss would say, they are a bit… whiffy.

The good news is that you don’t want to hang them right where you want to be. That would defeat the entire purpose.

The fly traps work to attract the flies, who then crawl in and get trapped. You hang them 20 – 30 feet away from anywhere the flies have been bothering you. We have placed the flies at the four corners of our backyard, and now, We have had exactly two flies in our house in the last three weeks. We will replace these bags in another week, which will carry us through the end of fly season, and that will have been well worth the cost for the peace.

Two.

It is a late summer miracle.

Don’t forget to check inside for flies, too.

Now, if you have been struggling with flies for a while, it is important to do a thorough kitchen cleanout. A fly could have figured out an unexpected place to reproduce.

Check behind and underneath all of your major appliances and in all of your cabinetry for. . . a stray potato or onion. Unfortunately, flies love rotten potatoes and onions. There is also the sad possibility that a rodent passed away, especially if poison was used. It’s not fun, but disposing of the food/breeding ground source will allow you to get rid of your unwanted housemates sooner rather than later and enjoy your home in peace.

One last trick up my sleeve.

If you have a fly pestering you, and you just can’t get it to leave you alone. Turn off your lights and turn on the light in the next room. Flies are attracted to light and will be drawn toward the new light source, and hopefully, you’ll be able to shut a door between you and it to give yourself some peace.

If you have any domestic questions, please reach out to helpme@home-ec101.com.

I wish I had known how little pressure I actually had to put on myself. Each week that it was my turn, I spent too much time and money trying to do more than I should have.

The reality was I could have made a double recipe of this egg salad, bought a loaf of Wonder bread, cut off the crusts and served them with radishes and cucumbers and saved a lot of time, money and energy that I just didn’t have. Know better, do better.

So, I’m here to pass that knowledge on to any of you who may be called to host an event you can’t afford.

The egg salad recipe as written is the classic version. You can doctor it up however your tastes and traditions lean, and everything will be ok. This recipe also works well when it is too hot to “actually” cook.

Start by hard-boiling six eggs. Don’t know how? Guess what? We’ve got a post with four methods to hard boil eggs. We’ve got you covered.

Yield: 4 servings

Traditional Egg Salad

Print

Egg salad is a staple recipe, not only for when cooking feels like a lot of effort, but to keep in reserve for when hosting company on short notice and low budget.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 hard-cooked eggs chopped
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl
2. Chill in the refrigerator (optional)

Notes

To serve as a salad for company cut the crust off white bread (yes, like Wonderbread or Buttertop). Cut into triangles, You can then optionally spread with a thin layer of butter or mayonnaise before assembling.

Alternately you can use crackers or firm pieces of bread and vegetables and use the salad as a dip.

Don’t just stick to the traditional egg salad sandwiches. Try using it as a dip, too.

If you use a firm Russian or Ukrainian-style bread, you may want to use fresh or dried dill as an accent seasoning.

For a fun experiment, I tried smoking a half-dozen hard-boiled eggs at 150º for 50 minutes. I used these to make egg salad in the same proportions as in the recipe above. I loved the results.

The not quite-cold smoke was my second attempt of the day, for what it is worth. I tried a method I had seen previously where the eggs are smoked from raw at 325º for thirty minutes, and it was an abject failure. The eggs were a complete mess. They tasted fine but a complete disaster to peel. Using an InstantPot to hard boil eggs is now my go-to method.

What ways do you like to serve egg salad?

@TheMorrisBunch: Help!! I took clothes out of the wash and found red lipstick in the dryer and all over my clothes.

First of all, yuck. I don’t envy your situation in the least; finding lipstick stains in the laundry is a great big hassle.

To get the lipstick out of the dryer, you’ll want to use a solvent like WD-40 or Goo Gone to clean out the drum of the dryer. If you have a gas dryer, it’s very important to apply the solvent to a rag rather than spraying a potentially flammable substance into your dryer. We try to use common sense here at Home-Ec 101. We don’t always manage it, but we do try.

Use a flashlight and be careful to make sure you get every bit of lipstick out of the dryer, or your next steps could be undone by your laundry’s next trip through the dryer.

Lipstick stains are often difficult to remove because they are essentially a stain we purposely apply to our lips, so I’m sure you understand that a product designed to stain is going to be difficult to remove. Not every stain is removable.

Remove Lipstick from Clothing

To remove lipstick from clothing, you want to treat the stain as both a dye stain and a grease stain. These directions are for washable fabrics. Since the disaster happened in the dryer, I’m assuming all of the fabrics in question are washable. (CRAZY, I know)

First, treat the dye stain with either a laundry pre-treatment spray or a dry cleaning spotter (like you find in the home dry cleaning kits.)If you use laundry pre-treatment, rinse with cool water and ensure no dye remains. If you use the dry cleaning spotter blot and allow it to evaporate fully.

If dye still remains, it may be time to step up to the big guns and try paint thinner. Only apply it directly to the stain and test for colorfastness first – If the clothing is a lost cause, how much does this really matter?

Only when all of the dye is gone do you get to move on to the next step.

Now treat the grease stain by rubbing detergent directly onto the fabric from the reverse side of the stain. Give the detergent time to work (half an hour at least, unless it contains bleach), and then launder in the hottest water tolerated by the fabric.

I don’t envy the tediousness of treating an entire load of laundry. If it wasn’t your lipstick, I highly suggest getting the offender in on the chore.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com. 

Each week we will be updating this post with our weekly menu plans.

You can learn a little more about our lives below the weekly plans by clicking the Continue Reading button just below the three menus. Remember, these are plans, and plans change. Sometimes life alters those plans. Would you like a printable to help with your menu planning?

Weekly Menu for Heather and Lisa:

Heather’s Menu

We have been eating, I promise.

Life has been in a busy season, and I’ve been barely treading water. Updating the weekly menu plan hasn’t been the highest priority, but we have been getting by. Life is on a slightly more even keel at the moment.

Here’s to hopefully staying on plan and on budget.

Heather's Weekly Menu

Quick Beef and Cabbage Skillet Recipe - Hearty Winter Fare

This is one of our favorite weeknight meals. It's budget-friendly and doesn't take long to make.

Get the Recipe

Shredded Pork Burrito Bowls

I've got a new recipe for carnitas that I am trying for the second time. If it works as well as the first, it will be added here soon, to join this one.

Get the Recipe

Baked Potato Soup

We will soon be running out of cooler weather, and soup won't be nearly as attractive. We need to enjoy it while we can.

Get the Recipe

Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Broccoli

The youngest two love this. It's quick and easy. I'll try to get it written up and photographed soon. It's a quick meal that involves boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cream of mushroom soup, rice, cheese, and frozen broccoli. We have it on busy nights as it comes together quickly, and it's simple comfort food that isn't a fight

Simple Alfredo Sauce

We will have this with chicken over sauteed zucchini that needs to be used up.

Get the Recipe

Lisa’s Menu

My son is home for the summer, interning full-time and learning all the things future lawyers need to know. I’m starting to see the light more often than the dark, but still have days where grief swamps me.

I’m cooking and enjoying my time in the kitchen again. We are entering in the hot and humid season here in North Carolina, so there will be a lot more stylings on sandwiches and salads the further we get into the summer.

1. Jambalaya made with pork and smoked alligator sausage
2. Steamed shrimp with corn and potatoes
3. Salad with feta and grilled chicken
4. Banh Mi
5. Sea island peas with rice and collard greens

What do our households look like?

Heather is married with six children, two are preschoolers, and four are teenagers. Three teenagers are there full-time; one is there mainly on weekends during school, but more whenever school is not in session. Family nights out are generally cost-prohibitive and saved for special occasions. We are working hard to eliminate takeout, a habit that developed when Heather’s depression flared badly for most of ’21.

Lisa is a new widow with a child in their first year of law school. After her husband’s catastrophic diagnosis in 2020, she cooked daily, but the burnout from being in heavy lockdown during the past three years means there are days when she doesn’t want to cook at all and has leaned on takeout a little too much. She’s working on changing her cooking habits and adapting to this new journey with easy-to-prep skillet meals and foods that test her skills in the kitchen once again.

What are our current menu plan challenges?

All these things affect not only what we choose to cook but whether or not we have the energy or wherewithal (executive function) to make what we choose. We are no longer young adults, but we remember those years well. Home-Ec 101 was started, in part, by that overwhelming 4:00 pm dread of not knowing what to make that was a result of not having learned the life skills as kids.

We’re here to help.

We’ve got an entire series on menu planning. A free printable to plan your menu and shopping list and plenty of beginner to intermediate-friendly recipes to get you going. Also, Heather is fantastic at Iron Chef, Pantry Clean-Out Edition.

As promised, here’s your menu planning printable. We hope it makes your planning and grocery shopping a little bit easier.

Dear Home Ec 101:

My neighborhood will soon be throwing its annual block party. I don’t want anyone to know that I can’t cook for beans. Do you have a recipe for me? Please don’t tell me just to go to the deli and put it in a new bowl. I want to try, but I’m busy and I need something I can make the night before. Oh, and I’m vegetarian, but eggs and dairy are fine.

Signed,

Persnickety Picnicker

Heather says:

I recently talked my mother into giving up her potato salad recipe. Everyone needs a go-to dish for events like this, and as long as you promise she won’t be there, you are welcome to bring this dish. This recipe is easily halved and makes a great side dish for BBQ dinners.

Picnic Perfect Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold for best results)
• 5 hardboiled eggs – (save two for garnish), and here’s How to Hard Boil Eggs
• 1 medium sweet onion – diced
• 2-3 green onions – chopped or diced finely
• 2 stalks of celery – chopped or diced
• ½ cup canned olives – green and black or either, depending on your preferences, sliced (save a few for garnish)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 heaping TBSP sweet pickle relish
• 1 or 2 dill pickles, diced or chopped + 1 – 2 TBSP dill pickle juice
• 1 TBSP yellow mustard
• 3 TBSP honey mustard or honey mustard salad dressing
• Salt / Fresh Ground Pepper to taste (at least 1 tsp of each)
• Paprika for garnish/color

Peel and cut up the potatoes, letting them sit in a bowl of lightly salted water during preparation.  Rinse several times and place into a deep pot, cover with water. Bring to a simmer or low boil on medium heat until potatoes are cooked but not mushy, between 10 – 15 minutes. Check with a fork, you should be easily able to pierce it, but it should not be falling apart. If you aren’t quite sure if it is done enough, cool off a cube and bite it. How is the texture? You aren’t going to get a chance to cook the potatoes further, so in this case, slightly over-done is better than under.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing. In a separate, medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey mustard, pickle relish, diced dill pickles, dill pickle juice, celery, diced sweet onion, green onions, and salt/pepper. Taste this mixture (use a clean spoon, not your fingers, please!). Please note that there will be a mayonnaise taste when you first mix the dressing. This taste will fade as the flavors combine. It takes about an hour. I have a moment every time where I wonder if I ruined it because I hate mayonnaise, but it always comes together in the end.

When the potatoes are fork tender, drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Peel and cut up the hardboiled eggs (reserving two). Add these to the potato mixture.

When you are satisfied with the taste of the dressing, fold it into the potato and eggs. To do this, slide your spoon or spatula down the side of the bowl and then scoop the potatoes to the center. Turn the bowl a little after each scoop. Doing this prevents the spoon from mashing the potatoes. It’s ok if you mash them a little. The starch from the potatoes will thicken the dressing a bit and keep it from being runny.

Cover tightly and refrigerate. It’s best if the flavors have several hours to blend.

Just before serving, add slices of eggs or olives for garnish and sprinkle with paprika for color, if desired.

Enjoy!

Hi Home-Ec 101

Do you have any ideas for getting rid of set blood stains? What about blood stains that the dyer has set?

I appreciate all the great info you share, even though I am an experienced homemaker. I’m always open to new tips, shortcuts, cleaning ideas, and new recipes!

This one has me stumped, though. My husband did “just a little” yardwork wearing his favorite pair of tan cargo pants. He somehow cut himself and wiped the blood on the back of his pants leg. Of course, I didn’t see the blood stain until AFTER I had washed and dried the pants. I tried soaking the stain OxiClean and washing again (a couple of times), but the stain is still there. I don’t want to ruin the pants, so I did not use bleach, but is there any substance I can try to remove the blood stain?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Still Seeing Red in Raleigh

I’ve got somewhat good news. It’s sometimes, not always, possible to remove dried or set blood stains from many fabrics with ammonia. It’s not going to work every time, but with ammonia running at less than a quarter an ounce (In this economy, I know?!), it’s absolutely worth a shot to save those pants.

How to remove dried or set blood stains with ammonia

Items you will need:

• a small bowl
• water
• a toothbrush (that you won’t use on your teeth ever again)
• ammonia
• an old towel
• a workspace in a well-ventilated area
• your favorite detergent that contains enzymes (most name brands now do, homemade versions of detergent do not)

Pour some water and ammonia into the bowl in a 50:50 ratio. This means half water and half ammonia. This doesn’t have to be measured perfectly. You can just estimate. In general, when working with a stain like this, you want to work from the wrong side of the fabric. Turn the material inside out and place the old towel inside the pant leg so that it is under the stain. Set the pants on your workspace.

Dip the toothbrush into the ammonia and water. Using the toothbrush, dipping often, working from the center of the set blood stain outward, gently add your water solution to the stain and press it into the fabric, gently moving the toothbrush without scrubbing more like a wiggle. The goal of moving the toothbrush is to help the liquid penetrate the fibers, not tear or shred the fibers. You aren’t scrubbing. You are pressing with a gentle movement.

Take your pants and turn them right side out. Is the blood stain still visible? Put the towel back inside the pant leg and work from this side.

Turn the pants back inside out and run cool water through the stain to flush your ammonia solution out of the stain.

The stain should be gone or very nearly gone. You can repeat, but do remember that set blood stains are often permanent stains. As one last chance, you can apply a stain remover directly to both sides of the stain before its final trip through the wash. There is a chance that your work with the toothbrush and ammonia has exposed new parts of the stain that hasn’t been exposed to any of your previous stain removal attempts. With luck, this can do the trick.

Then, after the pants have gone through the wash, if the blood stain is still there, take a deep breath and remember that these are now his designated yard work and handyman pants. They will see worse days, and that’s ok, too.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Welcome to the final week of the Deep Clean Challenge: Week 14 The Paperwork Pile Up

So far, as part of The Deep Clean Challenge, we have:

This week’s task should not be too difficult unless you are like me and tend to let the papers pile up. Yes, I procrastinate.

Why are we working on paper clutter in this week’s challenge?

I saved this one for last, on purpose. I find it satisfying to have a small project with a nice payoff. Yes, I look for the little dopamine kicks wherever I can find them.

Today, we’re going to work on getting rid of any existing paper clutter and take a step toward preventing future pile-ups. Yes, more will always show up, but we can reduce the overall amount.

What do we need for this week’s paper clutter challenge?

This week’s project requires either a shredder or a large trash bag for papers eventually destined for the shredder, your smartphone, and your computer. if you prefer to work from that for some online tasks. You may also need a file cabinet or document box and file folders or envelopes depending on your organizational methods.

You will also definitely need some patience.

How to get started on this week’s challenge.

Do a lap around your home and gather all of the paper clutter wherever it accumulates and bring it to your workstation.

If you have older children, now would be a good time to have them go through their book bags and/or desks to get rid of the papers they no longer need. If you have young children, I wouldn’t tackle both on this round unless your own pile is very manageable. Maybe wait for the rinse and repeat, or attack it piecemeal over the next few weeks.

Now that you have your pile. Take a quick look at each item:

• Is it a bill?
• Has it been paid?
• If it is a recurring bill, note the due date with a reminder in your calendar. Personally, I like to set my reminders five days prior to the due date, but that is my strategy, yours may differ.
• Look over the bill, does it offer the option to sign up for email reminders instead? If so, do that now. If the bill has not been paid, put it in a to-be-paid pile and set a reminder in your calendar.

Once I put our bills in the calendar and made specific dates to deal with them a habit, budgeting became a much simpler process, even with our household’s mix of traditional salary and other less predictable income.

• Is it a paper that needs to be filed?
• File it now if you have a filing cabinet or document box or set it neatly aside if that’s on the to-be-purchased list.
• If it’s a receipt for business purposes. Note it now in a spreadsheet and put it in an envelope labeled with the calendar month the purchase was made. You or your accountant will thank me around tax time. Let’s stop that mad rush and unorganized pile habit now.
• Is it just trash with no personal information? Get rid of it, otherwise, shred it or put it in the to-be shred pile.
• If it is a magazine that you mean to read and never do, go ahead and cancel the subscription. Some magazines let you do so online. If yours doesn’t and you have to call a customer service number during business hours, put a reminder in your phone with both the phone number and your account number in the reminder. It’ll save you time and make it easier to not ignore the reminder.
• Junk mail? Get rid of it. Think about your habits, how can you make getting rid of junk mail a habit without it landing in a pile to be dealt with again? When you bring in the mail, resist the urge to put down the pile without removing the trash first. Maybe this means putting a small wastebasket close to the door you use or resisting the urge to get the mail when you first return from work and don’t have the mental bandwidth to deal with it. Perhaps it needs focused attention. Go inside, get settled, then make going out and retrieving the mail a specific trip, so it doesn’t get mixed into the shuffle.

Are you ready to tackle that pile? I am.

Do you need to Rinse and Repeat? Speaking for myself, we’ve got six kids, of course, we do. We live in a rinse and repeat cycle. (Some stages of life are just messier than others. They do pass, you aren’t doing anything wrong.) If you sign up for the rinse and repeat, you’ll start over at the beginning next Saturday at 8 Eastern.

Let’s do this!

After today you have one week to go. So far, as part of The Deep Clean Challenge, we have:

And don’t forget, at the end of this series, you can hit Rinse and Repeat as many times as you want.

Why are we cleaning the pantry?

Your pantry is part of your home and budget’s security net. You need to monitor it and keep it in good shape. You need to know that you have enough on hand for emergencies, that pests like pantry moths, weevils, carpet beetles, or biscuit beetles haven’t found their way in, and of course, you need to remove expired food.

As everyone’s home is a little different. Some of you may be in a small space with very limited storage and have to get very creative when storing food in your home. Some of you may have a very large pantry, and some of you may have several shelves in the basement. This is why I’m using the term food storage in addition to the term pantry. You might have a cupboard shelf or two or maybe you have taken over the linen closet. Growing up, we had a couple of shelves in our laundry room. It doesn’t matter where it is, exactly. Wherever the food is kept, that is at is being cleaned today.

What do we need to clean the pantry or food storage area?

You aren’t going to need a lot for today:

• pen/paper
• broom/dustpan
• trash bag(s)
• vacuum and crevice tool
• potentially all-purpose spray & rag or paper towels
• maybe a flashlight if your food storage areas are dim or unlit

How to clean the pantry or food storage area?

Start at your highest point and work down. This way you are knocking crumbs lower and only have to clean them once. As you remove each item from the shelf, if it is food, in its original packaging, first check the expiration and get rid of it if you need to, then check for holes and tears. If the food is unopened, but the packaging is damaged, you’re going to need to check closer for infestation, as that’s how the pests get in.

Once the shelf has been cleared first look up, (this is where your flashlight may come in handy) and then check the upper corners, look for any webbing or light-colored moths. Next, carefully check corners and crevices for any insect or rodent debris. Clean up ANY spills as this attracts more of our insect and rodent friends. If you can, transfer food to air-tight containers.

In my part of the country, as I write this, we’re already two weeks into hurricane season, lucky us. This means that it’s time for us to take stock and make sure we have at least enough food to get us through two weeks of no power. We also need to be able to store enough water for every family member for at least 72 hours minimum. (This is where your pen and paper comes in handy, what do you need to stock up on?)

The good news is that you don’t need to run out and stock up all at once after you do this deep clean. Just add a little bit to each shopping trip until you meet that general standard. Oh, I can hear those of you in evacuation zones clamoring, have we already forgotten March of 2020? Having non-perishable food on hand makes it much easier to stay home when you need to. It doesn’t take a worldwide pandemic to need to. Sometimes it’s just a very personal case of stomach flu. Speaking of that, go ahead and take stock of your first aid kit/medicine cabinet.

Do you have your basics? Good.

For later, regarding that air-tight storage:

It’s awesome if you can afford a set like these, but there is nothing wrong with repurposing jam jars, pickle jars, etc if that is the route you need to take. I used to be so happy whenever my mom and stepfather would pass along the empty gallon jars they bought their pickles in. They were perfect for storing grains or pasta in. I also used to ask the ladies in the bakery at the grocery store if they had any empty frosting buckets and they were happy to pass those along. I just had to wash those out. Just be polite and don’t ask when they are busy.

Ready? Let’s go!

Hurricane Hugo was the landmark event of Heather and Lisa’s childhood. Thankfully their families made it through safely with relatively little damage. They remember not only the storm but the camaraderie that developed during the clean-up. Everyone in their neighborhoods pitched in, adults cleared downed trees and grilled defrosting meals. Older kids babysat and entertained the younger ones so the adults could work unhindered. Heather was only eleven and Lisa fifteen, so their memories consist mostly of the awesome forts we were able to build with scavenged materials. I was too young to understand what a nightmare filing for damages or dealing with FEMA could be.

Hurricane 101

Here are some tips to be sure you and your family are safe should a storm make landfall. (Many of these apply to those living near fault lines or in tornado country who don’t have the benefit of prior warning.)

• Check your insurance coverage. Do you have adequate protection from both wind and water? Are they with the same or competing companies? Keep these documents in a safe, dry place, and remember to bring them along if you must evacuate.
• Have enough food and clean water for each family member to last at least 72 hours.
• One gallon of water per person per day.
  • As long as the water is still flowing, it can be used after boiling.
  • 2 drops of unscented chlorine bleach purify one quart of water. This is the last resort if boiling is not an option. Let any particles settle out, filter using coffee filters, paper towels, or a cloth, then add the bleach, stir or shake well, and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Your bleach must be at full strength, be sure to have a new, unopened bottle in your kit, and rotate for a new one every three months.
• Food should be ready to eat or only require minimal preparation. Please don’t forget to have a manual can opener on hand. You may end up the most popular person on your block.
• Candles, batteries, flashlights, and a crank radio or battery-operated radio are a must.
• Keep your gas tank filled at least halfway at all times.
• Keep an emergency cash supply on hand, as ATMs do not work without power.
• Have an evacuation plan. Shelters are only for those in dire need, those with nowhere else to go.
  • Take identification and proof of residency with you. If an area is badly damaged, law enforcement will restrict access to people trying to return.
  • Have a plan for Fido and Fluffy as well. Most shelters do not take pets. Know what you are going to do before a warning has been announced. As a pet owner, this is an important responsibility that is frequently overlooked.
• Have a well-stocked first-aid kit.
  • If you must leave, keep all prescription medications filled and take them with you. (I know insurance companies make this a nightmare, I’m sorry)
• Have sturdy work gloves.  Keep an extra pair with your emergency kit.
• Have sturdy shoes, you don’t need to be nailing a tarp to your roof in flip-flops.
• Except for emergencies, stay put after a storm. Emergency personnel have enough to deal with: restoring utilities and rescuing those who were injured in the storm. Don’t add to their workload.
• Curfews may be established. Obey all law enforcement personnel. People under severe stress may act erratically.
• Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly.
• Remember, snakes and other wildlife may become disoriented after a storm. Watch where you step and never put your hands where you cannot see when removing storm debris.
• If you live in a rural area, learn how to operate a chainsaw safely. This goes for you ladies, too. Downed limbs are pretty much a given. STAY AWAY from power lines.
  • Own one, keep it in good condition and have gasoline, oil, and chain oil on hand.
• Have plenty of propane or charcoal for your grill.
  • Heather brewed coffee using a grill in the past. The neighbors loved her for it.
  • NEVER use a grill indoors. The flames produce deadly, odorless carbon monoxide.
• If you have to board your windows, ensure you already have the plywood. It can be reused each year.
• Have a couple of tarps ready, they can be used to temporarily cover a broken window or a hole in the roof until more permanent repairs can be made.
• Remember, cell towers may be damaged in a strong storm and communication may be spotty or non-existent for a while.

And finally, if you’re watching a storm with the potential to become a threat and you’re not in an evacuation zone, it’s time to check and make sure everything is ready.

Go ahead and get the laundry caught up, find the cooler, check the generator —if you have one— and swap the stored gasoline if you have/need that. Make ice if your freezer isn’t full. Use every plastic container you have. Ziploc bags work, too. Just be sure to lay them flat and to zip the zips fully.

A full freezer will stay at temperature for 48 hours, only 24 if it’s only half full.

If the kids have electronics, go ahead and make sure they are fully charged and then be ready to ration their use.

If a storm does look like it will hit, let the people who haven’t thought ahead deal with each other in those last few hours. You’re ready; stay home, safe and dry, and make your own version of Harriet McLeod’s Go Away Cookies.

And while the drama is what the media plays on, remember it’s the little, preventable accidents that are most common.

Here is hoping for a quiet season!

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

If you’re just joining us, so far, as part of The Deep Clean Challenge, we have:

You didn’t think that we would go through the entire deep clean series and never get to the oven, did you? No one likes to clean the oven, especially if it gets used a lot. It’s not just you, we all dread it.

First, I want to establish that here at Home-Ec101.com we live by the standard Know better, do better and this applies to all areas of our lives, including the advice we give. In the past, we have recommended using the self-clean feature on your ovens. Over time though, our stance on this is changing.

If you have a self-cleaning oven. It is up to you to determine whether or not you wish to use this feature. Appliance repair people often suggest not using this option.

Why? The oven gets so hot during the self-clean cycle that it can damage two important parts of the oven the control board and the thermostat. Replacing these items can be costly and depending on the tier of your appliance, it may be more cost-effective to replace the appliance than to repair it. We don’t want to contribute to waste or unnecessary spending.

Please choose whether or not to use the self-clean cycle on your oven based on your best judgment and follow the instructions in your operator’s manual, if you choose to use it.

If you do go ahead with the self-cleaning option, don’t forget to remove the racks and any big chunks of food from the bottom of the oven first. We don’t want you starting any fires. Also do not leave the house while the self-cleaning cycle is running.

Why are we cleaning the oven, range, and microwave?

Ten weeks ago we deep cleaned the kitchen, but if you remember that handy dandy printable/checklist, we did not deep clean the stove or oven. Why? It’s simple, time constraints. The goal of The Deep Clean Challenge is to not force you to give up your entire day off to clean your home. The Deep Clean Challenge’s goal is to spend no more than two hours focused on improving an area of your home. So, this week, we’re back in the kitchen and focusing on an aspect we did not get to.

What tools do we need to clean the oven, range, and microwave?

How do we get started cleaning the oven, range, and microwave?

Normally when we clean we take a top to bottom, left to right, dry to wet approach. When cleaning your oven/range, I, personally, find it much easier to get the worst over with. Gather your tools, and your patience put on your gloves and let’s do this.

How long should cleaning the oven, range, and microwave take?

This task may take the full two hours unless you have recently cleaned your oven.

Let’s get started.

NOTE: If you do choose to use the self-cleaning cycle on your oven and your range and oven are part of the same appliance, you will want to clean your range top first. You don’t want to heat up whatever chemical you choose to clean your range with.

Regardless of how you plan on cleaning your oven, start by removing the racks, scraping off what you can, spraying the racks down with oven cleaner and then tying them into a trash bag. Set the bag either outside or in a well-ventilated spot where it won’t get tripped over. The oven cleaner will work on the racks while you focus on other tasks.

Now, clean your range/stove-top. If you have an electric range with coils, remember that you can probably lift the top of the range after removing the coils. Do that and clean up any spills from underneath. Doing this regularly can help prevent a small grease fire from getting out of control. (Many people don’t know the tops lift and lots of grease and crumbs can accumulate over the years providing plenty of fuel.)

Once your range is clean, clean your oven. Remember, please follow the label’s instructions on your oven cleaner. If the room needs to be well-ventilated, do not ignore the warnings. We like our skin, our sinuses, and our lung tissue, let’s not damage them. Use a fan, open a window, turn on the vent hood.

You may have seen TikToks or Reels that show you how “easy” it is to take your oven door apart to clean the inside of the glass. . . Please consult your owners manual before taking that approach. It may not be as easy to put back together as it is to take apart. If you do not have your owners manual look all over your appliance for a metal rectangle with writing on it. This will have the model number of your appliance. Then search for the manufacturer of the appliance, the model number and owners manual. Your search will look something like: Kenmore #stringofnumbersandletters owners manual and you will find it available for download as a PDF.

If you have a gas range, please pay particular attention to the safety warnings associated with your appliance and do not spray any chemicals near open flames.

During any wait time that you have, give your microwave a thorough cleaning. Just keep repeating the steam process until you’ve worked through the layers of cooked on gunk. (Yes, that IS the technical term, thank you very much.)

Ready, set, go!

.

Last week’s project was a two-parter. Which, by the way, that smudge hunt was pretty satisfying, wasn’t it? Especially if you have kids of any age living at home. It’s kind of impressive how much just getting rid of that stuff we don’t typically notice can brighten up a room.

It might not be as exciting as new Brita filter day or new contact day, but it was a good day. We need to celebrate the little wins to find what we need to make it through the harder times. So before we get started on the challenge to fix the annoying thing, take a moment to look back at what you have done and be proud of yourself. (Do not sit there and tell yourself you could have done any of it better, you did the best you could at the time. You can hit Rinse and repeat at the end.)

If you’re just joining us, so far, as part of The Deep Clean Challenge, we have:

Are you ready for this week’s challenge?

Have you noticed the pattern in how we explain each week’s challenge? Why are we doing this thing? What do we need to do it? How to do it? Let’s get started? Unfortunately, since we are all probably doing something different this week, we can’t do anything but cheer you on.

FIX THE ANNOYING THING IN YOUR HOME.

Heather’s project: I would like to take the ethernet cable that has been in our hallway for three years and run it through the attic. However, my son is graduating on Saturday and we’re having the party at my house, so reality says I may just be cleaning up after that and that will be ok, too. Sometimes life just is that way and we have to give ourselves grace.

I would like to see, in the comments, what project you are doing this week..

Are you ready? Let’s go!

Beef chuck is a weird phrase, right? Doing a little etymological digging, it seems that the term chuck started out as “chunk” and slowly evolved into “chuck.” There are various stories about the chuck wagon in the American cowboy tradition being a part of this, but I’m not sure how much of this is accurate. It does make sense that the toughest part of the cow would be the part eaten by those doing the work. However, also looking at history, cowboys tended to eat beans for their protein as they are much easier to preserve and transport (think about it), but we digress. We are here to talk about beef chuck.

So that’s the word history. What about the cut today?

As part of the modern butchering process, a side of beef is hung upside down and cooled for about two weeks before being processed further. This is standard practice, and aging is part of the tenderizing process. When the side of beef is broken down into manageable parts, the butcher starts with eight main cuts, these are known as the primal cuts.

What part of the cow does the beef chuck come from?

The chuck is the shoulder of the cow and is found over the front leg.

When removed from the side of beef, this large cut is basically a large chunk of meat comprised of five muscles. (See, there’s chunk again.)

On a cow, the front leg does a lot of the work of walking. And as the front leg is responsible for a lot of the stabilization and the work of navigation when walking over less than perfectly smooth ground. If you have ever walked through a field, you know they are riddled with holes, and the ground is often muddy.

These shoulder muscles do a lot to keep the cow from stumbling.

When you think about tenderness—meat, not emotional—the less a muscle is used, the more tender it generally is. Additionally, the less connective tissue a muscle contains also contributes to how tender it will be and what kind of cooking will suit it best.

Meat from the chuck region tends to contain a LOT of connective tissue.

What cuts of beef come from the chuck?

Hold on to your hat, there are a lot of names here, and they vary by region (and country), but for simplicity, we are going to stick to the US, Canada, England, and Australia since that’s where most of you are.

What kind of recipes best suit beef chuck?

Beef chuck is one of the most inexpensive cuts of beef (as far as beef can be considered cheap) due to its tendency to be tough. However, if you are willing to take the time to choose recipes that suit the cuts well you will be rewarded with the excellent flavor that this primal cut is known for.

When choosing recipes for the larger cuts from the beef chuck, you are going want to look for recipes that use both a low and slow and wet cooking method—think stews and braising.

Sometimes you can get away with quick cooking methods. Still, you are almost always going to need a tenderizing method first, either mechanical tenderization, such as what is used to make cube steaks, or actually grinding the meat to make ground beef, or chemically tenderizing the meat through marinating.

Be extra careful when reading a recipe for a roast. Make sure that you carefully write down the type of roast that the recipe calls for and match it word for word with what is on the label. If you are unsure, ask. If the employee at the supermarket doesn’t know, because it isn’t their department, research. You can’t just swap out one roast for another. There is a big difference between a chuck roast and a rib roast. muscles are completely different and require very different cooking for good results.

Is there a time of year beef chuck goes on sale?

Beef, in general, tends to go on sale in the early fall. However, I like to cruise by the beef display every trip to the grocery store to see if they have any beef chuck on sale that I can snap up and re-wrap for the freezer when I get home. Sometimes I get lucky.

What recipes on Home-Ec101 are best suited for beef chuck?

Cube steak are best for these, but you can use round steak and cube them yourself.

Naturally we also have quite a few that work well for ground chuck, but please note that any ground beef will work for these:

This week isn’t an off week, but it IS a lighter one, but that break serves a purpose. You’re going to use a little mental energy to plan for next week. (Just in case you weren’t consciously aware: using your mental and emotional energy IS work.)

Welcome to Week 10 of The Deep Clean Challenge: The Smudge and Peeve Hunt. This three-week stretch, the digital clean-up, the smudge hunt, and project week, is my favorite.

If you’re just joining us, so far, as part of The Deep Clean Challenge, we have:

Why are we cleaning up smudges and smears for today’s Deep Clean Challenge?

Dinginess, for lack of a better word, tends to sneak up on us. It happens one fingerprint or smudge at a time until one day we’re wondering why picking up the clutter doesn’t seem to make as much of a difference as it used to.

What do we need for today’s Deep Clean Challenge?

For today’s main goal, you need just two things:

• a roll of paper towels or a rag
• your favorite all-purpose cleaner.

When I say all-purpose cleaner, I mean anything from a 50:50 vinegar solution to Method’s Pink Grapefruit Spray to dilute Pinesol. What you use in your home is your choice. Just choose one, we’re on a mission.

How do we start the smudge hunt?

Pick a room, and look around. Find all the smudges and fingerprints. Spray your rag and wipe them away.

Where do these smudges and fingerprints live? Door jams, around doorknobs, switch plates, cupboards if you have white ones, banisters, stair railings, etc. Anywhere anything light-colored exists in your home that is anywhere around the waist or shoulder height of any person in your home, there are likely finger and handprints.

Speaking of in your home, if you have pets, check the walls and corners where they like to hide. If they have any oils in their coats, you might want to give the wall and baseboard in those corners a quick wipe, too. (Remember to test before using anything on paint to ensure you won’t cause damage.)

This project shouldn’t take too long unless you are very lucky indeed, and in that case, may we come over for hors d’ oeuvres in the garden some afternoon?

No matter what, you’ll be surprised at how much better your home will look after a round of smudge patrol. That’s how things build up in our lives, a little at a time. If you do the rinse and repeat on this series, yes, there will be more to wipe away, but probably not as many, and it won’t take as long.

But, you also mentioned peeves; what do you mean?

We all have something in our home that annoys us. Maybe it’s just us, but there is something.

Today while you are smudge hunting, find ONE thing that you can fix for next week’s assignment. Now, there is a catch, and it needs to be something that you can fix within your two-hour Home-Ec101 project block. (I really don’t want you deciding that I meant that you needed to turn your home into an open-floor concept.)

Potential peeves:

• squeaky doors that need to be lubricated
• a set of broken blinds
• a glass shower door with serious hard water build-up
• a broken toilet handle
• a lightbulb that’s particularly annoying to replace is out again
• the banister where your teen boys insist on dismounting the stairs like it’s the Olympic vaulting event has paint peeling (oh, just me?)
• a missing drawer pull and you’re tired of prying the drawer open

What is something that you have just been tolerating? Take a walk around your home like you were a home inspector.

When you find your project. Write it down. Do you know how to fix it or are you going to need to research it? Find a video on YouTube and then watch another in case there is a better way. Do you need to order any parts or tools? Do that now, so they’ll be here in time.

What are you going to accomplish next week? I’d love to hear about it?

If you’re just joining us, so far, as part of The Deep Clean Challenge, we have:

What tools do we need to clean up our digital lives?

The tools we use to access our online world: laptop, phone, or computer. That could be it, but I also find it useful to add a couple of things if you don’t already have them, I love these timers, a to-do list app (I am really liking Todoist, but your favorite may vary), and a password tool. Seriously, save yourself a lot of trouble down the line and just find one and use it. I have been using Dashlane for years, other people love Lastpass. It’s 100% worth it.

How do we get started with this week’s challenge to clean up our digital lives?

First, take a look at your home workstation. Does that need a quick clean-up? Take the coffee mugs to the dishwasher and the soda cans to the trash. Get rid of the out-of-date notes and go ahead and file those I’m-going-to-get-to-it-papers.

Feel better? I bet it does.

All of the below applies to both your phone and computer/tablet

Start with making a backup if you don’t have an external solid-state drive. It’s time to get one. This is the one I use. I actually ordered mine from Office Depot and picked it up a couple of hours later, curbside.

If you haven’t made a backup of your computer before, just search for your operating system (Windows or macOS ) and “how to back up with an external hard drive”. There are lots of tutorials (step-by-step instructions). When backing up your phone, it should back up right to the cloud.

There’s a reason I’m telling you to do this first, it’s just in case you get a little overzealous during your clean-up and get rid of something important.

Next up, security. This is why I suggested the password service. Password keepers can make life significantly easier, especially if any of your services experience a breach and you need to update ALL of your passwords.

Go through your services and make sure that none of your passwords are the same for multiple sites and are not the word password or something obvious.

While we are talking about security, remember that those fun little quizzes your friends pass around are almost always answers to security questions. Pro-Tip: When you create answers to security questions, create a set of answers that aren’t necessarily true.

We are going to massively improve your quality of life. You are going to add some boundaries.

Grab your phone, we are going to turn off some notifications.

First, create a list of VIPs. These are the only people who are allowed to interrupt you via text. You know who these people are. These are your ride-or-dies. The ones who respect your work hours, your sleep, etc. Also, your kids, their doctors, etc. You know who must be on this list. Figure out who they are and add them to your close contact list. The one that can get through your Do Not Disturb or assign them an actual notification sound. Everyone else for texts gets silent, you can check them at your leisure. This is also what voicemail is for.

Apps and Programs

Don’t use them? Uninstall.

Use them? Make sure they are up to date.

Also, check the permissions. If they shouldn’t be using your camera, microphone or location, don’t let them.

Photos, screenshots, and old memes:

Okay, this is one that I dread and need to do more often, take a deep breath, and start the purge. Just keep the best. If you actually want to make prints, if you are already an Amazon Prime member, you get free shipping and can order them right from your phone. So that makes it easy.

Subscription Services:

It’s time to take a look at all of your subscriptions and decide which ones you use and which ones you need to cancel.

Those that you don’t, figure out how to cancel. Some will unfortunately require a phone call. Remember those companies and never use them again. There’s a gym in my area that required a certified letter to cancel, I will never use them in the future.

Look through your email for receipts for annual plans and don’t let their renewals catch you by surprise.

And with the mention of email. . .

Clean up your inbox

If you aren’t reading emails from companies go ahead and hit that unsubscribe button. Please use that and don’t hit spam unless something truly is spam.

If your inbox is pretty out of control (ahem, Heather) you can often search and clear out a lot of emails at once. For example, in Gmail, if I search in:all from: old navy

That’s pretty excessive. . . I’m going to unsubscribe and then delete all, that were not worth 10% off. You can do this for any sender and it quickly knocks out a lot of junk.

And finally, the hardest of all. . .

Your friends list and who you follow

This one is for your social applications and your mental/emotional health. There are two ways to handle relationships. If the person is someone with whom you must maintain a social connection, say a family member. Hide them from your timeline or quietly unfollow them. Generally, it’s silent and they will never notice. If it’s an old high school friend that you are just keeping around because that’s what you do and they post mean-spirited or worse racist things. Block them. You are past the popularity contest of high school. Let them go. This will get easier each time you go through your list. The first cut is the deepest.

You are a product of the people you surround yourself with, online and off. Keep that bar high and you’ll rise with them. Surround yourself with people who do nothing but participate in petty drama and you’ll find your life full of the same.

Now that you’ve finished. Double-check to make sure you didn’t lose anything important. All set?

Now, go ahead and redo your backup. You don’t want to bring any of that old stuff back into your life.

Have a great week!

Dear Home Ec 101,
I’ve been noticing this micro tiny bug that is gray with black spots, it looks identical to a ladybug, but it is not the Asian beetle. It does have wings, I know that. They’re also very tiny, sometimes you really have to strain your eye to see them. Then sometimes you can actually see one at a bigger size but never anywhere near the size of a normal ladybug.

They’re hanging out on my nightstand and also in my oversized Sherpa blanket on my bed. First, I had thought my husband was bringing them home somehow because he works in the woods all day. But, they keep multiplying. Please help! 

It sounds like you are dealing with carpet beetles. While the adult carpet beetle is mostly harmless and doesn’t do much except create more of the actual problem, The adults are capable of biting. However, it is the carpet beetle larvae that are a giant, damage-causing pain in the butt. These tiny little creatures eat pretty much anything and are masters at hide-and-seek, making them difficult to evict.

What do carpet beetles look like?

An adult carpet beetle is typically 1/8 to 1/6 of an inch long; that’s 3 – 4 millimeters—official classification? Tiny. They are very small, winged insects and can range from grey with black spots, black with grey spots, to a mottled tan in color. Their coloring depends on the exact species of carpet beetle, we don’t like to paint with broad strokes around here, but carpet beetles are generally bad news, regardless of their species. The adults can fly and like to hang out near windows and lights. Also, all the adult carpet beetles do is wander around and create more carpet beetles. This sounds a lot like one of my relatives.

An adult female carpet beetle can lay between 20 and 100 eggs at a time and can do this up to three times in her life cycle, depending on the species. You likely will never see a carpet beetle egg, but if you are curious, they range from a 1/4 mm to 1/2 mm in size, white or cream in color, oval and spiky on one end.

When carpet beetle eggs hatch, you get larvae. The larvae are hungry little guys and will eat almost anything that isn’t synthetic. We’re talking dust, lint, hair, fur, wool, pet food, crumbs, paper, dead bugs, and pretty much anything that can sift down through your carpet; they will find it delicious. Carpet beetle larvae will even eat the felt pads on a piano if you are unlucky enough to have a bad infestation.

These guys will eat you out of house and home.

Once the larvae are done eating and molting (they shed several times over a few weeks), they go dormant in pupae, sort of like a caterpillar, for a few weeks and emerge as an adult to continue this lovely circle of life. Someone cue Elton John. He’s up.

Where are carpet beetles found?

North America, Central America, Europe, North Africa, and Northern Asia. While doing the research for today, I learned that the varied carpet beetle (that’s one of the species) came to the US sometime in the 1850s.

So that’s fun.

These invasive pests can live indoors and out; they often hitch rides on plants and animals through open doors, windows, or holes in screens. So, you can do your best, but they may find their way in despite every precaution. (Don’t tell him, but it is entirely possible that they did, indeed, hitch a ride home on our friend’s husband. However, we are NOT going to point fingers here, they could have just as easily, come in the front door on their own.)

Are carpet beetles dangerous to humans?

People can be allergic to carpet beetles. So, much like cockroaches can contribute to asthma in people, carpet beetles can create allergic reactions and make some people absolutely miserable. Not only can their bites make an allergic person quite itchy, but the sharp hairs on their abdomens can also cause allergic issues.

In and of themselves, the adults are not typically harmful, but the allergic consequences can be.

Are carpet beetles harmful?

The larvae can cause hundreds to thousands of dollars of damage to property in unchecked infestations.

If a carpet beetle infestation is caught early, the damage done by the larvae may be confined to a limited range. As the insects prefer to mature in undisturbed locations, this isn’t always the case.

How do I know I have carpet beetles?

Like our friend who submitted the question, you may see adult carpet beetles bumbling around on blankets or carpeting. Adult carpet beetles may also congregate near windows or lights. They are small, so they can easily go unnoticed, at first, until there is an issue.

The larvae shed their skin several times as they grow. When cleaning, you may find those castings, most likely these castings will be wherever lint or hair tends to accumulate. The castings will be a light tan, very delicate, and up to a half-inch in length. Yes, the larvae are longer than the more compact, winged adults. It is unusual to find the reclusive larvae themselves, as much like human teenagers. They prefer to hide in the dark corners, snacking.

You may also find the damage caused by larvae. The damage will look similar to that caused by clothing moths, but unlike moth holes, which are scattered, carpet beetle larvae tend to do more concentrated damage.

Additionally, when you find castings, there won’t be any webbing nearby. Moth larvae, both the pantry and clothing variety, create webbing.

What can you do to get rid of carpet beetles?

Unfortunately, there is a lot of concentrated cleaning in your future. It is absolutely necessary to remove all food sources and vacuum thoroughly, all of the larvae’s potential hiding places. This means you will need to conduct a top-to-bottom, room-by-room, vacuum-driven eviction.

I’m very sorry. It is going to take some serious work.

The good news is that you can supplement your vacuuming with flea treatments that also treat for fabric pests (check the label).

As carpet beetles can create a lot of damage and can be very difficult to remove. Use the chemicals this time, or you may be fighting an uphill battle for a very long time.

Do not use chemicals on your bedding or clothing.

Carefully inspect and clean blankets and coats that have been stored. Run everything you can through a hot wash and dry cycle, dry clean what you can, and place items that can’t tolerate heat into the freezer (in a plastic bag) for seven days, if your freezer is at 0ºF or 72 hours if your freezer is at -20ºF.

Unlike ridding your home of fleas, bedbugs, and lice, you can’t just pack items into storage bags, seal them up, and call it a day. When you do this, you’re just sending the carpet beetles on sabbatical. Remember that carpet beetles eat just about everything organic, and a lot of our synthetic stuff has collected enough dust and lint to sustain the larvae for quite some time.

When you are doing your thorough house cleaning, you must also go into your attic and into your basement, if your home has either. Check for small animal nests and get rid of those, too. Any hair, stored food, or fecal matter left in those nests can serve as a food source for your insect roommates.

Do not donate clothing or blankets that have been untreated as a means to get them out of your home. This can create a massive problem for the recipient if the items are held at any time in a receiving area.

Can professionals assist with ridding my home of carpet beetles?

Yes, pest control companies can assist with ridding your home of carpet beetles. To set expectations, for their efforts to be effective, you will still need to thoroughly clean your home. You can call, consult and create a plan of action.

How to keep carpet beetles out of my home?

1. Keep grains and pet food in tightly sealed containers.
2. Dust, sweep, and vacuum regularly. (Use the printable chore schedule to stay on a routine. If it has been a while, I highly suggest joining The Deep Clean Challenge)
3. Launder or dry clean stored blankets and clothing occasionally.
4. Shake out any plants or flowers brought in from outside.
5. Repair screens regularly.
6. Shake laundry that has been hanging to dry before folding and bringing it in.
7. Don’t panic at the sight of one adult carpet beetle as the occasional hitchhiker will make it inside despite all precautions. Do pay attention and step up 1 – 6 if you see more.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Further research:

• http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html#:~:text=Varied%20carpet%20beetles%20typically%20lay,live%202%20to%204%20weeks.
• https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/digital-diagnostics/insects-and-arthropods/dermestid-carpet-beetles/index.html?Forwared=entoweb.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/carpetbeetles.htm
• https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef601

This series is a way to refresh your home in manageable steps without any daylong cleaning marathons that ruin your day off. This week we are tackling your refrigerator(s) and freezer(s). Some of us suburbanites are lucky enough to have either a garage or basement fridge or freezer.

If you’re just joining us, so far, we have:

Heather grew up in a military family and my dad introduced us to the concept of “field day” quite young and they hated it.

When we heard “field day” we knew we were in for an entire day of drudgery. The projects in this series are not that. There are 14 weeks in total and if you don’t quite finish a project on the first run-through, in the two hours max we want you to spend. Don’t Sweat It. Just hit it on the rinse and repeat. (There will be a sign-up on Week 14).

You can run through the series as many times as you want. It’ll just loop, sending you a reminder every Saturday morning at 8:00 am Eastern, of that week’s project. Easy peasy.

This is one of those posts that it took me longer to write than it will for you to do the chore unless you have a LOT of ice built up in your freezer.

If you have helpers, delegate the dishware and recyclables cleanout. You don’t need the helpers right up in your business while you’re squinting at expiration dates and deciding if you actually are ever going to use that jar of capers. (Hint: If it’s been there for six months and you only used them for one recipe, no you aren’t).

Why are we cleaning the refrigerator?

It is good to get a regular reset. It gives us a good reminder of what we have on hand, what we are using, what needs to be used quickly, and what not to buy again.

Also, Heather experimented with an ADHD fridge reset from TikTok about a year ago and has found it to be extremely helpful for her and her family. In brief, this involves placing most condiments in the drawers and using clear bins to sort and hold produce in plain view, front and center. There are much more satisfying versions of fridge resets on TikTok, but this is one version, with the food they usually, actually eat.

What tools do we need to clean the refrigerator?

This weeks are a little different, so pay close attention.

How do we get started?

Now, you should have clear counters and a clean table because we tackled those in previous weeks. If not, make sure you have space to temporarily set your items as you work. Make sure there are zones: The keep zone and a get rid of zone.

How long should cleaning the refrigerator take?

If your refrigerator and freezer are jam-packed and frost-ridden, it may take you the full two hours this time. I’m sorry. The good news is that, if you do hit the rinse and repeat at the end of The Deep Clean Challenge the next round should be a quick sort and wipe.

Top to Bottom

While cleaning your fridge, this rule is more important than usual because the stuff you knock from the top will cling to the shelving and sides of your fridge due to the condensation that is going to be building up as you work with the door open.

Starting at the topmost shelf, remove each item. Look at it and make a judgment on whether it is something that will need to be kept or gotten rid of and place it in the appropriate zone.

If the shelf is removable, take it out to clean it thoroughly with warm (not hot, or your shelves could shatter if they are glass) and wipe down the top of the refrigerator and the walls.

Dry the shelf and replace only the items that you are keeping. Before putting each item back, wipe the bottom of the containers. There’s a good chance that they are not the cleanest, especially if there has been something sticky spilled at any point and you have teenagers whose mantra seems to be, “Well, I didn’t spill it, so why should I clean it up?” or is that just me?

Work your way down, until you are on the floor of the refrigerator, and make sure to wash out any drawers with warm soapy water. Remove the drawers and wash behind them. This is where the brushes may come in handy. All kinds of funk can build up back there and it can get very sticky and gross in a hurry.

Tip: Placing a couple of dry paper towels in the bottom of each drawer can make your next refrigerator clean-up a little easier.

Close the door.

Deal with the get rid ofs before moving on to the freezer. You do not want to have to deal with a pile of all of the get-rid-ofs from everything you sort today.

If your refrigerator has a power cool setting, use that when you are done with the freezer portion of your clean-up. If you have a standalone refrigerator, vacuum the coils and wipe down the appliance.

The Freezer

If the freezer has more than a quarter-inch of frost or ice on the shelves and walls, it is time to defrost the appliance. If it does not, you don’t have to deal with the ice melting portion of this show. Please just follow the rest of the instructions.

Unplug the freezer.

Now, we are going to follow the same process as the refrigerator only we are going to work more quickly and remove all of the times instead of clearing and replacing shelf by shelf because the freezer needs to warm up enough to clear the ice.

As with the fridge, you have two zones, the keep and get rid of zone. This time, the keep zone is your cooler, if you do not have a cooler, pack the keep items as closely as possible in your keep zone so they don’t thaw quickly. As for the get rid of items, dispose of those immediately and properly before they begin to leak condensation or other fluids.*

Once the freezer is empty, take a look is the layer of frost or ice still too thick to wipe down the walls? If so. go grab a hairdryer and an extension cord. You do not want to have the cord lying anywhere near where water may pool and an extension cord can help you with this. Use a chair to keep the cord from lying on the ground. Watch where you stand. Do not stand in a puddle. Use the hairdryer to melt any thick chunks of ice quickly.

Just like with the refrigerator, work from top to bottom and wipe out any drawers. Any reddish stains can be tackled with a paper towel soaked in chlorine bleach and set on the stain (use the gloves to handle the paper towel, not your bare hands, please). Remove the paper towel, dry the freezer thoroughly and quickly replace all of the items.

Plug the appliance back in and set the freezer on its coldest setting. (If it has a power freeze setting, use that).

If you are finishing up a refrigerator freezer combo, vacuum the coils and don’t forget to turn on the power cool setting for the refrigerator, if your appliance has that option. If you’re just cleaning a stand-alone freezer, just vacuum the coils and wipe down the appliance.

Now, what were that paper cup and coin about?

In your freezer(s) set the paper cup filled 3/4 of the way with water and wait for it to freeze. Place the coin on top of the ice. If you ever go out of town, when you come home, check the cup. If the coin is not resting on top, you know there has been a power outage long enough for it to affect your freezer. If it is only covered by a film of water, the food is safe, but if it is at the bottom, your food is not safe and needs to be disposed of.

This tip is especially useful as we head into hurricane season.

On that happy note, see you next week!

*Home-Ec 101 is not responsible for what you choose to keep in your deep freezer. You cannot just assume mystery items are venison and scrub the floor thoroughly with chlorine bleach. That is not plausible deniability. You do need to know and vet your roommates and Air BnB guests. This is not legal advice, it is satire.

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I have three window wells in my finished basement. I am forever finding tiny black dead flies. I have sprayed and thrown gallons of bleach and ammonia down the window wells I found something like yellow cocoons in the window wells that I think they have built.  There were several in each well. I knocked them down and covered them with bleach.  No help. Lately, I have found a couple of dozen dead on the kitchen floor. The minute you touch them, they fall apart. Could you tell me what they are and what I need to do to get rid of them?

Signed,

Shoo-Fly

Dear Shoo-Fly,

Please tell me gallons of water, and a lot of time came after the use of bleach and before the ammonia was used in the same drain. This tactic could have had tragic consequences.

I have good news, and I have bad news. First, what you are dealing with is a nuisance pest known as drain flies or drain moths. Yes, they are gross, but they don’t spread disease. The flies are not responsible for the cocoons. Without knowing where you live, I would consider spiders the likely culprit for the cocoons, and they probably moved in once they heard about the drain fly buffet in the window well. I would leave them alone until you get the drain flies under control, which could take a while.

Another cocoon builder to consider, if you found them with grass or straw, is a type of wasp that eats stink bugs. If you’ve ever dealt with stink bugs, you’d probably roll out the welcome mat for this insect.

The bad news is that the drain flies will likely be challenging to clear up fully in your situation. You’ll need to address the issue on several fronts and decide if it is worth the bother or not.

The drain fly lifecycle is semi-aquatic; the larvae live in the organic matter that builds up inside the drains. Outdoor drains, such as the ones that are probably in your window well, can become partially or fully clogged with organic matter like grass, dirt, and other bugs. This organic matter, plus the water that will pool due to the clog, creates the perfect drain fly nursery. You may as well be playing Barry White and offering wine.

Later the spiders and wasps heard about the party and decided to crash.

All would be well and ignorable if they didn’t find a way into your basement and the rest of the house. Job one is to figure out where bugs can squeeze into your home and fix those gaps.

Once you have stopped the invasion, it is time to tackle the indoor issue.

Some of your window well friends spread their tiny wings and moved in. Many basements have a floor drain(s) or a laundry sink. Both of these tend to get ignored until they become a problem. Chlorine bleach is not a good solution as it doesn’t take care of the organic matter. As your drain fly colony expands, they seek new territory and are moving on to your kitchen and, sooner or later, any drain in your house.

While I’m not a fan of using heavy-duty drain cleaners as the first solution for a clogged drain, you’re an exception. To fully conquer the indoor issue, you must clean every drain in your home on the same day. Work from the top floor to the basement. You need to use the tactic, or you’ll spend a very long time chasing the little buggers from drain to drain, eventually using more chemicals than if you’d tackled it correctly the first time. You need to clean your indoor drains thoroughly, and many of them won’t be easily accessible due to being partially underground. I’d suggest other methods if you were writing to me about a slow drain. This is an insect infestation and entirely different.
Go ahead and get the Draino. If this approach really bothers you, plant a tree when you’re done.

Finally, consider cleaning the drains in your window wells so they can’t find a new way in. If you don’t have actual drains, you have water pooling and stagnating in the bottom of the well. You’ll need to address this before it begins seeping into your basement.

Good luck!

Send your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Klass, Carolyn. “Drain Flies or Moth Flies.” Insect Diagnostic Lab Factsheet. Cornell University, Revised Jan. 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2017. <https://blogs.cornell.edu/insectid/files/2013/11/Drain-Flies-2b1tai6.pdf>.

“The BugGuide.” The BugGuide.University of Iowa Entomology Department, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2017. <http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740>. Various entries searching for cocoons

If you’re just joining us, so far, as part of The Deep Clean Challenge, we have:

Why are we cleaning the entryway?

It’s just nice to come home to an inviting, functional space.

What will we be cleaning in the entryway?

The interior and exterior of the door, any windows and window coverings, any furniture in the immediate vicinity, any light fixtures, doormats, and flooring.

What tools do we need to clean the entryway?

• A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and a crevice tool if there is carpeting
• Window cleaner and paper towels or newspaper
• If you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag) or paste wax
• A stepladder or sturdy chair
• A screwdriver if needed to clean the light fixture
• Dilute degreaser
• If you have allergies, a mask
• Broom/Mop/Dustpan/Foxtail

How do we get started with this week’s challenge to clean the entryway?

Before Saturday, take a good look at your entryway. Is there a place that turns into a dumping ground? What is getting dropped there? Mail? Keys? School bags? Work items? Pet leashes? Dog waste bags?

Could an inexpensive purchase fix the issue? A pretty bowl to catch your keys? A hook to hang a bag or purse? A mail sorter? A small trashcan/recycling bin to ensure junk mail is immediately dealt with?

If you can set yourself up to replace your current habits instead of just trying to change them, you may have better success keeping the entryway clean and functional.

How long should cleaning the entryway take?

Do you have a lot of organizing to do? Is there a lot of mud that has been tracked in that needs to be dealt with? In general, the entryway is one of the less time-consuming zones of the house, but that doesn’t mean the project can’t balloon. Remember that The Deep Clean Challenge is not meant to be an all-day grind. Set a timer, set your expectations and have another go on the rinse and repeat, if necessary.

Let’s get started with cleaning the entryway.

Have you texted your friend/accountability partner? Do you have your music or podcasts loaded and ready to go? Timer set? Let’s go!

As usual, we are going to use our top to bottom, left to right, dry to wet approach. Allergies? Mask on.

Start with knocking down any cobwebs. Is there a light fixture? Let’s get that cleaned up.

Are there any out-of-place items that need to be put away? When you were planning on how you were going to keep this area clean going forward, did you buy any hooks or other items that need to be hung? Now would be a good time to hang them.

Clean any windows and window coverings.

Dust and then clean any smudges. When you look for smudges, pay attention to the switch plates, trim around waist and shoulder height, and scuff marks.

Time to get low.

Take any doormats or runners outside and shake them. Now, clean the baseboards. If the area is carpeted, use your vacuum’s crevice tool along the edge.

Clean the flooring. Sweep and mop if the flooring is hard; vacuum thoroughly if the area is carpeted.

Replace the rugs.

But wait, there’s more!

Open the door and head out.. Don’t worry, we’re not out here to make friends..

Look Up.

Knock down any cobwebs.

Grab your rag and degreaser and remove all the smudges you can.

Shake out your door mat. Vacuum if you’re an apartment dweller with interior entrances.

Sweep the area.

Dear Home-Ec 101,
My husband wears a lot of black shirts. Lately, I’ve noticed that his shirts are covered in fuzz and lint. We’ve never really had this problem before. Is the lint coming from my washer or my dryer? Is there anything I can do to reduce the lint? Is there any way I can convince him to use a lint brush before going outside?
Signed,
Fuzzball

Dear Fuzzball:

Is there any chance you recently bought towels, a blanket, or were gifted a deliciously soft and fuzzy robe (see the picture below)? These are known lint offenders. Some never stop shedding lint and will always be a source of annoyance. The robe got tossed. It was SO FLUFFY, but… it was unbelievable how much lint it could create.

Did you know there is more to sorting laundry than just separating lights and darks?

There are a few other levels of laundry wrangling. For example, if there are only one or two people in a household, it may be difficult to get granular in your laundry separation without wasting water and energy. In that case, separate as much as make sense.

Whenever it’s possible, try to keep these items separate.

*New items should be washed separately at least twice to shed lint and ensure they no longer bleed dye.

If you don’t keep your lint producers separate from your lint collectors, this may be the result:

Heavy weight items can also shred the threads of light weight items causing them to break and — wait for it — create lint.

More ways to keep lint in check:

Always, always, always check pockets for stray tissue and paper. Once paper shreds in the washer or dryer, it will take a couple of loads to get rid of the damage. If you have a high-efficiency machine, check the drain filter and ensure it’s not clogged with the remnants.

Cleaning the drain filter may involve a bucket and can be a slimy ordeal if you don’t do this regularly. You have been warned. Check your manual (Google your model #, I know you didn’t keep it, either.)

Make sure you are using the proper amount of detergent for the size of your load and the hardness of your water.

Detergent molecules surround dirt and lint and suspend the particles in the wash water. If there isn’t enough detergent to keep the particles in suspension, they will be deposited on your clothing. 

Have you ever rinsed a clothing item in a white sink and seen the grey stuff that clings to the porcelain and has to be rinsed away? It’s the same concept; only the stuff is landing back on your clothing. This is often the source of the “dingy” grey look with white garments. Once it gets dried on, it’s hard to remove.

If you have cold groundwater where you live, i.e., if the water is less than 60°F, don’t use powdered detergent. Temperature is a big factor in solubility, and water that cold may not dissolve all of the detergents. There are workarounds, you could pre-dissolve your detergent in a cup of hot water, but that’s really starting to sound like a lot of effort, and we’re trying to make your life easier, right? Switch to liquid.

Front loading and high-efficiency washer owners, pay attention:

It is imperative not to overload your clothes washer. If the clothing can’t tumble freely, water can’t flow very well, and lint will be deposited back onto the fabric during the wash cycle.

This is not your washer’s fault. Instead, it is what we call operator error. Tech support refers to these situations with the acronym PEBCAK: Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard. There are other variations on that acronym, but they all come down to it not being the machine’s fault.

You are also right in suspecting that the lint could come from your dryer. There are a couple of possibilities if this is the case. The first is that no one has been emptying the lint trap regularly. Check this and clean it thoroughly. If you use fabric softener, take it to a sink and make sure water can easily pour through the mesh. If it can’t, use a soft bristled brush and some dish detergent and give it a gentle scrub until the water flows freely.

The second cause is a kinked or clogged dryer hose/vent. Gently pull your dryer away from the wall and detach it at both ends from your wall and your dryer. Be careful; if it rips, you’ll need to replace it. Also, ensure it is free of clogs.

I have heard of using an ELECTRIC (not gas-powered) leaf blower to clear the lint from the vent (the hole in the wall to the outside), but I think this is a case where I would call in a professional. (At least for my house, as it’s not a straight shot and seems like it could cause some harm if it were a thick clog)

As far as getting your husband to use a lint brush? You’re on your own.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Dear Home Ec 101,

My husband and daughter have allergies and I am sensitive to certain scents, so when our beloved Tide began to irritate my daughter’s skin and their perfume seemed to get stronger with every bottle, we switched to a Free and Gentle detergent with no dyes or scents.

This has helped with skin irritations immensely. However, now that we’ve been using it for a while, I’ve noticed our towels never smell “fresh”, even when they are straight from the dryer. It isn’t the typical musty or moldy smell you might get when leaving them in the washer too long and not truly stinky but just not nice.

How can I make my towels smell better without resorting to perfumey detergents or dryer sheets?
Signed,
Breathless in Bel-Air

Dear Breathless in Bel-Air,

You are in luck. What you seem to be experiencing is a simple case of detergent build-up.

Some of the molecules in detergent have an interesting property, part of the molecule loves water, and part of it loves oil. This allows the molecules to surround tiny dirt and oil particles and bring them into the wash water. The problem is that there has to be enough water in the washing machine to have all of these molecules in the water and not clinging to the fabric. If these molecules are clinging to the towels, they aren’t getting washed down the drain. These molecules tend to trap odors. The solution? Get rid of the excess detergent.

How to make your towels smell better

Gather a few of your towels at a time and wash in the hottest water available with either Borax or vinegar.

Vinegar lowers the pH of water, making it slightly more acidic, and making it easier for the detergent molecules to go into the solution.

Borax works on the same principle but on the basic or high pH side. If you use both simultaneously, they tend to balance each other out, and you make some salt, which wastes a little money and time. When you do this, look for suds.

If the water is sudsy and you didn’t add any detergent, you should repeat the process.

It’s very easy to get detergent buildup in areas with hard water, you need to have just enough detergent in the washer to surround all of the minerals in the water and enough to remove the soil, but too much and you’re back to not having fresh towels.

Another source of towel funk? Mildew

Make sure your towels are completely dry before they are folded and put away. Please note that fully dry doesn’t mean leaving them in there on high well past the point of being dry. Over-drying causes premature wear and uses excess energy. Neither of these is good for the environment or your budget.

How to prevent smelly towels.

In the future, use the least amount of laundry detergent possible. Don’t overload the washer. There needs to be room for the towels and clothing to move freely so that the material can be thoroughly rinsed. Taking these precautionary steps will help reduce the chance of detergent redepositing on your towels.

*Note* Apparel should not be over-dried; this causes premature wear.

Finally, pay attention to where you store your towels. If it’s under a sink or in a small closet, dampness may be an issue.

Consider a product like DampRid to control the humidity, and use an old-fashioned sachet with your favorite, non-irritating scents to add a pleasant odor.

I have pretty severe allergies, and I’ve found that orange peels, cloves, vanilla, or natural cinnamon tend not to bother me. It’s their synthetic counterparts that set off the sneeze machine.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

How does The Deep Clean Challenge Work?

Each week’s challenge is announced on our Facebook page each Wednesday morning. This gives you time to plan your strategy and get any tools or supplies you may not have on hand for this week’s project. When Saturday rolls around, you are ready to start. (If Saturday doesn’t work for you, move it to a day that does). We know about shift work.

So far, we have:

To keep the language simple, we will refer to the area we are cleaning this week as the dining room. Please note that we understand that not every home has a specific space for eating. Sometimes it’s more of an idea of an area, such as when you live in a studio apartment or a home with an “open concept.”

Why are we cleaning the dining room?

The goal for today is to clean the space that contains your table and chairs. If you do not have a table and chairs, focus on the area where you consume most of your meals, whether your bed, desk, couch, coffee table, standing over the sink, or sitting in your car. Everyone does what they must, and you might as well eat in a place that is as pleasant as possible.

Life is what it is.

We don’t need any perceived guilt or shame when trying to eat—something we all have to do multiple times a day, every day.

Having a space to eat our food in peace matters. We can give ourselves that…to a point. We understand that other factors can intrude on mealtimes that aren’t peaceful. Jobs, kids, pets, other family members.,

We’re helping you control what you can.

What tools do we need to clean the dining room?

What will be cleaned in the dining room?

We’re looking to get rid of any clutter, fan/light fixtures, the windows & coverings, walls, furniture, and floors.

How do we get started with this week’s challenge to clean the dining room?

Dining rooms can be a distraction minefield. They often have doom piles of mail, things to be filed, and items dumped on that large horizontal surface (most of us call it a table) instead of getting put away.

Putting those things away can cause us to lose track of our main task, cleaning the dining room. Getting caught up in figuring out how the paperwork needs to be handled can be distracting too. Before diving in, come up with a plan. Will you be dealing with these items during the cleaning process or at another time? Will you be doing a quick sort (trash, trash, keep) or keep it all to go through later?

There are no right or wrong answers. You need to know what you will do and how you will keep yourself on task after you get started. It may help to know that we will work on paperwork and your digital life (things like bills fall under that).

While planning your strategy, remember that you can set timers to keep you on task for periods and allow yourself a set amount of the challenge to focus on the STUFF before putting it away and cleaning. There’s always the rinse and repeat at the end to come back around and do another deep clean. Whatever you choose. You’ve got this.

Strategy chosen? Good. Do you have an accountability partner notified? Podcasts or music ready to go? Excellent.

How long should cleaning the dining room take?

Every week with this question. It depends. For the challenge, no more than two hours. Please put down your mops and dust rags and go outside and play. We really wish we could provide a specific answer. How high were the doom piles? Oh, you didn’t have any, and you have no knick-knacks and dust every day. It will take you very little time, indeed. For the rest of us, it might take a bit longer.

Let’s get started with cleaning the dining room.

Before we start our usual top to bottom, left to right, dry to wet routine, let’s go ahead and remove everything from the horizontal surfaces, using the strategy you created above.

We’ll wait.

Clean the fan and light fixture(s)

Knock down cobwebs and clean the walls

Start with a quick dust and then look carefully. If you live in a home with only grown people, the walls might not need anything more. If, however, you have small children, you may need to address smudges and food spatters. If your walls are flat paint, be careful.

Clean curtains or window coverings

Will you be removing the curtains/drapes or just vacuuming? Whichever you choose, now is the time. Go ahead and wash the windows while you are here. Really get into the nooks and crannies, if you can.

Dust and polish any tall furniture

At this point in our cleaning adventure, we’re looking at china cabinets, shelving units, bookcases, etc. Give them a good dusting, and polish, if warranted. Work your way, from left to right around the room to keep yourself on track.

Clean the table and chairs

Cleaning a dining room table and chairs can get pretty involved. We have a post on how to clean a very grimy table and another on how to remove milk splatters. The soft bristle attachment on your vacuum will get most of the crumbs on most dining room chairs, canned air can get most of the rest and determination and gentle prodding with a toothpick can get the last bits. (Why do we insist on having things that are so obnoxious to clean?)

If you have microfiber covers on stools, that’s especially fun to clean.

Clean, dust, and polish low furniture

If you have any buffets or other short furniture in your dining room, now is the time to go ahead and give that a good once over.

You guessed it, it’s now time for everyone’s favorite part:

Baseboards and flooring

Work around the dining room, use the soft bristle attachment of your vacuum and swap that out with the crevice tool if your room is carpeted to give the baseboards a good once over. If the baseboards are really grimy, the degreaser will work, as will dilute powdered Tide (assuming the baseboards are white; if the dining room baseboards are wood, stick to the degreaser).

Once your baseboards are done, it is time to clean the flooring, according to the material you have. If it is carpeting, vacuum it thoroughly. Give it a good thorough mopping if you have wood, tile or linoleum. Just remember to only use a damp mop on the hardwood.

Put away all of your tools and celebrate another job well done.

Welcome to the Deep clean Challenge Week 5. Just joining us? So far, we have:

1. Cleared Clutter
2. Cleaned the Kitchen
3. Cleaned the Bedroom
4. Scrubbed the Bathroom

Are you seeing progress? Let us know in the comments.

How does The Deep Clean Challenge Work?

The week’s challenge is announced on our Facebook page each Wednesday morning. This gives you time to plan your strategy and get any tools you may not have on hand for this week’s project. When Saturday rolls around, you are ready to start. (If Saturday doesn’t work for you, move it to a day that does).

Why are we cleaning the living room/family room this week?

We’ve already cleaned the two main private areas we spend most of our time and the public area that may significantly affect your day-to-day mood (that’s the kitchen), so now, it’s time to start with other more public areas of the home.

What will be cleaned in the living room/family room?

We’re aiming to hit all of the main parts, but we’re not doing the chimney if you have a fireplace. Also, if you have a great room situation, mentally divide this room and figure out where your dining area is. We will hit the dining area in the future. If you took out a wall to “open the space,” imagine it’s back, just for this exercise.

What is our goal in cleaning the living room/family room?

We’re not trying to pass a white glove test. We’re trying to create a space that is pleasant to be in.

We want to walk through the room without experiencing the sheer delight of stepping on an unseen Lego or having to shove aside last week’s dishes to eat while watching TV.

Please do not misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with a good Netflix or Hulu binge; I’m waiting for the kids to go to bed so I can finish up Season 2 of The Great. We just want to be able to do this without any guilt distracting us from this joy. Clutter is morally neutral. We just want to make sure you’re happy in your living space.

That is the goal when we are cleaning the living/family room.

What tools and cleaning supplies do we need to clean the living room?

It’s nearly the same as last week, except for the linen spray and allergy barriers:

How do we get started with this week’s challenge to clean the living/family room?

Do you have everything you need? An accountability partner? Music, podcast, or other audio entertainment? Timers?

Then you are all set.

How long should cleaning the living/family room take?

This question again? We’ve been over this; it varies.

How large is your room? How much stuff do you have? How dusty is it? Are you like Heather’s dad? Do you have a million of those tiny houses that need to be dusted with a paintbrush? It might take you a while, and you might not make it through in our two-hour time limit. That’s okay. You can continue working on it each week as it comes around in the weekly chore schedule.

At the end of the challenge, you can also hit rinse and repeat and have another chance.

Let’s Clean that Living Room!

Gather your supplies, and don’t forget to grab your mask if you’re part of the allergy crew. If looking at the room as a whole is overwhelming, look at last week’s tips for the neurodivergent community and divide the room into sections to make the chore more manageable.

Your first task is to turn off the ceiling fan if you have one. While that is slowing, look for all things that do not belong. These things include:

You get the idea. Your job is to gather those up and put them away UNLESS you tend to clean down the rabbit trail. If this is the case, gather it up and set it just outside the room. You will deal with it AFTER the living room is clean.

Grab your broom and knock down any cobwebs from the corner.

Clean the ceiling fan.

Clean the fan. If you have items, you do not want dust to fall on below the fan, spread a sheet on the floor or over the items. Don’t forget the light fixture and check which way the blades spin when the fan is on. If you are in a warm season, the fan should be turning counter-clockwise.

Clean the overhead light fixture if you do not have a ceiling fan.

If the glass light covering is especially grimy, you can either set it to soak or run it through the dishwasher (don’t if the glass is frosted).

Clean the windows and window coverings.

Are you just vacuuming the curtains/drapes or taking them down for a wash or a trip to the cleaner? There is no wrong answer. If you vacuum the drapes, use the soft bristle attachment, but be sure the attachment is clean, so you don’t leave any smudges on light-colored fabrics.

Clean any shelves, mantles, media cabinets, and elevated, horizontal surfaces.

How you dust and polish will be determined by the type of material used. Some laminated furniture just needs a wipe with a damp rag, some will need to be dusted and polished to preserve their luster.

Don’t forget to dust your television and speakers.

If you got that can of air, now is when you’ll use it. Look for where the dust has gathered on the electrical equipment near any vents and use the canned air to gently blow it away from (not into) the vents.

While you are looking at the electronics, do you have a place in this room where you tend to charge your devices? Could that use a little love/cord organization? Why don’t you tend to that?

Clean all the chairs and sofa(s).

Grab your vacuum. We’re going deep. Remove any removable parts and give the whole piece a good once over with the vacuum, unless it is leather. If the item is leather, just vacuum any non-leather parts. Then use the appropriate leather cleaner on the rest of the item.

How much change did you find? We find so much less than we used to now that we’ve moved away from cash.

Clean the walls.

How you do this will depend on the type of paint you have. If your walls are matte, flat, or eggshell paint, these finishes don’t handle washing well. You’ll want only to use a barely damp rag with very dilute vinegar. If you have semi-gloss, this paint is much more tolerant of washing, and you can usually use your favorite diluted degreaser.

Wash the windows.

If it’s been a while, you may really notice a difference in how much brighter the sunlight is.

Have you noticed that we’ve gone top to bottom? We’re just about to the floor now. But, it’s time for everyone’s least favorite part of the show… baseboards. Grab a rag and some gloves. If you have white baseboards, I have found that diluted powdered Tide works really well. Tide has brighteners in it that make whites whiter and since your baseboards are white, they’ll look a lot better. Is it cheating?

Who cares.

While you are making this trek around the room, save yourself a step and drag the vacuum with you (and use it). Have the crevice tool attached and get that annoying bit either between the carpet and the baseboard or where the quarter round and floor meet that tends to collect everything. It’ll make your next-to-last step easier.

Vacuum or sweep and mop.

This is a thorough, company is coming vacuuming/sweeping/mopping.

Once this is done, it is time to put away all of your tools, make sure your curtains are rehung, if you took them down. Reassemble your light fixture and call it a day.

Well done, my friend. Well done.

Whenever I bake potatoes, I load up the tray. First, because potatoes are cheap and filling and second because I’ll then have leftover potatoes for breakfast skillets.

While this is usually a breakfast meal, sometimes breakfast skillets get made for dinner, like last night.

Take any leftover baked potatoes and put them in the microwave, just long enough to get warm, but not too hot to handle. 2 – 3 minutes will work. Then cut them into half-inch cubes.

I had a few pieces of bacon that weren’t enough for everyone to have a full slice, but there were enough to give everyone a few crumbles and to grease the skillet. Cook the bacon in a large skillet with straight sides, cast iron, if you have it.

While the bacon and potatoes are cooking, dice any leftover or “on the verge” vegetables. This week I had a couple of bell peppers, an onion and a handful of multi-colored tomatoes.

Once the bacon (or sausage or ham) is cooked to your preference, remove it from the pan. If you don’t have any meat you can just heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, butter, or shortening,

Add the onions and other vegetables to the pan in a single layer. As soon as the onions begin to soften add your diced potatoes. Now, wait. 

Give it a few minutes and then stir with a wooden spoon and be sure to scrape up any browned bits. Salt and pepper to taste, we also like Lawry’s or Cajun seasoning. Keep cooking until everything is heated through and browned to your preference. You can add cheese if you like and for an extra protein top with eggs cooked to your preference. 

Use whatever combination is lurking in your fridge. I have had great success with broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and cauliflower. Sausage, leftover ham, or chicken make great additions as well, although I might avoid any meat flavored heavily with herbs first thing in the morning, your mileage may vary.

Enjoy.

Want some more breakfast ideas? Try these breakfast recipes:

• Apple Cider Pancakes
• Broccoli Cheddar Frittata
• Butternut Squash Pablano and Bacon Skillet

Hello there, and welcome to Week 4 of The Deep Clean Challenge.

To date, we have tamed our bedroom, the kitchen and cleaned up some clutter. By the end of this round, you may be noticing quite a difference in your home. Especially if you are using the weekly chore schedule to keep a cleaning routine in place.

Remember last week when we talked about behavioral activation?

That tip works really well with the weekly chore schedule. You can make a half-hearted attempt at it most of the time and end up with a much more functional home than if you only do the Deep Clean Challenge. Some consistent effort is usually more effective than occasional extreme effort.

Ready to get that bathroom clean?

Me, too. My counter has gotten a little bit cluttered lately, and I need to take care of that.

Speaking of cluttered counters. . . did you know that it’s in our bedrooms and bathrooms where our routines first tend to slip when stress, depression, anxiety, or burnout are starting to take hold?

I’m not one hundred percent sure of the reason, but I believe it’s because they are our safe, typically very private spaces.

When the field where we grow our… spoons… yeah, spoons, I meant spoons is barren, this is where we tend to stop spending them first.

By the way, if you are in a silly mood and want to always have a few “spoons” to have on hand, you can support our friend Lizz Porter who just happens to sell little jars of the salty version. (If you haven’t caught my wink wink, nudge nudge, hint, this is the adult language variation.) Lizz’s family lost their home in the CA wildfires last year, but she has her business back up and running.

Why are we cleaning the bathroom this week?

Like the kitchen and bedroom, the bathroom is one of those rooms we simply can’t avoid in our homes.

Since it is also a high-use room, it tends to get dirty quite quickly, and it is a room that can affect our overall mood and self-confidence. It’s not fun to be disgusted every time we need to do our self-care tasks.

This week let’s set ourselves up for some better days by making the bathroom a little more pleasant. Then the regular maintenance provided by the weekly chore schedule will keep it nice.

What is our goal in cleaning the bathroom?

What tools and cleaning supplies do we need to clean the bathroom?

This list is thorough. You likely won’t need all of them, as some of them are based on preferences and others are based on surface types. Not everyone has marble, not everyone has linoleum.

How long should cleaning the bathroom take?

Unlike the other rooms we’re tackling, bathrooms are generally (if you aren’t of the economic class that can hire full-time help) finite in space so they shouldn’t take nearly as long as some of our other Deep Clean Challenge Projects. That said, if you’ve got some sentient science projects in the shower, it could still take a while.

Your mileage may vary, exclusions apply.

What will be cleaned in the bathroom?

We’re going for all of it today.

How do we clean the bathroom?

Clear the room of every loose object. If you have a box or large piece of plasticware, use that for your toothbrushes and other items you don’t want to just set down on a random surface. Everything needs to go.

Take any rugs that need to be washed straight to the laundry, unless you tend to clean down the rabbit trail and in that case, just ditch them outside the door. Do the same for any hanging towels. Don’t forget to clear out the “library materials,” too. Are the magazines old? Recycle ’em or send them to the craft box.

By the way, I’ve found if there are things I want my teens to read, This is a great place to leave them

Start at the top.

Put the pillowcase over the broom straw and knock down any cobwebs. Grab your foxtail or the vacuum with the soft bristle attachment and vacuum the exhaust fan.

Wipe the light fixtures with a rag and glass cleaner. If they are particularly gross, run them through the dishwasher.

Accidentally break a light bulb off in the socket? We can help.

Replace any burnt-out bulbs while you’re at it.

Sweep off any dry dust and hair debris from counters and ledges. Then thoroughly sweep the floor. If you knocked a lot of dust bunnies into the shower pan or tub and it is COMPLETELY dry, go ahead and use the vacuum to suck up that fun mess. Just in case I’m not clear, I mean the vacuum tools, not picking up the entire appliance and putting it into the tub. Got it?

We now conclude the dry portion of your bathroom cleaning project.

Put your toilet cleaner into the bowl. If it’s the kind with the angled neck, you can just squirt up under the rim and call it good for the moment. If not, add the cleaner to the water and give a quick scrub with the toilet brush to make sure there is cleaner all over the bowl’s INSIDE, especially up under the rim. You are not done cleaning the toilet, but close the lid anyway and move on. Chemicals need time to work, and the more you let your cleaner work on its own, the less physical scrubbing you’ll have to do.

If it has been a very long time since you have cleaned your toilet, check out: How to clean a very dirty toilet for some in-depth directions.

Do your painted walls need to be cleaned? Dilute white vinegar should do the trick as bathrooms are usually painted in semi-gloss paints. However, as we stated above, always test in an inconspicuous area, especially with flat or matte finish paints.

Spray your cleaner of choice onto the sink and counter or vanity and, like the toilet, give it a moment to work, unless you like scrubbing at toothpaste deposits.

Next Up Clean the shower and tub.

Here’s a handy list of tub and shower cleaning related articles

• How to Clean the Bathtub
• How to Clean a Very Dirty Bathtub
• How to Clean Tile
• How to Repair Stained Grout
• How to Clean Cultured Marble
• How to Clean a Jetted Tub
• How to Get Rid of Pink Shower Mold
• How to Clean Moldy Shower Tile
• Hard Water Spots in the Shower
• Why Do Hard Water Spots Come Back?

And back to the sink vanity and mirror. Again left to right, top to bottom.

Spray and wipe the mirror, and then use paper towels or rags to finish cleaning the sink and surrounding area. While you’re at it, give the cabinet -if you have one—a good cleaning. cotton swabs can come in handy for getting into those tiny corners if you have decorative ridges in your cabinets. A little bit of cleaner on the end of the swab helps get it out.

Don’t forget behind the faucet and the holes designed to keep your sink from overflowing, as those areas can get pretty dirty. If you are having trouble getting some gunk out from under hardware, you can try using dental floss or an old toothbrush.

Is your sink not draining properly or is there an odor coming from the drain? It may be time to clear out the trap, which is a pretty easy project and should take less than ten minutes.

And here we are, it’s time to clean the toilet.

• How to Clean a Toilet or How to clean a very dirty toilet.

And don’t forget that horrible area behind the bolts that attach the seat,

Now grab one of your rags, preferably NOT the one used on the toilet. Spray it with a little of your all-purpose cleaner or dilute white vinegar and wipe the grime off the toe boards/ molding. Grab your mop and give the floor a good going over, paying particular attention to the area around the toilet, ESPECIALLY if you have boys or men in the house.

• How to Mop and just in case you still need to get one How to Choose and Clean a Mop

Put all of your bathroom towels, rugs/mats after the floor is completely dry and call it a day

How do we get started with this week’s challenge to clean the bathroom?

If you have little kids, you’ll need to get them safely occupied. In the bathroom, it’s simply too easy for them to get into the chemicals you are using or into the toilet before you have cleaned it. It’s a struggle, I know.

No kids? No problem.

Got your music or podcasts loaded up?

Did you call or text your accountability friend?

Take stock, do you need anything like light bulbs? Get those so you don’t have to leave the area before starting.

Timer set?

Let’s go!

Just not yet. We’ve got work to do…

Welcome to Week 3 of The Deep Clean Challenge. So far, we have cleaned up the kitchen and done a clutter clearing challenge. Each week we are tackling a different area of the home to give your home a solid reset without spending all day on any one project. Then by using the chore schedule (or your own), your home can stay functional and enjoyable without too much ongoing effort. But, you can always sign up for a rinse and repeat at the end of this challenge if you need a fresh start.

Life happens, then we clean up.

The bedroom can be an incredibly challenging room, even more so for those who are neurodivergent. To help, we’ve added several different strategies to the end of the article, beyond our usual suggestions of accountability, body doubling, and using a timer and breaks. Remember, neurodivergencies are on a spectrum, and not all strategies are appropriate for every individual. We all have to find the approach that works for us. Finally, remember that what matters most is that the room is hygienic. Clutter only matters if it bothers the people who occupy the space. If you share the room, a compromise is necessary.

Why are we cleaning the bedroom this week?

We started the Deep Clean Challenge with an overall clutter clear for a quick, visual win. Next, we moved to the kitchen to make our day-to-day lives more pleasant. Now, we move on to the bedroom because most people spend around a third of their time in this room.

The only other place you may spend this much time is your job if you work outside of the home. Here at Home-Ec101, we’ve been remote from the start. Heather currently works from the “spare bedroom/office” and even wrote Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living from the master closet of her old house.

Since we spend so much time in the bedroom, let’s freshen it up a bit, shake out the cobwebs and invite in some fresh air* and sunlight. This may not be the best idea if the trees are busy doing their thing and getting their pollen everywhere. Your mileage may vary based on your locale. Exclusions and limitations apply.

Insomniacs, we do hear you. Your haunts are coming soon. However, next week, we are headed into the bathroom; please don’t think that’s what we were implying.

What will be cleaned in the bedroom?

How far you get down the list will depend on the state of the room at the start. The key is to remember that the challenge is not meant to be an all-day activity. There’s a time limit of two hours of active labor. With the washer and dryer playing an essential role in this week’s challenge, exact timing may be tricky.

What is our goal in cleaning the bedroom?

While we’re not therapists, and we don’t play them on TV, we grew up with different backgrounds and know that there’s a lot of stuff that can get wrapped up in the state of your bedroom. We’ve lived in many different circumstances over the years, including without a bedroom at all.

We are here to help you get your room to a functional state for you. Clean—all dishes removed, laundry dealt with—ideally stored elsewhere, but if it must remain in the room, sorted to be dealt with— and the bed ready for your next sleep.

There’s no judgment and no shame.

There’s enough of that in life without anyone else adding to it.

What tools and cleaning supplies do we need to clean the bedroom?

This list is written with the many materials and starting states that may show up in a bedroom. Not all bedrooms have all materials. You will not need all of these supplies. Also, keep your expectations in line. If your room is starting at teenage disaster level, which can also be thought of as stressed out new parent, depressive episode, or burnout, don’t expect to get to cleaning the baseboards this round.

Who looks at your baseboards, anyway? (If anyone does, hand them a rag and a bucket and tell them to knock themselves out. Then, show them the door because you still don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. At least now you have clean baseboards and less judgment.)

With all of their nooks, crannies, and soft materials, bedrooms tend to collect dust. Cleaning stirs up that dust. So, if you have allergies and you wear a mask while cleaning, you can save yourself an afternoon or evening of misery. Go ahead, channel your inner Retta and treat yourself.

How do we get started with this week’s challenge to clean the bedroom?

Have you texted or called your accountability friend?

Are your supplies ready to go?

Music or podcasts loaded?

Excellent, there’s not anything left to do but read through and get started.

How long should cleaning the bedroom take?

Like other cleaning challenges, it depends.

We don’t ever want these deep cleaning challenges to take more than two hours. No one wants to give up their day off to clean all day.

Do what you can, if your room is starting off from a challenging place, focus on clearing out the dishes, trash and laundry first. Your next focus will be to get your bed ready for bedtime.

Your next round can be dust and grime-focused.

Let’s Clean that Bedroom!

Have allergies? Grab that mask. (Wear it even if you won’t be dusting today, simply moving things around stirs up dust.)

Get your laundry hamper, your trash bag, and your bins or bags you’ll be using to tote items to their new homes and get them ready.

To start we do a clear-out of everything that doesn’t belong: trash, dishes, laundry, out-of-place objects

Next, we will start the cleaning process: Top to bottom, left to right, dry to wet. (You are moving dirt down and out and not giving it a place to stick to on its way.)

Is there a ceiling fan? Switch it off.

While it is slowing, make a decision.

Will you be washing the bedspread, duvet covering or comforter? No? Remove it from the bed and put it in the hallway or closet for a moment and shut the door. Spread the top sheet over the entire bed. This is your dust-catcher, leave it in place until we’re done with the dusty stuff.

Clean the fan.

Start with the blades and be impressed by the dust caterpillars you create. Check to make sure the fan is rotating in the correct direction for the season where you live. If it is currently heading into the warmer season, the blades should be spinning counter-clockwise.

Don’t forget to clean the light fixture portion of the ceiling fan.

No fan?

Clean the overhead light fixture.

Now, while that dust settles, take a look at the corners of the room. Cobwebs? Knock them down, gently. You don’t want to add wall repair to your to-do list.

Clean the windows and window coverings.

If you have curtains or drapes, are they washable, and will they be washed today? If not, vacuum them using the soft bristle attachment. If you do not have a soft bristle attachment, use a clean, soft-bristled brush like a foxtail to gently brush the dust and cobwebs downward toward the floor.

You can use the same technique to clean your mini blinds. If your blinds have been very neglected, give them a once-over today and on the next round of The Deep Clean Challenge give them a thorough cleaning. You will have more time.

Do not wash the windows, yet.

We’re going to pause the top-down for a moment and switch to horizontal.

Clean shelves, dresser(s) and nightstand(s)

We already cleared these of the clutter and trash in the opening portion of the show, so these should be a quick wipe down to dust and straighten.

Clean any light fixtures that are not overhead.

Some experts claim that keeping electronics out of the bedroom is key to a good night’s sleep. That may not be practical in shared living spaces. Set a reminder to learn how to set up do not disturb hours—with those emergency exceptions, we see you, fellow anxiety friends. Use cord minders or even zip ties to keep your nightstand from staying a tangled nightmare. Heather likes these, but 3M also has a Command version that is clear.

Clean chairs and exercise equipment.

Grab the vacuum and get to it for any upholstered furniture. Wipe down hard furniture and exercise equipment.

Strip the bed.

Zip it into your new allergy barrier and replace the mattress pad. (If it is in the wash, just hold off on this part until it is ready.)

Are your sheets clean and ready? Replace them.

Pillows, toss them in the dryer to fluff them up a bit if you would like (Check the care tag, first!) Zip them into their allergy barriers and add your pillowcases.

Make the bed.

Since today is a special deep cleaning, make your room, even more, inviting with a special scent, if you like/tolerate scents. Lisa loves the Calm app’s lavender spray. Heather just loves the Calm app in general. Make the bed well, so it’s extra enjoyable to slide into this evening.

Vacuum or sweep

This is a thorough vacuuming or sweeping, not the usual just the middles. Get into the corners and under everything. Use the crevice tool and get along the baseboards and behind the curtains.

Clean the walls.

If anyone smokes in the home, a dilute degreaser will make this much easier. Nicotine is very sticky and creates a yellow, dingy film. Please don’t forget to wear gloves, as degreasers will dry out your hands, which we have done enough damage to the last couple of years.

Do not scrub and do not get the walls really wet. In many cases, bedrooms are painted in flat, matte, or eggshell finishes which aren’t meant to be scrubbed. Wring out your cloth and try to be consistent with your approach to avoid clean patches and streaks. Work from top to bottom and left to right.

Do a quick lap around the room to get the switchplates, and check the doors and door jams for fingerprints and smudges at foot, waist, and shoulder heights.

Wash the windows.

It’s time to let the light in. If you have made it this far and still have time left, go ahead and get all those nooks and crannies while you are at it.

Put your cleaning stuff away. You’re all done.

Now, you deserve a reward. What’s something you love that you can do in this room? Right now to enjoy it, while it’s in this state.

Neurodivergent Tips:

Tools, tips, and resources for accessibility and success are simply that. If they help you accomplish your goals of making your home and life more functional then they have done their job. If a role of painter’s tape makes life better, use the painter’s tape.

One of the challenging aspects of neurodiversity can be issues in the area of executive function. This relates to anything that has to do with time management, figuring out which tasks need to be prioritized etc. When cleaning a room, this can look like cleaning down the rabbit trail or becoming overwhelmed and not doing anything at all.

Managing executive function issues can be challenging and it may take many experiments to find the strategy that works best for your situation.

Break the room down into tiny, manageable tasks. Much smaller than what is outlined in this article. Please let us know if you would like a detailed breakdown printable. We will create and send one if there is a demand. It will need to be several pages long to account for different bedroom situations.

Dividing a room into 2′ or 3′ squares with string or painter’s tape can make a room much more manageable than trying to take in a whole space. Grid out the room in a way that makes sense. (Clear anything on the bed onto the floor, try to use the bed only for sleeping and other indoor sports).

Does the room have a lot of “doom piles” or “doom boxes”? This isn’t a bad thing. This means that the stuff is already partially handled, it just needs to be distributed. Only tackle one doom pile or box at a time. Take a break between or instead of trying to tackle the entire bedroom today, just do one pile today. Every pile conquered is a win, we all get to set our own pace. That’s one of the best parts about being an adult, in our own space. We get to set the rules.

If there is a habit of bringing dishes into the bedroom. Try having a bus bin in the room and placing the dishes in that instead of on other surfaces. This is easier to remove from the room, keeps dishes in one place, and can make carrying less difficult.

Finally, check out Behavioral Activation:

@drjenwolkin #behavior #CorollaCrossStep #wellnesstips ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

Is this an authentic ground beef stroganoff recipe?

Authentic is a loaded term. Many “secret” family recipes originally came from the back of a package, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Those recipes were tested, worked, and got handed down. This recipe is a variation of stroganoff that I have used for many years. Unfortunately, I do not remember the original. I looked up a few versions to see.

Classic recipes for beef stroganoff typically do not use ground beef. The original recipe is historically credited to a French chef working for a rich Russian family, but the history gets debated, and the recipe has been heavily Americanized over the years, gaining and losing elements.

The ingredients that remain true to their roots are dijon mustard, beef, paprika, and sour cream.

The budget versions circulating usually rely on a can or two of cream of mushroom soup, which you can do, but using fresh mushrooms on sale and a 2/3 cup of sour cream works out nearly the same.

I will rely on you to buy your mushrooms and beef on sale and find your spices in bulk from anywhere other than the spice aisle in your grocery store.

Usually, I see stroganoff recipes with the generic “steak” and, more specifically, ribeye.

What can this stroganoff recipe teach me about other recipes/techniques?

In this recipe for beef stroganoff, you’re asked to add the paprika before the wine or flour. This technique allows the flavor of the paprika to develop. You can use this technique in many other dishes to create a more complex flavor than if you just add spices at the same time as a liquid. There are two things to keep in mind. when adding spices before your liquids, it won’t work well if it’s for a dish you plan on draining, and you can’t have the heat up so high you will burn the fat or spices.

If you can get your hands on Hungarian sweet paprika, use that. If your container of paprika says paprika, your stroganoff will turn out just fine, I promise. If you are using low-sodium beef stock or broth, you will want to add a teaspoon of salt to the dish.

What to serve with ground beef stroganoff?

While the recipe is pictured served over egg noodles, it also works well over rice, mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, baked potatoes, or steamed vegetables.

We like to have this meal with green beans. If you saute your green beans, try adding a few grape tomatoes to give a little pop of acidity/tartness which is a really nice contrast to the earthy, rich flavor provided by the beef and mushrooms. Roast carrots are a nice side dish, as well. Just peel and quarter the carrots, then toss them in olive oil and kosher salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F. If you put these in the oven just after the beef goes into the skillet, everything should be finishing up around the same time.

Our family also loves to have warm buttered bread and sometimes a salad when we have stroganoff. The salad is an especially good option if we choose a meal this rich in the summer months. It balances it out.

We generally stick to the heartier sides in the fall and winter.

How to make the recipe for ground beef stroganoff stretch.

Beef in any form, even ground, is not as budget-friendly as it used to be.

You can add more bulk to the stroganoff recipe by increasing the mushrooms or adding cooked lentils. Just give the lentils plenty of time to absorb the sauce’s flavor while cooking. Don’t just add them at the last second and expect them to go unnoticed.

This recipe doubles well and is excellent the next day as leftovers. We double it every time it’s made, as we have a large household.

Enjoy!

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Stroganoff

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A take on the classic,gravy-based beef dish, best served over a starch with a dollop of sour cream.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 to 1.5 pounds ground beef preferably 85% lean (the fat makes the gravy)
• 8 to 16 oz baby portabello or white button mushrooms, quartered (cut them smaller if they started out large, aim for bite-size)
• 1 medium to large sweet onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon paprika (sweet if possible)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 cupos beef stock or broth (I use Better Than Bouillon and predissolve it in hot water)
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• ground pepper to taste
• up to 1 teaspoon of salt, only use if your stock/broth is low sodium

Instructions

1. Over medium to medium-high heat brown the beef and break it into small bits with a wooden spoon or spatula.
2. While the beef is browning, dice your onion and mince your garlic. As the beef begins to lose most of the pink and is beginning to approach a uniform appearance, add the diced onions and mushrooms.
3. As the onions begin to soften, add the garlic, wait one minute and then add the dijon mustard and paprika.
4. Once the onions are nearly translucent, add the wine and continue to stir.
5. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup flour as evenly as possible across the browned meat.
6. Stir well to coat the meat with flour. This step will prevent lumps in your gravy. You may notice a brown layer on the bottom of your pan, this is ok, reduce the heat a little to prevent it from scorching. This is called fond and will help increase the flavor.
7. Slowly add your beef broth a quarter to a half cup at a time, using your wooden spoon to scrape up any fond from the pan and incorporate the liquid into your mixture.
8. The liquid will practically disappear between additions at first. This is expected.
9. Turn the heat to low and finish adding your liquid. Stir until fully incorporated.
10. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Taste and ground pepper and salt, if needed. Give the salt and pepper a few minutes to incorporate
11. Stir in the 1/3 cup of sour cream and serve over cooked egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes

I’m interested in learning the proper care of a wooden cutting board. I use one for veggies and meats (I use bleach on it after it has been used for meats) and a separate board for fruits. If I cut fruits on the cleaned veggie board, the flavors of onion, garlic, and other stinky stuff get picked up by the fruit, and well, it tastes yucky. I’ve tried scrubbing with lots of hot soap & water & scrub brush, to no avail. So how do I get it clean, and should I treat the wood with anything?

Thanks!
Vampire-Free Since ’08

Heather says:

I could have written this the other night.

I have multiple large cutting boards at home, but I was at someone else’s house preparing dinner -mango salsa and grilled halibut with watermelon for dessert. I procrastinated cutting up the watermelon as they are a giant pain in the rear, and I hate the chore. So, without thinking, I used the same cutting board that I had used for the mango salsa.

Oops.

The next day, I received a phone call about the leftover watermelon smelling of garlic. /shrug. It happens. It can be prevented; I was just lazy and or forgetful. You can choose which.

Cutting Board Care

Garlic odor can be neutralized with white vinegar. Keep some vinegar in a spray bottle, rinse the cutting board, spray it with white vinegar, give the acid a moment to work, and then wash the board as you normally would. Yes, you will have to smell white vinegar for a few minutes, but you won’t experience the joy of unintentional flavor transfer.

As a general rule, stick with multiple cutting boards for marathon cooking and to avoid cross-contamination.

Wooden cutting boards do require special care. Check out this post on cutting board basics for the full rundown.

For the TL:DR crowd -never soak, wash quickly with hot soap and water, rinse, sanitize with dilute bleach and dry thoroughly. Treat once a month with food-grade mineral oil and remove gouges with a scraper, not sandpaper.

While we’re at it, you may want to sharpen your knife skills and learn how to safely use bleach. Nothing ruins date night -or the entertainment budget- quite like a trip to the ER.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

Post updated March 24, 2022.

Or something like that. Even if the kitchen isn’t the heart, you will likely spend a significant portion of your life at least passing through this part of your home.

Why are we cleaning the kitchen for Week 2 of the Deep Clean Challenge?

It can be demoralizing to stumble out of bed in the morning and have to move dishes out of the way to get a glass of water or to make a cup of coffee.

With that in mind, we are building off of last week’s clutter-clearing win and will be giving ourselves a clean slate in the kitchen. After this Saturday’s clean-up, the kitchen portion of your daily chore routine will be more manageable. Then, when you wander into the kitchen in the morning, the only groaning will be our normal existential ones. What? Like we’re the only ones. . .

What is the goal?

To create a more functional, less stressful space. You may not make it all the way through the printable kitchen clean-up checklist. Once again, we really don’t want you to spend more than a couple of hours on the deep clean challenge. The goal is to work toward creating a cleaner, more organized home, not to make it happen all at once. Each week you’ll be taking a big step toward that goal and then each day, as you do your daily routines—or just manage the minimums—things continue to trend better.

That’s what we are aiming for, a little better, all the time.

What will we be cleaning in the kitchen?

Please remember the kitchen deep clean challenge is not meant to be an all-day marathon. We are focused only on your appliances’ exteriors (except the microwave if you have one). We will tackle the large appliances in another session of the Deep Clean Challenge. Don’t worry. There’s a checklist, and this is the overview.

• Dishes
• Cabinetry (interiors and exteriors, upper and lower if you have them)
• Drawers
• The exterior of the fridge and other appliances
• The interior and exterior of the microwave
• Counters, backsplash/wall
• Table and chairs or breakfast bar chairs if they are a part of your kitchen (We will do dining areas in detail in another Deep Clean Challenge week)
• Sink
• Flooring

What tools and cleaning supplies do we need?

It depends.

So, your job is to figure out what you need before Saturday. Regardless of what your kitchen looks like, you will want:

• Gloves – cleaners are typically hard on your hands
• Rags or paper towels
• A degreaser safe for your counters, cabinetry, and appliances
• Vacuum with a hose attachment/soft bristle brush, handheld vac, OR a soft bristled brush to whisk away dust and crumbs
• Broom & Dustpan
• Mop & Bucket
• Trashcan & Bags

How do we get started with this week’s kitchen clean-up challenge?

Do you need accountability to stay on track?

Do you just need a little motivation?

• Turn on your favorite upbeat playlist.
• Turn on your favorite podcast. Last week we listed a few of our favorites. What are yours? We’d love to know, we’re always looking for new ones, please feel free to share your recommendations in the comments.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to print out the kitchen clean-up checklist.

A couple of things mentioned in the checklist that need clarification.

The tops of the cabinetry – When you do this, the goal is to get that first, thick layer of dust. The dust on top of your cabinets is going to be greasy. When you cook, especially when you saute, you create aerosolized grease and that floats around until it finds a place to land. Later dust particles and lint join the party.

Don’t scrub this mess with the soft bristle attachment of your vacuum. Trust us, that’s not fun. Just give it a quick once over to get the big stuff. Then go back over with a degreaser and a rag.

Lisa has a great tip for you to make the next time much easier: since no one can see up there, you can put down a layer of paper towels. Next time you do a major cleaning, just grab the towels, give the tops a quick wipe and put down a new layer.

The interior of your microwave – get a microwave-safe bowl and fill it with one cup of water and 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar. Microwave it on high for five minutes and then let it sit for another five while you are cleaning other things. This creates a nice steamy environment in your microwave that softens whatever splatters are in there. Carefully remove the bowl and wipe out the interior.

One final note, while we will clean your dishwasher thoroughly in a future challenge, now may be a good time to check your dishwasher’s filter and give it a good cleaning before you start for the day. Wouldn’t it be nice to put away really clean dishes later today? If you don’t know how to clean your dishwasher’s filter or aren’t sure if yours has one, just search on YouTube for your dishwasher’s brand and model and how to clean its filter. Some ingenious person has likely posted a great tutorial for you.

For example, Heather has a Bosch and its filter is in the bottom near the front. she gives it a quick twist. Then it pops out, and all she has to do is give it a quick scrub under hot, running water before replacing it.

How long should cleaning your kitchen take?

Great question. How motivated are you? How much energy do you have? Do you have a lot of dishes to do before you can get started? There are a lot of factors to consider. The answer is we don’t know.

Got your timer? See you Saturday, Let’s go!

Do you need more helpful articles for kitchen cleaning?

Lisa says:

Now’s a good time to get your spring cleaning started, particularly if you have minions children on spring break. I’m extra lucky, my son is in college, and his spring break was last week, so I’m a little ahead of the game. Luckily, my mom was here last week to help me out as I’m also a full-time caregiver, and she likes to support me the best way she knows how. There’s nothing like having your mom standing on your porch at 8 AM with a bucket in hand to encourage you to stop lollygagging over your third cup of coffee and get to work.

Spring Cleaning Encouragement

Since I can’t send my mom over to your houses for cleaning encouragement, I’ll have to do my best here. There’s something very spiritual and emotional with a good, all-over cleaning and decluttering. As much as I profess to hate clutter, I admit that mine’s gotten piled up a bit, and sometimes it’s hard to purge.

So, we have to go back to my personal motto: Look one way and pitch the other. If it doesn’t have a place, it has to go. And by go, I mean go RIGHT AWAY. Once I’m finished cleaning for the day, I take myself down to the Convenience Center and trash and/or donate it immediately. If you set it out in your garage or basement or whatever to “have a yard sale” or something, you might never get rid of it.

Clutter does have an extremely high reproduction rate, and once it gets a foothold, it is hard to get ahead of. You can get ahead of it, but don’t let it get you down. If it already has a foothold, ask a friend to come over and bring a bucket. Even if you already have a bucket, it’ll get things in gear. I happen to have two buckets, but my mom’s bucket is far better. It’s the bucket of authority or something.

It’s funny that I clean my house regularly, yet when someone’s there cleaning with me, it’s far more satisfying, and it gets done tons faster. Once you and your cleaning buddy are done with your house, go to their house and return the favor. Cleaning always goes faster with the camaraderie of buddies.

Submit your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

I’m not a super huge thyme fan so I went with garlic, but you can do whatever makes you happy. I know I said three cloves in the recipe, but that’s for the moderate garlic lovers out there… we tend to be much more heavy handed in our home.

You could even do both garlic and thyme or you could use fresh rosemary. This recipe is safe to play with.

If you’re looking for a traditional pot roast, you can try this back-to-basics recipe or this wine-braised version. We have pot roast at least once a month and rotate through these versions.

Recipe for Pot Roast with Balsamic Gravy

**Yes, on the counter, You can check with Jeff Potter if you doubt me.

Balsamic Pot Roast

Print

Wonderful dinner for cooler fall and winter nights.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 pounds bone-in chuck roast*
• 1 generous pinch of kosher salt
• 3 strips thick-cut bacon, uncooked, chopped
• 1 medium to large yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups beef or mushroom stock
• 10 carrots -not mutant giant ones, just normal average carrots
• 2.5 - 3 pounds small potatoes, look for new potatoes or red potatoes (purple would be good, too)
• 1/4 cup flour (I used a GF mix as there's a wheat allergy in our house)
• Fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Unwrap the roast, sprinkle it with kosher salt on both sides. Set it on a plate**, let it rest for a bit.
2. Preheat the oven to 300℉. Set a large (6qt-ish) dutch oven on the stove on medium heat.
3. Begin heating the bacon until the fat begins to render. While this happens, slice your onions thinly.
4. Just let the bacon cook until you start to see some browning, the goal is not to cook it to the crisp stage. Remove it from the pot and set it aside.
5. Place the pot roast in the dutch oven and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the roast from the pot. Add the bacon back and stir in the onions.
6. Cook just until they begin to soften, add the garlic.
7. Whisk in the 1/3 cup of balsamic and 3 tablespoons dijon mustard.
8. Scrape up any browned bits, a wooden spoon with a flat side works well for this.
9. Slowly stir in the 2 cups of beef or mushroom stock.
10. Lay a few carrots in the bottom of the dutch oven and then set the roast on them. Pile the rest of the carrots on top of the roast.
11. Cover and place the dutch oven in the oven for 2.5 hours. Add the potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for another hour or until the pot roast is fork-tender. Remember roasts are individual and depend on several factors, exact time will vary.
12. Remove from the oven and put the roast, carrots, and potatoes in a serving dish. Pour most of the drippings into a container. Leave just enough to cover the bottom of the pot.
13. Place the pot on a burner over medium-low heat.
14. Whisk the flour into the pot until smooth. Stir until the mixture just begins to darken—this gets rid of any raw flour flavor.
15. Slowly whisk the remaining drippings into the gravy until it's the thickness you like.
16. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Today, we’re creating that motion. We are kicking off The Deep Clean Challenge with an exercise that encourages you to move around your home and clear clutter.

Why do we start The Deep Clean Challenge with clutter removal?

If you are anything like us, you need an easy win, and easy wins give you the motivation you need to keep going.

What counts as clutter?

Any item that you no longer like, need or want. And, because we are all human around here, we are pretty sure there may be some actual trash, too.

A quick note about family “heirlooms”:
If an item is of no value to you or to anyone who lives in your home, you have no obligation to keep it. If it is valuable to someone important to you, arrange to give that item to them as soon as possible. Boundaries, people, boundaries.

How do you get started with this week’s clutter clearing challenge?

You can do a Marie Kondo exercise for this week’s challenge if you would like, but we find it much easier to clear the decks with ruthless abandon. With her six children, Heather finds it simpler to keep only a couple of items from each kid’s babyhood rather than trying to store many sentimental objects. Teenagers take up enough space. They don’t need to compete with the things they have outgrown.

You may want to take a more measured approach or your child/children’s personalities may require this. Know what you need before starting, so you don’t regret your strategy later.

How do you find motivation?

Try some accountability.

Call or text a friend a link to this challenge and tell them what time you will be done. Tell them to text you at that time to perform a check-in.

Don’t like the pressure of a deadline? Try a technique called body doubling. This technique works really well for people who may have ADHD. Body doubling is when you have another person in the same space—or virtually in the same space. That person does not have to be participating in the activity, but their presence can keep you on task. Quick tip for those without any available volunteers, sometimes ambient conversation like an audiobook or podcast can be a stand-in.

Prefer to work alone?

Try the Pomodoro method, this is a method with 25 minutes of work followed by a five-minute break. If you need a shorter sprint that works, too. Try 15 or even 10. The important part is to get that first round done; that initial success can be the inspiration you need to keep going.

Put on a playlist you like or maybe a podcast. Some of our favorites* include:

• My Favorite Murder
• Help I Sexted My Boss
• I Saw What You Did
• Morbid
• Crime Junkie

*Please note you should probably put in earbuds if you have kiddos around, as our tastes tend to run a little dark/NSFW

What do you need for this clutter purge?

• Large trash bags, large plastic bins/totes, or what the heck, what about those cardboard boxes from Amazon to separate items bound for different destinations.
• A timer, btw you have one on your phone.
• A little motivation.

How long will getting rid of all your clutter clearing take?

How much stuff do you have, how big is your home? We really can’t answer that one for you. We also don’t want you to spend all day on this challenge. Pick your goal, it could be 30 minutes, but no more than 2 hours.

Remember the spirit of the challenge:

Progress, not perfection.

Set a timer.

Take breaks.

Reward yourself at the end.

Your stuff isn’t going anywhere, and frankly, neither are we. You didn’t get here in one day. At the end of this challenge, we will have a rinse and repeat option to restart.

Where do you start the clutter clearing challenge?

Your choice.

Here are some ideas from a previous organization challenge. Don’t try to do them all this Saturday; it’s just inspiration. Pick one as a starting point and then grab your bags/bins and begin.

Get rid of junk mail immediately. The entryway or dining room table is a great place, as a lot of unnecessary trash piles up in both areas.

How about that shoe closet or coat closet? How many yard work shoes do you need? Do you even do the yard work?

Head to your kitchen, can you see your counters? Open your pantry; how much of that is way past its expiration date? Dare you open your storage container cupboard? Will an avalanche happen?

Your closet? What clothes are you never going to wear again?

The laundry room? The linen closet?

This clutter clearing challenge is not about turning into a minimalist.

Week One is only about getting rid of as much of your home’s excess as you can in a maximum of two hours. The linked articles above are just for brainstorming, not a suggestion to do them all.

Donate what you can, recycle* what you can’t, and get the rest ready to go straight to your county’s convenience site or set them aside for trash day.

*By the way, you know that box or bag stuffed with a tangled web of cables you have? Best Buy typically has some boxes near the front of the store where you can take all those cords so they don’t end up in a landfill.

Finally, don’t forget to share the most epic thing you find with us on Facebook.

Ready?

Set.

Go!

Yes, we are heading way back into the archives, blowing off the dust, and freshening up an old post. Baked potatoes are a favorite around Home-Ec 101. Why? Well, we’re heading back to the basics in the kitchen and baked potatoes are about as basic as you get. Yet, they still can make a great side or a standalone meal when you just don’t feel like putting in a lot of work.

First, turn your oven, or toaster oven if you’re only cooking one or two, on to 400℉.

Then give your potatoes a quick, thorough scrub in the sink.

Give them a good look over and use a paring knife to remove any small eyes or blemishes.

Place your potatoes on a baking sheet.

Give each potato a quick poke with a fork.

Then brush your potatoes with a thin layer of olive oil and then give them a good sprinkling of kosher salt. (The oil helps the salt stick to the potato. Science.)

Then into the oven, the potatoes go. Where they will bake at 400℉ for one hour.

Extremely large potatoes may take longer, small ones may be done more quickly, check by poking with a fork or squeezing. Please use a tea or dish towel if you have tender fingers.

That’s the easy part, right?

Baked Potatoes and Toppings

Now comes the difficult part choosing how to top your steaming hot potato. Above, we’ve got:

Your classic, sour cream and bacon, shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onions, continuing clockwise, we’ve got a chili cheese potato with sour cream and chives. Finally, one of my favorites is to steam broccoli and use a cheese sauce. It’s nice and easy and great for those nights when you’re trying to go meatless.

What cheese sauce you ask? Well, you can go with this basic cheese sauce, which is based on a quick roux, if you are working alone. OR if you have “helpers” let me introduce you to my latest secret weapon. I currently have a very picky pre-schooler who only wants to subsist on Kraft mac and always “WANTS TO HELP” and sometimes I just cannot. Give this stuff a try: Hoosier Hill’s Big Daddy Mac Mix. Hand the kid 1/3 cup of the mix + 1/3 cup of milk in a jar with a TIGHT lid and let them shake the heck out of it while you melt 4 TBSP of butter. Pro-Tip go ahead and write that ratio down, the writing on the jar is not made for human eyes: 1/3 cup mix, 1/3 cup milk, and 4TBSP butter.

Our British friends, I’m told love baked beans on their potatoes, but maybe someone is pulling my leg.

Whatever you choose, take a butter knife and slit the potato lengthwise nearly to the bottom, but not quite. You want the skin on the bottom to keep any runny toppings from escaping. Then squeeze each end toward the center to force the slit you just created to open. Fill your potato with the toppings of your choice, admire your handiwork, and dig in.

Heather says:
I hope you had a great weekend. 

First things first, if you are serving turkey, your turkey needs to be thawing now. 

When you wake up on Thursday morning, check your turkey before unwrapping it to ensure it has fully thawed if it hasn’t, use the tips in this post on what to do if your turkey is still frozen.

The holiday craziness kicks off in two weeks, and one day, how is your planning coming along?

So far in our Countdown to Turkey Day we have:

• Decided when and where
• Cleared the dining room table. Is it still clear? Do you have extensions you’ll need? If not clear and search
• Created our Menu Plan and shopping list
• Begun working on getting the house company ready by paying attention to daily / weekly chores
• Started making sure the house if company ready, if anyone is coming. (Have you double checked with anyone you’ve invited).

With your expected headcount in mind, take a look around and decide if you’re going to need more chairs and place settings. If you plan on renting these items, start calling today. If you’re borrowing from friends or family, now would be an excellent time to confirm your plan.

Today, depending on how your house and kitchen are organized may be simple or a pretty exploratory dive into your storage.

Grab your Thanksgiving menu plan and, at the very least, your mental inventory of serving-ware. If you have moved, held a yard sale, or gone on a donating / purging binge, I recommend that you lay eyes on each piece you plan to use.

Next to each menu item, assign a serving dish AND the appropriate serving utensil.

Do not forget your cranberry sauce, gravy, butter, and if you put out crudites or antipasti before the meal, don’t forget those items need a dish, too.

If you find yourself short on serving-ware—get some now.

If you have lots of storage in your home, check out your local thrift stores for cookware; you still have a little bit of time to find a bargain. If storage is at a premium, go ahead and use disposable/ recyclable roasting pans. Just be careful with this option if you are sitting at a table and passing dishes rather than serving from a buffet. You don’t want Grandma to end up with a lap full of cornbread dressing.

Got it? One dish for each item + one serving utensil. Never assume you have these items.

While you’re thinking about it, do you have enough storage containers for the leftovers?

See, we’re getting there with this year’s Thanksgiving preparation. You’ve got this.

How are your plans coming along?

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

A lot of things have changed. There are different faces around the table, some are new and some are no longer with us. Also, most of us did not expect to be spending a second Thanksgiving taking COVID into consideration, but here we are and we will make the best of it.

Today’s jobs? Well, you have three, since we’re doing a condensed version. Decide when and where Thanksgiving Dinner will happen. (If you’re hosting it at someone else’s place you may want to should check with them first. Most of the tasks that fall on the hosting side of Thanksgiving will inevitably assume that you are doing so in your own home, or a place you feel comfortable enough to clean. There’s only so much I can one-size-fits-all.)

About that guest list.

Who do you want to invite?

Who do you have to invite?

Under normal circumstances, I would also ask you to consider who in your circle of acquaintances that may not have close friends or family in the area and extend an invitation to your home. Unfortunately, like last year, we have to take into consideration vulnerability, vaccination status etc before extending invitations. IF it is possible and safe, an invitation may mean more than you will ever know.

I also know that *I* have not been on the ball and that there is not a lot of time to plan—about two and a half weeks—so if you want to extend that invitation, now is the time.

Please remember that if you have to attend a family Thanksgiving, there’s nothing stopping you from hosting a Friendsgiving on another day. I know the calendar says Thanksgiving is on Thursday the 25th, but really, what is stopping you from having a day on Saturday or Sunday? Budget? Have everyone bring their leftovers. As much as I love the food. It’s not the food that makes the memories. (Unless we’re talking about the cornbread dressing, but I digreg.)

While you’re thinking about who may be coming, try to remember if there are any dietary restrictions you’ll need to accommodate. We’ll need that for tomorrow’s assignment.

Things to remember for Thanksgiving 2021:

• It’s not going to be perfect, but perfection isn’t the point.
• This year when planning, have a back up plan for any “specialty” or hard to find item.
• Give yourself and others more grace.

Here are your assignments:

1. Figure out what time and where Thanksgiving Dinner will be served.
2. Figure out your tentative guest list and any allergies they may have.
3. Find your dining room table. It’s been a long year. Has it become the catch all for everything? (There’s no judgment. Mine currently has a couple of Halloween costumes, a step-stool, and a potty seat —new, in the box, thank you very much, it’s going to the sitter’s tomorrow morning, I’m actually editing this ahead of time for once)

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? Is it your first?

What are you excited to try, what makes you nervous?

Do you wish I’d stop asking questions?

Me, too.

Let’s do this.

Together.

This update is going to wander a little bit, it covers a bit of ground, so if it’s anywhere near as cold and dreary as it is here this morning, grab yourself a warm beverage and settle in.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve last written. I’d say a lot has happened. and that would be semi-accurate. A second round of COVID went through our household, catching those of us who did not get it in that first round, including myself.

My breakthrough case was relatively mild, but I’m still dealing with a few aggravating effects. I lost my sense of smell and taste and while most of that has returned a few things have come back, miswired and I’m quite unhappy as they are (were? ) some of my favorite things. I have no appetite which means getting my energy back is uphill work.

Throw in six kids, getting one ready to go to college next year and this Fall is one hell of a challenge.

I have so many ideas for things I want to do here, but I swear life is just humbling.

Me: Gets all prepped to begin shooting video content for this site. Starts practice recordings…
Life: Heeeere’s Delta. (sub-text no energy, no motivation, no anything for the next couple months)
Me: great. (This was at the end of September)

Monday I will start updating the Countdown to Turkey Day posts so those will be going out. Thanksgiving will be happening. What that will look like for your family, I don’t know.

I do know that If you want a 12 – 14 lb turkey, keep an eye out and buy it as soon as possible. I have read that those may not be easy to find this year.

What I am trying to do is give myself some grace. (How is that actually going, Heather? Don’t ask). What it LOOKS like is going to therapy and reading a lot about neurodivergence and thinking. Thinking about ways to make my life easier and ways to make life easier for those who ask Home-Ec101 for help.

In addition to reading, I’m watching quite a bit of TikTok. That may sound funny to some of you, but I have teenagers and I started to monitor them, as a parent should. The algorithm there is an interesting thing and naturally ended up seeing the part of TikTok known as CleanTok and while some of those videos are soothing in the hypnotic way they go from messy to clean, some of them can be shaming in the way they address things. I don’t care for that. I like the generally supportive ADHD/ASD community that admits they struggle with self-care (cleaning your home and daily maintenance tasks fall under self-care). This community also offers ways they cope with that. This I appreciate

Life is hard enough, I don’t want anyone who comes here to feel judged. If I have ever made any of you feel judged in the past, I’m sorry, it was never my intent.

You may see me start to use words that might be a little unfamiliar like “doom piles” (that’s the pile of clutter that you just can’t face, even if you have the rest of an area clean). That’s just me using the words that people looking for the help and community they need are already using. The help has been here for years:

Feeling Desperate

Dear Home-Ec, I’m Overwhelmed

My Daughter is Feeling Desperate and I Need Help

It just might not have been in a way that could be easily found.

Anyhow, that’s where we’ve been. Buried in getting better, a little at a time. Hoping that I have enough energy and maybe even some appetite to feel like cooking once again. Hoping that ginger and red wine taste good again. Please, please, please.

Onward and upward, we’ve all got this. Please do what you can to all of us help each other climb out of this mess.

Hello,
I have searched online on whether you can use automatic dishwashing machine detergent in a laundry/clothes washer, and the results are all over the place. When I say automatic dishwashing machine detergent, I mean the powder sort and the generic store brand, not the pods, gel, or other types.

I know you can use hand dishwashing soap in your laundry/clothes washer with no problem, but I can’t find whether or not it’s safe to use automatic dishwashing powder in my clothes washer.

I would guess, if you did use the automatic dishwashing machine detergent for a laundry/clothes washer, you would use a somewhat limited amount–but I am not even sure about this. Some brands of automatic dishwashing machine detergents have bleach in them. I expect you would not add automatic dishwashing machine detergent to your clothes washer until the water level is full to avoid this bleach negatively affecting clothes colors.

Thank you.
Perplexed in Pinopolis

Dear Perplexed,

You have a great question, and I understand why it is so difficult to “do a quick Google search” for the answer. People use dishwasher detergent to mean both the liquid soap you use for handwashing dishes and the much more powerful caustic powders, gels, and pods used for automatic dishwashers.

We will head back to introductory chemistry class for the answer, and keeping things super simple, I will stick to two main factors for my response. First, I also know that you specifically mentioned generic dishwashing powders. I am using name brands in my examples as the data is much easier for me to find, and the generic versions will be very similar as they are often made by the same companies, with perhaps more filler.

First up is pH. Water is generally pretty neutral and around seven or maybe slightly acidic. The higher the number, the more basic or caustic a chemical is. The soap that you use to clean your hands is around 8.

I looked up Cascade because it’s a widely recognized dishwashing detergent brand that I regularly use. According to the material safety and data sheet (MSDS), the pH is 11.0. Now, compare that to Tide’s of 8.1 – 8.5 when diluted to 10% solution. So, Tide is much closer to the pH of what you use to wash your hands. (If you are curious, a material safety and data sheet tells you how to handle and store chemicals safely.)

Not too long ago, I made a very silly mistake. Our teenagers are not the best at remembering to scrape their plates thoroughly, and sometimes the float that allows the dishwasher to drain gets food particles stuck. I’ve learned the trick of dislodging those particles and resetting the dishwasher (This was after a $150 repair bill where he was in and out of our home in less than five minutes.) I was in a hurry and didn’t think to put gloves on. My hand was in that water for less than a minute, and I had the beginning of a chemical burn. So learn from Heather, and don’t be dumb. Use gloves if you have to stick your hand in your dishwasher’s wash water. That detergent isn’t playing around.

What else has a pH of 11?

Hmm, oh, that would be our good friend sodium hypochlorite or… chlorine bleach. What happens if you soak your clothing in a strong bleach solution? It either wears out very, very quickly or gets holes. (Depending on how thick the material was to start with).

And I just touched on my second reason to not use powdered dishwashing detergent in your clothes washer. Most, if not all, contain sodium hypochlorite. The problem with this isn’t that it has bleach, but that you don’t know the proportions, so it is all guesswork.

I suppose, in an emergency, if you had no laundry detergent available. And if you did not care if your clothing bleached. And if you were very prudent with the amount of detergent you used. And if you dissolved the detergent before adding it to the wash water. You might be able to get your clothing clean. However, this is a whole lot of And If’s. So, unless you have stumbled onto a lifetime supply of automatic dishwashing detergent and somehow lack access to laundry detergent, let us go ahead and file it under “B” for bad idea.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

Dear Horrified,

There’s some stuff to unpack here, and I’m hoping, if you were staying at this person’s home, that it includes your overnight bag, at your own home, for your sanity.

Sometimes it does not matter if something is technically clean, sanitary, or sterile, but please keep reading. I agree with you, not the acquaintance. The acquaintance may be right on a technicality, but I’m throwing a red card on the play in practice.

Society has expectations. Some are good. For example, we expect people to wash their hands after they use the restroom and before preparing food. Yay, hygiene.

Some are obnoxious, like some gender expectations, but we’re getting better as a whole. Slowly.

There are standards of hygiene, some cultures have many and some only have a few. In some parts of the world, the left hand is for personal hygiene and to do something like touch produce in a store or market with a left hand would be horrifying to bystanders.

This acquaintance of yours has broken a societal expectation. (And some health codes, but they don’t live in a commercial kitchen, I’m assuming.)

They may be technically correct that the item in question is clean and that bleach or the dishwasher can sanitize it, but it really doesn’t matter.

Here, in the US, we may be uptight about many things, which can be frustrating in some regards, but food safety standards have a purpose. We separate kitchens and bathrooms, and that includes pets and their excrement. Cottage food laws that govern what can and cannot be sold after being prepared in a home kitchen exist for a reason. (I live in South Carolina, so I’m linking to information about South Carolina Cottage food laws. Please search for your own state before trying to sell any food made in your home.) Home kitchens aren’t inspected by health officials and can’t be held to standards that keep people safe.

Humans are fallible, we all make mistakes, and we are all imperfect. Maybe one day, Horrified’s acquaintance got distracted and set the utensil on the counter before it was fully clean, or maybe they don’t fully clean it. Using a kitchen utensil to clean up excrement invites the potential for cross-contamination that does not exist if the utensil is only used for its intended purposes in the kitchen. This is why we have standards to prevent mistakes and accidents that have the potential to cause harm.

Clean up any accidents of this nature with paper towels or rags that can go through the laundry. Do not use items that make direct contact with food. It’s just asking for trouble.

The practice described by Horrified’s host made their guest (and heck me) very uncomfortable, and that is a big part of the issue and also needs to be discussed. Just because something you do is safe doesn’t mean it’s always ok. If you are making your guest uncomfortable*, you’re breaking the most basic rules of etiquette. (Hmm, this sounds remarkably like the consent discussions my teens are tired of having with me.)

*Great big caveat here: if the guest is behaving poorly, crossing boundaries, making you uncomfortable, etc., etiquette goes right out the window. Defend your space and yourself first and foremost. Apologize later if you have to.

Can you Home-Eccers out there, do me a favor, and reassure me that the idea of using a kitchen utensil to clean up after a pet accident has NEVER crossed your mind? I need to know that this question is an outlier and that some common sense still exists. I want to accept food from other homes without having this question cross my mind ever again.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Hey there,

I wasn’t expecting the level of research that it would take to answer this question. There are so many variables when it comes to baseball cap construction. Not only do you have to take into account the fabrics used to cover the bill and to make up the cap itself, but you also have to think about the band and potentially the badge or how the badge is held in place. On top of all of that comes the brim itself. If the brim is cardboard, you can generally forget any method of cleaning that involves soaking, submerging, or otherwise saturating the hat.

If the hat is constructed with wool, you also have to worry about shrinkage. Under no circumstances use hot water and take the drying step very seriously, or you’ll have a hat fit for your little nephew.

So before we go into removing sweat stains, let’s talk about a quick ounce of prevention for the future. I tease my husband about the number of hats he has, but. . . it’s worth having a couple of caps for different purposes. Have one for lawn mowing or the gym and another for running errands or whenever you might want to look a bit nicer. I know to some of you, it might sound silly to have a good baseball cap, but some people love their hats or, more to the point, the way they look in them, and that is all that matters.

If the cap has sweat stains and a cardboard brim, you will need to stick to spot cleaning. First, test to see if the material is colorfast. If you are using a spot treatment like Shout, for example, first put a little on a white rag and rub that on the most inconspicuous (inside) part of the hat you can. If the color comes off, it’s not colorfast, you are just out of luck. Congratulations, you have a gym or lawn mowing hat. If you have serious sweat stains, you can TRY the soaking method, leaving the bill hanging out, but know that your brim may not make it. You can use the paste and brush method to remove the stains on the brim, but, it’s going to be a touchy business. Reshape it carefully and cross your fingers, but do know that there’s a very good chance that this hat may not make it. Proceed with caution and low expectations.

If your hat has a plastic brim and minor sweat stains

You can submerge the hat to clean it, but you will want to give it a head start on the soaking process by applying stain remover to the worst of the sweat stains (after testing the colorfastness). Give the stain remover some time to work, then dunk it in a bucket of water (about a gallon, with a 1/4 cup of liquid laundry detergent). Before dunking the hat, make sure that your detergent doesn’t contain any bleaching agents.

Let the hat soak for a few hours.

Then rinse the hat thoroughly in the sink.

Take a towel and ball part of it up to approximately your head shape. Place it inside the hat and set your contraption in front of a fan to dry. If you are drying a wool hat, make sure the head-shaped part of your towel is firm so the hatband doesn’t shrink. Wait until the cap is dry before removing the towel.

Serious sweat stains with a plastic brim.

First, do your colorfastness test. Next, make a paste of baking soda and water, and gently scrub that in with an old toothbrush. Rinse. Follow that up with a dilute solution of vinegar and another gentle scrub with your toothbrush and a good rinse.

Once again, spot treat any remaining stains.

Follow up with a soak in 1/4 cup bleach-free detergent and 1 gallon of water. Then follow the drying steps outlined above.

What about the dishwasher?

Skip it.

Dishwasher manufacturers don’t recommend it and — let’s face it — you can replace a hat much more cost-effectively than you can your dishwasher.

Conclusions:

Wear cheap hats when you know you are going to get sweaty.
If your hat has a cardboard brim, it might not make it through the process.
If the hat isn’t colorfast, it’s not worth the effort; downgrade it.

Good luck!

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

If you have an outdoor broom, you’ll want to grab that one instead of or in addition to your indoor broom, depending on how your home is constructed. We don’t have an entryway. You enter the front door and it’s hello living room, we’re here. If you have a foyer or mudroom, today’s cleaning may take longer than those of us who don’t, depending on how much it’s used.

So get your cleaning your entertainment ready and if you have cleaning help, get them ready, too.

Gather your Tools and I don’t mean your roommates

• A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and a crevice tool if there is carpeting
• Window cleaner and paper towels or newspaper
• If you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag) or paste wax (as mentioned above)
• A stepladder or sturdy chair
• Maybe a screwdriver (standard or Philip’s head, that’s the cross-type, depending). I really like the ones that you can flip the tip out for small jobs. They aren’t the best for big jobs though they will work for our purposes, which is usually just removing a light globe or tightening something loose we find while cleaning.
• Dilute degreaser
• If you have allergies, grab one of the masks we’ve been wearing everywhere. We’re going to raise some dust in the next hour or two. You’ll have a much better afternoon/evening.
• If you have a mudroom you may need a mop and floor cleaner

Today we’ll start least dirty to most dirty. I know we normally only work top to bottom, left to right and dry to wet, but today we’ll also work in to out. So we’ll be pushing any dirt outside rather than the reverse.

Make Room to Work

If you have a mudroom and kids and a collection of winter clothes and boots. I’ve held this chore off until now for a reason. It’s May 1, you should be safe in most of the country. Get the too-small items ready to sell or donate and note what you need for next year. \

If you have an entryway table, clear it. Get rid of everything that is not decorative and put it where it belongs.

Now start Top to Bottom.

Is there a light fixture? Clean it, replace any bulbs that aren’t working and clean all of the glass. We talked about it last week, always clean the light. While you are up on your stepladder or sturdy chair, knock down any cobowebs.

This area should be pretty easy on the dusting front, but I bet there are fingerprints. Grab a rag dampened with a dilute degreaser and wipe your door frame and switch plates, especially if you have kids. Pay close attention to the area around the doorknob and bolt and then look lower where people tend to close the door with their feet. Cleaning up the scuff marks will make your door and consequently, your room look much fresher.

Clean any windows.

Remove any doormats or runners and give them a good shake them outside, before vacuuming. If the flooring is wood or tile give it a good sweep and vacuum. If it is carpeting, give it a good vacuum.

How do those baseboards look? Give those a once over with your vacuum and bristle attachment and yes, if there’s carpeting, hit that crevice with the crevice tool.

See, this wasn’t so bad?

Now we just need to do the other side of the door and your stoop or porch if you have one.

If you’re an apartment dweller, you get off pretty light here, while maintenance should take care of most of this, if they don’t, it doesn’t hurt to spiff up your entryway.

Look up.

Are there any cobwebs or spiders lurking in the corners? Sweep them away. Does your light work? If not, replace it. Does the glass need to be cleaned? Clean it.

Use your broom or, better, a foxtail to dust off siding that is sheltered from the elements around your door. (If you have brick, the foxtail is great to get those weird little cobwebs that show up). If you have side windows giving them a quick, light dusting with your foxtail will make cleaning them easier if it has been a LONG time between cleanings. (Not that I ever let it go months…years between cleanings)

Normally we would clean windows etc., before sweeping, but because we are outside where more dirt lives, you might kick up lots more dirt than inside that would stick to still wet windows, so we’ll go ahead and sweep first. Before you do though, look for anything that doesn’t belong on your porch/stoop/entry that needs to be thrown away and get rid of it. Remove your doormat. Then sweep to your heart’s content.

Shake the heck out of your doormat, well away from where you just swept, I’ve been hanging around my kids too much, I didn’t have to tell you that, did I? I’m sorry.

Wipe down the outside of your door with your rag and dilute degreaser. Pay close attention to the frame near the doorknob and where you might rest your hand while inserting your key. Also, look for scuff marks at the bottom of the door.

If you have a glass storm door. Clean both sides of the glass with window cleaner and any metal framing with dilute degreaser.

Clean the outside of any windows.

And that’s it.

Call it a day if it’s nice outside. Grab a book and a glass of iced tea and enjoy the weather.

By now you know the drill, so grab your earbuds and load up your audio entertainment or gather the troops and make your plan.

Round up your supplies, which are the same as the last few weeks, except you may want to add paste wax if you want to do an especially thorough job on a wood table that needs some extra love. (See cleaning an extra grimy table for details).

Gather your Tools

• A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and an edge tool if you have carpeting
• Window cleaner and paper towels or newspaper
• If you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag) or paste wax (as mentioned above)
• A stepladder or sturdy chair
• Maybe a screwdriver (standard or Philip’s head, that’s the cross-type, depending) I really like the ones that you can flip the tip out for small jobs. They aren’t the best for big jobs though they will work for our purposes, which is usually just removing a light globe or tightening something loose we find while cleaning.
• Appropriate floor cleaner if you have tile or hardwood
• Dilute degreaser
• If you have allergies, grab one of the masks we’ve been wearing everywhere. We’re going to raise some dust in the next hour or two. You’ll have a much better afternoon/evening.

Make Room to Work

If your household is anything like mine, horizontal surfaces are dumping grounds. Your first job is to clear the decks. (Not the literal deck, we’re talking metaphorical ones.) Find a permanent home for every orphaned item temporarily camping out on your table or other flat surfaces.

As always, we work top to bottom, left to right, wet to dry. There is a method to this madness. We knock the dust down and get rid of it. If we worked in any other order, we would be sending dust flying and sticking to damp things, undoing our work.

Clean the Light

So, start with your light fixtures and/or fan. Clean those light globes and replace any dead or missing bulbs. You can get used to living in a dim place and you’ll truly appreciate the light when it does shine.

And while we’re talking about light, every time I tell you to clean your light fixtures, I think of this lovely story by Dr. Bertice Berry, one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram.

I find it a good thing to roll around in my head regularly and when I’m cleaning up and letting the light into my home is just as good a time as any.

Dust Top to Bottom

So, now that you’ve finished your light fixture/fan, knock down any cobwebs and dust the top of any tall furniture like china hutches or book shelves.

Dust any drapes or remove them to be cleaned/washed. Use the soft bristle attachment on your vacuum if you’re vacuuming. If you have blinds, dust, then open them fully. Wash your window(s) if you have them.

Dust any picture frames or art.

If you have furniture like a china cabinet, buffet, etc. Dust and organize these working from left to right.

Thoroughly clean your table and chairs. How you approach this job is going to vary depending on what your table is made of and what kind of people you typically feed. If you have small children. I’m sorry, you’re going to be there a while, thems the breaks.

I hate chair slats, but the soft bristle attachment can usually get most of the crumbs that get caught in them.

Don’t forget to give the legs of your table a good look, too. While you’re down there, take a quick peek up at the underside of your table if you have kids and make sure none of them have added any gum to the fun. If so, scrape it off.

And the Floor, Dry to Wet.

Now comes our fun trip around the baseboards. You know the drill, soft bristle attachment, followed by crevice tool if you have carpet. If you don’t, just one trip with the soft bristle attachment should do, unless they are really bad. If they are grimy, a rag with a dilute degreaser should do the trick.

Rehang any curtains or drapes.

If you have carpeting or rugs vacuum those thoroughly. Finally, if you have tile, linoleum, or wood. sweep and damp mop as appropriate for the flooring.

*WHEW*

You just finished week six, you are over a third and nearly halfway done. Your home is starting to feel different now, isn’t it? Let yourself enjoy this.

Take stock in what you’ve accomplished so far:

• A Deep Decluttering Kick-Off
• A Kitchen Deep Clean
• A Bathroom Deep Clean
• You’ve Deep Cleaned Your Bed Room
• The Family Room has been Deep Cleaned

And today, you knocked out the dining room/area. If you think about it, these are the major areas in most homes. If you use the chore routine linked to that sticky note above, you’ll be able to keep these areas in good shape without herculean effort. Good habits make lighter work, and it’s annoying but true.

See you next week!

The layout of homes has changed a lot over the years. All it takes is watching any home renovation show to hear plans of ripping out all the walls to open the space up. Now, after having been home with six children for more than a year, do you know what I would give for more doors on the main floor?

That said, today we are cleaning the living room is what’s happening today. We’ll define it as the one that probably has a TV or fireplace in it and usually does not, but may contain your dining room table, if you have an open floor plan. You may want to draw an imaginary line, because we will be tackling the dining room [area] another day.

Again, we will be working top to bottom, left to right, and dry to wet. And just like the past few weeks, don’t try to do this all at once. The mess didn’t get created in one day and if you don’t have the energy, you don’t have to fix it in one day. If you have other people in your home, make them help. Take breaks.

Load up your favorite podcast, music, or audio book and let’s get started!

Gather your tools:

• A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and an edge tool if you have carpeting
• Window cleaner and paper towels or newspaper
• A microfibre cloth (for cleaning any electronic screens)
• If you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag)
• A stepladder or sturdy chair
• Maybe a screwdriver (standard or Philip’s head, that’s the cross-type, depending) I really like the ones that you can flip the tip out for small jobs. They aren’t the best for big jobs though
• Appropriate floor cleaner if you have tile or hardwood
• Dilute degreaser
• If you have allergies, grab one of the masks we’ve been wearing everywhere. We’re going to raise some dust in the next hour or two. You’ll have a much better afternoon/evening. (When I say grab it, I do mean to wear it)

At the top:

Just like last week in the bedroom, if you have a ceiling fan with or without a light fixture, let’s start with that. Turn it off at the switch, remove any globes and clean those. If they are especially gross, a trip through the dishwasher will get them sparkling clean. Clean the fan blades next.

While you still have your stepladder or sturdy chair out, attack any cobwebs lurking in the corners.

Dust the tops of any bookshelves, window frames, or curtains, if you don’t plan on sending the curtains through the wash. You may want to use the soft bristle attachment to your vacuum for these dusting tasks. If you are going to wash your curtains, now is the time to take them down and get them started.

Continuing working our way down, vacuum any blinds, then raise them fully. If you have bookshelves dust your books and knick-knacks, only returning the items that you truly love. If you have a fireplace, now is the time to dust the mantle. If your TV is mounted to the wall, dust this carefully.

Halfway Down

We are now working somewhere between shoulder and waist-level so here’s where the rooms will really begin to differ based on who lives in your home. Have young children? You’re probably going to be spending some time with a magic eraser removing marks from the walls. No young kids? Enjoy going through your media collection and organizing it. (Maybe you’ve already converted to all streaming, yay you!). Teenagers who spend all their time playing video games. Put them to work organizing their cords and games.

Wash the windows.

Remove the cushions from any furniture and give the underside a good vacuum to get rid of all the crumbs left by the “No Mom, I never eat in the living room” crew. If you have leather furniture, clean and condition it. If your furniture is upholstered or microsuede, give it a good vacuum all over. If you don’t live alone, send someone outside to beat the dust out of the pillows before giving them a good vacuum.

Clear any end or coffee tables. Recycle any old magazines. If you were saving an entire magazine for that one recipe, just take a picture of the recipe, then get rid of it.

If there is a toy box… go through it. Godspeed, my friend. I know this pain. You may have better luck if you send your spouse out of the house with the kids.

Dust and polish any wooden furniture.

Finally at floor level

Pull the furniture you can manage away from the wall or better yet, make someone else do that. Marvel at all the things that have found their way behind and under these objects and clean this up.

Now it’s time for everyone’s favorite, baseboards! Again depending on your style and whether or not you have carpeting in this room, you can make one or two laps. If there’s just a light layer of dust and you have carpeting, switch back and forth between the bristle attachment and the crevice tool to tackle both the edge of the carpet and your baseboards in one go. If the baseboards are filthy, use a rag dampened with degreaser to clean them well.

Vacuum the room thoroughly if it is carpeted or sweep and mop with the appropriate floor cleaner if it is not.

Rehang the curtains, if you took them down.

Replace the furniture (or again, make someone else do this) and congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Fin.

Make Room to Work

A clean bedroom can help start your day with a sense of peace and control, so if you didn’t clear clutter during week one, today I want you to do so without mercy. I am not talking about sentimental objects. I mean empty glasses on the nightstand, that pile of books that belong on the shelf or donated to the little library down the street.

The pile of clothes you’re never going to wear again because your office has now gone fully remote and your corporate headquarters are selling your physical branch? Just save a couple of pieces for interviews or for when it’s safe, and you want to work from a co-working space or Starbucks. We will get there; just not this week.

Should we talk about the clothes rack Stairmaster?

Don’t hang on to guilt. Find your inner Elsa and ♫ Let it go!

Gather your Tools

• A vacuum with a soft bristle attachment and an edge tool if you have carpeting
• Window cleaner and paper towels or newspaper
• If you have wood furniture polish and an applicator (rag)
• A stepladder or sturdy chair
• Maybe a screwdriver (standard or Philip’s head, that’s the cross-type, depending) I really like the ones that you can flip the tip out for small jobs. They aren’t the best for big jobs though
• Appropriate floor cleaner if you have tile or hardwood
• Dilute degreaser
• If you have allergies, grab one of the masks we’ve been wearing everywhere. We’re going to raise some dust in the next hour or two. You’ll have a much better afternoon/evening. (When I say grab it, I do mean to wear it)

Now load up your favorite music, audiobook or podcasts and let’s get going.

Start Top to Bottom

If you have a ceiling fan, we’re going to tackle this first, but we’re going to be smart about it by moving the duvet or bedspread and pillows to another location first. You don’t need to sleep with the dust you’re about to raise.

Whether or not you have a fan attached, carefully remove the glass or globe. You may need a screwdriver for this task or it may be held in place with a fitter screw (the kind you can just twist with your fingers, and yes, I had to look up what they are called.) Take the glass or globe to a sink and carefully clean them. You will be amazed at the difference. When everything is reassembled.

While the glass is drying, climb back up and carefully wipe down the fan blades. It’s best to use a slightly damp rag (NOT soaking or dripping). I promise there are usually only 4 or 5 blades unless you have one of those fancy-pants expensive fans. Do not spray the fan itself with cleaner. It is an electric appliance. Use your rag to wipe down the motor base and remove the rest of the dust. Give any pull chains a quick once over, too.

Reassemble the light fixture.

Check the corners of the room for cobwebs and knock those down. If you have curtains or a valance in your bedroom your next step is going to be highly dependent on your available time and the care they require. If they are washable, you can run them through the laundry or you can vacuum them with the soft bristle attachment.

Next up are your window blinds, if you have them. Give them a good, but gentle vacuuming with your soft-bristle attachment.

Then raise the blinds and vacuum all parts of the window with the attachment, before washing the window with window cleaner. If your window is in really rough shape. We’ve got help for that.

Every bedroom is slightly different, so I can’t give you a perfect checklist of what to do for the middle steps. Strip the bed, down to the mattress and give it a good vacuum. If you have a standard, coil spring non-pillowtop mattress, rotate the mattress according to where you are on the schedule (After three months you turn it so the head is at the feet and after another three months you give it a flip.) Other types of mattresses require different types of care, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Wash the mattress pad and sheets before replacing them.

Clean Left to Right

To keep some method to this madness of cleaning your bedroom, stand in your doorway, and approach your room in sections, working from left to right. The dirtier the room, the smaller the section. Organized adult? 6×6. Unsupervised teenager? 2×2. You know you, you decide.

Whatever size your square, don’t move on until that small section of floor is completely clear, the dresser top has been tackled, the mirror has been polished, or that shelf has been organized and dusted.

Once you have finished the cleaning and organizing portion, it’s time to deal with one of my least favorite parts of the bedrooms, the baseboards and, if you have carpet, the crevice between the carpet and wall. My method is to sit on the floor with the vacuum hose in hand with both the crevice tool and soft bristle attachment at the ready and work my way around the room, attacking both at the same time. You may prefer to do two laps.

Suppose the baseboards are filthy, perhaps because a dog likes to lean on that part of the wall. A dilute degreaser will take care of that. Of course, please test in an inconspicuous area.

Vacuum or sweep the rest of the room.

Final touches

Get a rag dampened with a dilute degreaser and wipe the lightswitch plate, the door jam, and the area of your door around your doorknob.

Make your bed.

Now congratulate yourself and take a few moments to enjoy your bedroom or take a nap, your choice.

Thursdays mean clean bathrooms here on Home-Ec 101. Don’t believe me? Please check out the printable weekly chore chart or look at the ever-popular sticky note right there –>.

What if you’re a Home-Ec n00b? Don’t be ashamed. We all start somewhere, and not everyone’s parental units taught them essential life skills like cleaning toilets.

It’s okay.

It’s what keeps this site going*. (Parents, don’t teach your kids anything, I’d like to be helpful for the NEXT generation, too.) I kid, please teach your kids to clean. . . Please? If for no other reason to get a break from doing it yourself for a few precious years. As my own kids slowly begin taking over chores, I’m starting to think that’s what empty nesters actually miss, the ability to persuade, bribe, or sometimes even just ask someone else to take over the chores we hate.

Today we’re going through a bathroom cleaning how-to. (Would anyone like this in video format? I can probably pull that off now)

How to Clean the Bathroom

Remember how to clean like a professional?

Say it with me: Top to bottom, left to right, dry to wet.

Before you choose your bathroom chemicals, I’d like to point you in the direction of the Home-Ec 101 Guide to Household Chemicals (I got rid of the ones you probably wouldn’t even think about using in the bathroom). DO NOT MIX BLEACH with anything. Got it?

• How to Use Chlorine Bleach Safely
• How to Use Rubbing Alcohol Safely
• Hydrogen Peroxide and Oxygen Bleach (You’ll probably only use this stained grout)
• Is Synthetic or Distilled Vinegar the Same as Cider Vinegar for Cleaning?
• Is Vinegar a Safe Alternative for Chlorine Bleach
• Use Caution with Homemade Cleaning Solutions and NEVER Mix Bleach and Vinegar
• How to Use Bar Keepers Friend
• What is Sodium Percarbonate (back to the grout)

So, let’s gather our bathroom cleaning supplies (this is for heavy-duty, deep clean, you don’t need ALL of these items every time, keep what you use daily in the bathroom if possible)

• Broom (if the exhaust fan is dusty, you may want a foxtail or whisk broom and step ladder, or grab an old pillowcase and put that over the broom straw)
• Vacuum preferably with a soft-bristled brush
• Rags
• Paper Towels or coffee filters or newspaper -for the mirror/window
• Bucket
• Mop
• Grout Brush -if you have tile
• Acid-Based All-Purpose Cleaner
• Bar Keepers Friend -not for use on acrylic
• Q-Tips
• Squeegee -optional
• Window Cleaner
• Carnuba Wax – optional
• Fan -if there isn’t a window/exhaust fan… bathroom cleaning should always be done in a well-ventilated situation.

Let’s get started with Bathroom Cleaning 101.

Take a deep breath (this is always a good idea BEFORE going into the bathroom), load up your playlist—I swear I’m going to get the Home-Ec 101 Cleaning Playlist done one of these days; until then, make a fun list on Spotify. I like Glee to an embarrassing degree. We all have our dirty little secrets.

Now open the bathroom door all the way and then open the window or turn on the exhaust fan.

I used to clean a lot of bathrooms—three at home and six at work. Thankfully my kids generally aren’t as nasty as drunken men, but sometimes. . .

Clear the room. Put all of the items on the vanity or counter somewhere else. Take any rugs that need to be washed straight to the laundry, unless you tend to clean down the rabbit trail and in that case, just ditch them outside the door. Do the same for any hanging towels. Don’t forget to clear out the “library materials,” too.

Start at the top.

Put the pillowcase over the broom straw and knock down any cobwebs. Grab your foxtail or the vacuum with the soft bristle attachment and vacuum the exhaust fan.

Wipe the light fixtures with a rag. If they are particularly gross, run them through the dishwasher or use glass cleaner applied to the towel, not sprayed onto the fixture to clean the globes and all-purpose cleaner to clean the fixture itself. Accidentally break a light bulb off in the socket? We can help. Replace any burnt-out bulbs while you’re in there unless that would make your ADD go into high gear.

Sweep off any dry dust and hair debris from counters and ledges. Then thoroughly sweep the floor. If you knocked a lot of dust bunnies into the shower pan or tub and it is COMPLETELY dry, go ahead and use the vacuum to suck up that fun mess. Just in case I’m not clear, I mean the vacuum tools, not picking up the entire appliance and putting it into the tub. Got it?

We now conclude the dry portion of your bathroom cleaning project.

Put your toilet cleaner into the bowl. If it’s the kind with the angled neck, you can just squirt up under the rim and call it good for the moment. If not, add the cleaner to the water and give a quick scrub with the toilet brush to make sure there is cleaner all over the bowl’s INSIDE, especially up under the rim. You are not done cleaning the toilet, but close the lid anyway and move on. Chemicals need time to work, and the more you let your cleaner work on its own, the less physical scrubbing you’ll have to do.

If it has been a very long time since you have cleaned your toilet, check out: How to clean a very dirty toilet for some in-depth directions.

Do your painted walls need to be cleaned? Dilute white vinegar should do the trick. Always test in an inconspicuous area, especially with flat or matte finish paints.

Spray your cleaner of choice onto the sink and counter or vanity and, like the toilet, give it a moment to work, unless you like scrubbing at toothpaste deposits.

Next Up – Clean the shower and tub. (Here’s a handy list of tub and shower cleaning related articles)

• How to Clean Up After a Toilet Overflow
• How to Clean the Bathtub
• How to Clean a Very Dirty Bathtub
• How to Clean Tile
• How to Repair Stained Grout
• How to Clean Cultured Marble
• How to Clean a Jetted Tub
• How to Get Rid of Hairspray Residue
• How to Get Rid of Pink Shower Mold
• How to Clean Moldy Shower Tile
• Hard Water Spots in the Shower
• Why Do Hard Water Spots Come Back?

And back to the sink vanity and mirror. Again with the left to right, top to bottom thing.

Spray and wipe the mirror, and then use paper towels or rags to finish cleaning the sink and surrounding area. While you’re at it, give the cabinet -if you have one—a good cleaning. Q-Tips can definitely come in handy for this portion of your bathroom cleaning adventure. Here’s how to clean those tight little cabinet corners. (Yes, at one point, Q-Tips did sponsor some content, and this is my old bathroom from 9 years ago, ha!)

Don’t forget behind the faucet and the holes designed to keep your sink from overflowing, as those areas can get pretty funky.

Is your sink not draining properly? It may be time to clear out the trap, which is a pretty easy project and should take less than ten minutes.

And here we are. It’s time to clean the toilet.

• How to Clean a Toilet

And for that horrible area behind the bolts that attach the seat, I’ve got another suggestion:

Now grab one of your rags, preferably NOT the one used on the toilet. Spray it with a little of your all-purpose cleaner or dilute white vinegar and wipe the grime off the toe boards/ molding. Grab your mop and give the floor a good going over, paying particular attention to the area around the toilet, ESPECIALLY if you have boys or men in the house.

• How to Mop
• How to Choose and Clean a Mop

Replace all of your bathroom towels, rugs/mats after the floor is completely dry and call it a day.

Regular maintenance will prevent this chore from needing this level of intensity in the future.

I need a nap.

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Click here to access a detailed checklist to help you deep clean your kitchen.

I do know that not everyone has the same abilities.

Some of you may not have the physical abilities to climb a step ladder due to balance issues or mobility differences. Tackle what you can, there’s no competition.

The checklist is just so you know what you’ve done and know what you may want to ask for help with later.

Additionally, some of you are geographically challenged and it isn’t going to actually be warm for some time. So, please note that while we are doing a quick cleaning of the floors while we are in here, the floors themselves are something we will revisit later.

Why?

I know some of you live in snow country, and that snow is still very possible, which means dirt and mud are still being tracked in. One late snowstorm could undo all of your hard work. We’ll try to avoid that since I’m not here to create frustration.

Finally, yes, there is a quick fridge clean out, but there is not a deep fridge clean out? :drum roll: this is another week in our spring cleaning challenge. I don’t want today’s activity to take your entire Saturday.

I know this list is quite detailed, I’ve got teenagers.

Over the last few years, I’ve learned that if I want a job done to my standards, I must list each task or don’t get done. I actually had to shorten our home’s list to get it to fit on one page. The one for our kitchen has to list each counter and each appliance individually. I think you’ve got this, right? Right.

Not everyone’s home is the same. I understand that some people live in small apartments and some people live in large houses with many rooms. So for today keep the following in mind:

If your pantry is part of your kitchen (I consider your spices part of your pantry), we’ll be dealing with that section another day. If you have an eat-in kitchen and no dining room, you can save the thorough cleaning of your table for the dining room day, because we’ll tackle that later, too.

For some of you, this will be a big job because you have let mess accumulate for a long time. For some of you, even though there’s a lot of writing, it’s going to be a breeze. Ready, set, go!

Gather your tools and people who help create messes:

To clean the kitchen we need:

• Rubber gloves, preferably with cuffs
• degreaser/ all-purpose cleaner I like Pine-sol for nostalgia reasons and Method Pink Grapefruit wherever a spray works better
• a bucket (or if you have a double sink, you can use half of that for everything but the mopping)
• rags and probably a few paper towels
• a vacuum, hopefully with a soft brush attachment
• a broom
• a dustpan
• a mop
• window cleaner
• closed-toe shoes*

*Not optional, you are working in a room with knives and glass and there’s still a pandemic happening. Do you want to go to the ER right now? I don’t think so.

How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen

Make Room

Clear the dirty dishes

We start with the dishes to create some space. If this dishwasher is clean, unload and load it. Wash and dry any remaining dishes, but do not put those away. You’ll just be pulling those out later, so why create more work?

Silverware and utensil drawer(s).

Remover the silverware/utensils, vacuum out the crumbs, then wipe out with either an all-purpose spray or a very dilute degreaser. Yes, you can use 50:50 vinegar and water, if this is your preference. Replace the contents.

Cupboards

Then the glassware cupboard, empty it, wipe the shelving and doors with degreaser. Use glass cleaner if you have glass panes (not on the glassware itself, please). Then, replace the glassware.

Next up, the dishware cupboards, empty, wipe, replace. (Sense a theme?) This should take care of most of the dishes you unloaded earlier. If you had a bunch of pots, too skip ahead and take care of the interior of the lower cupboard (I’m assuming here) that holds those.

The goal is to get everything clean put away before we get to the probably mess spreading next step.

Top to Bottom/Dry to Wet

First, remove any cobwebs in the upper corners.

Then if you aren’t lucky enough to have soffits that prevent you from pack-ratting and you have been using the top of your cabinets for storage, clear that stuff out. (If you didn’t last week, if you did, YAY past you!)

Dust thoroughly. Start with vacuuming. Unfortunately, you will probably also need your degreaser. Cooking creates floating grease particles, which creates a sticky film for the dust to stick to.

Unload and wipe/vacuum the top of the refrigerator while you are either standing on your counters or a stepladder/sturdy chair.

Clean your light fixture(s).

The Refrigerator

One shelf or drawer at a time, remove the items. Get rid of expired items and things you KNOW you aren’t going to use. It’s okay, you didn’t like the curry paste, let it go. Wipe down the walls and the shelf or drawer.

The microwave is next. This one is easier if you fill a microwave safe bowl with water and add a quarter to a half cup of vinegar. Place the bowl in the microwave and set it for five minutes. Leave it for an additional five minutes before wiping it out. This is usually enough to soften whatever cooked on spatters you have. You may need to repeat this a couple of times if you have been especially careless or it has been a long time since you’ve wiped out your microwave.

Tackle the stove while the microwave does its thing. Today we’re just doing the outside. We’re saving the inside for another day. If you have a very dirty smooth top, you can address that now or save it for when we come back to this appliance. It’s up to you.

Work from Left to Right

Clear each counter space and get rid of any accumulated junk (Congratulate yourself if you gave yourself a headstart last week). Wipe down that section of the counter with your degreaser, as well as the backsplash and/or wall behind it. Then wipe down all of the items you removed and replace only the ones that belong. Yell loudly at the people who left their stuff to come and get it. Just kidding, they should be there helping, speak to them like a reasonable human being.

Clean and shine the sink and faucet. Use window cleaner cleaner if you want to give it that extra sparkle.

Thoroughly wipe down the rest of your appliances and windows/doors.

Clean the kitchen table and chairs, if you have one. (We will be revisiting tables and chairs, so this is a crumb removal not a deep clean and polish).

Vacuum with the crevice tool under every cupboard and as far in between and behind every appliance as you can manage.

Sweep.

Mop.

Congratulate yourself, you’re done.

Don’t tell anyone, this I’m even starting to get very hopeful that it’s not a train.

We just hit a milestone this week with over 100 million doses delivered in the US. We still have a long, long way to go, but this is a big…shot in the arm, so to speak.

So, as the days are getting longer, let’s begin to shake off the winter blues and dig out from under the weight of all the things. We may not be ready to start celebrating, but we can start getting ready. Eventually, we can have company again, won’t that be nice?

Today is the first day of Spring making it perfect for our launch. Today we’re going to hit the ground running with a hard-and-fast, take-no-prisoners tear-through-the-house and get rid of clutter removal spree.

I want you to start this project with a big win, so…

I’m going to link to a bunch of previous organizational challenge posts to help you , but what I really want you to do is go room to room and get rid of everything:

• you don’t like
• you don’t need
• or is just garbage that hasn’t been managed because of well, everything.

Speaking as someone who has just had to coach a constipated toddler through potty training, I promise, you are going to feel so much better when this is all over.

Why are we starting our spring cleaning with clutter clearing?

Because today—gestures upward at the chore sticky note—is Saturday, which means it’s project day.

Or did you not mean it like my teenagers—why do we have to at all— and want to know why we’re starting with getting rid of things instead of digging in and just cleaning the dirt?

Well, I’ve talked about the difference between organized, sanitary, and sterile before. It’s a lot more work to clean around your excess stuff than it is to get rid of it before you start to clean. So this kick-off clutter clearing is to make the next projects so much easier. The more you can get rid of, the easier your job will be.

You can Marie Kondo this if you would like, but I personally find it much easier to just clear the decks with ruthless abandon. I don’t get sentimentally attached to very many objects though. I have a couple of things from each kid when they were babies, but I’m more of a take a picture and move on kind of person. The kids get to keep (to a point) what matters to them. You may need to take a more measured approach. Know yourself before you start, so you don’t regret your strategy later.

What do you need for this clutter purge?

• Large trash bags, large plastic bins/totes, or heck even cardboard boxes to separate items bound for different destinations.
• A timer.
• A little get up and go.

How long will this clutter clearing project take?

How much stuff do you have, how big is your home, and are you the type to carefully consider each item or toss and move on?

I’m not psychic, I can’t answer that. You may not finish today, that’s ok, I am going to set this Spring Cleaning Series up as a get my act together (I’m still working on the name) email series that you can sign up for and repeat as many times as you need to. So, if you don’t get it done in the maximum of two hours I recommend you spend on it today? Don’t fret, you can come back to it.

Your stuff isn’t going anywhere, and frankly, neither am I.

Getting started.

This is where the timer comes in. You have one right there on your phone. Work on today’s project in 10 – 20 minute chunks of time, depending on your attention span/patience. Take a break between each session—to be clear, that’s a restroom break, a drink of water, find a new podcast/playlist, break up kids bickering over why they have to help, not a sit-down and binge the entirety of Law and Order SVU break.

Where to Start?

It doesn’t matter.

Here are some ideas from a previous organization challenge we did. Don’t try to do them all today. Just pick one as a starting point, grab your bags/bins and begin.

The entryway or dining room table is a great place. A lot of unnecessary trash piles up in both places. Get rid of junk mail immediately.

How about that shoe closet or coat closet? Do you really need that many pairs of shoes saved for yard work? Do you even do the yard work?

Head to your kitchen, can you see your counters? Open your pantry, how much of that is way past its expiration date? Dare you open your storage container cupboard? Will an avalanche happen?

Your closet? What clothes are you honestly never going to wear again?

The laundry room? The linen closet?

And then, if you have them. . . the kids’ rooms those are a treasure trove of clutter. The catch here is you need to engage their help. It’s unkind to just get rid of their stuff without their consent, unless they are very, very young. If they are so young that they are still in the out of sight, out of mind phase, involving them is crueler than not.

If your kid has been having a hard time due to the shutdowns, it would not be surprising if they are overwhelmed and their rooms likely show an effect of that overwhelm. Help them and be patient. I know it’s hard. Hang in there, I know exactly how hard it is.

If you share your home with others, get them involved, make it a challenge. No one likes looking at other people’s junk. Bribe the kids if you have to, it’ll be worth a trip to the Sonic drive-in or ordering a pizza for a treat if that is their currency. Maybe some extra screen time or a trip to the park. You know what will work. Use it.

Remember, today is not about finishing anything.

Today is only about getting rid of as much of your home’s excess as you can in two hours. The linked articles above are just for brainstorming.

Donate what you can, recycle* what you can’t, and take the rest straight to your county’s convenience site if you have one or set them aside for trash day.

*Best Buy usually has some boxes near the front of the store where you can take all those cords that you have no idea why you still have them.

Ready?

Set.

Go!

I just read your article on Hydrogen Peroxide. I just love your website!

I was wondering what you use to disinfect/sanitize your kitchen counters. I am trying to find something natural and have a hard time finding information on what actually kills bacteria, germs, etc.

I read one way to kill bacteria/germs is to first spray with vinegar and wipe and then spray with hydrogen peroxide and wipe. But no info on how long you leave it on before you wipe.

Do you know? Do you know if this kills bad stuff?

Thanks for your help; I really appreciate it!

Signed,
Squeaky Clean in Squamish

Thank you for your kind words. When it comes to food safety, I think it’s important to understand that while I understand not wanting to expose ourselves to unnecessary, harmful chemicals. I also know that food poisoning can be a nightmare, especially in infants or those with compromised immune systems.

Important note:

If you take an acid inhibitor, you have a compromised immune system.

Your stomach’s pH level is one of the body’s first lines of defense against food-borne pathogens. All of those guidelines about undercooked shellfish, meat, and eggs are referring to you.

While your body’s defenses are not as compromised as someone undergoing chemotherapy or taking anti-rejection medications, it does matter.

What microorganisms are you most likely going to run into in a kitchen?*

Keep in mind, this is just a brief overview and should not be used to cram for your microbiology exam.

First, we have our good friend E.coli. This guy is actually a diverse range of bacteria. Like people, some are helpful and friendly, and then there are a few who are not. Infectious strains of E. coli can be transferred on produce, by sick people, and on raw meat. An E. coli infection is generally mild—but don’t tell someone currently suffering that diarrhea and cramps are “mild”—an adult will usually recover in about a week. However, children and the elderly take a little longer and are more likely to develop complications that affect the kidneys.

Next up, we have Sal. . . you know, salmonella? This bacteria is associated strongly with chickens’ intestinal tract, and contamination can occur from the meat or eggs. These nasty bacteria also produce diarrhea and cramps. Salmonellosis is a bit more severe, and it can take a bit longer for everything to return to normal and reactive arthritis is a potential complication. Again, young children and the elderly are more at risk with this bacteria. A word of warning, reptiles are also known carriers of salmonella, and generally, young children and infants should be kept away from them.

These are the two most widely recognized kitchen pathogens, but there are a few more out there.

Campylobacter is another diarrhea-causing bacteria. This one is probably the most common, but most people don’t go to the doctor over it, so it is believed to be widely unreported. While it doesn’t take many of these little guys to make a person sick, these bacteria are also extremely fragile, and the most basic hygiene practices will generally prevent an issue.

Listeria is more complicated. Only about 1600 people a year become infected with listeria annually. But this bacteria is especially problematic for pregnant women. The infection can cause miscarriage and is the 3rd leading cause of death by food poisoning.  As listeria is most commonly associated with not-cooked foods, the CDC and public health services work to quickly identify and eliminate the source of outbreaks. It is a special snowflake, and there is not much you, as an average consumer, can do to avoid listeria other than not eat foods most commonly linked to the bacteria. That said, even some produce has been listed as the source of an outbreak. Follow guidelines and hope for the best. Sometimes as people, we’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not too long ago, Blue Bell Ice Cream was the source of an outbreak.

To keep your kitchen safe and clean, there are a few basic guidelines to follow:

WASH YOUR HANDS

This one doesn’t even get a number.

• Wash your hands before you cook.
• After touching raw meat or eggs.
• Before you handle cooked foods. 
• And again, just one more time to be sure.

Plain old soap and warm water will do. Anti-bacterial soaps may do more harm than good in the long run.

The FDA has a campaign called Fight Bac that breaks food safety down simply.

1. Keep refrigerated foods refrigerated.

Cold temperatures do not kill the bacteria, but they do reduce the rate at which they reproduce. A person is less likely to get sick if they only come in contact with a couple of bacteria than if the bacteria have the chance to grow unhindered.

2. Wash your produce.

Bacteria are not supervillains. If bacteria is on produce, it can generally be rinsed off.

3. Prevent cross-contamination.

When chicken or other raw meats are in your refrigerator, they should be stored on the lowest possible shelf to prevent any liquid from dripping onto other food products.

Use separate cutting boards. Different colors are super useful to prevent accidental contamination.

Wash cutting boards thoroughly with warm, soapy water, rinse, and sanitize. This three-step process ensures that bacteria are removed from the surface, and any hiding in tiny crevices are killed, too.

4. Avoid the bacterial danger zone.**

This is especially important when serving food. If food should be refrigerated, it should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. If food is served hot, it should not be below 130°F for more than two hours.

The range in-between 40°F and 130°F is known as the danger zone.

5. Reheat leftovers thoroughly.

Get those leftovers above the bacterial danger zone to kill anything that may have set up camp in your food.

Cleaning

Finally, to get to the specifics of your question.

When sanitizing your cutting boards and counters, you have three solid options to prevent contamination.

1. Distilled 5% vinegar –

Undiluted – heated to 130°F.

Spray on the surface and allow to sit for one minute before wiping.

Room temperature distilled vinegar needs to sit for 10 minutes and is not effective against Listeria or E. coli.

2. Dilute Bleach – (read about diluting chlorine bleach properly)

The solution should be sprayed on the surface and allowed to sit for one minute before wiping.

3. Food Grade 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

Heated to 130°F – sprayed on the surface and allowed to sit for one minute

Room temperature hydrogen peroxide is effective against salmonella after ten minutes but not E. coli or listeria.

Please note that food-grade hydrogen peroxide is not the peroxide you find in the pharmacy. Be careful with undiluted food-grade hydrogen peroxide and follow all instructions to the letter.

My personal choice is to use diluted chlorine bleach. I’m comfortable with the process after spending years in commercial kitchens.

*I’m not covering parasites today. We’ll save that fun for another day.
**Yes, I have Top Gun flashbacks every time I write the phrase “Danger Zone.”

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

References:
http://www.cdc.gov/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/e-coli/basics/risk-factors/con-20032105
https://food.unl.edu/safety/salmonella
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/escherichia-coli-pa-eng.php
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/BuyStoreServeSafeFood/ucm341283.htm

First, know your literal, next-door neighbors.

Know their names and phone numbers. Yes, this means you might have to introduce yourself after having lived in your neighborhood or apartment complex for several years. (If your neighbors are a little weird, maybe use a Google Voice number so you don’t have to change your real number later.) Do it, just find a reason. Heck, blame me, I can take it. I’ve got four teenagers, everything is my fault anyway. UGH, I am the worst.

Know so you can call them if you get stuck in a ridiculous traffic jam and can’t get home to let poor Fido out.

Know your neighbors so that you can pick up their packages. I mean, really, you signed up to NextDoor and heard about the porch pirates in the area. You also know they don’t get home until late in the evening, and you saw the FedEx truck arrive early in the day. You don’t want them to worry when their package isn’t there when they get home. Please smile at their Ring camera AND send a text when you pick up the package. I mean YOU aren’t a porch pirate and don’t want to end up with your photo on Nextdoor, right? Right.

Also, know them so you can check-in if you don’t see them for a while to make sure everything is okay with them. If you have an elderly neighbor who is normally out tending her plants and the plants start looking poorly and she didn’t mention going to visit her grandkids, give her a call. Maybe she is on vacation and just forgot to ask someone to keep an eye on her plants, but aren’t you glad you asked?

Know your GEOGRAPHICAL neighbors.

You have a battery-operated weather radio, right? Right. How can you make sense of that monotone voice if you don’t know your neighboring counties and their general direction? Where is Rutherford County? Is that to our North northwest? or South southeast? Do we have to go sit in the closet now? See, knowing will help determine how long you spend in a stuffy closet or chilling in a storm cellar if you are lucky enough to have one of those.

How much is enough? It depends on where you live.

If you are out in the plains states, well, your monster tornadoes can go a long way even though your counties are gargantuan.

If you’re in New England, your states and counties are pretty tiny so severe weather can impact quite a few counties as it moves through.

I can’t think “Tri-State Area” without hearing Doofenschmirtz, one of my favorite villains of all time, thank you very much, but I think it’s a pretty reasonable range to be at least a little familiar with IF you are in a smaller state or near a border of a couple of states. If you are in the middle of a big state with gigantic counties—looking at you, Texas—know Texas.

But Heather, where can I find a resource to learn the counties in my state? Don’t worry your pretty little head; I’ve got you covered. The 2000 Census has an excellent resource with a list of state by state county outline maps. If this gets updated, I will update the link.

Know Your Physical Neighbors, Wherever You Are

This is being written in 2021 after many of us haven’t gone many places beyond the grocery store in the last year, but it counts even in the grocery store. Ask me sometime about my ridiculously bad encounter with a terrible person* at Aldi’s a couple of months ago. All I’m going to say publicly is you have probably never seen Aldi’s open up so many registers so quickly. There’s a six-foot guideline for a reason, and she had no idea I had that much emotional baggage hidden in my cart in addition to that week’s worth of groceries for a family of eight. She needed to step back; I had nowhere I could go. I had made the mistake of letting someone in my bubble without paying attention, and I was too wrapped up in making sure I had everything on my list.

*She could have just been having a bad day. I know I’d just been about to ask if she wanted to cut me in line when things went sideways.

The point is always to be aware of who is around you when you are out and about. This counts for in traffic, too. The next time you are out driving, pay attention to how many signs have been damaged by people just going off the road. Maybe they had to stop suddenly to avoid hitting another car, or perhaps they were driving under the influence. I don’t know. All I know is that just on the drive from here to my kids’ school (only a few miles), we see the evidence of a LOT of single-car accidents in the mornings. We don’t have that many deer, so it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduct inattentive driving or driving under the influence as a likely part of the problem.

This awareness doesn’t count only for yourself. Pay attention, and don’t be scared to make a scene if you have to. That scene may matter. Be a little nosy. Watch those interactions.

This scenario is pretty stereotypical, but it’s just an example scenario, so bear with my heteronormativity (as I’m sure my kids will fuss at me for):

Did that guy buying that tipsy girl another drink arrive with her? Go ahead and take a slight detour to the restroom when she goes to make sure she’s okay. (If you’re not a female home-eccer, obviously don’t follow her into the restroom. Check-in with the bartender and ask a couple of questions.) The important thing to remember is this. You can always apologize for being a little nosy. You don’t want to bear the burden of staying silent if something happens and you didn’t say anything.

This next part is very important and has to be said:

There is a caution I want to add to the first and last situations, and it’s going to be a little hard to phrase correctly because I am white and therefore privileged in ways that I often take for granted. When I say be nosy, I don’t mean you should interfere in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) existing and going about their lives. A BIPOC person walking down the street is not suspicious and just because you don’t recognize them is no reason to report it on Nextdoor or to the police. Stop and think. If the person were white and doing exactly what this person is doing, would it cause you concern? No? Move along and mind your own business. We ALL have biases. If we are ever going to improve as a society, it’s critical to allow ourselves time for second thoughts to check and question our first thoughts before speaking or acting. There’s too much hate in this world, don’t add to it.

Additionally, note that we’re at what is hopefully the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of this writing. Some of the advice here will relate to that. After the pandemic is officially over masks may not be necessary, other sanitation suggestions will always apply to shelter situations where many households are staying in fairly close quarters.

Ready?

Often we have some warning before evacuations. Living in hurricane country, I’m pretty sure that “cone of uncertainty” is responsible for a lot of stress eating in the late summer and fall. (That’s the peak of the season.) If you live in an area known for flooding, you can generally see the weather patterns that will bring the heavy rain that can cause the water to rise, or dam inspectors may find stress fractures that indicate a dam is no longer safe prior to it giving way. Those of you who live in wildfire country know which way the wind is blowing, so you may have a couple of hours before having to leave.

But, there are also times when we don’t have a warning that we’ll have to evacuate, a chemical spill on a highway or train tracks, a fire at a chemical plant, the aftermath of a tornado, or earthquake are all examples that come to mind.

What to do?

Have an evacuation plan.

Where will you evacuate?

First, have conversations now. What friends or family members could take you, your family members (if you don’t live alone), and your pets, on short notice, if you have to evacuate? Which friends or family members could you take in if they had to leave their homes on short notice? Offers of reciprocation make these conversations much easier to have.

Will it be comfortable? No. Will it be a good time? No, everyone will still be stressed out of their minds, but at least there is one less thing to worry about, a safe place to stay.

Remember, if you have to evacuate and combine households during COVID-19, you need to mask up, until you are absolutely sure no one is carrying the virus, to avoid spreading it between households. How you manage this will depend on what resources are available where you evacuated to. If there is testing available, great! Just remember there is a window between when you catch the virus and when it can be detected. If everyone has been lucky enough to be vaccinated and had enough time for the vaccination to have taken effect, according to the CDC this is not necessary. (I am hoping this will soon be the majority scenario).

What if you don’t have friends or family you can use as an evacuation destination?

Pick three different motels that fit your needs in three different towns an hour or so away from your home and store their direct phone numbers in your phone (and in your readiness bag). When you are making your evacuation plan, think about the main reasons you would need to evacuate and choose the directions you would travel based on those needs. If you live in hurricane country, choose motels that are inland, but perhaps not right off of the interstate. If you live where wildfires are an issue, choose in a direction away from the general prevailing winds.

Then when you have to evacuate, call them as soon as you are on the road to reserve your room(s). By doing your research now, you are way ahead of the game. Check once a year to make sure they are still in business and update your list accordingly.

I can’t afford a motel.

It’s okay. You are exactly who evacuation shelters are made for and there is no shame in that. Your government has made plans for you, please don’t put off going if you need to use one. If you wait until conditions deteriorate, you may not only put your life in danger but any first responders who have to help you.

If you are a pet owner and must take your pet with you, pay attention to which shelters take animals, most only take service animals (not support animals). You must also supply everything for your pet, the shelter does not provide for your pet.

How will you evacuate?

Consider your transportation.

Look, I’m human, I’ve played the I’ll get gas in the morning game, too.

It’s not smart.

Try to always keep 1/2 a tank of gas in your car OR if you have the SAFE storage space, keep a rotating supply of gasoline at home. This is not advice for apartment dwellers, sorry folks.

It’s essential to rotate that gas on a last-in-first-out basis; gasoline does not store forever, gas with ethanol has an even shorter life-span, so have a few storage containers and rotate through them regularly. (Use them in your lawnmower, top off your car, etc.) and then fill them back up. Number the cans to keep track. If you have to evacuate, top off your car and bring any extra full cans with you. Traffic may be terrible.

Know more than one route to your destination. For example: if you are being evacuated because of a chemical spill on the nearby highway, you will not be able to use that as your route. If you are leaving to escape wild fires, your usual route may be in the fire’s path and you may need to go a different way.

If you don’t have your own vehicle, you either need to have more conversations with friends/family or learn the emergency routes of the public transportation system closest to where you live.

And finally, we’re back to your go bag or as one reader suggested, your readiness bag—I really like that idea. What goes in that? I’ve got you covered.

In addition to your readiness bag, I strongly suggest taking a quick tour of your home and using your phone’s video capabilities to record as much of the contents of your home as is safely practical in the time you have. This includes, the contents of your refrigerator and freezer. This will be a handy reference if, you have to file an insurance plan after the event has passed.

A simple tip to tell if the power has been out and restored while you are gone is to freeze a small paper or plastic cup of water. Once the water is frozen, place a coin on top. When you return home, if the coin is no longer sitting on top of the ice and is instead either covered by a layer of ice or at the bottom of a cup of water, you know that the power has been out for an extended period of time during your evacuation.

What suggestions, do you have for creating a basic How to evacuate plan?

Interested in further reading? Check out Ready.gov.

I live in Hurricane Country and there are often boiling water advisories after a storm. How long am I supposed to boil the water before it is safe to drink?

~Avoiding the Runs in Ravenel

Heather says:

Boil water advisories are much more common than you may think.

Advisories can be issued if the power is disrupted for an extended period of time. Why? Water needs to maintain a certain pressure in the pipelines to prevent any potentially contaminated groundwater from seeping into microcracks and fissures in the pipes. When the power is out for an extended period of time, generators may fail, and water pumping stations may not maintain adequate pressure in the lines. Line breaks, positive tests for bacterial contamination, and maintenance are other common reasons.

Boil water advisories are NOT issued for chemical spills. In these cases, a DO NOT DRINK advisory will be issued. Boiling water that has been chemically contaminated will NOT make it safe to drink.

Allow the water to cool and pour it into a clean, covered container.

*If you are above 6500 feet, boil for a full three minutes (water boils at a lower temperature at high altitudes and needs to maintain this temperature for a longer time to ensure the bacteria has been killed).

Please don’t forget that these advisories apply to much more than just your drinking water. Boil water advisories affect water used for toothbrushing, cleaning produce, and ice making. You will also not want to use automatic dishwashers that do not heat the water or do not have a sanitizing setting.

Your pets’ water also needs to be boiled.

Showering is typically safe for adults and teenagers, but young children should be given sponge baths. Use boiled water for cleaning infant and toddlers as they tend to be independent creatures and decide now would be a fun time to lick the washcloth.

Do remind older children to keep their mouths shut while showering, this isn’t the time to get creative and, “See mom, I saved time by showering and brushing my teeth at the same time!” Great.

Dishes can safely be washed in warm water with a small amount of bleach (one tablespoon per gallon).

If your dishwasher has a sanitizing option you can use that, otherwise, hand wash your dishes either in boiled water or water that has been sanitized using bleach.

After the advisory has been lifted flush the pipes by running each cold water tap for one minute. If you have an automatic icemaker, empty it completely and then discard the first three batches.

Remember most filters, such as those in a fridge or that are attached to your faucet are for taste and odors, not harmful bacteria.

While we are discussing basic preparedness remember that if someone does develop diarrhea or vomiting during an emergency that they shouldn’t be only be given plain water. The body loses a lot of electrolytes through vomiting and diarrhea. Your blackout pantry/first aid kit should contain Pedialyte, Gatorade, or oral rehydration salts.

References:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/boil-water-advisory.html
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/do-not-drink-advisory.html

I don’t talk about my former marriage a lot, but my ex-husband was and is into the prepper mindset, and some of the useful points stuck with me on how I live my life. I want to be very clear that there are things associated with that mindset that I do not embrace and it’s not up for discussion.

It’s time to go back to the basics and talk about emergency preparedness that can benefit anyone no matter where you live. Please remember to slowly build up these assets over a matter of weeks, months, or years. Each step you take helps.

Do not spend your rent money doing this, you need your place to live, that’s step one.

A certain, very popular financial advisor talks about having an emergency fund of one thousand dollars. 2020 taught many that this only works in good times and really only if you have other safety nets to fall back on. With that said, that emergency fund is still a good idea and one that is a good thing to work toward but know that it’s not enough for anything beyond what will end up being a minor inconvenience once you’ve experienced an actual crisis or disaster.

What do you need for basic emergency preparedness?

This list is mostly in order of priority

• A quality first aid kit
• A fire extinguisher, in your kitchen.
• Safe water storage or purification for 72 hours minimum for each member of your household, optimally, a week.
• A blackout pantry
• A “go bag.”
• Common sense

First Aid Kit

Yes. Accidents happen, knives slip, kids fall, people get hurt all the time. It’s important to be able to at least be able to patch up a wound before getting real medical attention, especially if there will be any delay. That laceration that needs six or seven stitches? It ranks pretty far behind the person with chest pain and the vehicular accident.

Fire extinguisher?

Yes, a fire extinguisher, keep it in your kitchen.

Think of it this way, if the roads are icy and emergency crews can’t get to you, exactly how are they going to help you if your cat knocks over a candle and your couch is now on fire? While you are at it, learn how to properly use the fire extinguisher and make sure it is not expired and replace it if it is.

Also, remember, if you are cooking and start a grease fire. Smother it. Do not use water, which will spread the fire. Yes, you can use a chemical fire extinguisher, but if you hadn’t gotten around to it yet, you could also use baking soda or salt. Do not use flour, which is highly flammable.

Water Storage

Water storage gets tricky as your household expands. This post goes into detail on an innovative solution for larger households.

Blackout Pantries?

Blackout pantries, what do I mean by this?

Well, it’s a combination of things and it’s not just the literal closet right off of your kitchen. It’s food you can eat without cooking. It’s the food you consume as it thaws from your freezer if you still have ways to cook.

Please remember, never use a charcoal grill indoors.

Also remember that if it is below freezing and your power is out, the entire outside world is a freezer.

Put your food on your porch. Yes, some wildlife might get into it. It’s possible… You could also figure out ways to try to prevent that. A laundry basket with something heavy on top. (A pot filled with other heavy items would be a good example).

When I was college-age-ish and we had a party, we would put beer out in the snow to chill it faster. It’s a thing. Utilize what you have available, be creative.

Everyone, lean in, this is vital. Get a little closer. Listen to me:

BUY A MANUAL CAN OPENER.

Get a backup one, too. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Additionally, if you are one of those wonderful people who donate to the little pantries and blessing boxes that have sprung up all over the place. Occasionally leave those with your canned food donations. You have no idea how much people need these to use the canned food.

Back to your preparedness…

Not counting the food you can use from what is currently in the refrigerator and freezer, you should have a minimum of 72 hours worth of food for your household members. That’s at least nine full meals and plenty of snacks that do not take electricity or power of any kind to prepare.

Why snacks? Because stressed people eat and eat and eat. Just watch Twitter while people wait for a hurricane to hit.

Take a look at what people have been doing during 2020.

Food is comfort—have comfort on hand.

What else should be in your blackout pantry? Batteries, flashlights, matches, candles, and a weather radio at minimum. If you have kids, make sure you have items that will entertain them while the power is out. TRUST ME.

You know them best, make sure there are goodies hidden away for them. Treat whatever is happening like an adventure and they will be okay.

The “Go Bag”

I hate this term. I hate it because it conjures up a mental image I don’t care to visit, I will happily replace this term if any of you have a better term that people will immediately recognize.

Each individual needs a bag and this bag needs to contain at minimum:

• A change of clothing
• Two pairs of socks
• Two pairs of underwear
• Sturdy shoes
• Non-perishable food for 48 hours —This can be a mixture of camping food/granola bars, etc
• A couple of water bottles, maybe a Lifestraw if you feel fancy
• If it’s a child’s bag, contact information for relatives in case of separation, any medication they have to take daily, if necessary.
• In an adult’s bag, a copy of their critical information—Insurance information, IDs, cc info, some cash, and if possible, maintenance medications. This will have to be rotated regularly.
• *During COVID-19: alcohol-based wipes or gel and cloth or KN-95 masks

This bag then lives under a bed, in a closet, or in the garage, anywhere it can be grabbed in a hurry by the individual it belongs to.

Will you ever need it? I hope not, but:

• if you ever have to leave your home for a hurricane
• head to a storm cellar for a tornado
• there’s a wildfire
• you receive a call that a family member is critically injured and you have to go now

You don’t have to think, you just grab, and you go. Not all of it is needed for each situation, but in others, you’ll be glad you have it. The less thinking you have to do in high-stress situations, the better. They will certainly make things like staying in a shelter or hospital rooms more comfortable.

Common Sense:

This is the one that is out of order because it’s hardest to itemize and make a checklist for.

It’s different for everyone’s situation, but some things are the same.

Minimize your risk.

Don’t do stupid things, especially when resources are limited. Has there been a hurricane? Don’t drink beer and run a chainsaw. Has there been an ice storm? Don’t run on the stairs.

A simple thing that can make a big difference, keep your car, if you have one, as full as possible at all times.

If you have young kids, run a couple of drills.

Make them very, very random and gentle. DO NOT SCARE THEM. Kids are under enough stress right now. Take them for ice cream or some other treat if they get to the car or out to your designated point in good time with everything they are supposed to have. Don’t do this for one week and never again. It needs to be done enough that they know it by heart. If you move, do it again and again until they know it again.

If you have teenagers, it’s even more important, because they often think they know everything and have all the answers and know that nothing bad will happen to them.

Take them to random points of the town and make them navigate home. No, they can’t use their phones. For that matter, can you navigate home, without your phone?

Make them recite your phone number. No, they can’t look at their phones.

Make them recite their address. No, they can’t look at their phones.

You might be surprised by what you assume they know or what you assume you know.

When things are safer, if you live in a smaller city, like we do, take them somewhere with a functioning public transportation system and teach them how to use it. I was an adult before I learned. In fact, it was when I started traveling for work with Home-Ec101 and it was very intimidating.

Yes, it’s easier now with smartphones, but what if your kid and you have a fight or if they get caught up in some dumb kid thing and change their mind and want to get away and come home. Help them know how to find their way back to you. Assume they’ve had the worst day of their lives and the battery of their phone is dead or their phone got stolen.

Teach them to handle situations so they aren’t scared when they have to deal with life’s little emergencies. A flat tire on the interstate, fender benders, etc. Will they handle it well or have a meltdown?

Emergencies come in all shapes and all sizes. At that moment, what matters about an emergency is whether or not it affects you or the ones you love. The powers that be often can’t or maybe won’t be able to help. You need to set up a system to ensure you have a safety net in place.

What would you add to these very basic starting points?

I make this recipe a lot. It comes together quickly and doesn’t require a lot of thought or effort on my part other than getting it into the refrigerator prior to time to cook dinner. I also have to remember to thaw the chicken, but that’s why we have smartphones with reminders!

This recipe also works really well for our family’s varied diet needs. We’ve got low-carbers and high-calorie people and picky pre-schoolers and frankly just a lot of mouths. I wrote up the recipe for a typical family of 4-6. The pictures you see below, are a triple batch, cooked on a Blackstone Griddle. I’ve included the instructions for using a Blackstone griddle with the pictures and the standard instructions in the printable recipe.

This is one of those recipes that we’ve been eating week after week and each time I put it on the menu, I tell myself, “This will be the week, I take pictures of the process.”

Ha!

Well, I should have also checked the weather forecast before becoming determined that this was the week I would follow through because last night’s cooking effort was a damp and chilly, miserable experience. No one was hanging out on the back porch with me, by choice that is. I did make the 17 year-old hold my light after it got dark.

What to Serve with Shawarma-Inspired Chicken

If you make this recipe for your family, consider serving it with tzatziki sauce, hummus, or toum, you can’t go wrong. When I cook a big batch, I use the other half of the griddle for cooking a large bag of frozen Normandy blend vegetables with complementary spices, and Ray, my husband, will throw together a Caesar salad. Another good choice would be Salad Shirazi. A simple salad of cucumber, feta, and tomatoes, tossed with olive oil, would be another nice side.

I know we’re in the dead of winter and I’m talking about summer sides, but this meal just works for our family any time of year. You don’t have to wait until summer to make it work for yourself or your family.

Tips for Making This Recipe Turn out Better

The key to making this dish?

Tenderize your chicken. For a small batch, you’ll want 2- 3 lbs.

I want you to meet Lucille.

Yes, that’s a Walking Dead reference. I use my French rolling pin to work out a lot of frustration.

Pounding your chicken breaks up the muscle fibers mechanically. Breaking up these fibers, gives you a much more tender finished dish. Make sense? Good.

Next, let’s look at our marinade:

• Greek yogurt
• Lemon or Lime juice
• Sazon Season All
• Coriander
• Cumin

(You’re going to want to put that chicken in a new bag, if you pounded it in the zippered bag, they tend to tear. If you didn’t tenderize it in a bag, I recommend cleaning up your kitchen before going any further…chicken tends to splatter, a lot.)

Mix all of that together. Just as an aside, you’ll have an easier time if you squeeze your lemon into one of the ramekins rather than right into the big bowl. This way you can use a slotted spoon to strain out the seeds rather than wasting your time, picking them out.

Make sure to put your bag of chicken inside a container, so that no cross-contamination happens while the chicken hangs out in your refrigerator. Zippered bags, like people, are not infallible and can leak. You don’t want raw chicken germs anywhere in your fridge.

I’ve written out the instructions twice. Here in the body, the instructions are specifically for using a propane griddle like a Blackstone, those of you cooking a small batch, just scroll to the recipe card where your instructions are waiting patiently. Griddle users, you’ll still want to read through the recipe card so you can get your ratios for multiplying your servings.

Making Shawarma-Inspired Chicken on a Propane Griddle

*NOTE – the distinction between an electric griddle and a propane griddle is important here. The instructions for notching and cutting your chicken ON the griddle can damage a nonstick Teflon-type surface. These instructions are for the type of surface that you have to season, similar to a cast iron skillet.

Turn your griddle on and allow it to heat, I usually cook over medium, last night was windy so I ended up using high heat and having to set up make-shift wind-guards. It wasn’t a lot of fun. You’ll want to adjust the heat based on the conditions at the time you are cooking.

I start out, by cooking the chicken on top of sliced onions, and shawarma, and later, when the chicken is about halfway done, off to the side, I blister some grape or cherry tomatoes.

When your griddle is hot, add your oil, make sure you choose one with a high smoke point, like avocado.

Spread your sliced onions (I use one onion per 2 – 3 lbs of chicken) on the griddle in a thin layer.

I then add the chicken immediately on top of the onions.

I then use a baking sheet to cover the chicken and cook for 3 – 5 minutes.

Then before flipping, I use my scraper and cut not quite through each chicken breast before flipping. A bench knife will accomplish this task, too.

This makes the chopping up of the chicken after cooking the other side SO much easier. When you notch the chicken, go against the grain.

Then flip your chicken, leaving the layer of onions in place. Cook, covered for another 3 – 5 minutes. Then use either your bench knife or scraper and cut your chicken into strips.

This is a little tedious and your chicken is not quite done at this point.

Now use your spatula and scraper to move the chicken and onions around together until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. I had a good handful of grape tomatoes cooking off to the side that I mixed into my chicken once we neared the finishing point. I love the pop of acidity the tomatoes provide.

Bring your chicken inside and serve with all of your sides.

Instructions to Make Shawarma-Inspired Chicken with a Skillet

Shawarma Inspired Chicken

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 – 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, thawed
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 lemon – juiced or 1 lime – juiced it’s your preference
• 1 TBSP Sazon Spice Blend
• 1 TBSP ground coriander
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• 1 onion sliced thinly
• a small handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, optional
• a couple of tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil. You can use olive oil

Instructions

1. Using a mallet or other kitchen utensil, pound the boneless chicken to tenderize it.
2. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon or lime juice, Sazon Complete Seasoning, coriander, and cumin
3. Place the chicken and the marinade mixture into either a gallon zippered bag or another container and allow to marinate for at least two hours. It can marinate overnight.
4. If you are cooking only a single batch, you can use a skillet or a small electric griddle. In this case, you will want to heat your skillet/griddle to medium. (If you are cooking a large batch and using a propane griddle, see the detailed instructions in the post)
5. Add the oil and look for it to shimmer.
6. Add your thinly sliced onions to the pan.
7. Remove your chicken from the marinade, shake off any excess and immediately lay your chicken on top of the onions.
8. Cover and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes.
9. Turn your chicken, using tongs. Allow the chicken to cook for another 3-5 minutes, covered.
10. Remove your pan from the heat and temporarily switch off the burner.
11. One chicken piece at a time, cut into thin strips. Cut across the grain. If you can see the muscle fibers, you cut across, rather than along them.
12. Return the chicken strips to the pan and turn the heat back on as soon as you have finished cutting the chicken.
13. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the chicken, scraping up any onion bits or dark bits from the bottom, until the chicken is cooked through.
14. Places the chicken and onions into a serving dish and add the optional tomatoes, and a splash more oil, to your skillet and cook over high heat until just blistered and toss with the chicken prior to serving, if desired.

Notes

If you use a propane flat top griddle, like a Blackstone, choose an oil with a high smoke point, like Avocado oil.

Enjoy!

I belong to a group on Facebook for food lovers that also enjoy True Crime. It has the absolute best name (it’s for fans of My Favorite Murder) Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Crime. Isn’t that just the best?

Anyhow, one of the more common topics I see is: I have a friend who is going through a tough time; my friend just had a baby, my friend just lost their parent/grandparent, what can I bring over?

One of my top suggestions has always been chicken bog.

But now I have a new one, that may even beat chicken bog as my top suggestion. 😱 I know, I can’t believe it, either.

Our spaghetti has always been a family favorite meal and is so loved that it is also a company dinner, but it does not travel well. Frankly, it feels a little weird to hand a family a gallon bag of frozen homemade sauce and a box of noodles and say thaw this, and you’ll love it, I promise!

When I take a meal to a family, I don’t do it with the expectation that they will be in the position to eat it right then. They may not be hungry—grief does that— they may be swimming in food right then, or maybe they actually had the energy to cook something they wanted to that day. I like to give an option for something down the road. Baked spaghetti fits the bill perfectly. If you choose to do this, make it in a disposable lasagna pan and cook it up just to the step where you add the mozzarella to the top. Then rapidly cool it and cover it tightly with aluminum foil.

You can take it over, with a salad, and garlic bread, if you know the family will eat it soon or, you can go ahead and freeze it if you know it might be a while. At that point, it gets treated just like frozen lasagna. Bake covered at 375 for 1:45 until bubbly, uncovered until the top is browned. (Check to make sure it is heated through)

So why does baked spaghetti tie or maybe even beat out chicken bog? Well, chicken bog is a regional dish, and while people here in South Carolina know it and generally love it, many parts of the country have never heard of it. Spaghetti? Well, that’s pretty much beloved in every corner of the US. Now, if you only like your spaghetti al dente, baked spaghetti isn’t going to be for you.

However, if a dish of warm, cheesy noodles covered in your favorite spaghetti sauce lights you up? You’ve come to the right place?

So how do you do this?

It’s easy as pie.

Dare I say… easier?

Add your noodles and water. Here’s where the ratio is critical. 1 cup of water: 4 ounces of noodles. 1lb noodles: 4 cups water.

Since I use a very meaty sauce, I do not count my sauce as part of the water. If your sauce is watery, you may be able to dial back the water.

Yes, I have an industrial workstation in my home kitchen. It is cost-effective while we save to remodel.

Then, add your sauce, which should be steaming hot.

Then add your cheeses.

Stir, cover, bake, and uncover, stir, again, before topping with more cheese.

And broil until bubbly and browned to your taste.

Serve with a salad of your choice and maybe some garlic bread.

Yield: 12 servings

Baked Spaghetti

Print

Comfort food perfect for sharing with new parents, grieving families, or just making because you'd like something warm and filling.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound (16 ounces) dry spaghetti noodles, broken in half
• 4 cups (32 ounces) boiling water
• 2 – 3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce, heated through
• 1/2 – 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 – 2 cups mozzarella, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F
2. In a large baking dish (at least 8×13, a lasagna dish) lay the broken spaghetti noodles. Cover them with the 4 cups of water. Followed by the hot spaghetti sauce.
3. Add the parmesan and half of the mozzarella.
4. Stir gently.
5. Cover with foil and place in the oven.
6. Bake for one hour.
7. Remove from the oven and stir gently, loosen any pasta that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Top with the remaining mozzarella and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and just starts to brown.

Notes

Keep a close eye on this. It doesn’t take long to go from delicious to burnt. However, you can peel the top layer off if you get distracted. Not that this has ever happened to me

Enjoy!

PS. If you scrolled this far. this is what a quadruple batch of our spaghetti sauce looks like. Yes, that’s 8 pounds of meat (4 of ground venison). Future Heather will be very happy that she went into this trouble. Present Heather is just tired and glad she has four teenagers who will be packaging the rest up to freeze. Yes, having staff is nice, sometimes.