Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living - Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it

by Heather Solos, Jacqueline Musser (Editor)

Real Skills for Real Life

From keeping your home clean and in good repair to preparing your own food, self-sufficiency rocks. Having an understanding of the domestic arts gives you a sense of control over your life. These skills also help you save money, not by chasing deals, but by teaching the principle of the mantra: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Life skills are the essence of frugality. Whether you just moved out of your parent?s basement or you cut the apron strings a while ago, you?ll learn the skills you need to manage your household.

Inside you?ll find:

Quick, easy cleaning solutions for every room of the house, so you can get the job done and get on with life

Instructions for removing stubborn stains and offensive odors from fabric

Simple fixes to wardrobe malfunctions including broken zippers, missing buttons, and fallen hemlines

Troubleshooting advice for common problems with home appliances

A minimum home maintenance guide to prevent or catch major repair problems

A basic plumbing tutorial that includes clearing and preventing clogs, stopping a running toilet and retrieving items dropped down a drain

Ideas for healthy and fast meal planning so you can start cooking and stop relying on takeout or preservative-packed convenience food

Definitions of common cooking terms and techniques found in recipes

Plans for stocking a pantry so you can make dinner (even if you haven?t been grocery shopping in a week) and be prepared when disaster strikes

A complete rundown of essential kitchen equipment from knives to pans to small appliances



Equip yourself with the skills you need for everyday life.

Genres: Nonfiction, How To

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 20, 2011

About the author

Heather is a professional blogger and author. She is the mother of 2 boys, a girl, and a stepdaughter. Heather was a professional chef in her former life, but left the restaurant industry during a complicated pregnancy.

Heather Solos began blogging as a means to stay in contact with long distance friends and family. Initially a life blogger she soon found a vibrant community in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

After blogging for the Post and Courier, she co-founded Lowcountry Bloggers, a site dedicated to creating connections within a geographic community of bloggers. She also keeps a personal blog, Moncks Corner Moments. Even if it looks like she has it together, Heather strives to be honest about the frustrations, headaches, and joy that is found in everyday living. Heather Solos is available to speak and enjoys helping companies transition to digital media. She also encourages women to find a balance between the expectations of modern life and the reality of scrubbing the toilet.

Reviews

[Carter P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think your book is great for people who live alone.

[H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

right at the beginning she says you cant NOT use knives. but i have a severely autistic son and do not feel comfortable with knives so that killed the cooking part of this book for me.

[Castilla Andrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get that this book is a “101” but I get irked by books that are written as if the author thinks they are talking to the stupidest reader on the planet.

3 stars for a few good tips :)

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy reading this title. It rang of a high school textbook - trying a little too hard to be relatable and "cool," while all the while relating copious amounts of meticulous cleaning details. BUT, this weekend, I listened to the author's instructions on how to wash my linoleum floors with a sponge mop - and they've never looked better. It was easy! Using the right tool with the right cleaning products made a huge difference, so even though this isn't a fun read. It's a good one.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look out GoodHousekeeping! Move over Betty Crocker! Heloise, you day as reigning champion of household tips is over! If there is a book that is the 21st century standard that should be a gift for every new couple starting out, it is Heather Solos Home-Ec 101.

From the cover, to the topics covered, it starts to look like (and is probably an homage to) a 1950's "housewife guide book." Fortunately for the reader, Heather's writing personality and writing style come through wonderfully, and rather than your static, boring how to, you get fresh, current, real world tips and ideas that are useful *today* (after all how many people are still trying worried about caring and storage for a mink stoll these days?)

This book is essentially a "Cliff Notes" version of the home-ec101.com website. This is a good thing, because first, it gives many basic day to day problems a solution and keeps them at your fingertips (because, if the power is out, it is hard to look for a solution on how to fix it on a computer with no power, isn't it?), and because that means, when you are done with this book (though, are you ever really "done" with a good reference book?), there is a whole world more information available from Heather readily available for you to continue reading. Unlike your favorite thriller author where you will have to wait months if not years for the next installment, you can see tips and tricks that didn't make this book, and the possible tips and solutions that may make up the next edition, as they are being developed... on a basically daily basis.

If there is one drawback to this book, it is that by making it so clearly a sort of tongue in cheek dedication to the 1950's housewife, it will not be picked up by as many men as it probably should be. I started off saying that this would be the perfect starter book gift for a couple. It would be just as beneficial (if not more so) to a bachelor getting his first apartment, but odds are he would not appreciate it, just based on the superficials of the cover and style. Is that shallow and sort of neanderthal like thinking? Of course. But in many cases true. Yes, there are men who will read it (I did), and will appreciate all the information (guilty as charged), but that is not true of everyone.

OK, a second flaw, and this is strictly for Kindle Edition readers (and especially those that read the Kindle Edition on a device other than a Kindle). It is preety obvious that this book was nothing but a straight port from the book. There are images that are not clean or formatted properly and look pretty bad in Kindle Software. There are a few glitches as well in bullets and line item numberings that make it pretty clear that the editor did not go over it again once ported to digital. Fortunately, this flaw is not bad enough to detract from the otherwise fantastic content.

So, in short, if you ever have the need to wash something, cook something, clean something or fix something, then there is absolutely no reason that you should not have a copy of this book at your fingertips. You life just might depend on it.

[Tomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many great tips in this handy lil' 240-page book that it was difficult to highlight just a few so I decided to highlight one of my fave picks from each section.

Let's begin with Clean It, this section deals with the two types of floors found in our homes: hard and carpeting. Hard covers any non-carpeted floor. Heather explains the tools necessary to clean each floor type and even highlights some "no-nos". For example, I didn't know bleach was a no-no on my linoleum floors. Yikes, I have been known to add a cap or two of bleach to my mop water. I didn't know bleach could damage the finish. Oops!

Section 2 covers the beloved laundry. *insert sarcasm here* My fave tip from this section was how to tackle the "Oops I did it again" and left the clothes in the washer overnight and now they have this musty odor. Who knew getting rid of that odor was so simple? And why didn't they share this knowledge with those of us, like myself, who notoriously leave that last load in the washer overnight?

Release your inner Handyman and check out Section 3. There are some tips in this section on plumbing and covering up household boo-boos. You know the hole in the wall where the humunga chunga family pic used to hang. Or what to do when something that wasn't supposed to go down the drain, goes down the drain like the super bouncy ball that clogged up our bathtub for so long that we finally ended up calling the plumber who replaced the pipes and two weeks later hubby discovered the super bouncy ball.

Lastly, is the perfect section for anyone who could use a little help in the kitchen. This chapter is my favorite, not only because it helps novice cooks learn the difference between saute and sauce but the tips on everything from how to stock a pantry to how to plan a meal are so helpful and there's a recipe for creating your own chicken stock that you've just got to check out. For you novice cooks out there, stock is the secret to some fab meals.

Overall, Home Ec: 101 Skills for Everyday Living would make a great gift for the first time homebuyer or a newly married couple or anyone just striking out on their own.

Buy It:

* Home-Ec 101 on Amazon
* Home-Ec 101 at Barnes and Noble

Visit the Author: Check out Heather's blog, Home-Ec 101.com for more tips and suggestions or visit her on Facebook at HomeEc101 or Twitter at @HomeEc101

[Michael Carnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So how can a home-ec book, which is all about the dull and unpleasant tasks of living, be such a fun read? Seriously, you are not supposed to crack a smile or let loose a knowing laugh while reading about stocking the kitchen or cleaning the house, right?

Well I got news for you, nothing Heather Solos does is dull or, for that matter, normal. She approaches all parts of life with the gusto most of us reserve for the impending zombie sweeps week. The scary thing? I even caught my daughter reading this book - just for fun!

Years ago when I moved away from home after college, my mother gave me a copy of The Bachelor's Cookbook. It was fantastic book. Aimed for those, like myself, who knew nothing, the author made no assumptions. The book demonstrated oft overlooked skills like how to boil water and how to make minute rice. That book was a favorite of mine well beyond the time my dog ate the front cover off.

But that book has been replaced in my heart. Home-Ec 101, Skills for Everyday Living has replaced it due to combining those same types of overlooked skill sets with an amazing sense of humor. Now, not only can you look up the teaspoon equivalent of three cups, but you will get a good laugh while you do so.

This book should be on every graduation and wedding present list this Spring. Heck, colleges should just hand it to the graduates as they give the seniors there diplomas and send them off into the world of fire alarms and mixed color washing.

[Eugene Mah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of hints, tips and techniques written in that funny, quirky Heather style. If you know Heather (I do), you'll know what I mean. If you don't know Heather, you'll get an idea of the kind of person she's like as you read the book. Perhaps the most entertaining book on home economics you'll ever read.

Heather's book, like her website www.home-ec101.com, is divided into 4 sections: Cook it, Clean it, Wash it, Fix it. Each section includes tips, techniques, hints and suggestions for dealing with various parts of the household, interspersed with posts from the website. You'll find the toilet cleaning tutorial on pg 66. Basic mending techniques for clothing are covered in chapter 10. Save time dealing with laundry by skipping the underwear folding (pg 119). Do you burn water in the kitchen? Head straight for the Cook it section.

It's a great book to read that will leave you chuckling and ready to take on the house.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really? If this book should be read, then it should be given to 12 year old girls in home ec class. I was sorely disappointed to find little insight into my everyday home based tasks. I was hoping for some creative tips or some unconventional bits of wisdom. Nope. If you are half way intelligent and even a half cook or half a cleaner - you don't need this book. Save the time and just go do the laundry.

[Krystal Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a previous Apartment dweller I overlooked a few of these that I will now have to do as a home owner. I know I learned TONS from Heather’s book. And I keep it handy for all those just in case moments. All in all it's a great book to read that will leave you chuckling and ready to take on the house.

[Linda O’Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic stuff, but I actually learned a thing or two. Authoritative but friendly writing style. I would have rated it higher but for the distracting footnotes that really didn't add any valuable information: all but one or two were silly side comments or pop culture references. The book would have been better without them.

[Erikaorgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is book I wish I had when I first moved out on my own after having parents greatly lacking in the domestic skills Dept. a bur too basic to be useful. nothing you couldn't learn after spending 5 min on Google.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't a whole lot of help. I thought there would be more about cooking, and the cleaning section just overwhelmed me. The fix it and the wash it were just OK. Some of the snarky footnotes were funny, but most were just eye roll worthy.

[Calvin Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

really looking forward to this book :)

[Katy Moffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather has a lot of wonderful advice and information that can be used around the home.

[Lauren Draus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! This should be mandatory reading in our schools!

[Dawn Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must have for anyone who did not take home-ec in high school. It is full of good advice for cleaning, fixing all areas of the house and organization. I found it very helpful!

[Jodee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cleaning tips. My personal fav is the simple one major chore per day cleaning schedule.

[Jacqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It just saved me $120. So, excellent book.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a little too snarky and basic. It made a 3-star because there were some really good tips and it was easy to read for essentially a manual.

[Melisa Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical, witty advice that reads like it was written by my best girlfriend. While the cleaning chart was both inspiring and daunting, the myriad of helpful tips will probably change my life.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

informative, but boring. i picked it up because the cover was cool, but i hate cleaning...

[Jennifer Gelert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of helpful hints on everything. From simple house repairs to learning how to cook, Heather does it with humor and easy to read instructions.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for reading, for purpose based reference. Skip learning the hard way. Aligns with author blog nicely.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

A great set of tips for a person living alone for the first time on how to maintain how a home. I knew many of the tips but I believe many others may find them useful.

[Kirstie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good for learning house stuff