Heather Solos's Blog, page 65

5 Years of Home Ec 101 Awesome

Heather says:

Five years. Can you believe it? I can't. Five years and two weeks ago, Home-Ec101.com was nothing more than a little pipe dream, a what if we -you do remember Ivy, right?- started a site where we shared all the information we wish we had learned about running a home and cooking, without all the saccharine platitudes, convenience food short cuts, or a heavy focus on coupons / deals. Those things all work well for other sites, but that was never the goal of Home Ec 101. I want to teach adults -and those who swear they are just pretending- the life skills that make life a little easier, a little more affordable, and a little more enjoyable.

Five years and I am nowhere near done. There are still cooking courses I want to create, recipes to discover and share, reader questions to answer, and so many more people to meet.

If I weren't on an airplane, I'd visit the wayback machine and show you how far the site has come from my first, clumsy and rather pathetic attempts at creating a site design. Some of my first attempts at food photography are on here as well and while I'm certainly no Helene of Tartlette, I have improved; funny how practice will do that.

I wish I could tell you how good this site has been for me both professionally and personally. I wish I could show you how terrified I was of people and how this job has forced me to come out of my shell, yes I retreat into it at home, but that is the nature of an introvert.

I have gotten over my fear of public speaking. I now volunteer to speak publicly and teach people the ins and outs of writing for the web, how WordPress works (that's the program that runs this site), how life skills are a tool of empowerment, in addition to home ec related topics. I get to work with an amazing non-profit, Cooking With the Troops and while we are doing good things, giving back to those whom we can never repay, I am having a ball. All of this means that the late nights, the early mornings, and all of the headaches have been worth it. As I write this I am on a plane flying to San Francisco to work with Method, yes the fabulous, environmentally friendly soap company. Not only that, but I've been working on a super-secret project the last few weeks and if you're a fan of Pinterest you are going to wet your pants after it is unveiled this weekend. (Don't worry, you're in the right place to learn how to clean up after your little accident.) I am currently on cloud 9 (circling Dulles airport, no less) and I want to share that with you.

Did you know that 3 million people have visited Home Ec? We're up to 180,000 people a month looking at well over 200,000 pages and growing, always growing. Almost as many people subscribe to Home Ec 101 as live in my town. This is because of you. Every single time you comment you create a feeling of community, when you share a post on Twitter or Facebook or send an email to a friend saying, Hey, you know, Heather might be able to help you out, you are helping this site grow and for that, I can't thank you enough. It has been an amazing journey watching this site grow, in its own little weird corner of the internet, not quite parenting blog, not quite home keeping blog, not quite life hacking, Home Ec 101 is what it is and you help give it that uniqueness. Thank you.

So how do I celebrate five years of hard work on Home Ec 101? Well that's easy, I give away a few of my favorite things. I also want to make it very clear that these things have not been provided by a sponsor. I've been saving up to give a little back. (I hope that doesn't sound too self-congratulatory, but sometimes, I do need to acknowledge it)

Today I'm hosting a giveaway of: one 10 piece set of Emerilware Cookware -these are the stainless pans you've seen in my posts for the last 5 years, I've been using my set for 8 and it's perfectly safe for those of you with flat top stoves, 2 copies of Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living, and just for giggles a can of Bar Keepers Friend (you saw that coming, right?).

To enter, leave a comment.

Tell me something, anything, maybe how Home Ec 101 has affected your life, maybe you link to your favorite Home Ec 101 post (there are almost 2000, surely something appealed to you), or if that's too hard just share your favorite clean (har har) joke.

One comment per person, no purchase necessary, void where prohibited and limited to residents of the United States. I love all of you, but the shipping would blow my budget. This contest will end on Tuesday March 6, 2012 at 9am Eastern. The winner will be announced by 10.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, here's to the future, wherever it takes us.

Click here to leave a comment on 5 Years of Home Ec 101 Awesome . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Obvious as a Heart Attack? Know the Warning Signs, Save a Life

Bobbie says:

As you probably know, February is Heart Month – all month long there have been events & promotions to turn everyone's attention toward heart health. Since this is a leap year, today is like a Bonus Day – so I thought I'd share my story. I feel like the rest of my life is Bonus Days, because I would not be here now if I hadn't been paying attention.

You'd know if you were having a heart attack. I mean, how could you NOT know, right?

Quite easily, as it turns out. Especially if you're female:  Heart attack symptoms in women can be quite different from those in men.

I learned this first-hand on Friday May 20, 2011.

On Thursday, I'd mowed my small lawn, stopping halfway through to go inside and "catch my breath," when I felt I couldn't take another step. I woke up in my recliner two hours later, still worn out, but finished the mowing anyway. My arms felt extremely weak, but so did the rest of me, so it didn't seem that odd.

Friday night I went to bed early, hoping to finally get some rest. After a few hours of tossing and turning, completely exhausted, but feeling too uncomfortable to sleep, I resigned myself to another sleepless night and got up. I'd been like that for about a week – able to catch only short naps, sometimes at night, sometimes during the day, but waking up feeling as if I hadn't slept at all.

I attributed my inability to get comfortable in bed to indigestion, which I blamed on the spaghetti dinner fundraiser I'd attended earlier. This is kind of gross, but I had terrible gas pains in the upper abdominal/lower chest area. I'd experienced gas like this many times, but not for years, since changing the way I ate most of the time. I was burping like crazy, but it wasn't helping. I had no antacids or anti-gas medicine in the house, so I mixed a half-teaspoon of baking soda in water – the concoction my grandparents had used as an antacid – but it provided no relief.

Utterly exhausted and living alone at the time, I decided my only choice was to drive to the store to get gas medicine, so I could (hopefully) get some sleep.

At 1:30 in the morning. Obviously, I was not thinking clearly.

In the store, I leaned heavily on the shopping cart. Everything felt unreal – as if I was watching someone else do these things. I took a dose of the gas medicine as soon as I found it, then went to pay for it and drove home. It didn't get better. Instead, I started getting a slight tightness in my chest. No pain, other than what I'd had before from gas pain.

Something in my head said, "heart attack?" but I dismissed it. "This can't be a heart attack. It doesn't hurt enough. Doesn't a heart attack feel worse than childbirth without painkillers? This is just frustrating and annoying – not something that can kill me."

Fortunately, my brain nagged me and the internet exists. I googled heart attack symptoms and read some, which gave me a notion that heart attacks look different in women. So I searched on heart attack women and found some scary news.

It's common for women NOT to have the "typical" chest pain associated with a heart attack, and to have symptoms not generally experienced by men during a cardiac event – making it harder to recognize what's happening. Consequently, women wait longer to get medical attention, and are more likely to die from a heart attack.

Don't feel stupid if you didn't know this – it's pretty new information. Lots of doctors and hospitals still don't realize that heart attacks can look very different in women. How can that be? In the past, heart studies were primarily done on men, and it was assumed that the findings carried over to women. But women are not just smaller versions of men with different naughty bits. Our chemical makeup and internal anatomy affect how heart disease develops, how accurate standard diagnostic tests are on us, and how we respond to medications. It's relatively recent that studies have been conducted on women in this area.

Heart attack symptoms that women commonly have include:

Unusual fatigue – much more than what is typical for youProlonged sleep disturbances (not just a couple restless nights)WeaknessShortness of breathIndigestionAnxietyLower chest discomfortUpper abdominal pressure/discomfort that can feel like indigestionBack painPerspiration (when you really shouldn't be)DizzinessNauseaVomitingJaw pain

Actually, the unusual fatigue and prolonged sleep disturbances may be an early warning sign – some women report having these symptoms as much as a month before their cardiac event. (I'd had them for a couple weeks, and it kept getting worse.)

As you can see, none of these, taken separately, are unique and distinct signs that would make you immediately think, "I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK," but if you have some of these symptoms, it's time to call 9-1-1.

I looked at the symptoms I found and realized that I had most of the symptoms and YES, IT'S PROBABLY A HEART ATTACK.  So, at about 3:30 in the morning, I made the call. The paramedics were there in less than 10 minutes, hooking up the portable EKG. I was rushed directly to a hospital in the next county, because they had a cardiac specialty unit. Balloon angioplasty was performed to install a stent in a coronary artery that was completely blocked.

If I had just dismissed the symptoms and not called for help when I did, I would have been dead before the sun came up Saturday morning.

The bottom line is this:

PAY ATTENTION to your body. Know what is normal for you so you can recognize when something is off. If you start to wonder whether you're having a heart attack, don't wait until your heart stops to find out if you were right. Your life may depend on it.

For a slightly humorous take on this serious subject, enjoy this video by Elizabeth Banks.

Click here to leave a comment on Obvious as a Heart Attack? Know the Warning Signs, Save a Life . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Chicken Stock, Bacteria, and Food Safety Guidelines -Oh My

Hi there,

Why can chicken stock only last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator? If it's refrigerated wouldn't it be good for 4 or 5 days? I made some homemade chicken stock on Saturday and never got around to using it for soup. Is it really no longer good?

Signed,
Boiled in Boston

Heather says:

I spent quite a bit of time in the airport this past week (and I'll be spending more this weekend and trust me there is a segue here). Foodsafety.gov is currently engaged in a massive public service campaign to educate the public on proper food safety precautions. I have a lot of people ask me questions like yours, "Well I know what the guidelines are, but can I?"

I cannot, in good conscience recommend anything but the official guidelines for food safety.

Why?

Because food poisoning can have serious and occasionally fatal consequences and I'm not willing to dole out advice that could harm someone's family. I couldn't live with that on my conscience.

You may think that the cooking process of making chicken stock would kill all the bacteria and that the food would then be safe for an extended period of time. If your home were a clean room in a lab, that could potentially be true. However your home is not a clean room, this is especially true if you have children and / or pets. Kids don't wash their hands, pets walk in litter boxes and then on counters or shake and their slobber goes flying.

Forced air heat and air conditioning pipe dust from one end of the home to another, this dust lands on uncovered food, carrying with it whatever spores or dander it came into contact with.

Additionally, some forms of bacteria are encapsulated by a protective protein coating and can survive high temperatures in a sort of self-made survival pod. Once the temperature drops below the temperature they can't tolerate they start dividing and by dividing, I mean multiplying.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Just because your chicken stock is relatively low in bacteria immediately after it is cooked, there are many points at which new bacteria could be introduced to your stock and wet foods are a great growth medium. If you choose to make the personal choice -and I still would not recommend this-  to ignore food safety guidelines, know that reheating the stock to 150°F for one minute will kill active bacteria and boiling for ten minutes will break down the dangerous botulism toxin.

Now what you absolutely must remember is this:

Heating food to 150°F is not the same as heating it to a palatable temperature.

Use a thermometer to ensure your food is being heated to the proper temperature.

Know that refrigeration only slows bacterial growth, it does not eliminate it.

Know that pushing the guidelines increases your risk even though I can't tell you by how much due to the incredible number of variables involved.

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

Source: FoodSaftey.gov
Recommended reading: Bending the Rules on Food Safety

Click here to leave a comment on Chicken Stock, Bacteria, and Food Safety Guidelines -Oh My . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Clean Cabinet Corners with Q-Tips®

Heather says:

Some of you are like me and stuck with white cabinetry. From a distance, unless you've really let things go, white cabinetry almost always looks pretty clean. However, over time, even the most fastidious housekeepers will notice gunk building up in the corners.

Q-Tips Precision Tips®  and isopropyl rubbing alcohol are great for getting these pesky areas. It's important to note that this isn't a weekly or even monthly chore. The method removes a tiny bit of paint, so the rubbing alcohol trick should only be used when you can't stand it any longer or if your mother-in-law is on her way for the white glove inspection. (Kidding! If your MIL does that, you've got bigger problems than gunky cabinet corners)

The pointed ends of the new Precision Tip Q-Tips are a great, disposable, and hygienic tool for precision work.

For more uses for Q-Tips® check out their Facebook Fan Page and follow them on Twitter.

This is a sponsored post.  Q-tips® product was  provided by Unilever, the makers of Q-tips®; the tips and usage suggestions are my own.

Click here to leave a comment on Clean Cabinet Corners with Q-Tips® . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Baking Basics and Beyond Second Edition Cookbook Review

Heather says:

Agate Publishing sent me a copy of Baking Basics and Beyond¹by Pat Sinclair to review for the Home Ec 101 community. As with most households, mine is currently in the midst of a busy season. The book has been sitting on my center island waiting for me to make the time to read it and report back to you.

While some may disagree, I believe cooking and baking are crafts. Yes, some people seem to posses an innate ability that elevates them to the level of an artist, but anyone with practice can become competent in the kitchen. Baking Basics and Beyond is a useful introduction to basic skills, concepts, and recipes.

The photography of Baking Basics and Beyond caught the attention of my eight year old son, who is extremely eager to learn to cook. He's always creating "recipes" mostly ones that involve the interesting plating of random ingredients, but hey, he's eight. He is completely enamored with the cookbook and has been carrying it around announcing all of the things he plans on making.

On Valentine's Day he came up to my office and announced that he was going to make muffins as his Valentine's Day present to me. All too often I put off these projects as I may or may not completely dread cleaning up a kitchen destroyed by the kids. Due to the sweetness of his request, I bit back the no thank you and said, that it was a wonderful idea and told him he should come upstairs with any questions.

He made a batch of the Everyday Blueberry Muffins without a single question.

Later in the week he made the Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake completely on his own.

He has performed the cookbook review. If a book is attractive enough for a child, if the recipes are written in such a way that the directions are so concise and clear that an eight-year-old, novice baker can have a successful experience, then that book belongs on the shelf in the kitchen.

Enjoy, I've got some New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bananas Foster Sauce to make, as soon as I get through my inbox.

¹Affiliate Link

Click here to leave a comment on Baking Basics and Beyond Second Edition Cookbook Review . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Friendly Travel Reminder

Heather says:
I am currently on my way to Nashville, TN for the annual BlissDom Conference. If you are attending, please say hello, if you happen to see me. Please just be aware I'm actually very introverted and can get overwhelmed in large crowds. I'm a lot more outgoing than I was five years ago when I first started this site.
Since travel is on my itinerary, I'd love to hear your favorite travel tips. Chime in with whatever you'd like, whether it's by land, sea, or air.
My pro-tip:
Leaving for the airport two hours early may not only give you plenty if time to get through security, it may give you enough time to rush home and retrieve your drivers license that has been sitting on the scanner for the *ahem* last two weeks. [snicker -ed]
And as a heads up, my darling *said through clenched teeth* children broke my laptop a few weeks ago and I am currently not only posting from a plane, but from my phone, so please bear with any interesting auto-corrects that may occur.

Click here to leave a comment on Friendly Travel Reminder . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Tackling Difficult Stains on a Smooth Top Stove

Dear Home Ec 101,

I am well acquainted with the razor blade to clean the dried food spots on my smooth-top stove; however, there are "places" on my stove that cannot be felt with the fingers, and there is nothing to scrape with the razor blade, they're just mars, I guess. I have a less than two-year-old stove that has these little places all over the burners and do not come off even with the special cleaner.
Do you have any ideas about these stubborn spots?
Signed,
Stuck in Stuart

Heather says:

A few things to try, but always on a cool stove are:

Try making a paste of Bar Keepers Friend and water OR baking soda and water, OR dampening a paper towel with white vinegar and placing any one of these over the stained areas. Allow this to sit for several hours before trying a nylon scrubby style sponge.

Never use copper or steel wool on your ceramic cook top, no matter what you see people recommending on sites like Yahoo Answers. This is a quick way to seriously scratch your cook top and once it's scratched, there's really no recourse.

I did some research and this does seem to be a very common complaint among owners of black or speckled cook tops. If your stove is still under warranty (1 – 5 years generally) you can call and see if they'll replace or repair the top or have specific instructions for dealing with this type of mark.

I have seen MAAS recommended by some home care experts, but I would suggest discussing this with the manufacturer of your stove first, to avoid voiding your warranty or inadvertently causing further damage.

An unfortunate fact of life is that some stains and wear are inevitable in our homes and at some point, you try to fix them, realize that it's going to be more effort than it's worth and start calling it a patina. I hope one of the suggestions listed above is helpful, but really, don't get your hopes up too high. Sometimes stains are permanent.

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

Click here to leave a comment on Tackling Difficult Stains on a Smooth Top Stove . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Real Estate Ready?

Dear Home Ec 101,

I am trying to get my house on the market to sell.  Any cleaning/organizing advice?  My house is atrocious!  I hope you can call that comment a "Sunday Confessional".  I have a 20 month old baby, work full-time, and no one in the house cleans up after themselves.  I can't keep the house clean or get it ready for sale.

Any advice?

Signed,
Frantic in Fresno

Heather says:

First off, I hope the market in your area is better than ours or you may be in for a long ride. I've been toying with the idea of selling for 5 years, but the market just hasn't made it worth the hassle. When you list your home, you do have the option of asking for 24 hours notice for showings. It is important to note that this will make your home less appealing to real estate agents as they now have to factor this into their schedules. Just remember, it IS an option.

From the sound of your email, I'm guessing you are not a single parent, that there is at least one other adult who shares the responsibility of getting the house real estate ready. Sit down with your partner in crime and have a pen and paper at the ready. The two of you are going to make a prioritized list of what needs to be done to be "showing ready." Start working on that list as soon as possible and keep reminding your partner, it's a team effort. It's not just your house for sale.

If you're looking to get your house ready for the market, put the Home Ec 101 Weekly Chore List into effect and over the next few weeks, it will come together. It does take consistency, though.

Having a toddler in a home does make selling a home far more interesting, but there are ways and means to contain their mess and for better or worse the responsibility for this falls on your (the parents') shoulders.

Until the house has been sold:

Food and drinks stay in the kitchen or dining room. No exceptions. NONE. It's a hassle, but it is not child abuse to have a specified areas and times for food and drinks. (Water can be available at all times)Use a tarp below the high chair to reduce the number of times a week mopping is necessary.Have a basket in each room for the toddler's toys and make sure the toys are put away before leaving the room.
See Cleaning Up with Preschoolers

If you're already in crisis mode and the house is on the market and you're just waiting for the phone to ring, start working through the following.

Get rid of clutter

All counters should all be clear as humanly possible, this means both kitchens and bathrooms. In general people won't be going through your drawers or cabinets in a walk through, so try not to stress over the hidden clutter (except closets) at this time, worry about that when you move.

NO DIRTY DISHES.

Few things are as big a turn off as crusty dishes in a sink or left on the counter. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Clean dishes drying in a rack are tolerable, but put away is best.

Hampers for Laundry

There is no way you can always have all of the laundry done, all of the time. Make sure it is at least contained in clothes hampers to reduce the chance of strangers seeing your dirty underwear.

Make the Beds

Get in the habit of making the beds every morning. It'll be one less thing to worry about in the final run through.

Odor Free

Be extra vigilant about any odors, whether they are stale odors from cooking, mildew in the laundry room,  musty odors, or mysterious pet odors.

Bathrooms

Close the lid on the *clean* toilet and make sure the mirror and sink are shining. This means no dried toothpaste spatter. And try to make sure your personal care items are not sitting out.

Make sure tub toys are at least in a mesh bag and hanging.

Flooring

Should be swept or vacuumed just before the showing. Spot mop if necessary (this is why I suggested a tarp, so it won't always be necessary).

Lighting

Make sure there aren't any burnt out bulbs in your light fixtures. It makes a big difference.

Those are your biggies, you can read up on curb appeal or watch shows on the DIY network to get ideas on staging, but I have a feeling just getting the house in order will be enough of a task. I know there are some real estate agents who read Home Ec 101 and I would love for them to chime in anything I miss in this list.

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

Click here to leave a comment on Real Estate Ready? . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Sunday Confessional 2/19/2012

Heather says:

People new to Home Ec may wonder what this series is about. I started the Sunday Confessional a few years ago when I realized how it was way too easy to only share the best parts of life. Most of us tend to compare our personal, absolute worst with everyone else's best foot forward. I started the Sunday Confessional not as a way to celebrate mediocrity or to encourage people to fail, but as a way to be honest about life. It's never magazine perfect or tv tidy. We all have problems that aren't fixed in thirty minutes and areas of our life that aren't always perfectly staged for a photo shoot.

People get scared when their life isn't measuring up to these false ideals. People write me emails, ashamed because they feel they aren't good enough. I don't want to contribute to that feeling. I want Home Ec 101 to be a resource no matter where you are on your journey to self-sufficiency and just as an FYI, perfect isn't even on that map.

The way this works is I share something and then it's your turn in the comments. It's okay to be anonymous, just keep it family friendly.

So here goes:

The people who are close to me have been worried about me for a while. "You're too stressed, Heather," and yes, they're right. You see, over the past five years Home Ec 101 slowly turned from a hobby into an actual job and what is slowly, so slowly, evolving into a career -this website isn't all I do, but it is a hefty portion and the most public part of it. What those of you who don't know me can't see is I sweat the details, all of the details, all of the time. Was my tone too snarky? What if the community gets mad at me for for working with [Brand X]? I need to redo all the things right now! Oh no, I had a typo and no one told me. (Email me typo alerts, please, it's kind of embarrassing to have them pointed out in the comments)

Some might say I'm a bit high strung.

Some might say I'm neurotic, but in a cute and endearing way not the scary way, of course -at least that's what I hope.

Throw in some stress on a personal level and it really has gotten to be a bit too much.

So what does a work-a-holic do when they need a break from their brain? They start interviewing for a low-stress, part-time gig. (And then they bawl alone in a parking lot because they are "good enough" on the Internet to work with nationally recognized brands, but feel they just bombed an interview for a serving gig.) And then a couple days later they realize they just might be a bit hard on themselves when they find they actually landed said gig.

Starting in a couple of weeks, I'll be working, very part-time, in my favorite Irish pub. (Some people I know have said I got the gig because I'm a redhead; I would hope it had more to do with the nearly ten years of F&B experience I had prior to having kids.)

Some of you are wondering how a serving gig could possibly be low-stress.

Let's just say I need some "done" in my life.

As a mother, there's never "done," as a home owner, there is ALWAYS stuff I should be doing. As someone who is self-employed and works from home, there is always something more I could be doing to grow, improve, or increase my business.

Three nights a week I will now have a reason to put on make-up and leave the house. I will show up, do my job, and do it well. It may be conceited, but even as I worked my way up in the kitchen, I always waited tables because I was good at it and it brought in good money. At the end of my shift, I will clock out and I will carry home with me an immediate payoff, not only tips, but what they represent: immediate feedback on a job well done. Something I rarely get, as my boss* is very hard to please and knows when I'm phoning it in.

*I'm referring to me, not the one at the pub.

Am I idealizing it? Yes, a little bit. There will be things that go wrong, there will be the occasional table that doesn't go well, there will be nights with crappy tips, I know this, but this time around, I have a more experienced perspective. It'll still be a night out of the house that didn't cost me anything except time and a few hours where I was distracted from the many things that are entirely out of my control.

And? The best part? The very best part of all? I will actually get to talk to adults, on a regular basis, without typing! It's only been almost 9 years.

So what do you have to get off your chest?

Click here to leave a comment on Sunday Confessional 2/19/2012 . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Pork and Mushroom Quesadillas with a Giveaway from the Pork Board

Heather says:

This week Publix and the National Pork Board are featuring sirloin pork cutlets, which will be on sale at Publix through February 22. These boneless cuts of porks are great for quick cooking methods like stir fry. Today's recipe for pork and mushroom quesadillas takes advantage of this quick cooking method. Quesadillas are a great, healthy weeknight meal and as a bonus, they come together quite quickly and pair well with a salad for a complete dinner. (Keep reading, there's a giveaway just below the recipe).

If you really want to up the health quotient try substituting whole grain tortillas for the plain flour ones. For more great ideas from the National Pork Board, follow their Twitter account @allaboutpork or fan them on Facebook.

If you're new to the technique of sauteing, not too long ago I shared how to tell if your pan is hot enough to saute and today I'm adding the following video that demonstrates the water test.

Okay, so now  that you know how to tell if your pan is hot enough to saute the pork (yes, I'm playing fast and loose with saute and stir fry today, but let's get started with the recipe.

: Pork and Mushroom Quesadillas

: Recipe courtesy of the National Pork Board

 [image error]12 ounces pork cutlets, pounded 1/4 inch thick1/4 cup olive oil with garlic or olive oil, dividedsalt to taste6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced8 oz Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded4 large flour tortillas (9 – 10 inch)Stack pounded cutlets and cut crosswise in half, then cut each stack lengthwise into matchstick size pieces. (You may find this easier if the pork cutlets are partially, but not fully frozen).Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a heavy skillet and stir-fry pork for 2 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove the pork from the skillet with a slotted spoon and season with salt, to taste.Add 1 TBSP of oil to the skillet. Add the mushroom and onions to the skillet and stir-fry for 1 – 2 minutes or until crisp-tender (in other words, don't cook the mushrooms to death). Add the pork to the skillet and toss to mix. Remove from the skillet and wipe the skillet with a paper towel.Assemble the quesadillas by placing 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on half the tortilla, topping with 1/4 of the pork and mushroom mixture and another 1/4 cup of cheese. Fold the tortilla in half.Add the final 1 TBSP of oil to the skillet and cook the quesadillas 2 at a time over medium heat for 2 – 4 minutes on each side, or until golden.Cut quesadillas into wedges to serve.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Calories: 560

Fat: 38 grams

Protein: 40 grams

Now for the giveaway. The National Pork Board and Publix are giving away the following:

8 $5 pork couponsWater bottleReusable grocery bagMeat thermometerPedometerRecipe book

to one lucky Home Ec 101 Reader to help you get started with the Good and Good for You Challenge.

How do you get in on this giveaway? Well, it's pretty simple. Just add a comment to this post. If you want a second chance (and that's all you get, folks) tweet about this giveaway and copy and paste the URL into a second comment. The comments are the official entry, there is no purchase necessary, void where prohibited. The contest ends Sunday February 26, 2012 at 9pm Eastern. The winner will be announced on Monday the 27th.

Good luck!

This post was sponsored by the National Pork Board, all opinions are my own.

Click here to leave a comment on Pork and Mushroom Quesadillas with a Giveaway from the Pork Board . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011