Heather Solos's Blog, page 71

Friends Feeding Friends with Lowes Foods

Heather says:

In just a few minutes I'll be getting on the road and heading toward Myrtle Beach, SC. Today I'm participating in the 17th Annual Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive, an annual event run by Lowes Foods. I'll be running a cash register for the first time in an embarrassing number of years and hopefully not making a fool out of myself. The last time I had to ring anything up was at my first job as a Waffle House waitress and let's just say things have changed a bit in the interim, for both cash registers and myself. Waffle Houses are still basically the same.

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"This is the seventeenth year that Lowes Foods has partnered with local food banks to help feed families in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. This year's goal is to collect more than 600,000 pounds of food to provide around 504,000 meals to those in need. Currently, stores have received nearly 40,000 pounds."

Lowes Foods will also be donating a meal for each new facebook fan. And if you live in North or South Carolina and have Lowes Foods in your area, consider following Lowes Foods on Twitter where they announce events like Friends Feeding Friends, specials, and other items of interest.

If you're in the Myrtle Beach area, I'll be at the 970 Ciprano Drive location from 10am until noon. Feel free to come out to point and laugh at me or to just say hi, whichever feels more appropriate. It's for a good cause, I'd love to see you there.

Friends Feeding Friends with Lowes Foods is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

How to Be A Fabulous Knitter/Crocheter–Holiday Tips and Tricks

Vera says:

One of the greatest joys of being able to knit and or crochet is the ability to make gifts.  No matter what, if you have yarn, needles or a hook, you can make something to give.  I recall one holiday season, being yarn rich and cash poor, I made all my presents and found it to be a rewarding experience.

With Christmas less than two weeks away at the time of this writing, however, a great joy can turn into a great stress for many knitters and crocheters who are mired in holiday knitting and crocheting deadlines.  With that in mind, here are some project ideas and tips to help alleviate the anxiety.

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Some of my holiday knitting in progress. Probably won't get it all done.

Ornaments: These can stand on their own as a gift or add some pizazz to a package. Most ornaments are small and can be made rapidly. Check out these knitted Christmas ornaments has some knitted ones, and here are Vera Hannaford lives and crafts in Charleston, South Carolina.  She is has become enchanted by the Sockhead Hat pattern for her holiday knitting, which is good because she has *lots* of sock yarn.  Still, she needs to finish a sweater for her nephew and make some Fetching Mitts for her mother-in-law, which can wait a little since she has a birthday in January.  Feel free to add any holiday patterns that you like or ask any knitting and crocheting questions in the comments.

How to Be A Fabulous Knitter/Crocheter–Holiday Tips and Tricks is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Sunday Confessional 12/11/11

Heather says:

It's been a few months since we've done a Sunday Confessional and I have a deadline causing some serious productive procrastination*, so now is just as good a time as any to bring back the series. For those new to Home-Ec 101, welcome, the Sunday Confessional is just a reminder that life isn't glossy magazine perfect. Here on the interwebz [sic], it is way too easy to crop the "bad" or "embarrassing" out of the snapshots we choose share. This series isn't so much a celebration of failure as it is a reminder that we're all human and we all mess up. Yes, even that stylish lady in the carpool lane who never has a hair out of place. No one has it together all of the time. I know that I personally have spent way too much time, mostly in real life, stressing myself out trying to make everything look 100% ok 100% of the time.

We all have our off days.

The day where we really wish the Fed Ex dude didn't need a signature because, oh I thought I could put off that shower just until I finished that next project.

The week. . .ok it was two, but I was really sick in the middle of that. . . where all six of us had to use the upstairs bathroom because I couldn't get my act together enough to finish recaulking the downstairs shower. Which, I should probably also admit that any home project that involves caulk also tends to involve a lot of risque humor, because apparently I still have the mind of a teenager. Snicker snicker, nudge nudge, giggle. No, I really don't want to grow up. In my defense the shower now looks great, it just took a while to get there.

[image error]And then there was last Saturday where I accidentally trapped myself on the roof for a while because I was too chicken to climb back down without anyone holding the ladder. So I sat up on the roof and posted about my predicament on G+. Thankfully my oldest kid wandered back from the neighbor's where he'd been playing and held the ladder for me, before I actually had to use my phone to do anything productive like call for help.

[image error]But really today's confessional is about onions, a great big pot of onions. I was going to make French onion soup, I had my kitchen clean, I was taking pictures of the process so I could share the recipe here, and then the mail came. In the mail was a package addressed to me. In the package was a chap book, Grab and Go: What to bring when things go really wrong from Streetcar Press. I sat down and started reading, my house filled with the aroma of beautifully caramelizing onions. And then time passed, I finished the book, set it down, and realized the smell had changed slightly -the onions had caramelizing in an enameled cast iron pot in a 400°F oven, a technique I highly recommend, as long as you pay attention. I ran into the kitchen to find I no longer had the beautiful golden brown onions I wanted. Oh no, I had a pot full of charcoal that took a long, long time to scrub clean and no French onion soup, le sigh.

Even good cooks get distracted. Use a timer and don't have friends send you distracting reading material. Or have the friends send reading material, just save it for when you aren't in the middle of making dinner.

So, what do you have to get off your chest? The Sunday Confessional is open, just keep it family friendly.

*Productive Procrastination – happens when any job, no matter how distasteful, becomes more urgent and satisfying than the one with the nearest deadline. Want to know if I have a big project stressing me out? Is my house immaculate? Yes? There's your answer.

 

Sunday Confessional 12/11/11 is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Quick Off-Topic Break for a Major Milestone Brag

Heather says:

Earlier this week Home-Ec 101 hit a major traffic milestone. Over 1 million unique users visited this site in the past 12 months. (In about a week, I'll be able to say over a million in 2011).

That, my friends, is a lot of people (there are only 10k in my town).

Want to put it into perspective? That's getting close to the population of Dallas, TX. You've heard of Dallas, right? It's only the 9th largest city in the US.

I have an analytics addiction. Google Analytics recently released their Real-Time feature and my productivity has plummeted. As I write this, I can see there are between 20 and 25 of you on this site (no, I can't see who you are, but you might want to put on some pants, Lexington, VA). I'm kidding all I can see are general locations and what brought you to the site -"how to freeze waffles" seems pretty hot this morning.

So if you've recently started checking out Home-Ec 101, I can see what brought you hear the first time. What I'd love to know is, what brought you back?

Quick Off-Topic Break for a Major Milestone Brag is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Home-Ec 101 Gift Guide for the Domestically Challenged

Heather says:

You do know that Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living was included in Amzaon's Best of Home & Garden 2011, right?

The end.

Oh you want more ideas?

How about Tsh Oxenrider's Organized Simplicity?

or

Laura Wittmann's Clutter Rehab, 101 Tips and Tricks to Becoming an Organizing Junkie as a stocking stuffer?

Now the thing to keep in mind with these gifts is you have to know how the recipient will receive said gift. In other words, husbands, do not give your wife these gifts unless they have been specifically requested and even then, there should probably be something additional there, too. Don't make them hate me because you didn't want to put any thought into the process. Thanks.

Last year I put together a list of gifts for new and aspiring cooks.

Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks that may also make good gifts:

 

Cooking for Geeks Review

Food & Wine Reinventing the Classics Review

and The Lee Bros' cookbook? I was given that book by a very good friend and it holds a place of honor on a shelf in my kitchen.

What are your ideas?

Home-Ec 101 Gift Guide for the Domestically Challenged is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Home-Ec 101 Reader's 71 Quick Q-tip Tips

Heather says:

Last week I posted a quick video suggesting that Q-tips could be used to clean a computer keyboard. I then asked for your Q-tip Tips. I thought it would be fun to share the tips that came from the Home-Ec 101 Audience -(Do you remember when we did this with uses for leftover coffee or used coffee grounds?)

Watch the cute video, check out the tips below, then head over to Facebook and enter the Q-tips Tipathon for a chance to be entered to win a $100 gift card or a grand prize worth $1,000. Who couldn't use that just in time for Christmas?

Here are Home-Ec 101 Reader suggestions for using Q-tips around the house (some duplicates were omitted):

CouponSnob -I use Q tips to clean the tiny, thin edge on my TV screen!Laura – Oddly enough, Q-tips are the only thing I have found that gets bread crumbs out of the corner of the toaster ovenLgunnoe965 - I use Q-tips to spot bleach (pre-washing) white shirts that have appliques or printing and shouldn't be bleached entirely.Sweepmom - I like using Q-tips for my son to spread glue around when he is pasting things for school projects.Debb55106 –  Use them to clean my grooves in my Tupperware covers!Charlene K - I dip the ends of Q-Tips in olive oil and then run them along sticky zippers. The oil is an excellent lubricant that will make the zippers open and close easier.MarciaF - I use Q-Tips to clean the crevices of my cook top. It works wonderfully to get out the greasy dirt. I also use Q-Tips for cleaning the window frames of the dirt that accumulates around the handles and locks.Degood - I use Q-tips to apply lipstick after the tube gets too low to apply normally,Sweetheart4171 - I use Q-tips to clean those hard to clean corners when cleaning the windows!Patrice - I use Q-tips to clean the crevices of my hummingbird feederGkaufmanss - I use Q-tips for tons of things, including in crafts to apply glue to small corners or delicate projects, to clean tight spaces like the peephole in our front door or the space between tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, and even as a to-go cologne applier (by spraying one end to take with you in case you need a little more by the end of the work day). Thanks!Steve Berry - I use Q-tips to clean and remove heatsink compound on computer processors. the heatsink compound can be removed using a soft circular motion while soaked in a chemical that breaks down the thermal paste and heatsink compounds. once the paste turns milky, I simply use more Q-tips to soak up the mess and lightly polish the surface from impurities with rubbing alcohol in an open air enviroment to keep from becoming over fumed. It works like a charm, and if it wasn't for Q-tips, I would have a lot of messy processors to remove and clean using other methods that simply don't work as well.RyanMinton - you can use q tips to clean game cartridges..:)Sksweeps - I've learned that a fairly moist q-tip can be used to get things out of your eye, even when everything else has failed! Be gentle, but it works!Vmkids3 - I use Q-tips to touch up knicks on walls with paint. Don't have to dirty a brush that way.Lisa Garner - I use Q Tips for cleaning up an little paint drips on the base board when painting!Jalapenomama - I use Q Tips for those hard to get at spots on my coffee basket.Kathy Eyre - I even use Q-Tips for the dog's ears!Ecodannelle -  I use Q-Tips for everything an old toothbrush won't work on. They work great for cleaning that impossible-to-get-to spot between the edge of a pot or pan and where the handle hooks on.Elizabeth - I use Q-tips to clean our mini blinds. I use a little pledge and just wipe clean.Tmoyer6980 - I use them with peroxide to clean kids cuts and scrapes.McKim - My husband uses them for cleaning his guns and scopes.Katsrus - I use Q-Tips for cleaning my earrings. With some rubbing alcohol. It helps to get the gunk off and makes them nice and clean beofre you put them in your ears.FictionOneForty - They are great for dusting my collectibles that have lots of delicate crevices!Dwndrgn - They are great for cleaning remote controls – all the food and grime that gets all over these! I use rubbing alcohol on the tip to avoid water and it works very nicely.AngelaCisco - I use q-tips to clean the corners of picture fames. The dust gets caught in the corners.Yadgirl - I use Q-Tips to clean my printer nozzlesDonutsmamab - I use Q-tips for cleaning the little rim around my glasstop stove. It's too small to wedge my finger into.Piscesvirgo -  I  clean the camera lens on my phone with q-tipsKellyDelrossoSaver - I use Q-tips to clean small knick knacks, by first dipping them in warm soapy water.Zippy573 – We use Q-tips at work to clean out the small vents on the oxygen concentrators. it holds the cleaner and is small enough to get in crevices!Blake Powers - If you have ornate silver or brass items, a small bit of polish or jeweler's rouge on the tip of a Q-tip makes a great way to get into those hard-to-reach areas. They can also be used for cleaning inside voids and such in decorative items that would otherwise be impossible to reach. They are very good for cleaning intricate mechanisms or items with very tight tolerances in the same way. Finally, if you need to lubricate mechanical items that have very tight tolerances but must not have any greasy/waxy build-up, a very small amount of Pro-Gold lubricant (or similar) can be applied with one end of the Q-tip, and then use the other to wipe so that only a film remains.MiscRamblings -  I use it when I paint things on my windows (tempra paint) and I get it on the window pane. Keeps me from trying to do it with a rag and ruining the design.CoupleDumb - I use q-tips to clean all of our gadgets.Reneefishman - I use Q-Tips to clean out the dirt that gets into the crevices of my iPhone: the doc connection port, speakers, mics & the volume toggle. Also I clean around the rim of the iPhone with QTips – where the glass meets the antenna band. They are great for other small electronics as well.Firemom - If you spill something really sticky in a hard to reach place, use some Q-tips and your favorite cleaning agent. I find this especially helpful when I spill drinks in the car. Cleans out the console quite well.Carye – [. . .]  My favorite though? Bird toys! My parrotlets and Quaker loves them!!! Cheap and safe!Anna Heath - I use them as a mini paintbrush to get in really small spaces.Stephanie Templeman – I use Q-tips for all sorts of things. I think my favorite is to use them when I clean the small crevices in my hand carved wood items. They work great with a little Old English or Pledge oil.Cjrthemamiblog - I use q-tips to clean our wooden rocking chair cus it has hard to reach spots!Doodle741 - I use them to remove the mascara I accidentally get on my skin … I use them to let the kids paint with (they don't smoosh like paint brushes) … they are SOOOO easy to use!Simplystriving – I've noticed Q-tips are added to my shopping list more now that I'm a parent. We use them to paint. We use them to apply creams to our toddler. We use them to clean toys.Lori S – I use them to shapre the white polish while doing french manicures on myself.Taznjade - I use them to polish silver jewelry boxes that have intricate designs with crevices. Works great!Sadie - Q tips are great for cleaning up playdoh molds.Klsiegler - I use them while painting nails so I dont have polish on the edges of my fingers tooMelissaSelznickResnick – I used them to clean my car ventWarpedWeaving - I use them to clean out my son's belly button. He is not a fan  I also use them at work (I'm a special ed teacher) as glue brushes.Misty - I use them to help remove make up AS WELL as to apply moisturizer around my eyes in a cleaner and more gentle way than my fingers can.Milehimama - I use q-tips to apply Neosporin, athletes foot cream, or other medical creams. It keeps the tube from getting contaminated.Also, you can make dots with them when dying Easter eggs!MeganRallNatherson – I use them to apply acne medicine to the inside of my teens ears, as well as taking off toe nail polish.Caanan.Tully - I use Q-tips to clean bathroom faucets–that spot between the handle and the faucet that you can never get… unless you take the whole knob off, and there's not always time for that.Debbi.Chum - I use them to clean the straw part of my son's thermos and get inside the spout of his sippy cups! Nothing gets into those small spots better.Zwiker - cat toys!Janlnye - Vents on the hair dryer. Calamine lotion to bug bites. Neosporin to booboos. Dipped in alcohol to remove price tag sticky goop from glassAnnabanana2800 - I use Q-tips when cleaning out the air vent over the microwave! They work great!Briannelynn26 -i use them to clean the vents. Like the cold air return, and the fan in the bathrooms.Mclanek - I use them to clean around the faucet (especially on the hard to reach side close to the wall).SallyNusbaum - I use them to get the "goo" out of the shower door tracks.CharlenetheBean - They're great for cleaning the little places in silver holloware. We have some MARVELOUS and BEAUTIFUL George Jensen bowls – the Q-tips can get into the otherwise-inaccessible places!Katherine - Use them for cleaning the ridges in the seal on the refrigerator door.Bobbie Laughman - When my kids were little, I had them use Q-tips as the "paint brushes" with those "Paint With Water" coloring books – do they still make those?They're also great as disposable eye shadow brushes.Sara Beth - I use Q-tips to clean the tracks of our windows.Angie23 - Sorry, I know this is gross, but I use them to clean around the hinges of the toilet! (We all have toilets, I'm just glad you clean yours)Nova - I use them to clean the drawer tracks in my fridge.Amanda M - I used them to get into the crevices of my breast pump! Worked pretty well.Tami - Dip them in rubbing alcohol and clean the tops of dusty candles.Deneicer1 - I used them as little scrubby brushes to clean inside the spout of my daughter's sippy-cups.Andrea - We use them to apply ointment during diaper changes. No mess – I love it!Phillip Guyton - I used them as a child with nail polish remover to remove the faces of lego men… does that count?  (Keep in mind this is the same guy that did the photography for this year's Countdown to Turkey Day, we'll cut him some slack)

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

Home-Ec 101 Reader's 71 Quick Q-tip Tips is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Silky Smooth Green Pea Soup Recipe

Bobbie says:
Now is the perfect time of year for hearty soups to warm the body and spirit. Served with bread (homemade or from the store) and perhaps a salad, this thick, creamy soup makes a great lunch or light supper, and pea soup is surprisingly easy to make from scratch.

Once upon a time, I was told that if I could come up with my own version of the pea soup in the red and white can that my husband liked so much, we could stop paying that ridiculous price, which back in 1986, was just over one dollar per 10.75 oz can of condensed soup. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Not just any split pea soup recipe would do, as I quickly came to realize – he said they didn't taste right (which, it turned out, was the flavor of ham, which was NOT in the canned version) or they "had stuff in them" (he liked the smoothness of the Green Pea variety, so No Chunks Allowed). So, after examining labels on soup cans, and a few years of trial and error, this is How I Make Pea Soup. (And now, my husband can't stand the canned version. Ha, Campbells! I WIN.)

When buying dried beans or peas, always look them over carefully, even if they seem to be very clean. When I made this batch of soup, the peas I bought were very nice and clean looking, but I found a small rock amongst them. Not something you want to find on your soup spoon.

You'll notice that my recipe calls for bouillon. I think this is the only recipe I actually use bouillon for, because generally it makes things too salty, but the chicken flavor bouillon gave this what it needed, and the result is still less salty than the canned soup. I'm also quite picky in choosing a brand. Most I've seen have MSG (monosodium glutamate) listed among the ingredients, which I really try to avoid. Herb-Ox is the brand I've bought for years, but I've recently tried one called Better than Bouillon, which I found at a health-food store, and I quite like it, but it's more expensive and must be refrigerated. If you prefer, you may use chicken stock (or veggie stock, of course) instead of the water. If you do, leave out or reduce the bouillon, and perhaps add some salt to taste.

 

 

: Silky Smooth Green Pea Soup16 ounces dried split peas (green or yellow, your choice)1 quart water or chicken stock1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped1 cup celery, roughly chopped1 ½ cups carrots, roughly chopped1 bay leaf1 clove garlic, chopped or smashed½ teaspoon dried oregano¼ teaspoon black pepper2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable bouillon (omit or reduce amount if using chicken stock)2 tablespoons fresh lemon juiceSmooth Green Pea Soup InstructionsWash the split peas in a bowl of warmish water, covering them by a few inches. Swish the peas around in the water, which will probably get cloudy with the dirt/dust you're washing off. Drain the water off , using a colander. I do this several times until the water no longer gets cloudy – wash them until you've reached a level of clean that you can live with.Put the clean peas back in the bowl and about a quart of cold water. Cover and let them sit overnight, or at least 8 hours. Longer is fine.* Drain, rinse and drain again. Put the peas in a large heavy-bottomed pot that holds at least 3 quarts. I always use my 6 quart stock pot for homemade soups, which is overkill, but it's less likely to boil over on me if I have the heat too high.Add the water or chicken stock, chopped vegetables, and all the seasonings except lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Put the lid on the pot, but tilt it slightly so you don't make a tight seal. (This can prevent a messy boil-over!)Simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the peas have pretty much disintegrated. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice.Now, if you like your soup "with stuff in it" – what most people might call chunky, just stir in the lemon juice and serve, otherwise it's time to puree the soup. I prefer to use my stick blender, because it's quick and less hassle. I set the soup pot down into my kitchen sink, and blend away. Any spill or splash is contained in the sink and cleanup is a breeze. You can also puree in a traditional blender, processing 2 to 3 cups at a time. Or, if you have a hand-crank food mill, that will work, too.This should make 2 quarts of thick pea soup. Add water if necessary. Reheat and serve.

Pea soup freezes very well, and making a big batch isn't really much more work.

Number of servings (yield): 8 (2 quarts)

 

 

*I soak my dried peas and beans about 24 hours, sometimes longer, changing the water once or twice, depending on how long they're soaking. After that I rinse them well – I NEVER cook them in the soaking water. Whatever any authority on the subject may say about the benefits or lack of them in this process, I know what works for me. After undergoing non-optional surgery on my digestive system several years ago, I am especially sensitive to the well-known effects of legumes on said system. I know from experience that this process makes them more…let's say "manageable" for me.

 

Bobbie Laughman is an elder caregiver, freelance writer and seller of things. She lives and cooks and Does Not Bake Much in Gettysburg, PA. Have a question you'd like Bobbie to answer? Just want to say howdy? Send it to Bobbie@Home-Ec101.com.

Silky Smooth Green Pea Soup Recipe is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

What to Do With Dried Beans: An Ask the Audience

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I'm hoping you will have a couple of ideas – we stocked up on a bunch of pantry things before going car-free, and I now have a surplus of every kind of dried bean, and no clue what to do with them. I'm hoping to find a few good main dish recipes, especially slow cooker ones, so I don't end up making just beans and rice over and over.

Any suggestions, especially where the beans are the main focus, would be very helpful!

Signed,
Soaking in South Bend

Heather says:

Beans and rice, rice and beans. . .

The thing with rice and beans is that there many, many variations on the same two main ingredients. Don't be afraid to experiment with different types. You'll find there's quite a difference in flavor from navy beans and rice and Hoppin' John. I need to get it together and finally add red beans and rice to the site, as well as black beans. I'm not saying I'd like to go with a week of nothing but rice and bean dishes, but if the rice and beans were varied enough we could have a rice and bean rotation once a week for quite a while before I'd tire of the idea.

That said also consider:

Lentil Burgers - you can substitute an equal amount of cooked beans in this recipe, just omit the stock.

Kidney Bean Burgers – this isn't a recipe, more of an idea of how to make them.

Black Bean Burrito Filling - They also work in tacos, enchiladas -here a recipe for enchilada sauce-, and of course oven chimichangas.

And of course, you can't leave out my all-time-favorite refried beans. The kids call them squishy beans and they are made with astounding regularity around here. They love bean burritos for lunch.

Home-Eccers, I would love for you to share, via link in the comments, your favorite recipes that use dried beans.

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

What to Do With Dried Beans: An Ask the Audience is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Taken for Granted

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I just found your site and love it! So I thought I would ask about something I need advice on. I have 12 year old twins,  a 14 year old son, and a 16 year old daughter. My house is in a constant mess and I'm the only one who cleans at all, how would you handle this? I have laundry piled up, they act like the washer and dryer aren't there. Nobody knows what the dishwasher is for and there's always nasty dishes in the sink, I went on strike but all that happened were bigger piles of laundry, dirtier bathrooms, and a disgusting kitchen and then I gave in and cleaned that up. My husband works and I stay home with the kids but I want a life, too. I'm not the maid, my husband is the worst of them all and he comes from a more "traditional" family and thinks that I should be the one to do it all!

Signed,
Unappreciated in Union City

Heather says:

Oh boy, situations like this are difficult because it's actually a multi-faceted problem. It's not just about the workload, it's about feelings of resentment and a lack of respect, there's frustration, and that feeling of not being appreciated. It's not a fun place to be and in all honesty you've got a bit of a struggle ahead of you. You're in charge of turning four children into responsible adults and that's not an easy task. Heck just take a look around at what's going on in society and there are plenty of examples where we (this is the general, America as a whole) have not done this.

The issues between you and your husband need a third party that he respects, whether that's a counselor or perhaps a priest or a pastor, if you attend church. Your job as a parent is extra hard if he's undermining your efforts.

I have friends who will tell stories of their mothers throwing their clothes out on the lawn after they weren't taken care of appropriately. While I laugh at the image and I totally get the temptation, I'm not sure I have that in me and I'm not saying it's something you should do. I'm only saying you aren't alone in that feeling of complete frustration.

It's time to get all of the kids in the same room at the same time with no distractions. But before you do this, be prepared. Know what you expect from each child so it can be spelled out plainly have a list something like:

bedrooms cleandishes donetrash taken outlaundryetc

Each kid has something he or she values over which you still have some control: whether it's their cell-phone, access to the Internet, driving privileges, access to friends etc. Remind them of this. Heck, some counselors suggest writing up a contract of responsibilities and privileges.

If you click the yellow sticky note in the upper-right of Home-Ec101.com, you'll land on a page with a printable weekly chore chart. By all means feel free to rearrange the days to fit your schedule and needs, just know that these chores, if done on a weekly / daily basis as outlined will keep your house reasonably clean.

Assign the chores to the children and give each child a thorough, hands-on demonstration of how the chore is performed so expectations are clear. Keep repeating said hands-on demonstration / chore inspection until the child -and I don't care if they are teens, they are still children- can do the chore to meet your expectations. Yes, I know this is so much easier for me to say than for you to do. It is likely that it will take a lot of effort and close monitoring on your part until the new normal is well-established. As of right now, they know that if they stall and ignore you long enough you'll do it for them. That part has to change and it's going to take time.

Hang in there and seek help from a qualified professional if you aren't making headway. Because you are right, it's not just your job. Every one who lives in a household should be making some contribution toward maintaining reasonable living conditions.

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

 

 

 

Taken for Granted is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Site Administration: Winners of the $50 Amazon Giftcard from Q-tips

Heather says:

I'd like to thank all of you for commenting and sharing your favorite uses for Q-tips. I'll be compiling the various tips into a future post.

The three gift card winners who will be notified by email are commenters 70, 53, and 36:

clc408
mammarachel
AndrewGordon

I used Random.org to pick the comment numbers.

I'd like to thank Q-tips for providing the gift cards. Don't forget to check out their Q-Tip-a-Thon, it's in the lefthand column on the fanpage. Share your tips, and you could win a $100 weekly gift card or the grand prize, a $1,000 gift card and a year's supply of Q-tips.

Site Administration: Winners of the $50 Amazon Giftcard from Q-tips is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011