Book Review: Home-Ec 101 by Heather Solos

Heather Solos, author of the popular blog Home-Ec 101, takes housekeeping back to square one in her new book on basic household management, Home-Ec 101, Skills for Everyday Living.

This is basic advice our mothers learned in high school  and even college home-ec classes. These are skills I had to learn the hard way–through pink socks and overcooked dinners. Don’t mix bleach with any other cleaner, in case the cleaner contains ammonia? Nobody told me that, cough, cough.

There is value here even for an experienced homemaker. It’s a good reminder of things you forget or let slip during the daily grind.

In chapter 20, “Meal Planning: Not Just for Control Freaks”, Heather teaches how to make stock, plan a weekly menu, and avoid the dinnertime rut. Mine is chicken and broccoli; okay, pizza.

Eat or eat not. There is no try.

Also, there is a recipe for “Basic Meat Loof”. Once I stopped giggling at the typo, I made a pretty darn good meat loaf. The recipe contains the number-one best tip for making meat loaf–don’t over-handle the ground beef. It took me ten years of cooking to learn that.

This book is appropriate for families of all sizes. From a young single person to an experienced mom of many, there’s much here to appreciate. Certainly, there’s more value the less experience you have.

Of note to homeschoolers, this would make a good home skills curriculum for middle-school to high-school aged children. I plan on using it with mine. It’s a shame for sons or daughters to leave home for college without knowing the basics of running the homes they’ll have before you know it.

Save them from unintentionally pink underwear and a diet of Pop Tarts.

I might make this book a housewarming gift to a young person or a graduation present, but use your judgement. I would not have been thrilled to get this from my mother or mother-in-law. That would be a loaded gift, don’t you think?

Home-Ec 101 is sold at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. It is available in paperback or for your Kindle, Nook or other electronic reader.

Also, check out Heather’s blog. I’m a fan of her schedules and tips, not that you could tell. Baby steps!

As a member of One2One Network, I had the opportunity to review this book.

Chapter 20, about meal planning, was made available to me.

I was not compensated for this review and it is, as always, my honest opinion. I liked what I read so much, I bought the book with my own money.

Yoda pizza from here.