Table of Contents
Cooking: Learning how to feed yourself (and others) starts here 1
How to Boil Water 8
How to Boil an Egg 11
How to Peel a Boiled Egg 12
How to Crack an Egg 13
How to Whip Cream 15
How to Stock Up 17
How to Be a Thrifty Shopper 18
How to Freeze Hamburger Meat 19
How to Buy an Apple 22
How to Handle Lettuce 24
How to Care for Iceberg Lettuce 26
How to Make Vinaigrette 27
How to Make Caesar Salad 27
How to Zest a Lemon 29
How to Juice a Lemon 30
How to Cut a Lemon Wedge Garnish 31
How to Chop an Onion 32
How to Measure Flour 36
How to Knead Bread Dough 42
How to Make a Sandwich 44
How to Refresh Stale Bread 48
How to Make Bread Crumbs 50
How to Make Croutons 50
How to Make Pizza 51
How to Have Dinner Ready in Thirty Minutes 54
How to Make Soup 56
How to Grill Vegetables 59
How to Sauté Vegetables 60
How to Steam Vegetables 60
How to Roast Vegetables 61
How to Blanch Vegetables 61
How to Chop Broccoli 62
How to Make Mashed Potatoes 63
How to Cook a Steak 66
How to Cook Lamb Chops 68
How to Cook Chicken Breasts 69
How to Roast a Chicken 70
How to Brine a Bird 71
How to Braise Beef 72
How to Make a Pot of Chili 74
How to Fry Chicken 78
How to Cook French Fries 80
How to Cook a Pot of Beans 82
How to Cook Rice 83
How to Roll a Burrito 84
How to Make Maki 86
How to Cook with Tofu 88
How to Repurpose Common Leftovers 91
How to Start Canning 93
How to Make Perfect Piecrust 96
How to Peel an Apple 99
How to Cream Butter, Sugar, and Eggs 99
How to Make Cookies 101
How to Frost a Birthday Cake 104
How to Make Ice Cream 107
How to Make Sorbet in a Bag 108
How to Make a Pot of Coffee 110
How to Clean a Coffeemaker 110
How to Brew a Cup of Tea 112
How to (Mostly) Decaffeinate Tea 114
How to Make Iced Tea 115
How to Clean Your Kitchen 116
Sewing: Simple sewing tasks can be impressive when done the right way 119
How to Thread a Needle 121
How to Care for Your Needles 123
How to Sew on a Button 124
How to Make Your Own Sewing Kit 126
How to Baste 127
How to Attach a Snap 128
How to Fix a Rip in Your Jeans 130
How to Fix a Hole in Your Shirt 132
How to Hem Pants 134
How to Hem the No-Sew Way 136
How to Thread a Sewing Machine 137
How to Hem a Skirt 141
How to Make a Pillow 143
How to Make a Comfy No-Sew Fleece Pillow 146
How to Make a Super-Easy No-Sew Knot Pillow 147
How to Make an Apron 148
How to Install a Zipper 150
How to Fix a Broken Pull 153
How to Fix a Separated Zipper 154
Laundry & Clothing: From laundry labels to shrunken sweater care 155
How to Read a Laundry Label 157
How to Sort a Heap of Dirty Cloches for Washing 160
How to Remove Ketchup from a White Shirt 161
How to Wash a Load of Clothes 164
How to Wash a Down Comforter 165
How to Care for a Sweater 166
How to Save a Shrunken Sweater 166
How to Dry Sweaters on a Drying Rack 167
How to Reshape a Wet Sweater 167
How to Fold a Fitted Sheet 168
How to Iron a Shirt 170
How to Hand-Wash 173
How to Hand-Wash Curtains 175
How to Whiten a Dingy T-Shirt 176
How to Fold a T-Shirt the Retail-ore Way 178
Domestic Arts: The life-changing magic of keeping a clean home 179
How to Hand-Wash a Dish 181
How to Load a Dishwasher 183
How to Mop a Floor 185
How to Vacuum 187
How to Make a Bed 189
How to Start a Bedroom Routine 190
How to Hang Curtains 192
How to Remove Gum from a Rug 194
How to Erase an Ink Spill from Carpet 195
How to Remove Pet Stains from Carpet 196
The Poop on Poop 196
How to "Spring Clean" 197
Life Skills: Grace notes to put the finishing touches on a settled and pleasant life 201
How to Make a Household Budget 202
How to Set the Table for a Fancy Formal Dinner 204
How to Answer a Wedding Invitation 207
How to Pack a Suitcase 208
How to Tie a Scarf 210
How to Tie a Tie 212
How to Tie a Necktie on Someone Else 215
How to Polish a Pair of Shoes 216
How to Write a Thank-You Note 218
How to Stock a First-Aid Kit 219
Index 222
Conversion Tables 227
