Any old home ec students or teachers out there?

[Claire]

OK, now I have a major question. I'm around 50 years old. Out of curiousity, how many of you feel you learned something from Home Ec classes? I took them for an "easy A", and in the long term, realize that I learned a LOT. It was considered something stupid girls did to get credits (I just took it for a break beween brain-breaking classes). In reality I learned a lot. Chime in.

 

[luvs]

i used to love home ec. but the high-school home-ec. was much better than the middle school one. we learned how to make sooooooo many items. fancy foods, basics, etc.

 

[kyles]

Home Ec was compulsaory in years 7 and 8 when I was at school in Australia. I loved it, and never realised how much I learnt until returning to sewing a few years ago, it all came flooding back.

Cookery was brilliant, except it was stuck in the 1970's, I learnt to cook from the Central Cookery Book, which everyone is given when they leave home, and I still use it for things like pastry. Some of the soups, puddings and other meals we learnt, were very old fashioned, I have never made a steamed pudding since!

 

[masteraznchefjr]

i hated home ec classes only thing i could do was cook but we didn't actually cook lol we made pancakes using really slow techniques and i couldn't flip the pancakes by throwing it up because the pan was those portable plug in pans.

 

[Claire]

When it came to cooking we learned a lot of basics like the mother sauces and nutrition. Sewing was a laugh because as a tall woman (obviously girl then) my mother taught me to sew very young so I could make my own clothes -- so I was able to whiz through the sewing classes. I even took some basic lamaze (never been pregnant), worked at a day care center, was a second grade teacher's aid (hmmm.... maybe this is why I chose not to have kids! haha!). The cooking, though, was always stuff I didn't think I'd ever make, but still we got some technique in. The nutrition has definitely helped through life. Recently hubby came back from his annual physical, and commented that his bad cholesterol was down, blood sugar slightly up. I just laughed. He'd been having problems with rheumatism, arthritis, gout (all related), and I'd tried to decrease his protein intake. Which of course made him eat more starches. Some don't realize that starch and sugar are basically the same thing!

 

[LMJ]

I didn't learn spit. All the cooking was shortening-laden baking, or pizza sauce out of a jar. Blech.

I never got even remotely decent at sewing either.

Cooking should really be learned later or at home, when it can be truly appreciated. Learning to balance a checkbook, stick to a budget, file a tax return, and get a mortgage would be a much better use of "home economics" classes. Far too many ADULTS can't do any of those things.

 

[Psiguyy]

Never took home ec. Wasn't cool for guys to take home ec. when I was in school. I ended up taking an AG course. Had one stupid assignment where we had to carve a farm animal out of a bar of Ivory soap. I carved an anatomically correct bull. I think I traumatized the female teacher. :twisted:

 

[TheOldCook]

We're going back a few years to the late 50's/early 60's. The only thing we learned to cook was cinnamon toast, broiled grapefruit (ick,poo,spit), cakes, cookies & butterscotch candy. We were never taught how to put a real meal on the table. I did learn how to sew & love it to this day!

When I got married in the early 60's I could hardly boil water. Thank goodness Julia Child had her "new" show "The French Chef" on TV. Although Duck L'Orange was a bit over the top for a 19 year old ~ I learned more from watching Julia than I ever did in Home EC.

Thank you Julia!

 

[Audeo]

Cooking should really be learned later or at home, when it can be truly appreciated. Learning to balance a checkbook, stick to a budget, file a tax return, and get a mortgage would be a much better use of "home economics" classes. Far too many ADULTS can't do any of those things.

Well said, and I couldn't agree more.

 

[Psiguyy]

TheOldCook.

Broiled Grapefruit???

 

[TheOldCook]

Psiguyy ~ I know! Sounds awful & is awful!!! LOL ~ Cut a grapefruit in half, sprinkle on a little sugar & stick it under the broiler til nice & hot & the sugar bubbles. (trying not to burn it at the same time!!) Serve with a cherry on top! Disgusting! I guess if you like hot grapefruit it's a treat!