HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I have only been married a short time, and I’ve realized that he won’t touch leftovers. How do I get my husband to eat them?

— Grace G., Shelton, Conn. DEAR READER: Put leftovers in another container, and make sure the food isn’t too dry from reheating. You also might explain the cost saving involved in eating leftovers, which are just as nutritious as they were the previous night. Hopefully this will help.

DEAR HELOISE: Last Sunday, I made a huge amount of mashed potatoes. What can I do with the leftovers?

— Jillian N., Tuttle, Okla. DEAR READER: I have a recipe for them from my book “In the Kitchen With Heloise.” Here it is:

Leftover Mashed Potatoes Patties

1 cup mashed potatoes

½ cup flour

2 tablespoons baking powder 2 eggs, beaten

½ teaspoon salt Pepper

Combine all of the ingredients, adding pepper to taste. Form into patties. Fry in olive oil on both sides until golden brown. Add grated cheese or minced onions for extra flavor.

DEAR HELOISE: We’re having a small outdoor wedding, and I want to keep the wedding cake from being covered with insects. I have a net to cover the cake, but what about ants?

— Anna P., Ripley, Miss. DEAR READER: Put the cake on a table (such as a card table) and place the legs of the table in a large pan or bucket of water. Make sure the sides of the pan do not touch the table legs. This is an old hint, but it works.

DEAR HELOISE: Cleaning up a camp cook stove is such a bother that I dread going camping anymore. Is there any easy way to keep that stove clean?

— Walt O., Abbeville, La. DEAR READER: Line every square inch of the camp stove with aluminum foil. Cleanup time will be a breeze.

DEAR HELOISE: I break up leftover Halloween candy and put it in the bottom of a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. Then I stir thoroughly.

— Mary H., Arlington, Va.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com