HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: Our Bible study group is 12 ladies. We have a brunch at the end of the year. We all bring a favorite dish, and everything is delicious. One friend could not attend, so I brought a 12-sectioned muffin tin to the brunch and placed one food item in each muffin section.
I delivered it to her after the brunch so that she would be able to enjoy our brunch goodies.
— Corrinne Berkland, Universal City, Texas
DEAR HELOISE: Years ago when I worked in an office, whenever I found a brand and style of shoe that I loved, I would buy a pair in every color that I liked. One day I discovered at lunchtime that I had accidentally put on two different colored shoes — one black and one gray. After that, I used a permanent marker to write the color of the shoe on the underside of each shoe. I was never embarrassed (in that way) again.
— Madeline C., Rutland, Vt.
DEAR HELOISE: As some of us get older, we have issues with regular onions, so I have found that “sweet onions” (Maui, Vidalia, Sweet) can be digested better. These mellow onions don’t cause me “tears” and are so easy to work with.
About 25 years ago, a friend brought me Maui onion seeds from Hawaii, and I was able to grow my own amazing onions. I bought a dehydrator and now have jars full of dehydrated onion on the pantry shelf that last for several years. Leftover pieces that I don’t dehydrate get chopped and frozen in ice cube trays and are ready for use in future cooking.
I also order fresh onions from a Vidalia onion farm in Georgia and receive those beautiful fresh onions every April. With each wrapped in a piece of paper towel, they stay good in my refrigerator until December. It’s a fun, yummy hobby, and I like that they are super fresh.
— Nancy Lukunich,
Simi Valley, Calif. DEAR HELOISE: I saw on TV that a doctor developed a straw that restricts the flow of the drink, and that action gets rid of hiccups. But instead of buying one, I took a regular straw like you get with a fast food drink or you can buy in a pack at the dollar store. I pinched it near the top to restrict the flow as I was trying to sip a drink. That action got rid of my hiccups quickly, just as the advertised straw says it can do. I didn’t have to go out and buy something; I already have recycled straws at home.
— Kathy Rodriguez, via email
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