A switch to red

DEAR HELOISE >> This is a safety tip for the kitchen. Some kitchens have a set of ELECTRIC SWITCHES that are usually on the side of the sink on the wall. One switch turns on the light above the sink, and the other switch turns on the garbage disposal.

I paint the switch for the garbage disposal red, with bright red nail polish. This makes sure the disposal, with its sharp blades, doesn’t get turned on by mistake. When there is an event with many helping hands, it would be easy to flip the switch at the wrong time.

— Helen R., Manhattan, Kan.

DEAR HELOISE >> You had a recipe for a lemon-mint tea that my mother loved. She’s coming for a visit, and I’d like to make that tea for her. Would you repeat the recipe? I’ve misplaced the one I had.

— Nicky G., Austin, Texas

DEAR NICKY G. >> Nicky, this is a favorite of several of my friends. You will need: 3-5 tea bags (regular size) 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1-2 teaspoons finely cut mint (fresh is best but dried will do. If you have dried mint, it is stronger, so use 1/2 the amount.)

Honey, brown sugar or any sweetener

Add hot water to tea bags and the mint. Steep for 5 minutes, strain, then add the lemon and sweetener. If you like this lemon-mint tea, you’ll find it and much more in my Heloise’s Flavored Coffees and Teas pamphlet. To get a copy, send $3, along with a stamped (70 cents), self-addressed, long envelope, to: Heloise/Coffee & Tea, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Or you can order it online at Heloise.com. Did you know how the tea bag was invented? A tea merchant wanted his customers to try his tea, so samples were sent out in little silk pouches, and the tea bag was born.

DEAR HELOISE >> When making baked goods, put an unwrapped butter stick in the freezer for 20 minutes or so. When ready to use, hold on to the butter stick by the wrapper and grate the butter into the flour mixture with a medium hole (1/4 inch) hand cheese grater. Stir in after each quarter of a stick. Works perfectly every time. — Dan R., Laguna Beach, Calif.

DEAR HELOISE >> I would appreciate your opinion on something: What is the reason for deveining shrimp in recipes? Is it mostly just aesthetic, or is there another reason? I believe that the “vein” referred to is actually a part of the gastrointestinal track.

— Nick in Little Rock, Ark.

DEAR NICK >> Nick, deveining is for aesthetics, not hygiene. The dark color in the vein is dirt or grit in the shrimp’s digestive tract, and it is not harmful to ingest.