Brewing up a great cup of coffee

Going boating?

Dear readers: Be sure to be prepared to take care of your high-tech devices, which will undoubtedly come on board along with your children and pets. Safety on all levels should be your top priority. Put your smartphones, cameras or other high-tech equipment into heavy-duty zippered plastic bags to protect them in case they get sprayed or fall into the water. Also make certain that everyone on board has a life vest. And that includes your dog! — Heloise

Faster breakfast

Dear Heloise: When we have company, we always serve pancakes, a family tradition. For less stress in the morning, I make the batter the night before and pour it into a clean, plastic squeeze bottle. In the morning, I just squirt the batter into the pan. This gives me more time to chat with my guests and less mess to clean up! — Becky from North Carolina

Honey hints

Dear readers:

Here are two quick and easy recipes to use with your favorite honey:

■ Blend honey with apple cider and rub over a leg of lamb and then cook.

■ Spread lightly buttered toast with fresh ricotta cheese and spoon a bit of honey on top for a sweet breakfast treat.

■ If your honey has crystallized, just zap it uncovered in the microwave on high for a few seconds. To prevent this problem, do not store honey in the refrigerator. Instead, keep it on a shelf. — Heloise

Beach bags

Dear Heloise: My kids and our family love to go to the beach, which involves hauling a lot of stuff. To lessen this task, I give each one of my children a large mesh tote bag. They can take their favorite beach toys and are responsible for them. At the day of the day, they just put them all back into their bag. Then they dunk the bag into the water to remove the sand before they bring it back to the car. — Valerie from Maryland

How to clean brass

Dear readers: The brass objects we have in our homes are lovely, but they need to be cleaned and polished. First, check the brass to see if it’s lacquered or nonlacquered because a different cleaning method is used for each surface.

For lacquered brass, wipe it off with a soft, clean, damp cloth. Do not put any cleaner on this type of surface.

For nonlacquered brass, pour a bit of ketchup onto a cloth, rub over it, rinse and dry. — Heloise