HINTS FROM HELOISE

TIPS FOR TODAY’S BUSY CONSUMERS

Dear Heloise:

If you like Brazil nuts but hate to crack them because it is hard to get out the meat from the shell, I have a solution.

I put the Brazil nuts, still in their shells, in the freezer. I take out a handful and crack the frozen nut.

— Maggie B., Laurel, Montana

Dear Heloise: HELP! I bought a preowned home, and it’s nice except that where I live I have hard water stains on my chrome faucets and bathroom fixtures. How do I remove this?

— Alan F., San Antonio, Texas

Alan, yes, those stains can ruin the look of your bathroom, but there is a simple solution to this problem. To get rid of soap buildup and hard-water stains, clean the sink and faucets with undiluted white vinegar. If some of the stains are stubborn, soak a paper towel with vinegar, then lay it on the stain for a while before adding some elbow grease to get the stains off.

My pamphlet “Heloise’s Fantabulous Vinegar Hints and More” contains simple cleaning and recipe hints that will make your cleaning chores easier and less expensive. To get a copy, just go to www.Heloise.com, or send $5, along with a stamped (75 cents), self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

— Heloise

Dear Heloise:

I like to make far more food than I know we’ll eat, because I always freeze the leftovers.

I usually prepare a huge dinner on Sunday using chili, stew or a homemade soup and freeze whatever is left. This allows my husband to thaw out a meal in the microwave and heat up a home-cooked meal instead of eating dinner at a fast-food place where the salt and fat content is high on those evenings when I have to work late or am out of town.

— Faith N., New Castle, Pennsylvania

Dear Heloise:

My 8-year-old son loves carrots.

If he asks for a treat to nibble on before dinner, he’ll usually get out a carrot and eat it with gusto! I’m glad he’d rather have a carrot than candy, but I worry that his love of carrots might be due to some vitamin shortage. Is it safe to let him eat carrots all the time?

— Taylor M., Escondido, California

Taylor, if you have any health concerns about your son, I suggest having a doctor take a look at him.

However, carrots have a slightly sweet taste, which might be the reason he likes them, and this might be a passing phase.

Half a cup of carrots contains about 25 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar along with vitamins A, K and C. — Heloise