HINTS FROM HELOISE

PRACTICAL, DEPENDABLE TIPS FOR TODAY’S BUSY CONSUMERS

Dear Heloise:

My husband has to travel a couple of nights a week for business, which often leaves me free at dinnertime.

Instead of going out to eat dinner alone, I plan ahead. Whenever I make a big dinner, I set aside a portion and freeze it.

On the evenings my husband is gone, I microwave my “Mini-Me-Meal” and enjoy a home-cooked dinner while watching my favorite shows on TV.

— Sheila R., Tyler, Texas

Dear Heloise:

I had so many recipes I’d cut out of magazines that would get lost or torn.

Finally, I bought a large photo album, and now I keep all my recipes in there. I have four such books: one for main dishes, one for vegetables and pasta, one for desserts, and one for hearthealthy recipes. Now I don’t lose recipes, and it’s so easy to find the one I want.

— Angie C., Henderson, Nevada

Dear Heloise: I always hated the way oil would gather at the top of the peanut butter jar.

I usually made a mess when I tried to stir it together with the peanut butter. Finally, a neighbor of mine told me to turn the jar upsidedown on my pantry shelf. It was a little trick he learned from your column.

— Kathy And Susan, Glenrock, Wyo.

Dear Heloise: My husband and two sons love oatmeal at breakfast.

They used to eat a sugary brand of oatmeal, but I didn’t like them consuming so much sugar. Things had to change. Now I make oatmeal with 1% fat milk instead of water and add just a little honey and some fruit. My husband liked the idea of eating healthier.

The boys became accustomed to it very quickly, but then like most teenage boys, they just inhale food rather than eating it.