Use fast-food extras
DEAR READERS » When you order from a fast-food restaurant and go through a drive-thru, the meal usually comes with plastic utensils, napkins, condiments, straws, and salt and pepper packets. Don’t throw these items out, even if you are not going to use them for that meal. Instead, save them to take when you are picnicking or camping, or put them in a lunch bag for school or work.
Cutting board reminder
DEAR READERS » During the rest of this holiday season, you still will be having large family gatherings. And your cutting board will get a workout when preparing all those meals. Don’t forget that bacteria grows on plastic and wood cutting boards. After each use, wash and sanitize it to remove bacteria. Here’s how to do it well: Wash the board in hot, soapy water. Then soak it for two minutes in a solution of 3 tablespoons of household bleach and 1 gallon of water. Rinse and dry with a paper towel or air-dry.
Blueberry pancake hint
DEAR HELOISE » I read your column from Laura M. from Hillsboro, Oregon, about making pancakes. I would like to share my solution. I live alone, so I don’t make big batches of pancakes. I buy a box of blueberries, wash them and roll them in a tea towel to dry as much as possible. Then I lay them in a single layer on a paper towel on a cookie sheet and freeze them. After they are frozen, I put what I will need for one pancake in a plastic zip-top bag.
When I make my pancakes, I pour enough batter out for my one pancake then put my berries on top, then cover them with more batter. This might solve her problem of missing her blueberry pancakes. I hope you can use this hint. I also use this method for making banana pancakes by slicing the bananas on top of the batter.
— Nancy Hyneman, Princeton,
Indiana
Stinky plastic containers
DEAR READERS » Plastic containers are good for food storage, but they can retain a smelly odor from the food. Here’s how to get rid of it. Fill the container with half household vinegar and half water. Allow this to sit overnight. Rinse thoroughly with hot, soapy water and air-dry. Store these containers with the lids off to prevent a stale smell.
Vinegar is a great, effective product for lots of household jobs, including cleaning, deodorizing and cooking. To learn more, check out my sixpage pamphlet full of vinegar uses. Get a copy by visiting Heloise.com or by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. FYI: To refresh the toilet bowl, pour a cup or so of white vinegar inside for about five minutes, then quick-scrub and flush.
Is wild rice actually rice?
DEAR READERS » Wild rice is the grain of a tall grass that grows in water in North America’s Great Lakes region. It’s also known as water rice. You normally buy it mixed with white rice. Here’s how to use this chewy, nutty-flavored rice. Boil or bake it. Add onions, butter, mushrooms or sliced almonds to enhance it. Wild rice is a great accompaniment to duck and game.