Kitchen clutter

DEAR HELOISE » No matter what I do, my kitchen drawers are always a mess. Buying drawer organizers seemed quite expensive, so I made my own using empty granola bar boxes that I cut and taped to hold my commonly used items. Now I have beautifully organized drawers that never fail to bring a smile to my face.

— Carol in Ohio

HOMEMADE FROSTING

DEAR HELOISE » I love to bake treats for my family. My husband was especially fond of your cream cheese frosting, but I have misplaced the recipe. Would you please reprint that, so I can make it for his birthday cake?

— Ann-Marie in Louisiana

Ann-Marie, that is one of my husband’s favorites, too! Here it is! You’ll need:

2 cups part-skim milk ricotta cheese ½ cup Neufchatel cheese 6 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Optional: After icing the cake, sprinkle the icing with chopped nuts.

FYI: The wedding cake as we know it today originated with the wedding of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany to Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont in 1882.

SLICING AVOCADOS

DEAR HELOISE » My family loves my guacamole, so I always have several avocados at different degrees of firmness in my refrigerator, ready to use.

I’ve found that the fastest way

to make guacamole is to cut the avocado in half lengthwise. To remove the pit, I tap it with a knife, then give it a little twist. The pit lifts right out. Then I make several crisscross cuts into the flesh of the avocado before scooping it out with a spoon. This makes mashing the avocado much easier!

— Maria in Arizona

MUSHROOM MECHANICS

DEAR HELOISE » I love mushrooms in so many dishes, but every time I try to prepare them, they are either rubbery or mushy. What am I doing wrong?

— Darla in Tennessee

Darla, here is a list of some Do’s and Don’ts to help you:

* Do refrigerate them as soon as you get home.

* Do store them in a paper bag, rather than plastic.

* Don’t clean them until you are ready to use them. Rinse quickly and dry with a soft paper towel.

* Don’t soak fresh mushrooms. They can quickly absorb water, which will ruin the taste and texture.

FISH STICKS

DEAR HELOISE » My kids love fish sticks, so when I cook them for their lunch, I take the amount I need from the original box, then I put the remaining fish sticks in a plastic freezer bag. Before I toss out the box, I cut out the heating instructions and place them in the bag.

— Sharon in Alabama

WEBSITE Check out my new website at Heloise.com for pet pal photos, recipes, creative ideas and answers to your questions.