THURSDAY TIPS

* Stuffed peppers bake nicely when put into the wells of a greased muffin tin.

* Wondering which loan you should focus on first in your debt-free strategy? Shoot for the one with the highest interest rate, generally. Or, if you’re the type who needs motivation beyond the knowledge that you are freeing yourself financially, stack them smallest to largest. When you pay off the balance on the smallest loan, fold that extra payment up to the next smallest loan and so on until you are debt-free!

* Toothpaste is a mild abrasive, and it’s suitable to buff out small scratches in a CD. Just dab a bit on, rub lightly with a soft cloth and rinse.

* “Want a nice smelling hamper? I give a coffee filter a spritz of perfume and put it in the bottom. There’s no bad smells in my closet, even with a hamper full of workout wear.”

– E.L. in South Carolina

* “Pickle juice: What is it good for? Lots! You can drink it if you have a muscle cramp, or in the summer when it’s really hot and you’re working out to keep from getting dehydrated. But I sometimes like lightly pickled veggies (carrots, cukes and peppers), so when I’m done with the last pickle, I pour the juice and some rough chopped veggies in a saucepot, bring it to a boil and put them right back in the pickle jar. Put it in the fridge, and you’ll have pickled veggies in a few days!” – M.A. in Alabama (Be sure to

eat within a week!) * D.M. in New York writes: “If you are making chocolate cake, replace the water in the recipe with an equal amount of chocolate syrup for a good, deep chocolate flavor.” Yummy! Or, just add a squirt to a box mix. That works, too. Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.