Make the most of holiday leftovers
DEAR READERS: We cook generously for our big holiday dinners, and there are always leftovers. If you don’t like to repurpose them, offer the food to your guests to take home. Remember, some food tastes better the next day, like sliced turkey for sandwiches. Or you can grind up the meat to make a sandwich spread, which could include mayo mixed with chopped celery, carrots, mushrooms and even nuts. Here are two ways to be creative in using up all this delicious food:
1. Host a family buffet and reheat some of the food. Add herbs or spices to jazz up leftovers. You can make a veggie and potato hash, adding garlic and onions to make a new side dish. Vegetables can be chopped up and added to a salad. Pies can be reheated. Put out favorite family condiments. Let your children do their thing with all this food. Make it fun.
2. Make a refrigerator soup. Cut up turkey and chop veggies. Add seasonings. Reheat leftover bread to eat with soup. — Heloise
DEAR HELOISE: Somehow, no matter how careful we are, candle wax drips onto my carpet. What is the best way for me to get it off without damaging the carpet? — Mary in New Jersey
DEAR MARY: Try this: Fill a pan with ice and place it over the candle wax; leave it on until the wax is totally frozen. Use a small hammer to break up the hardened wax. Pick up or vacuum the pieces. Then apply a dry-cleaning solvent to a clean cloth. Press it over the area to remove any residue left on the carpet.
DEAR READERS: With all of the holiday events and traffic in your home, you will be using your vacuum cleaner often. It needs to be examined during this time to be sure it is working effectively and doing the job it should be. Take these steps: ■ Always unplug the vacuum first. Use hot soapy water to wipe off the outside of the machine and then the inside area to get rid of dust and collected grime. Look into the chamber/cylinder and hoses to pull out debris or hair that might clog it.
■ If the vacuum is bagless, clean the filters often to keep the machine operating efficiently. Remove the cup and wash in soapy water, then rinse and air-dry.
■ If the vacuum has a bag, before using, check the amount of debris inside. Too much dust and crud will reduce the suction capability. When the bag is more than half full, replace it.