HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: How do I get my dark brown sugar back to soft? I do not use it often, and it has gotten very hard.
— Charlie R. in Houston DEAR READER: Charlie, here are a couple of my favorite ways to soften brown sugar:
Keep in an airtight container with a slice of fresh bread on top of the sugar. Seal it and leave it overnight. It may take one to three days to soften.
Put it in a microwave-safe bowl with a small bowl of water beside it and microwave for about 60 seconds. If it’s not soft enough, microwave for 30 seconds more.
DEAR HELOISE: I’m hosting a retirement party, and I plan to have a large cake on a table out on the patio. There’ll be a lot to do before the guests arrive, so how do I keep insects from attacking the cake and other food items on the tables? — KeaLani M. in Honolulu DEAR READER: KeaLani, I used to live in Hawaii, and we had a trick for keeping insects from feasting on food. Take each leg of the table and place it in a container of water, making sure the legs of the table do not touch the sides of the water-filled container. An empty coffee can or a pot works well in this situation, because it keeps crawling insects out. Then, cover the food and especially the cake with a plastic cover and weigh it down with stones or something heavy so it won’t blow away.
DEAR HELOISE: For crisp lettuce, I put a head of lettuce in a pan of cold water and let it sit for half an hour or more. I take it out and put it in a colander, and let all the water drain off. Then I pull the lettuce leaves off and put them in a zipper-top bag, and I have nice, crisp lettuce for sandwiches for several days.
— Dolores K., Nebraska
DEAR HELOISE: I have a summer dessert that is yummy and easy to make. You’ll need: 300 ml heavy cream 1 can sweetened condensed
milk 3-4 lemons, juice and zest
Whip the heavy cream and set aside. Pour the condensed milk into a bowl and blend in the juice of 3 or 4 lemons. Add the zest of 1 lemon. Fold in the heavy whipped cream and blend all ingredients. Place in pretty dessert dishes and chill for 2 hours. Serves 4.
— Lisette B., California