HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I like to use a box of baking soda to OPINION deodorize my refrigerator and keep a box in the fridge for several months. Can I then use it in various recipes? I hate to waste food, and if the baking soda is still usable I’d rather not just toss it out.

— Sandy M., Englewood, Fla. DEAR READER: Sorry, but that box of baking soda has already absorbed many odors in your refrigerator, which are not suitable for cooking. However, you can pour it down a drain in the kitchen or bathroom along with a cup of vinegar to deodorize your drains so you won't have wasted it.

DEAR HELOISE: I love to make meals appear attractive to the eye as well as taste good. In the warmer months I make a lot of salads. I use my egg slicer to slice avocados, olives, strawberries and small tomatoes. I score my cucumbers lengthwise with a fork so they have a fluted edge when sliced. I use a potato peeler to make curls from carrots. To me, appearance is half of the appeal of food.

— Gloria S., Marion, Iowa DEAR HELOISE: After reading the label on a jar of coffee creamer, I realized that there were too many chemicals in it to suit me. Instead of buying a coffee creamer, I use dried, powered skim milk in a box. It doesn’t cool my coffee, but it’s healthier, just as tasty (personally, I like it more than the creamers) and, ounce for ounce, it’s cheaper.

— Belinda V., Golden, Colo. DEAR HELOISE: I had a large number of guests this past weekend, and my oven got used a lot. There were spills on the bottom of the oven that I couldn’t get off unless I scrubbed, and I felt that might cause some damage. So I took three sheets of paper towels, soaked them with water and poured some white vinegar over them, then placed them on the spills in a cold oven. (Do not do this with a warm oven!) After a couple of hours I went back and wiped the bottom of the oven, and the spills came up with no problem.

— Paula E., Woodburn, Ore. DEAR HELOISE: I made a huge birthday cake for my husband and there was a lot left over. Several people wanted to take a slice home with them, so I got out my cling wrap, sprayed one side with a nonstick spray and used it to wrap the pieces of cake. The nonstick spray keeps the icing from clinging to the film.

— Karen P., Red Wing, Minn. Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email