Sausage patties
DEAR HELOISE » My husband loves sausage with his eggs, so I make sausage patties by hand. It’s cheaper to make my own patties than to buy pre-sliced. I always hated when the fat in the sausage stuck to my hands. So now I dampen my hands with water so the fat doesn’t stick to my fingers. I re-wet my hands if the fat starts to stick again.
— Lisa in Wisconsin PUMPKIN BREAD
DEAR HELOISE » You have a recipe for pumpkin bread that I love! It always turned out great and was easy to make. Unfortunately, I lost the recipe and want to make a loaf when my parents come for a visit in late August. Would you repeat that recipe for me?
— Tina in Louisiana Tina, this scrumptious recipe can be made any time of year and is a favorite of mine. You’ll need:
1 2/3 cups flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup salad oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
Sift together dry ingredients. Add nuts and mix well. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add to dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend. Pour into 9-by-5-by-3-inch greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes.
BAD SMELL
DEAR HELOISE » My wooden cutting board has a terrible, lingering onion-garlic smell that I can’t seem to get rid of, no matter how much I try. What would Heloise do?
— Ellen, via email Ellen, the best way I’ve found to kill those odors on a wooden cutting board is to sprinkle the surface with a generous amount of salt, then take half a lemon or lime and scrub the board in a circular motion. Let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes, then wash with warm soapy water and air-dry.
CLEANING LETTUCE
DEAR HELOISE » I live in a warm climate and to make certain my lettuce is clean and bug-free, I soak the head of lettuce in a bowl of cold, clean water with a hand full of salt and about a half cup of vinegar. I let it sit for about 15 minutes to make certain the leaves don’t harbor any pests. Then I empty the water out and use running water to wash off each lettuce leaf, and gently dry the leaves with a paper towel.
— Malia in Hawaii
Ellen, the best way I’ve found to kill those odors on a wooden cutting board is to sprinkle the surface with a generous amount of salt, then take half a lemon or lime and scrub the board in a circular motion.