Don’t skin that potato! FIVE-MINUTE FUDGE
Dear Heloise: As people become more aware of nutrition and the value of vitamins and fiber in our daily diets, I think it’s important to point out that we should be eating POTATOES with the skins on, instead of peeling them. Just use a small plastic scrub brush on the skins, and you’ll retain most of the nutrients.
Potatoes are high in vitamin C and potassium, low in sodium, and they are a good source of fiber. A medium-size potato is only about 100 calories. — Vera K., Ellsworth, Conn.
Five-minute fudge
Dear Heloise: I once had a recipe for five-minute fudge from you, and I have since lost it. My family absolutely loved it! Will you reprint that recipe? — Samantha Y., Stillwater, Okla.
Sure will, Samantha. I’m glad you liked the recipe. Here it is: 1 14-ounce can sweetened
condensed milk 12 ounces semisweet
chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon vanilla Dash salt
Combine all ingredients except the nuts in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate chips melt. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts.
Pour into an 8-inch square pan and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before cutting into bite-size pieces and refrigerating.
If you like quick and easy recipes, you’ll love Heloise’s Fudge and Other Recipes. Just send $1, along with a long, stamped (71 cents), self-addressed envelope, to: Heloise/Fudge and Other Recipes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. There’s nothing like a sweet, tasty surprise at the end of a meal or to serve to drop-in guests. — Heloise
Salad dressing question
Dear Heloise: Should I store my salad dressing in the fridge or in the cupboard? — DeAnn R., Waimea, Hawaii
DeAnn, store salad dressing in the refrigerator. Many dressings contain eggs or milk products and should not be left out too long after opening. — Heloise
Too much bread
Dear Heloise: It seems like there’s always too much leftover bread in the house. It goes stale and gets thrown out. What can I do with stale bread? — Emily H., Mansfield, Ohio
Emily, here are some uses for leftover bread:
■ Stale bread makes wonderful bread pudding.
■ Cube the bread and toast in the oven to make croutons.
■ Sliced bread that is stale but still soft enough to be pushed into greased muffin tins can be baked until toasty, then used as an egg cup.
■ Make French toast with it.
— Heloise
The French way
Dear Heloise: Recently I took your advice and added a bouillon cube to the water used in hearty dishes such as stews and soups. Wow! What a nice way to flavor a dish! — Carolyn L., Rochester, Mich.
Nonstick pans
Dear Heloise: Can I use metal tools on my nonstick pans? — Anna P., Union City, Tenn.
Anna, use wooden or plastic utensils on nonstick-coated cookware — never metal. — Heloise Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise. com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.