Bread machine makes life easy
Dear Heloise: My mother used to make homemade bread. Back in the ’90s when bread machines were the rage, we bought one. It came with a book of all kinds of breads. All you had to do is add the ingredients and push the button; it did the rest. Now, I am having to watch my glucose and weight, so we don’t use it. We just buy low-carb bread from the grocery store.
Those memories are still fresh in my mind. — D. Hansel, Houston
Don’t toss out corks
Dear Readers: Save corks from wines and other bot- tles, and wash them. You can then use them to cover the points of knives, kabob skewers and barbecue forks. This will protect you when you are taking out items from a kitchen drawer. — Heloise
Vinegar hints
Dear Readers: To remove fingerprints from shiny kitchen appliances, mix half vinegar and half water, and dip a soft terry towel into the solution. Wipe over any fingerprints.
You can also put white vinegar into a spray bottle and spritz it on the mirrors, sinks, faucets and the toilet bowl in the bathroom for a quick cleanup. Then, just wipe it off.
Vinegar is much safer to use than other chemicals, and it has lots of household uses; not to mention, it’s pretty cheap.
For more vinegar hints, I have put together a six-page pamphlet, “Heloise’s Fant- abulous Vinegar Hints and More!” You can get this super helpful pamphlet by send- ing $5 and a long, self-ad- dressed, stamped envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. — Heloise
Other uses for plastic tablecloths
Dear Readers: If you have saved and stored several old plastic tablecloths with a flan- nel backing that you are not using much anymore, you can repurpose them instead of throwing them out. Here are some ways that they can be repurposed:
■ Use them to make drop cloths to protect surfaces used for children’s art proj- ects.
■ Line the bottom of a tent or the inside floor of a doghouse, flannel side up.
■ Reuse them as covers for outside mowers, bar- becue grills or riding toys. — Heloise
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, 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.