Counties offer mediation help

DEAR HELOISE >>

Regarding the hint for resolving problems between neighbors that was mentioned in this column, I wish to recommend one more resource for consideration: a community mediation service. Mine is the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center (www.bexar. org/drc), but most counties have their own mediation centers that are typically free for county residents.

I have enjoyed reading your (and your mom’s) hints over the years. Thank you!

— Josie and Jerry Dickerson, San Antonio

DEAR HELOISE >> After years of frustration of peeling hard-boiled eggs, I’ve finally mastered a perfect way! Place the raw eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and then shut the burner off. Let them sit for 15 minutes.

Take the pot to the sink and run cold water into it while pouring the hot water out. After you have cool or lukewarm water in the pot, take an egg and crack it a couple of times on the counter. Take a small spoon (I use an iced tea spoon), turn it over and gently dig under the crack. Glide the spoon between the egg and the membrane and shell. (You must get under the membrane.) The shell will lift right off in big chunks! Give it a try!

— Barbara, Hollywood Beach

DEAR HELOISE >> I have a suggestion that I’ve never seen in your column. When our father died, we received a vast amount of vases of flowers that could not be taken to the cemetery. After the service, we gave several to neighbors. When the flowers we kept were dead, we washed the vases and took them to local florists, instead of donating them to charities. They were happy to get them. We did this again when our mother passed.

Just another way to reuse them. Love your column!

— Sue H., Katy, Texas

DEAR HELOISE >> I read your column every day in the Fort Dodge Messenger and enjoy your tips and recipes. Here are a few more:

■ I keep a vacuum sealer in my cupboard and use it to seal all sorts of bags that I have opened.

■ A trick I learned from my dad is to put anything that might cause an odor in the freezer until garbage day to keep it from smelling.

■ While a lot of people use tongs for their toaster, on a lot of the new toasters, you can just raise up on the lever to get hard-to-get items out.

Thanks.

— Doug Brand, Fort Dodge, Iowa

Write to Heloise at

P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax 210-HELOISE; or email Heloise@heloise. com.