HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: Did you know that bread heels make great hamburger buns? I save them in a plastic bag in my freezer, then quickly thaw them out when I want to use them. I brown the cut side under a broiler for a toasty flavor. They don’t leak or get soggy.

— Annie W., Macon, Ga.

DEAR READERS: The humble “vinegar” can be traced back to about 5,000 B.C., where Babylonian scrolls record vinegar use in cooking and in medicine! Researchers have discovered Ancient Egyptian urns that once held vinegar, dating from around 3,000 B.C.

Vinegar is one of the handiest items in your home. It’s cheap, safe and has many uses as a cooking ingredient or cleaning agent.

DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I have a blended family of six boys living at home! Needless to say, I do a lot of cooking, and since I plan the meals, I like to make them as nutritious as possible. We always have Sunday breakfast together, so I like to make pancakes using buttermilk and bananas. I also squeeze two vitamin E capsules into the mix. Not only do they get a healthy breakfast of pancakes, bacon, grilled tomatoes and juice, I get the satisfaction of knowing family breakfast is a healthy meal. Believe me, if left to their own devices, they’d live on frozen pizza and peanut butter.

— Julie F., Troy, Mich.

DEAR HELOISE: It always seems like I have a little cereal in the box but not enough to fill a small bowl, or sometimes I have tried a new cereal and found that I didn’t like it. Instead of tossing it out in the trash, I throw it out in the backyard for the birds. Since I hate wasted food, I feel this is a useful way to use leftover cereal.

— Lori S., Fresno, Calif.

DEAR HELOISE: Want to get the meat of an avocado out easily? Use an ice-cream scoop. I tried it, and it’s so easy. You can leave just enough room in the shell to add a fried egg, and that is a delicious treat.

— Ruth B., Warren

DEAR HELOISE: I make a terrific fruit salad. Everyone seems to love it! However, to make sure it stays cool, I put the bowl in the freezer for a couple of hours, then transfer the fruit salad from a plastic bowl to a frosty glass bowl. Not only does it look prettier, but it helps the fruit salad stay fresher longer.

— Mavis D., Ponca City, Okla.