HINTS FROM HELOISE
DEAR HELOISE:
Do cucumbers have any nutritional value? I no longer like the taste of them in a salad … or anything else come to think of it.
—Tracy G., Franklin, Pennsylvania
TRACY, HERE IS the breakdown of a 1/2 cup of cucumber:
• Calories: 30
• Carbs: 6 grams
• Protein: 3 grams
• Fiber: 2 grams
• Vitamin C: 10% of the recommended daily value (DV)
• Vitamin K: 57% of the DV
• Potassium: 12% of the DV Some people say that the skin is too bitter, but you can and probably should peel the cucumber to reduce the chance of ingesting pesticides and wax. Since they have no fat and are low in calories, they’re a good addition to your meals.
—Heloise DEAR HELOISE: I made a discovery that made my life a little easier. Before I grate cheese, I always spray the grater with nonstick cooking spray. The whole process of grating the cheese is easier, and the cleanup is much faster, too.
I used to soak my grater for a couple of hours, but now I can just run it under the hot water from my kitchen faucet and clean it that way.
—Ellen T., Brushy Creek, South Carolina DEAR HELOISE: I wear rubber gloves to do house work, especially in the kitchen. If I get a small hole poked into the glove,
I take a bandage and cut off the sticky part. Then I apply a drop of a super glue over the small hole and apply the bandage to the glove. Why buy new gloves if the old ones are still serviceable?
—Florence C., Missoula, Montana DEAR HELOISE: Food often goes out-of-date, even if it’s canned. Since we live a ways from town, I usually stock up at the grocery store on things like pasta, canned tomato paste, canned vegetables, fruit juices, etc. I always take time to use a felt tipped pen to write the date on top of the can.
If it’s an item where the felt pen doesn’t work on the surface, I grab a short piece of tape and write the date on it instead. At least now we’re not eating 7-year-old canned goods! —Denise M., Norman, Oklahoma DEAR HELOISE: I made a cheese sandwich for my husband and two teenage boys, but when I went to get mayonnaise, I discovered I was out. Well, I went through the refrigerator and found that I had a bottle of yellow mustard. I decided to give it a try, so I put it on the Swiss cheese sandwiches I’d prepared. It tasted fantastic! It also works well with sharp cheddar.
Since we watch our weight in this family, it’s always nice to use foods that are low in calories like mustard.
—Renee F., Fremont, Nebraska RENEE, I’VE USED mustard on cheese sandwiches for years, and I have to agree with you! The mustard seems to add a little more “zip” to an otherwise plain sandwich.
—Heloise