HELOISE Ingredients for coating are equal parts

Dear Heloise: I need a recipe for a pan coating that I can make ahead of time and keep on hand for preparing cake pans. I believe you've printed one before using shortening, oil and flour, but I don't have the amounts.
I would appreciate it if you would repeat this recipe. D.B., Louisiana
I'm happy to, and it has been a long time since it was printed. All you need are equal amounts of each ingredient. For instance, 1/4 cup of shortening, 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil.
Mix these three ingredients until well-blended, and keep any unused mixture in an airtight container. You can store the "pan coating" in the fridge for up to six weeks.
To use on cake pans, apply the mixture with a pastry brush. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I love reading your column in The San Diego Union-Tribune. I thought this hint would be a help to others as well:
My children attend a lot of birthday parties and come home with cute treat bags. I save these bags and reuse them for carrying snacks or toys with us when we go somewhere. The kids love it, and it cuts down on waste. Thanks for the great hints! Ang Burke, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: Every time I open a new bag of frozen vegetables or fruit, I hate having to look for a twist-tie. I cut off the top strip of the bag, use what veggies I need, then tie the strip in a single knot around the top of the bag. It holds tight but is easy to open. Bea Belknap, Simi Valley, Calif.
Dear Heloise: When I bring ice cream home from the store, I set it on the counter while I put away the rest of the groceries.
By then it is soft enough to dip up into 8-ounce-size margarine tubs that can be stacked in the freezer. It's handy for the grandchildren as well as my husband's bedtime snack without having to dish it out. Norma Thornton, Cedar Hill, Texas
Dear Heloise: When canning, I discovered a hint from necessity (which is what usually happens).
If you fill a jar too full of a liquid-type food, such as juice, jelly, etc., take a baster and suction the excess juice out and squeeze it into another jar. The ideal listed height for most canning recipes calls for 1/2 inch headspace. Sandra Thompson, Pine Bluff, Ark.
And headspace when canning is very important -- too much or too little can lead to a canning disaster. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I keep all of my sugar bowls filled, and when sugar runs low in the canister, I can get at least two cups by raiding the sugar bowls. Betty Thomas, via e-mail
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
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