HELOISE She found a meatier use for potato masher
Dear Heloise: When frying several pounds of hamburger for sloppy Joes or chili, it is so tedious to stand at the stove breaking the hamburger into smaller chunks.
One day it occurred to me to use my potato masher. The hamburger meat was in small chunks immediately. I wish somebody would have given me this hint 40 years ago. Carol M., Valparaiso, Ind.
This timesaving hint was printed in this column more than 30 years ago. Isn't it nice to know that some old hints are just as good today? That's what this column is all about! Heloise
Dear Heloise: When I make bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, I fry my bacon really crisp, then crush it. I add diced tomatoes, cut-up lettuce and mayo. I spread it on toast -- it's much easier to eat. R. Wilson, Columbus
A BLT spread of sorts! And you are right -- it is less difficult to eat. Wouldn't a warming cup of French onion soup, which is included in my soup pamphlet, go well with a BLT sandwich? To receive a copy, please send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (60 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Soups, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio TX 78279-5001. Here's how to make the soup: Peel, slice and saut & eacute; a large white or yellow onion in a pan for a few minutes until brown. Put cooked onion into a saucepan and add a package or two of instant onion soup mix and the right amount of water, then simmer until ready to eat. Top with grated cheese. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Here's a way to keep those tea bags from scattering in your pot of boiling water. I bring a pot of water to a boil and then turn the stove off before adding the bags. I use tea bags with the paper tags attached, and clip the tags together with a clothespin before placing the bundle in the pot of water.
The clothespin rests outside on the pot handle. When it's time to remove the bags, it's a snap to lift the bundle out of the pot. Kim Devine, Lake Ridge, Va.
FYI: To keep empty cookie tins smelling fresh and ready to use, thoroughly wash and dry them, then put a few whole cloves in each tin. What a nice aroma when they're opened. Heloise
King Features Syndicate