HELOISE Homemade baking mix lasts up to three months

Dear Heloise: I have a friend who lives in Mozambique, Africa, and runs a hunting concession with her husband. While visiting me recently, she found a book about recipes using baking mix.
Since she is unable to buy biscuit mix in Mozambique, she was hoping you had a recipe for making her own mix to take to the camp and use in recipes. Susan B., via e-mail
I sure do, and here's one my mother, myself and our readers have used for more than 40 years.
Mix together:
8 cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of baking powder
8 teaspoons of sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons of salt
Then use a pastry blender to cut in 1 cup of shortening -- the mixture will resemble coarse meal. Now it's ready to use in a recipe, or just store it in a container with a tight-fitting lid until needed.
FYI: This mix can be stored on a pantry shelf under normal temperature conditions of 70 to 75 degrees. If temperatures in your area get higher than this, the mix should be kept in the refrigerator. Either way, be sure to use all of it within three months.
For other recipes and helpful baking hints, send for my eight-page pamphlet titled Heloise's All-Time Favorite Recipes. To receive a copy, send $3 and a self-addressed, stamped (60 cents), long envelope to: Heloise/Recipes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5001.
Hint: Make biscuits using this mix by combining 1 cup of baking mix and 1/3 cup of milk. Spoon mixture onto baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Yum! Heloise
Dear Heloise: Put flour in a large spice container that has holes to use for thickening gravies and sauces. Do this with cornstarch also. Saves time. V. Kluppel, Universal City, Texas
Dear Heloise: A great idea for turning bacon when frying: Use chopsticks, especially the wooden throwaway kind. Nothing to wash, and they are easy to use! P. Bayrer, Chantilly, Va.
Dear Heloise: When I make bread, such as zucchini, cranberry or pumpkin, I have found that since there are only the two of us at home, I like to freeze most of it. I slice the bread and place waxed paper between each slice before freezing. This enables me to take out one or two pieces as we need them. Thelma Rivin, University Heights
Dear Heloise: Opening a jar with a screw top can be made a lot easier by wrapping a couple of rubber bands around the cap. Double-loop them if necessary to make them tight. And if the jar itself slips, put rubber bands around it also.
Wide rubber bands work best, but even narrow ones will do the trick. Ken Volduzi, Fairport, N.Y.
You can also cut a small square of rubber-mesh shelf liner and use this to help budge even some of the most stubborn lids. Heloise
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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