Mustard temperature is personal preference

Dear Heloise: Is it really necessary to refrigerate mustard once it has been opened? Please answer this question so the debate in our household can be over. Annette in Oklahoma
Ah! The old to-refrigerate-or-not issue. We took your question to a couple of leading mustard manufacturers, and here is what they had to say: They both agreed that refrigerating mustard will help maintain its flavor, but if you prefer to eat mustard at room temperature, that is OK, too. Commercial mustard doesn't have any ingredients in it that will spoil outside of the refrigerator.
So, why not use a little mustard right now and add a little spice to your life! Heloise
Dear Heloise: I am 51 years old and have loved peanut-butter sandwiches my entire life. Recently, I found the easiest, no-mess sandwich. I take a hot-dog bun (no crumbs) and spread the peanut butter on it, then take a banana (like you would a hot dog) and place it in the bun. I eat it like one would eat a hot dog. A great, no-mess sandwich! Cathy Ann Stoner, Winchester, Va.
Yum! Our entire office thinks this hint is way too cool. Heloise
Dear Heloise: After many years of putting leftover egg from brushing on pies, etc., in the refrigerator only to end up throwing it out, I now just add another egg or two to it and fry it up with some seasonings, and someone can later heat it up in the microwave for lunch or breakfast. Paula C. Carlin, Adams, Wis.
Dear Readers: Here are two good hints from Lois Benway of Winter Haven, Fla.:
UI use sugar-free gelatin mixes to flavor white, yellow and chocolate cake mixes. With the chocolate, I like to use orange or raspberry gelatin. Sometimes, I save some of the powder to flavor white icing to match what I used in the cake, especially if I used lemon, peach or orange.
UI use takeout-drink-cup lids or oatmeal-container lids for spoon rests. On the takeout lids, I put a piece of tape on the straw opening, and only use them two or three times before throwing them out. The oatmeal lids I wash and reuse several times.
Lois, plastic coffee-can lids work really well, too. A quick cleanup, and they have an unlimited life! Heloise
Dear Heloise: No one in my family likes the bread heels (end pieces). I found that I can slice the brown outside off a heel by using a good bread knife. The heels are usually even a little thicker than the regular slices of bread. I am glad not to be wasting those two pieces of bread on every loaf now, and even my picky kids don't know what I am doing! Thrifty in Vienna, Va.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate