Let messy blender clean itself

Dear Readers: Does your blender need a good cleaning? Which of the following is the easiest way?
Soak it in the sink.
Take it with you when you shower.
Put a drop or two of detergent and some water in it.
This should be a pretty easy one! The answer is -- let the blender do all the work. Just add a drop of dish soap to the blender along with a cup of water. Put the lid on and let it "blend" away the mess. After blending, rinse well, and it's ready for its next use. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My grocery store stopped selling popcorn salt due to the popularity of microwave popcorn. Our family still prefers to use our air popper to make popcorn, because we can use less salt and butter than the microwave kind has (also, no oil).
Regular salt does not stick very well to the popcorn. Solution: our single-serving coffee grinder! It grinds approximately 1/4 cup of regular salt at a time. The salt is ground fine and is great -- even on french fries!
Interesting note: Popcorn salt, when it was available, costs quite a bit more than regular salt. Gary, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I make homemade soup often, and I realized I ran out of cheesecloth to filter the broth. I didn't feel like going to the store, so I decided to use a coffee filter. It worked great, and my soup was great, too! M.L. in New York
Dear Readers: Is tofu for you? It is very versatile for cooking and comes in various forms of texture such as extra-firm, firm, soft and silken. It can be used in anything from soups to desserts.
It also comes in a "light" version, which is lower in calories and fat. You can marinate, stir-fry, grill or broil it, depending on what you are making. The silken tofu is creamier and is best for dips, puddings and sauces. It can be substituted for yogurt, salad dressing, mayonnaise or sour cream. So, try it -- you might like it. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Transfer jelly to a small, plastic squeeze bottle -- no more messy, sticky jars or knives. This also works well for homemade salad dressings. M.T. in Maryland
Send 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