Love olives? Try tips to keep them at their best

Dear Readers: Here's a tasty tidbit: What fruit can be used on everything from tossed salads to pizza? Want to add some pizzazz to that hors d'oeuvres tray or pasta sauce? Some would argue there's no better way than to bring on the olives. There are plenty of varieties, but the most popular in the U.S. are plain old black olives, which are the ripened siblings of green olives.
You can keep canned, unopened black olives on the shelf for two to three years. Once the can is open, refrigerate unused olives right in the can with the brine and lightly cover the can with plastic wrap. They'll be good for about a week and a half.
Avoid storing them in an airtight container. If the original brine has been tossed out, store olives in a solution of 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. This will keep the olives moist and free from refrigerator odors. Heloise
P.S. I'm a real olive lover. Black, green -- you name them, I'll eat them. My husband even thinks I'd put them on top of ice cream. Hmmm.
Dear Heloise: I wanted to write in and share with you the way I found to easily serve ice cream. First, buy ice cream in the cylinder-shaped container. On the day you are going to serve the ice cream, remove it from the freezer and let it soften slightly. Then, with a sharp knife, cut the carton in half lengthwise. Cut the half "barrel" of ice cream into half-moon serving sizes. This works great and makes it oh so easy. Patricia Hall, Denver
Patricia, I like this hint, and it would make "slicing" ice cream a snap. Now, how about a unique cake to go with the ice cream to make the party a success? How does Red Velvet or Multi "Rainbow" Poke Cake sound? They would add the perfect complement to any party. To receive these recipes and more, please send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (63 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Cake, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. And make the cake a special shape by using a fancy cake mold. Or, if the party is for small kids, why not make cupcakes for easy handling? Heloise
Dear Heloise: If most people shop at one large store like we do, they can obtain a store directory. When writing out a shopping list, the directory shows the aisle number where items you need can be located. This will save time and a lot of extra walking going back to locations you already were at. Dwight Daily, New Berlin, Wis.
Dear Readers: Here's a hint from Betsy of Alabama: "When we were kids, our mother allowed us to take turns cooking breakfast on Saturday morning. We could cook whatever we wanted. It taught us all to cook, and to this day all five kids, including the three boys, are the primary cooks in their families."
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