Special spread comes from family recipe

Dear Readers: Want a delicious cream cheese, olive and pecan spread that is easy to make and keeps well in the refrigerator?

This family recipe is one my mother used to make for special occasions, but I keep some handy almost all the time. I have updated this, making it a little more healthy with not as many calories from fat. You can make it either way, or “mix and match,” as I sometimes do.

Here’s what you need for the recipe: 8 ounces softened regular or low-fat cream cheese; 1‚Ñ2 cup regular or low-fat mayonnaise; 1‚Ñ4 cup to 1‚Ñ2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or peanuts; 1 cup sliced salad olives (the jar will say “salad olives” and is filled with bits and pieces of olives and pimentos), chopped up for dip; 2 tablespoons juice from the olive jar; dash of pepper (but no salt!).

Mix all ingredients well and enjoy. Sometimes I really spice it up by adding a handful of finely chopped green or bell peppers, or even jalapenos! As they say, let your taste buds be your guide. And what’s really nice about this olive-nut dish is that you can make it as a dip by adding a little more juice from the olives or a teaspoon of milk.

This tried-and-true recipe, along with a slew of others from appetizers to desserts, including Fast Shrimp Spread, Taco Casserole and Cookies From a Cake Mix, is now available in my brand-new pamphlet that you can have by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (58 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Recipes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Being in Florida, we have an abundance of lemons, and I frequently make a lemon pie for dessert for our dinner guests. Usually there are two pieces left over. Preserving the meringue has been a problem. I recently tried this idea, and it works like a charm. Spray a piece of wax paper the size of the pie plate lightly with nonstick vegetable spray. Place over the top of the leftover pie, then cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. The next night, it was just as pretty as when fresh out of the oven. Mary Jean Uhl, Marco Island, Fla.

Dear Heloise: When you don’t have enough batter to fill all the muffin cups in a pan, crinkle foil into a ball and place in the empty cups. If the empty cups are filled with water, the water can boil and splash into the muffin or cupcake mix. The aluminum balls work much better and can be used over and over again. Olga Werenko, Levelland, Texas

Dear Heloise: When I make mashed potatoes for a large gathering, I make them the day before. The morning of the dinner, I place the potatoes in my slow cooker on low. This sure saves a lot of time peeling potatoes the morning of. Ethel, Sacramento, Calif.

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