With special cupcakes, let the party begin!

Dear Readers: Looking for creative birthday-cake ideas for your child’s next birthday party? Do you love having birthday cake, but hate the mess? Make ice-cream-cone cupcakes! All it takes is a regular cake mix and some plain, flat, wide-bottomed ice-cream cones.

• Mix the batter according to the directions on the box.

• Stand the ice-cream cones in a muffin tin.

• Pour the batter, filling the cones only about three-quarters full, allowing for “expansion.”

• Bake the cupcake cones at the same temperature and time as regular cupcakes.

• Once they’re done, let them cool in the pan and then frost away. You can decorate with colorful sprinkles or leave the decorating to the children at the party for one-of-a-kind, easy-to-hold treats! The greatest part? You can use different flavors of batter, so everyone gets the flavor he or she wants! Heloise

P.S.: Make a small cake or sheet cake for the birthday person, too.

Dear Heloise: I had to laugh when I read in your column about the woman who made the terrible mock apple pie using salt rather than sugar. More than 40 years ago, I was at my aunt and uncle’s farm when my aunt asked me to make the vinegar, sugar and cream dressing for the coleslaw we were having for dinner. My first batch was terrible! The sugar canister actually contained canning salt. The second batch was almost as bad — I kept adding more and more vinegar, but it got blander and blander. The white vinegar was actually rainwater put into a white-vinegar bottle. The third batch was fine, but I never again cooked at my aunt’s without asking about where to find the proper ingredients! I was also glad that I tasted before putting the dressing on the cabbage. Lois in Nebraska

Dear Heloise: I reuse those envelopes that come with snail-mail bills (we pay online and hence don’t need to mail the envelope back) by creating my grocery list on the back of them. Then I go through my coupons and put that week’s coupons that coincide with my list into the envelope. The coupons are nice and handy with my list in one place. Meg from Vermont

Dear Heloise: I bought an album that holds the same-size cards as the ones in my recipe box. I compiled a book of Christmas-cookie recipes. I make around 25 different cookies because I make up trays as gifts. I then compiled a list of the ingredients needed for each recipe. I keep this shopping list from year to year in the album. My recipes and lists are always protected. Margaret in Pennsylvania

Dear Heloise: When boiling eggs for hard-cooked, I put a couple of drops of red or other food coloring in the water. Then you will know they are easy to ID. Jeanne from California

SBlt 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