Reseasoning helps wooden salad bowls last a long time

Dear Heloise: Through the years, my wooden salad bowls have acquired a sticky residue from various salad dressings.

I am unsure what to use to clean this. I’ve tried everything that I could think of to clean the bowls without destroying their natural patina finish. What is the best and safest way to clean this sticky residue? Joanne Martin of Flemington, N.J.

If you keep your wooden bowls clean and reseasoned periodically, they can last for generations.

Just use a mild liquid hand-dishwashing detergent to wash the bowls using warm water. Rinse and dry thoroughly, since prolonged exposure to water can cause damage.

Next, use a soft cloth or paper towel to spread a light coat of mineral oil (vegetable oil can become rancid) on the entire bowl. Let it work for 12 hours or so, then wipe with a paper towel.

When the beautiful wooden luster becomes dull, it is time to reseason. Remember that water can damage your wooden bowls, so putting them in the dishwasher is a big no-no! Heloise

Dear Heloise: After opening a package of hot dogs, I used to find it hard to store them, with the juices making a mess in the package or even a zippered plastic storage bag.

I discovered a good way to store them: Use a 1-quart, upright deli container that you would normally toss or recycle, and place the hot dogs upright in the container and put the lid on it. They are easy to see in the fridge and won’t get lost in the meat tray! Also, it’s a good way to carry them on a picnic. Agnes Hill, McLean, Va.

Dear Heloise: Regarding the use of powdered skim/nonfat milk as coffee creamer: I have a hint that I have used successfully for years.

Wanting to avoid the hydrogenated fats in regular coffee creamer, I place powdered milk in a blender or food processor and twirl it for several seconds. The result is as fine and smooth as regular coffee creamer, and it dissolves more easily in the hot coffee. Try it — you’ll be surprised. Marilyn K., Fort Worth, Texas

I use powdered milk also, so I was interested in testing your hint. It works fine, but you need to process only about 1‚Ñ2 cup at a time. Heloise

Dear Heloise: As a gift, we received a ruled grocery-list tablet that sticks on our fridge with a magnet on the back. We’ve learned to start our list from the bottom.

Whenever someone in the family notices we’re out of or low on something, that person adds the item on the next line available up from the bottom. When we go to the store, we cut the page just above where our list stopped — leaving us another short tablet page for the next round.

This saves paper and makes our thoughtful gift last longer! South Dakota Sam, via e-mail

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