Bag has melted to toaster oven

Dear Heloise: My grandson left a plastic bag of bread on top of the toaster oven recently. Now there’s melted plastic on the oven. Do you know of a way to remove the plastic? A Reader, via e-mail

Yikes! This happens a lot, so please don’t fuss at your grandson. First, turn the toaster on so the surface warms to soften the plastic. Using a wooden spatula or spoon, carefully scrape off as much of the plastic as you can. Then let the toaster cool. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and rub the area to remove any residue. Next, wipe off with a clean, damp sponge. If there is plastic still there, use some nail-polish remover on a paper towel and rub. Wipe with a damp cloth and dry.

Caution: Nail-polish remover is flammable, so always unplug the appliance. Don’t use the toaster until all of the remover is gone. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Ever feel frustrated when the bag of tortilla chips gets down to the last few, and it seems like there’s still a healthy portion of crumbs left over? I save them and sprinkle them on my salads. It’s sort of like Mexican croutons. Fred, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dear Heloise: I hate having potatoes growing eyes before I can use very many of them. It seems like such a waste of money to have to throw them away, whether it is a 5-pound bag or a 10-pound one. What can I do to keep them from doing this? I’m sure others have had this problem and wonder what to do. Jean, via e-mail

The United States Potato Board says if potatoes start to sprout, just remove the sprouts and use the potatoes. Correct storage is the key to keeping potatoes from sprouting, and here is the scoop: Keep potatoes in a cool, dark place with plenty of ventilation. A temperature range of 45 F to 50 F is best. Potatoes that are stored at room temperature should be used within a week or so. So, it probably is best to buy only the amount of potatoes you will use in a week.

The refrigerator is not the place to store potatoes, either. The cold temperature will cause the starchy potatoes to turn to sugar. And one last note: Potatoes can turn green if they are stored in bright light. If cooking the potatoes, you can cut off the green part and use the rest of the potato. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Your column gave a useful hint for cutting cheesecake. Another help in the cutting department: Use a plastic knife for cutting brownies without them sticking to the knife. Jan Bonner, Universal City, Texas

Dear Heloise: I keep a supply of coffee filters by the microwave and use them as cover sheets instead of paper towels. They’re just the right size to go over most anything! Tracie, 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