HELOISE: Heloise’s Friendship Tea recipe returns

Dear Heloise: Please print your recipe for Heloise’s Friendship Tea. I would like to make it for gifts and can’t seem to locate the recipe.

A Reader, via e-mail

This is a favorite tea mix of mine, and it makes a great gift because you can put the ingredients in a pretty container. Here is what you need:

2 1/2 cups powdered orange-flavored breakfast drink mix

1 3/4 cups powdered instant tea

2 to 2 1/2 cups sugar

1 package lemonade mix (small packet, when mixed makes 2 quarts)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Mix together all ingredients and store in sealed jars. To prepare, use 1 to 2 rounded teaspoons to 6 to 8 ounces of water, hot or cold.

You also can make a sugar-free version by using sugar substitute, diet powdered orange drink and sugar-free lemonade. The sugar-free version is more concentrated, so use about 1 teaspoon of mix per 6 to 8 ounces of water. Adjust the amount according to taste. There also are other delicious tea and exotic mixes in my pamphlet about coffees and teas. If you would like to receive one, send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/C&T, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You also will get some tea facts, brewing instructions and favorite hints of mine, such as adding lemon, peppermint drops or red-hot cinnamon candies to hot tea.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I saw the hint in your column on making a list of the supermarket aisles. You can just take a picture of the signs with your cell phone and pull it back up when you get home. This will save having to write them down in the store.

Randy W. from Texas

Dear Heloise: Making homemade croutons is not always convenient. An alternative is topping a salad with microwave popping corn. Use a minibag, which is ready in minutes. My favorite is salt and cracked pepper popcorn.

Margarette, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I read the letter from a reader about looking for expiration dates on food packages. Try using a highlighting marker to put a dot of color next to the date or even mark the whole date on the package when unloading from the grocery bag before putting things away.

Becky in Florida

Dear Heloise: My sister Kathryn taught me how to save bacon from going bad. I buy around 3 pounds, lay the individual strips on cookie sheets and then freeze. After frozen, layer them on a piece of foil and put back in freezer, and just use individual strips as needed.

Rita in San Antonio

Dear Heloise: I like to make gelatin for my kids’ lunches. An easy and portable container? Yogurt cups. I wash them out, fill them with the gelatin and seal with a bit of aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Sarah in Virginia

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate