HELOISE: Clean, sanitize sink and counters

Dear Readers: Your kitchen sink may look clean, but it is still filled with harmful, icky bacteria! Bacteria such as staphylococcus could still be lurking there and make you and your family sick. That’s why it’s important to not only clean the sink and countertops, but to sanitize them as well.

To do that: First wash and clean as usual with powdered or spray cleaner. Rinse well. Then go over everything again with a diluted chlorine-bleach solution. You can make your own by mixing a tablespoon of bleach with a gallon of water. Put the solution in a labeled spray bottle and use it to spot-clean the sink and countertops. This is only active when made fresh. Light and heat will cause the bleach to be ineffective. And keep in mind, diluted bleach will lose its strength after it’s exposed to air, so for the best bacteria fighter, it’s best to mix up a fresh batch as often as needed.

Dear Heloise: I have a neat trick for frying bacon. Take four strips and cut them in half. Your 9-inch frying pan will hold them without the edges curling up. This way, it is simple to manage the strips. They lay flatter, are easier to turn and will fit a BLT, no problem!

Wilson Harris, Laredo, Texas

Here’s another breakfast hint from Marjorie H. of Lebanon, Mo. She says: “I am fond of poached eggs, and I have one for my breakfast two or three times a week. I also like bacon with my eggs, but rather than frying bacon, I sprinkle 1 tablespoon of real bacon bits over my cooked egg. I have the bacon flavor without the mess.”

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Each year our family has a cookie-making day. Through the years, I picked up a secret. Take a zipper-top plastic bag and pour in it a 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of shortening and heat for 45 seconds in the microwave, leaving the bag open. When finished, mash the chips until smooth. Snip a tiny hole in one corner and squeeze the bag to drizzle over cookies or pastry.

Mary, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: It was suggested to sprinkle cut strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar to enhance the flavor. For those who do not or cannot use sugar, an equal amount of any powdered artificial sweetener will have the same effect.

Jo in North Dakota

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