HELOISE: Birthday cupcakes are great for party

Dear Heloise: I went to my best friend’s 3-year-old’s birthday party. Instead of the mom baking a cake, she made cupcakes and decorated each one with a letter. When finished and were placed together, the cupcakes spelled out “Happy Birthday Boston” (the birthday boy’s name). One had the number “3” on it, since that was how old he was turning.

Depending on how many people are attending, extra cupcakes can be made and decorated with different designs. She used stars, rockets, etc. These extra cupcakes can be placed between the “Happy Birthday,” or they can be arranged around it. They were great for picture-taking and were adorable.

Assign someone with baby towelettes to wipe the children’s faces and hands, because the frosting can really make a mess.

Ruth in Texas

Love this idea, and we are posting the picture on my website, www.Heloise.com! Great idea for any party where a cake would be served. And with frosting now sold in tubes, it’s much easier to decorate cupcakes.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I was so happy to discover matchstick carrots and matchstick broccoli. (Readers, these are julienne or sliced very thinly, and are a bit pricey. — Heloise) In addition to using them in salads, I zap them in the microwave, season and eat as a delicious vegetable dish. You also can toss them into casseroles and soups. Now I wish someone would come out with matchstick sweet potatoes.

Gloria in North Little Rock, Ark.

Gloria, you can slice most any veggie into small, thin pieces. Remember, though, just like “baby” carrots, they do not grow that way, so start slicing away at those sweet potatoes!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: What to do with left-over scalloped potatoes? I make potato soup. Put the potatoes in a big pot, add milk and heat. Delicious. (Better than freshly made potato soup.)

Marjorie in Fillmore, Calif.

Dear Heloise: My family loves pancakes for Sunday breakfast. To keep the twins from arguing over whose pancake is bigger, I came up with a solution. I use a meat baster to “squeeze” the pancake batter onto the hot griddle — perfect-shape, same-size pancakes every time.

Vicki White in Arkansas

Dear Heloise: To keep marshmallows from being wasted, just put the marshmallows in a plastic zippered bag and keep it in the freezer. It just takes three to four minutes to thaw. For a creamy treat, place a frozen marshmallow in your hot chocolate.

A Reader in New Mexico

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King Features Syndicate