Dear Heloise: I seem to accumulate a lot of snack mixes over the football and holiday seasons, whether they were gifts or just left over from entertaining. I throw them in my food processor and make tasty crumbs for breading chicken, topping casseroles or adding to meatloaves. -- C.K., via email
Oven spills
Dear Readers: When baking, food inevitably spills over in the oven. To help clean it up, sprinkle salt onto the burned gunk. It will help eliminate smoke and odors, and it will also make it easier to clean up after baking.
To prevent spills, put a baking sheet or aluminum foil under things containing foods that may bubble over onto the bottom of the oven. -- Heloise
Cleaning the drain
Dear Heloise: After a recent bout of COVID and a subsequent disinfecting of my main bathroom, I removed the drain plug from my bathroom sink, ran an old bottle brush down the drain and cleaned the plug stem itself. This is a disgusting project but an important one once you see what is lurking in the drain. I did this when I moved to my new house as well as my old house.
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Another hint to simplify getting the plug out (there are great online videos on this for the lever-type drain plugs) is to have a plumber switch out the drain with a screw-in plug that you can pop up and down with your hand, as I did during a remodel at my old house! -- C.J., in Ohio
Are you prepared?
Dear Heloise: With climate change, there has been an upward trend of nasty winter storms with heavy snow and ice. The best thing to do is to try to expect the unexpected and be prepared. Here are a few things to think about for the safety of your family:
Stock up on a few extra canned goods, bottled water and some frozen dinners. Don't forget to have extra bags, boxes and cans of pet food, as well.If you have a camp stove or an outdoor grill, it might be a good idea to have some supplies to operate them in case your power goes out.Got a fireplace? Having some additional fire logs or wood to burn will help keep you warm.Wrap water pipes in unheated areas with insulation (such as the attic). Most hardware stores carry this product.Disconnect your outdoor hoses, and wrap up the hose bibbs.Check the edges of all doors for air leaks. By blocking those leaks, you can save money on heating your home instead of letting the heat out into the great outdoors.Have extra batteries on hand as well as flashlights, lithium light bulbs, a hand-cranked radio or a battery-operated one for weather updates, and a first-aid kit.
If you are snowed in, it's a good time to read the books you've been meaning to read, take naps or work on any projects that you have been putting off. -- M.D., in Oklahoma
Vitamin C
Dear Heloise: During this cold and flu season, it's a good idea to include a healthy dose of vitamin C by eating citrusy foods or any foods that contain this vitamin. Lemons and oranges also contain flavonoids, which have antibacterial and anticancer properties. -- R.J., in New Mexico
Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to [email protected].
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