HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I love to solve the scrambled-word puzzles in the paper. The Sunday solution usually is very long, and writing the letters out in a row still is hard to figure out. I use my word-gametiles and select the letters from the puzzle words. It’s easy to move them around and come up with the right answer.

• Judy R., Mandeville, La.

DEAR READER: That’s a nice way to spend some time on a hopefully slow Sunday. We all need downtime doing what we enjoy.

DEAR HELOISE: Could you please reprint your recipe for your cornbread dressing? - A Reader, via email

DEAR READER: It’s an old family recipe that my grandmother and mother, the original Heloise, made. Yes, it’s Southern-style, and I love it! Here is what you need:

6-8 slices of stale bread (torn into pieces)

1 1/2 packed cups of crumbled cornbread

1 cup turkey broth from cooking giblets and neck, or turkey/chicken bouillon

1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 stick butter or margarine

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 tablespoon sage

Place bread pieces and cornbread in a large bowl and pour broth or bouillon over it until the bread is moist. In a large skillet, saute the celery and onions in the butter. Combine onions, celery, bread mixture, beaten eggs and seasonings.

Mix well. Place mixture in an oiled casserole dish, cover and bake 35 to 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Do you like your dressing a little drier? Uncover the dish 15-20 minutes before it is supposed to be done, then finish cooking.

DEAR HELOISE: After a bait bucket tipped over on the front floor of our new car, I scrubbed the carpeting numerous times, unsuccessfully.Our postman suggested putting charcoal briquettes in a dish. The odor is gone.

• Jane S., Rochester, N.Y.

DEAR READERS: Here is a natural and safe home remedy to try as a dandruff “rinse” that also is cheap. Use a cup of water and 1 tablespoon of chives to make a “tea.” The water just needs to be hot (not boiling) when adding the chives. Let it steep a bit, strain and cool before rinsing your head and hair.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com