DEAR HELOISE: I use the turkey baster to remove grease from the frying pan after frying meats. I tilt the pan so the grease collects on one side and then use the baster to transfer it from the pan to the container I use for grease. There are almost no drips, and I can put my baster in the dishwasher to clean.
My second hint is that I use a measuring cup that is made to separate grease from pan drippings to add ice-cold water to packaged sauce mixes. I put the ice in first and add the water over the ice. The spout drains from the bottom, so the ice doesn’t come out. It stays in the cup and keeps the water cold.
— Marianne D.,
Port Charlotte, Fla.
DEAR HELOISE: This may be old to some but new to me. At a cookie-frosting party, the hostess showed how to roll uniform-thickness cookies. Take two dowels and lay them side by side about a foot apart. Put a chunk of your cookie dough between the dowels and roll it, with each side of the rolling pin resting on a dowel.
— Jean in Ohio
DEAR HELOISE: I sometimes find recipes I want to keep while using my tablet. I don’t have a place to save them. I received a new email address with my tablet. So now I copy the recipe and send it to myself at the new address. I also save them there. That is all I use this email address for, so it is like a storage box. If I need to send to a friend, all I have to do is forward it to them.
— Sharon M., via email
DEAR HELOISE: In our household with two teen boys, we’ve noticed that not all of the silverware gets clean in the dishwasher.
We now keep a large, 32-ounce drink tumbler filled with soapy water in the sink. All silverware gets a good soak before moving on to the dishwasher, and we have sparkling-clean silverware.
— Lisa C.,
Colorado Springs, Colo.
DEAR HELOISE: My 88-year-old mom needs a glass with a top and straw to prevent spills. The glasses that have the hard plastic straws work well. But I was uncertain about the best way to clean them, as sometimes there is residue inside. A friend suggested using pipe cleaners, which work great and are inexpensive.
— Peggy S., Waco, Texas
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