Helpful Hints

DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I have stopped eating red meat for health reasons, but all my chicken recipes are dull, dull, dull. Got any suggestions to help spice them up?

-- Pat E., Columbia, Mo.

DEAR READER: Pat, I have several sauces you can use, and this one is especially nice for warm-weather dining:

CILANTRO SAUCE

1 cup loosely packed cilantro sprigs (also called Chinese parsley)

3/4 cup coarsely chopped green onions with tops

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix all ingredients together, then spoon this over cooked chicken breasts and serve warm.

There are many sauces and seasonings that can make a plain meal more interesting, and that are easy to prepare. If you marinate poultry, it should not be at room temperature, as this may allow bacteria to grow. Keep it refrigerated.

DEAR HELOISE: I want to make a serving tray using the labels off wine bottles that we open when we have guests over for an evening. I've tried soaking the bottles overnight, but nothing seems to be working. How do I get those labels off without tearing them?

-- Sandy T., Wisconsin

DEAR READER: Fill the bottle with boiling water and wait 15-20 minutes while the heat loosens the glue that holds the label onto the bottle, and carefully peel off the label.

DEAR READERS:

• If you have open bottles of club soda left over, feed the contents to your plants. Flat soda is beneficial to green, growing plants because of the minerals in it.

• Melted snow contains minerals, which are good for plants.

• Let the water used to make spaghetti or boil potatoes cool and then water plants with it. The starch is good for them.

DEAR HELOISE: I hear so much about antibacterial soap being dangerous, and yet my mother-in-law keeps after me to use it to wash my hands. Is this soap unsafe?

-- Anita W., Arizona

DEAR READER: Anita, while antibacterial soaps can destroy bacteria, they also may encourage the growth of antibiotic-resistant germs.

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

Food on 08/30/2017

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