DEAR HELOISE: There's been some debate about whether or not it's safe to eat a potato skin, due to chemicals and pesticides. Is it safe, and are there any health benefits?
-- Meredith W.,
Laramie, Wyo.
DEAR READER: First you'll need to wash those skins. A soft vegetable brush with water should do the trick for removing any pesticides.
To get all the nutrition a potato provides, you should eat the well-washed skins. Potato skins tend to be rich in iron, potassium and fiber, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
DEAR HELOISE: Please reprint your Olive-Nut Dip recipe. My family and friends absolutely love it, and it's so easy to make!
-- Jessica D., Florida
DEAR READER: This is one of my all-time favorites and seems to be popular with everyone who tries it. You'll need:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup sliced salad olives (with pimento)
2 tablespoons juice from the olive jar
Dash of pepper (but no salt!)
Mix all the ingredients well and refrigerate for about one hour. Spread on sliced French bread or, if you want to save calories, on a crisp lettuce leaf.
DEAR HELOISE: Pouring batter into paper muffin liners was always a messy chore for me. Then I discovered that it's much easier if I use an ice-cream scoop to transfer the batter to the paper liners. It makes my muffins uniform in size and avoids a mess.
-- Pat B., Altoona, Pa.
DEAR HELOISE: I made a huge turkey for the holidays and suddenly realized I didn't have a trivet big enough to put this huge platter on. I have a beautiful wooden table and wanted to protect it, so I finally decided to use a muffin tin turned upside down.
-- Carlotta N., Oklahoma
DEAR HELOISE: I had a recipe that called for powdered sugar, but I didn't have any. I took granulated sugar and ran it through a coffee mill (grinder) twice and made my own powdered sugar.
-- Rhonda C., Montana
DEAR HELOISE: To separate prepackaged bacon, start with the first slice on the back.
-- Norma W., Reading, Pa.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com
Food on 12/19/2018