Helpful Hints/Opinion

Helpful Hints

DEAR HELOISE: These are a few things I've done in my kitchen that have helped me get organized:

• I arranged my spices alphabetically.

• Always have paper plates available to use under items that might spill over in the microwave, or to use as a spoon rest or dustpan.

• On the inside of my pantry door I have hooks to store my colanders, graters, large spoons and other utensils.

• I use a rack designed for platters to hold the lids for my pots and pans.

• All dog food is stored in plastic bins with tight lids. No more ants in the cupboard.

-- Vickie T.,

Wilmore, Ky.

DEAR HELOISE: It has been ages since I last made your Vinaigrette Pasta Salad, and frankly, I have a craving for it right now. But I can't find the recipe. Would you reprint the recipe?

-- Ivy W., Seabrook, N.H.

DEAR READER: This is one of my summertime favorites.

Vinaigrette Pasta Salad

½ cup distilled white vinegar

½ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill

1 pound fettuccine, cooked, drained and cooled

6 ounces sliced salami, cut into ¼-inch strips

6 ounces cooked ham, cut into ¼-inch strips

6 ounces thinly sliced fresh spinach, romaine or escarole

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

To make the vinaigrette:

Combine the vinegar, oil, lemon pepper and dill in a small bowl or jar, mixing vigorously. Makes 1 cup. Set aside.

To make the pasta:

Cook fettuccine according to package. Drain and cool. Add salami, ham, spinach and cheese to fettuccine in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over pasta; toss until well coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

DEAR HELOISE: Do you ever lose those instruction booklets that come with kitchen appliances? We always did, and when something broke down, we had nothing to help us repair them. That meant calling in a repairman. Now, we have a two-drawer filing cabinet, and we file away the booklets that come with those appliances. This has prevented grated nerves and calls for an expensive repairman.

-- Lori S., Provo, Utah

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

DEAR HELOISE: I got tired of replacing the shelf liner in my cabinets. Finally, my husband suggested that we line all the bottom shelves with linoleum. It has been so much easier to get pots and pans out, plus I no longer have to cut and fit shelf lining papers.

-- Emma G.,

Flint, Mich.

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