Dear Heloise: I had your recipe for taco seasoning. Somehow I lost it and cannot find it. Could you reprint it and tell me how much is a serving? — Jennifer Ferrell, via e-mail

Absolutely! The following recipe will make the equivalent of one commercial envelope, so just sprinkle on a little bit for a single serving. You'll need:

2 teaspoons chili powder

Salt, pepper and onion powder to taste

Dash of dried oregano, crushed

Mix all ingredients well.

And Jennifer, you could use the taco seasoning to spice up my Taco Casserole recipe. This is one of those recipes where there really are no set amounts or even ingredients. You can use whatever you have on hand, and it's a great way to use leftovers. Some ingredients you can try are:

Taco shells, taco chips or corn chips

Salsa

Ground beef (add the taco seasoning to the meat to taste)

Beans

Cheese

Sour cream

Black olives

Green pepper

Chopped lettuce

Spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray (the size will depend on how much you are making), put some salsa on the bottom, then add broken-up taco shells or corn chips, and layer with the seasoned ground beef, beans, cheese, peppers and more salsa.

Bake until thoroughly heated, then cover with sour cream, olives and chopped lettuce before serving. My Taco Casserole recipe and a lot of other most-often-requested recipes can be found in my brand-new Heloise's All-Time Favorite Recipe pamphlet, which you can have by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Recipes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. FYI: Spices and herbs will last longer if stored with the lid or top on tightly, and away from heat, moisture and light. So don't store them above the stove, oven, sink or dishwasher. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: Here is a hint that I use routinely: I substitute crushed bran flakes in all recipes that call for crushed cornflakes, such as casserole toppings and oven "fried" chicken. This adds flavor and is healthier because of the added fiber. — Dolores Aquino, Houston

Dear Heloise: I use empty gallon milk jugs for garbage. I cut off the top (leaving the handle). It is useful for taking garbage to the compost pile.

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Empty take-home boxes from restaurants (which are not recyclable) can be used for garbage that is going in the trash and not the compost. — Ruth in Torrington, Conn.

Dear Heloise: We save plastic foam by bringing our own containers for leftovers when we go out. Restaurants seem to be friendly toward this, and it helps the environment. If the container is microwaveable, you can then heat your leftovers back up and not use another dish. — Stan Folsom, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I found a way to get all the bitter pith off an orange after peeling — I use my potato peeler, and it comes off quickly. — Marge Johnson, Laconia, N.H.


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