Dear Heloise: I have outdated yeast. Is there a way I can still use it? — Fran Fenton, via e-mail
If it is outdated and won't rise, it's done and dead, but it still might be good if it has been stored in a dark, cool and dry place.
You can easily test active dry yeast to see if it's good. Stir 1 teaspoon of sugar into 1/4 cup warm water (100-115 degrees) in a large measuring cup. Be careful not to use hot water, since it will kill the yeast.
Stir in a packet of yeast and wait 10 minutes while it dissolves. If the mixture begins to bubble and rise and has a strong yeast smell, it is still active. The yeast can be used in your recipe. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: I drink tea from an insulated mug that's designed to keep hot drinks hot on cold mornings out on the trail. What works really well to clean it is filling the cup with water and dropping in a denture tablet designed to clean false teeth. I let it sit overnight or longer, depending on how stained the cup is. — Brook Evans, Camarillo, Calif.
Dear Heloise: If you print recipes from e-mails or other Internet resources, consider color-coding your printing for easier organization. For example: Use pink paper for desserts, green paper for salads, yellow paper for vegetable dishes, blue for entrees and lavender for miscellaneous. — Lisa Ayres Traughber, Cedar Hill, Tenn.
Lisa, your hint will certainly make finding a recipe easier. For a delicious, warm cup of soup, why not try my Economical Corn Chowder, found in my All-Time Favorite Recipes pamphlet?
Just send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/All-Time Favorite, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.
Create a rating system for recipes. Very good could be five-star, and rate down. This way, you will be able to remember if the recipe was good and if it was well-received. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: My hint for you is a real money-saver. After opening cottage-cheese containers, store them upside down in the fridge. You absolutely will not believe how long it lasts. — Phyllis Papandrea, Fallbrook, Calif.
Yep, we've been printing this hint for a long time! You may want to place the container on a plate or in a bowl, just in case the lid isn't on tight. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: If you get eggshells in your eggs before cooking them, it is very hard to pick them out. I found if you wet the tip of your finger with cool water, you can reach right in with that finger and grab the eggshell fragment, slide it up the side of the bowl and toss it. — S. Beazley, Allen, Texas
Dear Heloise: Here are some uses for plastic spice bottles:
Fill with powdered sugar or a mixture of sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on toast or muffins.
Fill with flour to dust cake pans.
Fill with salt and pepper for picnics and camping.
Fill with powdered laundry detergent for vacation trips — be sure to label. — Gail, via e-mail
Send a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax: 210-435-6473; e-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com. © King Features Syndicate Inc.