Dear Heloise: My two "loves" are gardening and baking. Every year, I seem to grow an overabundance of zucchini. I don't want to let it go to waste, so I shred it in my food processor and freeze it in freezer bags. When I get in the mood to bake zucchini bread, I just thaw out a freezer bag of zucchini and start baking!-Violet C., Ponca City, Okla.
No waste and no wanting. Let the zucchini thaw and put it in a fresh green salad.-Heloise
TOP WITH VINEGAR
Dear Heloise: If you want to improve the flavor of homemade bread and give it a nice, crisp, crunchy top, brush the top of the loaf with vinegar just before baking. I use apple-cider vinegar or sometimes balsamic for a little different taste.-Beth W., Martinsville, Ind.
Beth, what a great hint! And vinegar has so many wonderful uses! I make sure to never run out. If you'd like to know more about vinegar's many uses in my pamphlet Heloise's Fantabulous Vinegar Hints and More, visit my website, www. Heloise.com, to order. Or you can send a stamped (70 cents), self-addressed, business-size envelope, along with $5, to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Place a bowl or two of vinegar in a freshly painted room to dispel the paint odor.-Heloise
BATTLING BARBECUE BACTERIA
Dear Heloise: We love to barbecue in the hot summer months, but it's important to never place cooked meats, fish or chicken on the same plate you used to carry the raw meat. Bacteria from the raw, uncooked food can easily contaminate the plate and new utensils.-Casey G., Emmaus, Pa.
DINNERWARE DIFFERENCES
Dear Heloise: I'm looking at new dinnerware for 12 to use when we entertain. Since this will be a considerable expense, I want to select the right type, something that will last for years. Which is a better investment, porcelain china or bone china?-April T., Cranston, R.I.
April, both porcelain and bone chinas are known for their strength and chip-resistance. Quality porcelain dinnerware is as durable as bone china. The main differences are:
- Porcelain china often is thicker than bone china.
- Some porcelain china brands can go from oven to table, whereas bone china cannot be used in the oven.
- Bone china must contain 25 percent bone ash, except in England, where it is required to contain 50 percent bone ash. This typically helps strengthen the china.
- Bone china is considered a stronger material, but both porcelain and bone chinas will hold up well over time if proper care is given.
They both are excellent choices. Dinnerware can be handed down for generations if well cared for and protected.-Heloise
P.S. I still use some of my grandmother's Blue Willow china.
AN OLD WIVES' TALE
Dear Readers: The old saying is to plant rosemary by the doorstep to keep evil away, and plant sage in your garden if you would have peace and order in your home. Sounds good to me!-Heloise
King Features Syndicate