Dear Heloise: What is the difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk? Can I use one in place of the other?-Shirley in Fullerton, Calif.
It can be confusing, but here's the scoop: Sweetened condensed milk is whole milk that has 60 percent of the water removed when heated and then has sugar added. It's used to make desserts and candies.
Evaporated milk is whole milk that has 50 percent of the water removed and NO sugar added. It's usually added to sauces, puddings and custards.
You CANNOT substitute condensed for evaporated milk, or vice versa.-Heloise
INDOOR GRILL
Dear Heloise: We have an indoor, countertop electric grill with cooking plates that can't be taken off to clean. But I have found an easy way to clean it. Wipe it as much as possible with paper towels. Dip enough paper towels in hot, soapy water to thoroughly (and thickly) cover the bottom plate. Then dampen with vinegar. Close the lid and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. After that, you should be able to wipe it off and rinse with a cloth.-Sherrill S., Jacksonville, Texas
Paper towels and vinegar are a great cleaning combination to keep in your home, especially for easy cleanup on items like an indoor grill that have a nonremovable part.
I always keep plenty of vinegar in my home and use it so much that I wrote a six-page pamphlet on ways to use and cook with it. Order one online at www.Heloise.com, or send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (70 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.
For a stubborn ring around the toilet bowl, use the same paper-towel-and-vinegar method of cleaning. CAUTION: Be sure to remove the paper towels before flushing the toilet!-Heloise
DICING ONIONS
Dear Heloise: I discovered several years ago that if I use a small fan beside me on the kitchen counter while dicing onions, I will not have one tear rolling down my cheek, or any stinging in my eyes. Yesterday, I diced six large onions, and even with that many onions, I was tear- and sting-free.
The first time I did that, my husband was sitting "downwind" in the family room and he said: "What in the world are you doing up there? My eyes are burning." So, one may need to warn others who are sitting "downwind."-Rita V., Gresham, Ore.
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