How to keep celery fresh
Dear Heloise: I just read the suggestions regarding keeping celery fresh. You should cut off the leaves if there are a lot of them. Then wrap the entire unwashed “head” (as it comes from the store) in aluminum foil. Remove the stalks as needed and wrap them in the foil. Store it in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator so that it will stay fresh and usable for five to six weeks.
I never miss reading your column every morning in the Journal Gazette. — Nancy Shepler, Fort Wayne, Indiana
NAIL POLISH WHEEL
Dear Heloise: While going through some of my old nail polishes, I took a plastic plate and painted samples around the perimeter, eliminating the need to test and remove each polish on my nail. Now I can just simply slide my finger under the edge to see what each color looks like at a glance, instead of pulling out each bottle! There’s even room to write the color’s name.
Bonus: The plate holds all the items I need during my home manicure. — Stevie, in California
DON’T TOUCH THE CHEESE
Dear Heloise: You have printed several letters about preventing mold on cheese. The usual suggestions include wrapping and storage. Those are all good suggestions, but I have never seen your column address the number one cause of mold on cheese: touching it.
Do not allow your hands to come into contact with the cheese. This is where the bacteria comes from that creates mold in the first place. — Lois McKinney, Winchester, Oregon
SERIAL NUMBERS
Dear Heloise: Several recent electrical purchases led me to cut the label on the outside of the box that contains the serial numbers and model numbers for the item inside. Even if I have to cut it completely out of the cardboard box, it still fits easily into my file system, pressed flat, along with instruction manuals and other documents. — Jeff Palmer, via email
REHEATING PIZZA
Dear Heloise: I would like to suggest a hint to Micky C., regarding reheating leftover pizza and preventing soggy crust. Try using your air fryer to reheat your pizza for 2-3 minutes. My air fryer had a pizza selection button.
I enjoy your column in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. — Barb V., Terre Haute, Indiana
BAKING SODA AND BUG BITES
Dear Heloise: While on my morning walk, a huge black bug bit me. When I returned home, I remembered one of your hints about baking soda, so I made a paste with water and applied it to the bitten area. Wow, what relief I got! Almost immediately, the pain disappeared, and the area became less red and sore. That stuff really works! Thanks so much for the “home remedy.” — J.S., in San Antonio
PLASTIC BAG STORAGE
Dear Heloise: I used to have a bunch of plastic grocery bags stuffed into a big salad bowl, but the number of bags in there was getting out of hand. Now I save facial tissue boxes and stuff my plastic bags in there. It’s much easier to retrieve and reuse a bag this way, and it’s so much neater. — D.K., in Maine
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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.