Heloise

Dear Heloise: In response to Delia, who cleans her dryer lint filter with a toothbrush, I clean my dryer filter by wiping it with the used fabric softener sheet after each load is removed from the dryer. This way, the lint filter is always clean, and I am repurposing the dryer sheet. It’s a win-win.

My wife and I read your column every day in the Orange County Register. It is a breakfast tradition. — Richard, in Anaheim, California

BACK-SCRATCHING HINT

Dear Heloise: I am 88 years young and disabled, and I started to have a problem with my scratching my back. I got a long-handled bath brush, and I now can reach my entire back to relieve the itch. — Mrs. Teddy Deabler, in Royal Palm Beach, Florida

LEMON AND LIME ZEST

Dear Heloise: It always frustrates me when I try to get zest from a lemon or lime by using a metal grater because much of the zest gets stuck between the teeth and stays on the grater. But I discovered that using a basting or pastry brush allows me to easily sweep almost all the zest off the grater. It works with cheese, too. — Jim S., in Oregon

THE RED IN RED MEAT

Dear Heloise: Did you know that the “red” in red meat is not cow blood? It is a harmless water-soluble protein named myoglobin. Your rare steak is not bloody. It is juicy.

Also, a cut of federally inspected beef from a grocery store in the United States can safely be enjoyed as rare as one wants, provided that the outside of the cut has been singed all over to kill bacteria.

Ground beef, though, must be cooked thoroughly since the germs are all mixed in with the raw hamburger. — Jim R., in Houston

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

Dear Heloise: I am a widow who loves to cook but of course ends up with leftovers. I separate the leftovers into individual containers for the freezer following each cooking session, then put all of them in a 2-gallon zipclose plastic bag. It is an easy way to solve the “what do I feel like eating for dinner tonight” problem and prevents small containers from sinking to the bottom of the freezer and being forgotten.

I can enjoy a variety of meals and not feel like I had to eat my meatloaf for four nights in a row to finish it up! — Lea M., in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri

BIRTHDAY CAKE BLUES

Dear Heloise: A child’s birthday can be very messy, especially when it comes to the cake. I always seem to end up with cake all over the place. Got any hints to help me out? — Georgia K., in New Castle, Pennsylvania

Georgia, use flat-bottom ice cream cones and fill them half-full with cake batter. Then set them in a muffin tin to hold them upright. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes, or until done. When cooled, ice the tops and serve. — Heloise

FREEZING BUTTER

Dear Heloise: Can you freeze butter? — Cally W., in Harwood, Maryland

Cally, yes, you can. Butter keeps for up to nine months in the freezer. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.