Heloise

Dear Heloise: Over the years, I have sent many wedding and graduation gifts in the form of cash tucked into cards. About 1 in 20 gifts resulted in a thank-you note. And I know why. The envelopes are opened, the cash is separated from the card, and no note is made as to who gave what and how much. Now some people simply don’t have the good manners to respond, and others don’t know to whom or how to respond.

I now give personal checks. My name and address are embossed on the checks. And, of course, the dollar amounts are readily apparent. Hence, there are no excuses for bad manners. Even so, the recipients’ check endorsement signatures are usually the only acknowledgements that I receive.

A true bonus is the occasional “thank you” scrawled beneath the check endorsement. — Charles Tibbals, via emails

CLEANING OUT JARS

Dear Heloise: It’s best to remove all the food remnants from jars and bottles before recycling, but getting jars of peanut butter clean can be especially challenging. I recently tried this:

Fill the container halfway with hot water, then pour in a “spritz” of liquid dishwashing detergent. Next, pour in a heaping teaspoon of uncooked rice (or any small, gritty particles). Replace the lid and shake vigorously. The combination of rice pieces, detergent and hot water should clean out the jar. — Jerry Laub, in Ohio

PLACE MAT HINT

Dear Heloise: Some time ago, I bought some place mats that I’ve never used. This morning, I used them to line the drawer where I keep my baking pans. Neat!

Also, in preparation for another snowy winter, I purchased a mat to go under my car in the garage, which will, in theory, catch the slush and salt from the roadways on my car. In order to line the car up properly, I use the camera on the dash to guide my entry into the garage. — Madeline C., in Rutland, Vermont

PEACHES

Dear Heloise: My husband and I love local peaches. We anxiously await the new harvest in the early summer. The season ending is hard on us. We learned that sometimes the peaches at the end of the season have been in cold storage for too long and don’t taste very good. Cooking them into a sauce solves the problem!

The peaches seem to taste great as a sauce. I add a tablepoon of sugar to 5-6 peaches and a shake of cinnamon. It is a favorite of ours, especailly with cottage cheese. — Pam R., in St. Louis

PET PAL

Dear Heloise: This is my rescue kitten, Mischief, who is now 19 years old and is still living up to her name. Yesterday I found her in the kitchen sink, where she was devouring a drumstick that she had torn off a baked chicken that I had left on the counter. We both enjoy your column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. — Barbara Witte, via email

Readers, to see Mischief and our other Pet Pals, go to Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.”

Do you have a furry friend to share with our readers? Send a photo and a brief description to Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise

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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.