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Dear Heloise: Dishwashing soap should take out grease stains; it works for most stains. A supermarket checker in Kamuela, Hawaii, told me about it when I asked for a stain remover. She was right; it’s wonderful. — Janet S., via email
DON’T COOK WITH LARD
Dear Heloise: In regard to the letters about using leftover pie crust to make various things, be warned that using lard is dangerous. You shouldn’t ingest it, especially now that we all know about the effects of high cholesterol. — Anne H., Bemus Point, in New York
Anne, agreed. I wouldn’t use lard (not even in very small amounts). Thanks for writing in! — Heloise
SOUS VIDE MACHINE
Dear Heloise: I’m replying to the recent letter about thawing out meat. Whenever I have a large piece of meat, like a 10-pound ham or a 20-pound turkey, I use my sous vide machine. I place the meat in a large pot full of water, set the machine to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and turn it on. It’s super fast, and the meat doesn’t sit out on the counter. You just place the meat in the fridge until it’s ready to be cooked. — Jim, in New Jersey
Jim, thanks for the hint! Readers, for those who haven’t heard of a sous vide, it cooks food — mostly meat, poultry or fish (I believe). — Heloise
CLEANING SILICONE GARNETS
Dear Heloise: Is there any way to clean the black stuff off of silicone gaskets (the ones on the lids of metal drinking bottles)? I also use a small silicone cover on open, wet cat-food cans. I read your column in the Daily Breeze in Torrance, California. — Glendee M., via email
Glendee, soak it in a diluted bleach or vinegar solution and scrub it with a soft brush. Then let it air-dry completely before using it again. — Heloise
VITAMIN TOXICITY
Dear Heloise: What exactly is meant by “vitamins being toxic”? One minute, I hear that we should all be taking vitamins, and the next, I hear about toxicity from vitamins. — Diane L., in Kearney, Nebraska
Diane, when you take high doses of vitamins, you can overwhelm your body’s ability to store and eliminate these vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E and K, dissolve in your lipids and are stored in your liver and fat tissue. They’re flushed out very slowly.
An excess of these vitamins can cause health issues, including damaged organs and other complications. So, just a friendly reminder to always make sure to keep vitamins away from children. Store them in a cool, dry place where a child cannot reach them. — Heloise
A HANDY HINT
Dear Heloise: Hang your personal grocery bags on the back of your head rest in your car when you’re not using them so that the bags are always hanging behind the seat. It’s very handy! — Bonnie
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.