Hints From Heloise

Dear Heloise: I love your column. My mother and I read the books your mother wrote and I still have three original ones. I have been married 35 years and still see new hints to try out. I have one for you.

An easy and fast way to make bread crumbs is to use the old-fashioned grinder. When I’m getting ready to make ham or chicken salad, I grind up frozen slices of bread and, voila, great uniform fresh crumbs. Karen Wilson, Edinburg, Ill.

Dear Heloise: Ever wonder what to do with an opened bag of stale Italian-flavored croutons?

Out of desperation (there was no bread in the house), I soaked, softened and squeezed out the water from the croutons and substituted them for the bread and seasoning ingredients in meatballs for spaghetti sauce. Great taste! - Carol Robertshaw Eberhardt, Irondequoit, N.Y.