Clean and reseason wooden salad bowls

Dear Heloise: Through the years, my wooden salad bowls have acquired a sticky residue from various salad dressings. I've tried everything that I could think of to clean the bowls without destroying their natural patina finish. What is the best and safest way to clean them? — Joanne Martin of Flemington, N.J.

If you keep your wooden bowls clean and reseasoned periodically, they can last for generations. Just use a mild liquid hand-dishwashing detergent to wash the bowls using warm water. Rinse and dry thoroughly, since prolonged exposure to water can cause damage. Next, use a soft cloth or paper towel to spread a light coat of mineral oil on the entire bowl. Let it work for 12 hours or so, then wipe with a paper towel. When the beautiful wooden luster becomes dull, it is time to reseason. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: After opening a package of hot dogs, I used to find it hard to store them, with the juices making a mess in the package or even a zippered plastic storage bag.

I discovered a good way to store them: Use a 1-quart, upright deli container that you would normally toss or recycle; place the hot dogs upright in the container and put the lid on it. They are easy to see in the fridge. Also, it's a good way to carry them on a picnic. — Agnes Hill, McLean, Va.

Dear Heloise: Regarding the use of powdered skim/nonfat milk as coffee creamer: Wanting to avoid the hydrogenated fats in regular coffee creamer, I place powdered milk in a blender or food processor and twirl it for several seconds. The result is as fine and smooth as regular coffee creamer, and it dissolves more easily in the hot coffee. — Marilyn K., Fort Worth, Texas

I use powdered milk also, so I was interested in testing your hint. It works fine, BUT you need to process only about 1/2 cup at a time. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: As a gift, we received a ruled grocery-list tablet that sticks on our fridge with a magnet on the back. We've learned to start our list from the bottom. Whenever someone in the family notices we're out of or low on something, that person adds the item on the next line available up from the bottom. When we go to the store, we cut the page just above where our list stopped — leaving us another short tablet page for the next round. This saves paper and makes our thoughtful gift last longer! — South Dakota Sam, via e-mail

Send a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax: 210-HELOISE; e-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com © King Features Syndicate Inc.