Dear Heloise: I have thrown out five pizza cutters because they are either broken or too dull to cut a mushroom. Then, my sister-in-law told me to try a pair of sturdy kitchen scissors to cut pizza, and it turned out they work! I’ve been doing this for over a year now, and the scissors work every time! — Joan R., Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Joan, that is an old Heloise trick, and I love it. Instead of a hassle with the pizza cutter, I started using a pair of kitchen scissors and never looked back. It’s annoying to fight with your food, so any time there’s a better or easier way to do something, go for it! — Heloise

CHERRY SURPRISE

Dear Heloise: A few months ago I made your Cherry Surprise dessert, and it was a big hit with my kids. My 8-year-old has asked me to make it for his birthday in June. There is just one problem, though; I lost the recipe. Would you repeat that recipe so I can make it again for my son? — Melody F., Kirkwood, Kansas

Melody, this recipe is so easy to make that many of my readers ask for it all the time. Here it is for you and your children.

Cherry Surprise

Cream together 2 sticks of butter or margarine and 2 cups sugar. Beat 3 eggs and add into the creamed ingredients. Mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of almond extract and 1 pint of sour cream. Then, add 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, mixing to blend. Lastly, stir in 1 cup of chopped maraschino cherries and 1 1/2 cups of chopped nuts.

Bake in a greased and floured tube pan in an oven set to 325 F for about 1 to 1-and-a-half hours.

For the icing, grab powdered sugar, cherry juice and a few drops of vanilla. Mix well and spread onto the cooled cake.

If you like this easy-to-prepare cake, you’ll love my pamphlet “Heloise’s Cake Recipes.” To get a copy, just go to www.Heloise.com or send $3, along with a stamped, self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/Cakes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You’ll love some of the unusual recipes and find helpful hints inside, to the delight of your family and friends. — Heloise

BAGEL STUCK IN TOASTER

Dear Heloise: My family and I enjoy toasting a bagel before we make a sandwich. Our problem was that the bagel often got stuck in the toaster. I would unplug the toaster, then try to stab the bagel with a small knife. It didn’t work. But then, I used chop sticks and managed to get the bagel out by wiggling it a little as I pulled up. My husband was more successful using two toothpicks about a couple of inches apart and lifting the bagel slowly. — Esther G.,