Dear Heloise: My family loves sausage patties on Sunday morning when we are all gathered together around the breakfast table. Unfortunately, I hated making them because the sausage stuck to my hands and that greasy fat was so difficult to get off. Then I tried wetting my hands with water before I started and discovered that the fat did not cling to my skin. Between each sausage patty, I wet my hands with water, and it makes washing my hands afterward so much easier! — Kathy G., Bayonne, New Jersey

I’M FRIED!

Dear Heloise: I like quick and easy to prepare dishes because I’m not a great cook. In fact, after a day of working at my job, I’m usually too “fried” to cook anything fancy. My little brood of one husband and four very young children need to eat. One dish you have the recipe for was called Baked Italian Chicken, and it was delicious and so simple to make. Would you reprint that recipe for a tired working mom, pretty please? — Susan C., Lahaina, Hawaii

Susan, this is one of my most popular recipes. It’s quick and easy, and people think you spent a lot of time making this dish. And if you need more, you can always double this recipe to feed a larger crowd. Here it is. You’ll need:

1 chicken, cut up or the equivalent in parts

1 (8 ounce) bottle of non-fat (or regular) Italian salad dressing

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

4 medium potatoes, sliced (peeled or not) into bite-size pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray. Place the chicken in the casserole dish and cover with the Italian dressing. Top with the onions and potatoes. Bake for 1 hour or until done.

If you enjoy an easy to prepare recipe that will feed your family and have them asking for more, then you’ll love my pamphlet “All-Time Favorite Recipes.” To get a copy, simply go to www.Heloise.com or send $5, along with a long, stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Heloise/Favorites, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

These are some of my favorite recipes that my household has enjoyed for many years. — Heloise

FREEZING TOMATOES

Dear Heloise: I love to grow my own tomatoes, but when I want to puree my fresh tomatoes for sauces or juice, I put them in my freezer for a couple of days before thawing them out and placing them in my blender. They go through the blender with a greater speed and ease than the fresh ones right off the vine. — Maria G., China Grove, Texas

WASH YOUR HANDS

Dear Heloise: While many people wash their hands after they put away their groceries, a large number don’t remember to wash their hands BEFORE putting their groceries away. I go to the store and handle items that may have been handled by more than a dozen people.

The last pandemic should have taught us all a lesson on how easy it is to pick up bacteria that’s harmful. You might be a very clean person, but not everyone is. Wash your hands often throughout the day. — Lynn E., Duncan, Oklahoma

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it