Dear Heloise: Don’t buy specialty spice combos. Mix them yourself at home with spices you probably already have. It’s a good way to use your spices up before they get too old and lose all their flavor. Years ago, I stopped buying seasonings like Italian, Cajun, taco, blackened, steak rub, barbecue rub, etc.

First, look up recipes online. Look for ones with great reviews. Here’s one for Italian seasoning to start you off:

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano (use only dried, not fresh)

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon sage (optional)

Extra tip: Clearly mark the jars with the date you mixed the bottle. Do the same with any spices you purchase. The preprinted dates on the bottom become illegible over time. The spices don’t actually expire, but they do lose their flavor. I found a jar of white pepper in my pantry that was dated 2002! (Hmm, 21 years old, I think it’s time to toss it!) Happy spicing! — Diane Ellis, The Villages, Florida

FOLLOW UP ON

FREEZING TOMATOES

Dear Heloise: Maria, from China Grove, Texas, wrote in with a hint to freeze garden-fresh tomatoes to make them easier to process in the blender. Here’s my follow-up tip: To easily peel tomatoes for processing, freeze, and then run briefly under hot water. The peels slip off with a quick rub. — Cheryl M.G., Bozeman, Montana

MOWING HINT

Dear Heloise: I have lived at a high-traffic location that regularly had litter like tossed beer bottles, bricks, etc. Despite my best efforts to look for these objects, I have run over them! Yet, I have saved myself hundreds of dollars from having to replace a lawnmower from a broken bend crankshaft by placing the mowing height on its highest setting.

As a retired horticulturist, I also know that the height of the lawn determines the depth of the root. Thus, I draught-proof my lawn by making sure it has an adequate root system to go after the water in dry times, by mowing it on the high setting.

And I don’t have to water in dry times to keep my grass looking green. The higher height shades out weed seeds from germinating, since light is one of the requirements to germinate, along with water and temperature. — Dale, Dayton, Ohio