Dear Heloise: For years, I’ve been using various kitchen tools to help me in the kitchen and do jobs that they weren’t originally designed for. I thought I’d share some of these with you and your readers:

— I use a tea strainer filled with herbs and spices to flavor soups and stews. You just have to remove the strainer before serving. You can also fill a strainer with powdered sugar and use it to sprinkle powdered sugar over pastries such as cakes and muffins.

— I use an old potato masher to separate ground beef and sausage while it’s cooking.

— I use an egg slicer to cut small, firm tomatoes, eggs and strawberries.

— I use a milk frother to mix other small batches of things. I recently mixed whipping cream with my frother to add on top of a pudding that I made.

— I tenderize chicken and meat by wrapping it in cling wrap, then using my metal rolling pin to pound the meat.

— I’ve known a number of people who use a pastry slicer to blend or chop up eggs for an egg salad or to chop up potatoes to make hash browns.

— A friend of mine gave me this hint: Take a cast iron skillet, turn it upside down so that the flat bottom is right side up, and place it in the oven this way to cook a frozen pizza. — Dianna F., Erie, Pennsylvania

MISSING

SCREWDRIVER

Dear Heloise: The other day, I needed to tighten a screw in our screen door and couldn’t find a screwdriver in the house. Finally, I used the tip of a pair of scissors, and it worked perfectly! — Lucille W., Belle Fourche, South Dakota

Lucille, I had the same problem one time, and I used a dime to tighten a screw. Readers have written about using the tip of a dinner knife, a vegetable peeler and a pair of tweezers. Thanks for the hint! — Heloise

CHARITY

NAVIGATOR

Dear Heloise: My husband and I gladly give to our church and local charities. We look at Charity Navigator to check on a multitude of mail from those needing our money.

How do we find enough to give? When it’s too rainy to golf, we use that money to give to others. I also do my nails myself once in a while so I can give that money to others. (Do I fix my own hair? Never. I do have to feel fairly good about myself.)

I love reading your column daily! — B.S., in California