Dear Heloise: Almost every recipe I read starts with: “Preheat oven to the ‘appropriate’ degree.” Most ovens will preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in less than 10 minutes. Some recipes’ prep time is 30 minutes or more; therefore, you are wasting energy and money. While I realize the ...

Dear Heloise: So many people can’t tell the difference between food poisoning and a stomach bug. It’s important to be able to know the difference: -- Food poisoning: You experience diarrhea, cramps, nausea, vomiting and possibly a low-grade fever. It’s usually brought on by contaminated ...

Dear Annie: When my nephew was a toddler and his family visited, my mom (his grandmother) got big furniture boxes discarded from stores and made forts and tunnels in our large family room. She got down on the floor and played whatever character he chose her to be in this turf maze. She didn’t ...

A dairy expo is the type of event where you can walk around all day and never go hungry thanks to all the free cheese and ice cream that are available. It’s a dairy aficionado’s dream. The Central Plains Dairy Expo is an event where one can view all of the latest and greatest advancements ...

Dear Readers: We recently ran a letter from someone who complained that cashiers at grocery stores rarely thank them, the customers. I heard from many of you who have worked as cashiers at supermarkets, and I am grateful for your letters as they provide a firsthand account of the other ...

Dear Heloise: Frugal plumber here! Everyone likes to make fun of plumbers when they bend over, but I do not have that problem. I stretch cotton materials before I put them in the dryer or hang them to dry. Doing this makes some quite a bit longer; it adds over 4 inches to my shirts, even after ...