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Blades blotchy

3 min read

Dear Heloise: What is happening to our STAINLESS KNIFE BLADES? They are getting dark splotches. Could the water-softener salt cause this? This started after the system was installed. — Delton S., Tomball, Texas

BINGO! Delton, you figured it out! The water is treated with salt to remove minerals and make it “soft,” so that probably is the answer. Has anything else changed? Hand-washing? Do you put them in the dishwasher? Is there a new detergent?

Hand-wash, no soaking, rinse and dry ASAP to prevent the dark spots. — Heloise

BANANA CUBES

Dear Heloise: We enjoy the great advice from your column in the (Middletown, N.Y.) Times Herald-Record.

We make smoothies. As a banana starts to look like it is ready to go, I cut it up and freeze it for smoothies. The bananas are like ice cubes. It’s nothing new, but we save them for future use! — Debby H., Newburgh, N.Y.

HELOISE’S CARROT CAKE

Dear Heloise: I hope you can locate a much-loved recipe of your mother’s that I’ve had for years but misplaced. It’s a one-layer CARROT CAKE. It’s just the right amount for our family. — Bonnie K., via email

Say no more! The HELOISE CARROT CAKE recipe my mother printed in her column in the early 1960s is yummy. I retested it, and it’s delicious! The batter is very thick. You can use ONE round cake pan, or one flat — size depends on how thick you want the cake.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup salad oil

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup grated carrots

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix sugar and oil. Add the sifted ingredients (I put the dry ingredients in a bowl, stir, then sift using a wire strainer). Mix in carrots. Update: Mix the eggs slightly first, add to bowl and mix well by hand, or use a blender on low speed. Add the nuts.

Two ways to bake this: in one rectangular pan (I used a smaller one, about 5 by 9 inches), or one round cake tin.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, testing for doneness after 20 minutes. If using one round tin, slice to make two layers. Use canned or homemade frosting between the layers, then frost the entire cake. For more recipes and hints, order my baking-soda pamphlet online at www. Heloise.com, or by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (70 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Experiment with the spices, and try a pinch of allspice, nutmeg and a little ginger (I put some small cinnamon candy in, too) to give it a whole new flavor. — Heloise

REMOVE RESIDUE

Dear Heloise: I washed new metal pans, and even after washing, there was still residue left from the label. I used a little shortening, rubbed it on the adhesive and wiped it with a paper towel. It removed the adhesive like a charm. — Andidee, via email

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