Hints From Heloise: Rubber glove with a tiny hole get an easy fix

Dear Heloise: I use rubber gloves for most of my household cleaning. I had a special pair I used when washing dishes, but it had a small hole that allowed water inside the glove. I set the glove aside and let it dry out completely. Then I took an adhesive bandage, cut off the sticky portion on one side and put a super glue around the hole. Then I took the sticky portion of the bandage and placed it over the hole, making sure that it also rested on the super glue. After it dried, my old rubber gloves were as good as new.

— Frances Y., Alexandria, Va.

Dear Heloise: Would you put your pumpkin bread recipe in the paper again? I made it and my whole family loved it. So did I! I would truly appreciate it.

— Vickie M., Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Vickie M.: This recipe always seems to be a hit at any time of year. Here it is:

1 ⅔ cups flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped pecans

2 eggs, slightly beaten

½ cup salad oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

Sift together the dry ingredients. Add nuts and mix well. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add to dry ingredients. Mix just enough to blend. Pour into a 9-by-5-by-3-inch greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes.

This is an easy and quick bread to make and is a hit with the whole family. If you would like a "Heloise's Baking Soda Hints and Recipes" pamphlet of your own, along with many additional uses for baking soda, go to Heloise.com, or send $5 along with a stamped (75 cents), self-addressed long envelope to: Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You’ll be glad to have this handy reminder of all the things you can do with baking soda, including making pumpkin bread!

Dear Heloise: My family loves having a fresh baguette with stews, chili and soups. Unfortunately, they tend to go stale rather quickly. To freshen a baguette that's about two days old, I quickly run it under the tap water and then place in the oven at 350 to 375 degrees for about 5 or 6 minutes. It comes out warm and just as fresh as if it had come from the bakery.

— Tory A., Portland, Ore.

Dear Heloise: I ran short of oatmeal when I was making oatmeal cookies one day and decided to open a couple of packets that had a banana-nut oatmeal mix and use it to complete the needed additional oatmeal. To my surprise, the oatmeal cookies had a banana-nut flavor and were delicious. I'm sure you could use any number of flavors of instant oatmeal to add just a little extra flavor, making your cookies different and tasty.

— Mary S., Terre Haute, Ind.

Dear Heloise: When I buy butter by the stick, I always cut it up by the tablespoon or teaspoon-size squares. This saves time when I'm cooking and just makes it easier for me to measure out.

— Ann R., Cody, Wyo.

Heloise's column appears six days a week at washingtonpost.com/advice. Send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or email it to [email protected].

2021, King Features Syndicate