~ KITCHEN HINTS ~

* You won't need sugar with your tea if you drink jasmine tea or the lighter-bodied varieties, like Formosa Oolong, which have their own natural sweetness. They are fine for sugarless iced tea, too.

* Calorie-free club soda adds sparkle to iced fruit juices, makes them go farther, and reduces calories per portion.

* A different flavoring for tea: Instead of sugar, dissolve old-fashioned lemon drops or hard mind candy in you tea. They melt quickly and keep the tea clean and brisk.

* Most diets call for 8 ounces of milk and 4 ounces of fruit juice. Check your glassware. Having the exact size glass insures the correct serving amount.

* Make you own spiced tea or cider. Place orange peels, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a 6 inch square cheesecloth. Bring up corners and tie with string. Add to hot cider or tea for 10 minutes (longer if you want a stronger flavor).

* Seed and nuts, both shelled and unshelled, keep best and longest when stored in the freezer. Nuts in the shell crack more easlily when frozen. Nuts and seeds can be used directly from the freezer.

* Always chill juices or sodas before adding to beverage recipes.

* When possible, float an ice ring in punch rather than ice cubes. This not only is more decorative, but also inhibits melting and diluting.

* Try placing fresh or dried mint in the bottom of hot chocolate for a zesty taste.

* One lemon yeilds about 1/4 cup juice; one orange yields about 1/3 cup juice. This is helpful in making fresh orange juice or lemonade.

* Never boil coffee; it brings out the acid and causes a bitter taste. Store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer to retain the fresh flavor.

* Always use COLD water for electric drip coffee makers. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons ground coffe for every cup of water.

* Cheese should be served a room temperature (approximately 70 degrees).

* When serving hors d'oeuvres on a sliver tray,  you may choose to protect it from acids by covering it with a layer of leafy green lettuce.

*Fresh lemon juice will remove onion scent from hands.

* To save money and vitamins: Pour all leftover vegetables and water they are cooked in, into a freezer container. When full, add tomato juice, seasoning and have "free" soup for lunch.

* Three large stalks of cut-up celery added to about tow cups of beans (navy, brown, pinto, etc.) will make them more easily digested, as will a bit of soda.

* When cooking vegetables that grow above ground, remember to boil them with a cover.

* Allow 1/4 teaspoon salt to each cup of water for cooking vegetables.

* A lump of sugar added to water when cooking vegetable greens helps retain their fresh color.

* Never soak vegetables after slicing; you will lose much of their nutritional value.

* Fresh vegetables require little seasoning or cooking. If the vegetable is old, dress it up with sauces or seasoning.

* To bake potatoes quickly, place them in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Pierce skin with a fork and then bake in a preheated oven.

* To cut down on odors when cooking cabbage, cauliflower, etc., add a little vinegar to the cooking water.

* To avoid tears when cutting onions, try cutting them under cold running water or placing them in the freezer briefly before cutting.

* A little vinegar or lemon juice added to potatoes before draining will make them extra white when mashed.

* To avoid toughening beans or corn, add salt when cooking is halfway through.

* To dress up buttered, cooked vegetables, sprinkle them with toasted sesame seed, toasted chopped nuts, crumbled cooked bacon, canned french-fried onions, or slightly crushed seasoned croutons.

* When you're grilling your main dish, try grilling your  vegetables, too, for an easy no-mess side dish.

* When preparing sauces and marinades for red meats, use little oil. Fat from the meat will render out during cooking and will provide plenty of flavor. Certain meats, like ribs, pot toast, sausage and others, can be parboiled before grilling to reduce the fat content.

* When shopping for red meats, buy the leanest cuts you can find. Fat will show up as an opaque white coating, and it can also run through the meat fibers themselves as marbling. Although much outer fat (the white coating) can be trimmed away, there isn't much to be done aobut the marbling. Stay away from well marbled cuts of meat.

* If you don't have time to marinade meat, pound meat lightly with a mallet or rolling pin. Pierce with a fork and sprinkle lightly with meat tenderizer and add marinade. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes and you will have succulent, tender meat.

*Marinating is a cinch if you use a plastic bag. The meat stays in the marinade and it's easy to turn and rearrange. Cleanup is easy. Just toss the bag.

* Meat may slice more thinly if it is partially frozen.

* Tomatoes added to roasts will help tenderize them anturally. Tomatoes contain an acid that works well to break down meats.

* Always cut meats across the grain when possible; they will be easier to eat and have a better appearance.

* When frying meat, try sprinkling paprika over it and it will turn golden brown.

* Thaw all meats in the refrigerator for maximum safety.

* Refrigerate poultry promptly after purchasing. Keep it in the coldest section of your refrigerator for up to two days. For longer storage, freeze the poultry. Never leave poultry at room temperature for more than two hours.

* If you're microwaving skinned chicken, be sure to cover the baking dish with vented clear plastic wrap to keep the chicken moist.

* Lemon juice rubbed on fish before cooking will enhance the flavor and help maintain a good color.

* To make scaling a fish easier, try rubbing vinegar on the scales first.

* Bananas that have darkened can be peeled and frozen in  a plastic container until it's time to bake bread or cake.

* When bread is baking, a small dish of water in the oven will help to keep the crust from getting too hard or brown.

* Use shortening, not margarine or oil, to grease pans, as margarine and oil absorb more readily into the dough or batter and do not help to release baked goods from pan (especially bread).

* Use a metal ice tray divider to cut biscuits in a hurry. Press into dought and biscuits will separate at dividing lines when baked.

* Self-rising flour: 4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons baking powder. Mix well and store in a tightly covered container.

* Hot water kills yeast. One way to tell the correct temperature is to pour water over your forearm, and if you cannot feel either hot or cold, the temperature is just right.

*  When in doubt, always sift flour before measuring.

* When cooking in glass pans, reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees.

* When milk is used in making bread, you get a finer texture. Water makes a coarser bread.

* To prevent scorching when scalding milk, first rinse pan in water.

* If your biscuits are dry, it could be from too much handling, or the oven temperature may not have been hot enough.

* Nut breads are better if store 24 hours before using.

* To make bead crumbs, toast the heels of bread and put in blender or food processor.

* Cracked eggs should only be used in dishes that are thoroughly cooked; they may contain bacteria.

* The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing them in a large bowl of cold water; if they float, do not use them.

* Vinegar can remove spots caused by tomatoes. Soak spot with vinegar and wash as usual.

* To freshen your dishwasher, run it on rinse with some baking soda.

* Things to keep in the kitchen: a ruler, scissors, small hammer, flashlight, candles, matches and tape.

* Egg whites need to be room temperature for greater volume when whipped.

* To freeze eggs: Spray ice cube trays with oil. Beat eggs and add 3/4 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt for every 1/2 dozen. Pour into trays and freeze firm. Store in airtight containers in freezer. One cube equals one egg.

* A leaf of lettuce dropped into the pot absorbs the grease from the top of the soup. Remove the lettuce and throw it away as soon as it has served its purpose.

* Separate 2 glasses by filling the inside one with cold water and setting the other in hot.

* For quick and handy seasoning while cooking, keep on hand a larg shaker containing six parts of salt and one of pepper.

* Before scalding milk, rinse pan with cold water for easy clean up.

* Getting the catsup out of the bottle isn't so tough. Insert a drinking straw, push it to the bottom of the bottle, and then remove. Enough air will be admitted to start an even flow.

* Add a lump of butter or a few taspoons of cooking oil to the water. Rice, noodles or spaghetti will not boil over or stick together.