Duncan
Duncan, a Pet Pal alum, is back after having his teeth professionally cleaned. He’s wearing the “Cone of Shame” so he won’t scratch his mouth. Pro cleanings are important to keep the mouth and teeth healthy.
Pancho
Daniel C. sent a picture of his stunning one-year-old Yorkshire Terrier Pancho on the couch, his favorite spot, looking out the window.
Chloe
Marilyn M. in Manchester, NH sent a picture of her Chloe relaxing on the couch.
Woofie
Angie H. in Kingston, NY sent a picture of her Woofie – he is sporting some waterproof dog boots and a rain slicker!
Lucy Belle
Linda M. sent a picture of her gorgeous, smiling German Shepherd, Lucy Belle, playing in the yard with some colorful balls.
Chloe and Dora
Susan K. in Rochester, NH sent a picture of her two Oriental Shorthair cats, Chloe and Dora, who appear to have merged into one.
Office Dog
Today’s Pet Pal is one of our Office Dogs catching a snooze.
Louie
Marjorie M. in Seabrook, TX sent a picture of Louie, her gorgeous all-black Bombay cat, who is friendly and talkative. Here, he is enjoying his new bed, on the desk in Marjorie’s home office!
Sophie
A reader sent a picture of her gorgeous, long-haired, green-eyed cat, Sophie, sitting on the front porch railing with beautiful, long white whiskers! Sophie’s the welcoming committee, apparently!
Red Velvet Cake
A Perfect Dessert Recipe for Valentine’s Day
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STORYBLOCKS
In 1995 I asked my readers for a Red Velvet Cake recipe that had been a family favorite of a reader who lost it when her house burned down.
Who knew this was such a popular cake recipe? I had loved it as a child and remembered how delicious it was, but could not find it in my cookbooks. So I turned to my wonderful readers, and boy did they deliver! Here is the quick version that is a snap to make.
- 1 (18.25 ounces) box yellow cake mix
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup low-fat or regular buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 ounces red food coloring
1. In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix and only the ingredients listed above (do not add the ingredients listed on the cake box). Check the box directions to see how long you need to mix the batter and then bake according to the directions on the box for the size pans you are using.
2. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, run a dull knife around the edges, then carefully turn out onto a cake rack or plate to finish cooling.
CREAM CHEESE ICING
STORYBLOCKS
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 stick butter, softened
- 1/2 box plus 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Using a mixer, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. You can add one or two drops of red food coloring for a pink icing, or leave it white for the traditional one.
Heloise tasting four versions of Red Velvet Cake sent in by more than 15,000 readers!
Smudgie
Trina S. shared a picture of her kitten “Smudgie“, adopted from Animal Care Services in Long Beach, California. Smudgie loves her red yarn toy.
Chipper and William
Pamela G. in Menifee, CA sent a picture of her two furry family members, Chipper and William, in their dog beds, each with a new toy from Santa Paws!
More Pets
Dixie
Meet Dixie. She was rescued by firefighters during the fires in Northern California and was adopted by Nancy J. once she made a full recovery.
Angel
Sharon B. in Houston, TX sent a picture of her brown and black, long-haired Chihuahua, Angel, resting on top of her snuggly toy zebra – too cute!
Petey
Cindy C. wanted to share her Dachshund, Petey.
Ziva
Doris H. sent a picture of her adorable six-year-old German Shepherd Ziva, wearing a headband of festive Christmas lights while being silly with her tongue sticking out!
Charlie and Scout
Patricia H. sent two pictures of her Charlie, a Shih Tzu, and Scout, a wire-haired Labradoodle, who sheds like crazy! They remind us of the yin and yang of a new year: Opposite but complementary, out with the old, in with the new. Big changes!
Clio
Jay and Dotty sent a picture of their perfectly blended, ten-year-old Jack Russell and Mini Dachshund, Clio. Clio, Dotty says, is a Pure American Brown Dog!
Clutter Busters + Organizing Hints
Handy Household Hints from Heloise: Hundreds of Great Ideas at Your Fingertips
Hints to help you and your family get organized—kids, pets, travel, that junk drawer and more!
Smells and stains plague even the most conscientious of cleaners. Tons of hints.
America’s #1 Lifestyle Manager shares with readers her hints and recipes.
In a dictionary form, it’s packed with updated information, some old favorites and some new hints.
Heloise offers unique hints for successful, stress-free party giving and more.
Hints for Mother’s Day
Give her a gift that’ll help her relax and unwind.
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For Mother’s Day this year, create a customized, one-of-a-kind, just-for-mom basket filled with luscious lotions, aromatic essential oils, cologne or scents that she may not normally buy or try. To save money and fit any budget, you can pick up things at a drug store, dollar store or discount beauty supply. You can add Heloise Bath Salts for a relaxing and soothing soak.
HELOISE BATH SALTS
Pour 3 cups of Epsom salts into a glass bowl; add 1 tablespoon of glycerin, several drops of food coloring and a bit of perfume or a few drops of lavender, eucalyptus oil, or rosemary. Slowly pour into the salts and mix well. Put into a pretty container and wrap with a bow. Include directions to add one cup into bath water, as the tap is running, for a heavenly treat.
HINTS FOR TIRED MUSCLES
Buy several pretty hand towels, include the above Heloise Bath Salts, or put the towels together with essential oils of lavender (calming and relaxing) or eucalyptus (relaxes muscles and clears a stuffy head) or only a drop or two of rosemary to calm and soothe. While bathing, to help relax sore or tight neck and shoulder muscles, dip the hand towel into hot water, drape it around the neck and upper shoulders and settle in for a relaxing soak. In winter when many of us get a little stuffy, try my favorite hint I use especially when traveling. I take a fresh face cloth, dip it into the hot water, ring it out, then hold it to my nose and slowly inhale several times. This seems to add much-needed moisture to my bone-dry nose and is a calming, relaxing scent that just seems to melt away the tension. My favorite is lavender which I travel with and use all of the time.
OTHER GIFT IDEAS
You can purchase some of these services or you can offer to provide them yourself.
- Massage and spa treatments.
- Manicures and pedicures.
- Movie tickets for the occasional escape.
- Babysitting services to allow for a night out on the town.
- Grocery shopping so there’s one less thing to do on her list.
- House cleaning or a few hours or half the day.
- A week of dinners, home cooked and delivered or cooked at her home, cleanups included.
- Other gift ideas can include yard work, home repairs, pet care and car maintenance appointments.
Heloise Tackles Holiday Stains
Your tablecloth can take a beating from the drips, spills, and stains of the holidays.
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Sharing her holiday stain hints on ABC’s The View in a past segment hosted by Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and Meredith Viera, she showed how to remove some of the most common stains that always seem to happen when you are entertaining—candle wax drippings, gravy, cranberry, red wine, and coffee stains. Here are removal solutions for the most common party-related stains:
COFFEE
To remove coffee (or tea) stains, rinse area with cold water immediately. Rub in a couple of drops of a mild, white dishwashing liquid and rinse well. Then treat with a mixture of one-part white household vinegar and three-parts water. Rinse again and launder as you normally do. Note: If cream was used in the coffee, you may have to sponge the stain with dry-cleaning fluid.
CRANBERRY
To eliminate cranberry stains, scoop up as much of the sauce as you can—as quickly as you can—and then rinse with cold water. Pretreat the stained area and then wash—as the care label for the fabric indicates.
CANDLE WAX
To get rid of candle wax from the tablecloth, let the wax harden—a quick way is to put it in the freezer. Then scrape it off the tablecloth with a dull knife. Place paper towels on both sides of the stain and set the iron on the warm setting, then iron (no steam) over the stained area. Change the towels often to absorb all of the wax. Launder as usual.
GRAVY
To clean up gravy, spoon it up as fast as you can. Sprinkle artificial sweetener or flour over the stained area to absorb the grease. Put the tablecloth into a sink and soak in a mixture of one teaspoon of a mild, colorless detergent with each cup of lukewarm water for at least 20 minutes. Then wash as usual and let air dry—don’t put in the dryer.
RED WINE
To remove red-wine stains, pour a big dose of salt on top of the stain to absorb the liquid. Put the tablecloth into cold water and try to rub out the stain. Use an enzyme detergent in the hottest water safe for the fabric, soak for 30 minutes and launder.
Todd the Toad
Todd the Toad has appeared to wish us all a Merry Christmas!