Dear Heloise: I have a recipe for the best hamburgers for people who make them at home. Take two parts of lean hamburger meat and one part of ground sausage, mix well and shape into patties. Barbecue on the grill, fry or broil.
We were on vacation near Austin, Texas. At a cafe, we stopped and ate a hamburger, and it was good. The owner told me what they used. - Opal A., Garden Grove, Calif.

Educational partnership

Dear Readers: Today’s SOUND OFF is about parent involvement in education. - Heloise

“Dear Heloise: I started teaching in public schools in 1978, and over the years, I’ve witnessed a decline in parental involvement in children’s education. Raising a child is not easy, but when you choose to be a parent, you choose to take on a very difficult job, much of which means being involved with your child’s education, self-discipline, responsibility and teaching that life’s actions have consequences. 

“Studies have shown that when parents are actively involved with their children’s education, the students have a better chance of being successful in accomplishing their goals. Helping children with their homework and volunteering time at the school stresses the importance of an education to them. 
“I know a career/job is important, but so is your child. Which of these two will have the greatest impact on this world once you’re gone? You leave nothing behind of greater importance than your children, so invest time, interest and effort in their education. If your son or daughter doesn’t perform well in school, get together with the teachers to find out how the two of you can motivate your child to improve his or her grades.” - Grace J., Sausalito, Calif.

CANDLE WAX ON CARPET

Dear Heloise: I have candle wax on my carpet. How do I get it out? - Jill S., Nampa, Idaho

Jill, put ice in a metal pan and place the pan on the wax until the wax is frozen hard. Remove the pan and hit the wax with something blunt (such as the handle of a dinner knife) to make the wax shatter, then vacuum up the pieces. If the wax is down into the fibers, put rubbing alcohol on a clean, white cloth, and blot and press until the wax is removed. - Heloise

WHITER WHITES

Dear Heloise: My white sheets and towels have gotten a little gray over time. How can I whiten my linens? - Lisa V., Raton, N.M.

Lisa, to keep your sheets and towels from looking gray, add 1/2 cup of baking soda along with the regular amount of chlorine bleach to a load of linens in the washer. 
This laundry hint is from my pamphlet Heloise’s Baking Soda Hints and Recipes, which contains many more ideas to make your life easier and provide you with solutions to everyday cleaning and household problems. To get a copy, send $5, along with a stamped (70 cents), self-addressed, long envelope, to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Or you can order it online at www.Heloise.com. To keep odors at bay in your clothes hamper, make a sachet by filling a paper coffee filter with some baking soda and taping it close. Toss it into the clothes hamper and replace it every few weeks or so. - Heloise

Cooking veggies above and below

Dear Heloise: This is a hint on how to COOK VEGETABLES: If they are grown underground, put them in cold water and then cook. If they are grown above ground, put them in boiling water and cook. - V.J. in North Carolina

PAN PROBLEMS

Dear Heloise: I would like to know how to clean the dark burnt spots off the inside of fry pans without scratching them. - Dennis Y., Ventura, Calif.

Dennis, try one of the following:

1. Pour white vinegar in the bottom of the pan and soak for 30 minutes or longer, then scrub and rinse.

2. Put 3 tablespoons of baking soda in enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Simmer on the stove until the gunk starts to lift. With a little scrubbing, the pot should be sparkling clean.

- Heloise

CUTTING BOARDS

Dear Heloise: Plastic or wood cutting boards -- which is the best to use when preparing food? - Maria G. in San Antonio

Maria, plastic cutting boards are considered safer because they aren’t as likely to harbor bacteria. If you use a wooden board, you can clean it with a mixture of 2 teaspoons of chlorine bleach plus 1 teaspoon of vinegar in a gallon of water. Re-season the wooden cutting board by rubbing it with mineral oil. Do not use a salad oil, as it might become rancid. - Heloise

COOKIES FROM CAKE MIX

Dear Readers: Here’s a fun recipe your family will love: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil with the box of your favorite cake mix. (Use only the above ingredients, not the ingredients listed on the box.) You can add other things like nuts, raisins or chocolate chips to make your cookies special. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes and let cool before serving. 

The family gets homemade cookies without a lot of fuss or mess. And anytime you need to bake a lot of cookies for some function, this is the easy way to do it. - Heloise

RELISHING THIS HINT ...

Dear Heloise: I love egg salad with pickles, but I was having trouble chopping the pickles until inspiration hit me: I now use relish, which is, of course, pickles already chopped up! - Mary K. in Kentucky

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column. 

(c)2019 by King Features Syndicate Inc.