Another good use for a newspaper

“A friend of mine went away for a month and forgot about a package of ground beef in the fridge. When he got home, the smell was hideous. We tried bleach … baking soda … ammonia … not to mention how many other chemicals and fruits we used. The smell was imbedded. A buddy told me to use newspaper. He said to take eight or more sheets of newspaper and lay a few on each shelf. To my surprise, the next day the odor was gone. It has worked for lunchboxes and coolers, too!” — T.D. in Pennsylvania

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•Common substitution: You can use a tablespoon of lemon juice mixed with enough milk to make one cup for every cup of buttermilk a recipe requires. Let the mixture stand five minutes before use.

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“If you are going on vacation, leave a plastic baggie filled with ice cubes in your freezer. If, when you return, the baggie is filled with a single chunk of ice, you will know that your power has been interrupted long enough to spoil your food while you were away.” — G.L. in Missouri

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“I always use club soda when making pancakes. Just use the same amount of soda as you would water. The bubbles make the batter fluffier, and the pancakes turn out much lighter. They’re delicious!” — M.O. in New Jersey