photo by corrieb
DEAR SARA: What requires more water, a bath or a shower? — G.V., forums
DEAR G.V.: It depends. A short shower with a low-flow showerhead will use less water than a bath. If you limit the shower to less than five minutes, you’ll use less water, too. With a bath, you can reuse the water to flush the toilet or to water flowers in the garden to help use …

photo by house of sims
DEAR SARA: I have a question about baking from scratch that is probably a no-brainer, but here goes. I bake everything from scratch. Can I mix the dry ingredients for, say, a chocolate cake and store it in canning jars or some kind of airtight container with a label on it and then just add the wet ingredients? It sounds like an easy plan, but you …

photo by alibree
DEAR SARA: My problem is, when I buy bananas, I have to know where I should store them — either in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter. The bananas ripen too soon, so give me some advice where to store them (temperature, etc.) — Frances V., Pennsylvania
DEAR FRANCES: You can buy fewer bananas. You can buy them green, too. Remove any plastic produce bags. Store them on …

photo by ginnerobot
DEAR SARA: When we have tacos for supper, we always have plenty of leftover taco meat. What kind of meals could I make with the leftover meat? Thanks! — Carrie, Kentucky
DEAR CARRIE: You can make less meat or make most any dish that has ground beef, such as taco-salad, soup, casseroles, chili, nachos, lettuce wrap, spaghetti or lasagna, pizza, empanadas, omelet or serve over French fries or baked …