By Jane Henegar

Today's three requests from two cooks take sugar into consideration and sometimes use a substitute. "M.K." has heard that, in cooking with Splenda, the cook should be adding powdered milk as well. And though she has used Splenda measure for measure as a baking substitute for sugar, she'd like any ideas you might share.

A second request from "E.E." is "for the impossible, a sugar-free red velvet cake."

Why stop with the impossible, cooking sleuths?

Thirdly, with no sugar restrictions, our reader above also asked for a recipe for potato chip cookies.

The discussion of easy meals for busy mamas brought forth advice and equipment suggestions more than actual recipes. Jane Guthrie suggested that the requester ask for a faucet that keeps boiling water at the ready. "It is unbelievable how much time this saves. Tea at the ready, good for blanching, everything," she said.

Jessica Stamper got a simple dinner formula when she was a working mother and still uses it as a stay-at-home mom. She always keeps four foods handy when she's making her dinner menu: One meat, one vegetable (hot vegetable or salad), one starch (pasta, rice or potatoes) and one fruit.

This is Linda Morris' version of an elegant casserole with artichokes and chicken, sent from Lookout Mountain.

Chicken Extravaganza

3 cups cooked, chopped chicken

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1 (10-ounce) container Alfredo sauce

1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, halved

1 (12-ounce) can artichoke hearts (not the marinated variety)

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/2 cup chicken broth

Couple dashes Worcestershire sauce

7 ounces vermicelli, cooked

Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix or buttered bread crumbs

Stir together chicken, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and next 7 ingredients. Gently fold in pasta. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and stuffing mix or bread crumbs. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Two readers sent advice about nutmegs for Barbara. For starters, one suggested storing whole nutmeg in a dark, cool cabinet inside the plastic bag Penzeys Spices sends it in. She also finds that a microplane is the simplest tool you can use to grate it. Whole nutmeg, according to TV chef Emeril Lagasse, will last practically forever if stored properly, she said.

P. Pierce wrote to say that her husband found a Peugeot grater at www.amazon.com as well as on eBay. "It stores several nutmegs as well. The mechanism is metal, and the body is sturdy acrylic, about $45 to $50 as I remember, but I have since found some that are less expensive," she wrote. "We use a grating of nutmeg in almost everything, and call it 'Old Family Secret Seasoning.' It masks the taste of a mix and evaporated milk in recipes." And now that secret is out.

Until next week ...