HELOISE Computer file keeps recipes close at hand

Dear Heloise: For years, I have clipped recipes from newspapers and magazines, only to be unable to find them later. This hint might be helpful to your readers, especially those who are Web-savvy.
When I see a recipe or column in a newspaper that I think I will want to return to, I find it on the paper's Web site (e.g., www.washingtonpost.com), click on the "printer-friendly version," cut and paste it into a word-processor document and save it with a recognizable name (e.g., After-Thanksgiving Soup Recipes, Washington Post, 11/04). Then I save it in an appropriately labeled folder in my documents file.
Voil & aacute;! Easy-to-find recipes on my computer. Janet Riessman, Washington, D.C.
Dear Heloise: Since I don't like my toaster sitting out on my counter, I put it in a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. It fits perfectly, and I can grab the whole thing out of the cupboard and carry it without dropping toaster crumbs everywhere. And I never have to take it out of the pan except occasionally to clean it. Kirsten Smith, Rapid City, S.D.
Dear Heloise: When using a serving or TV tray, wet a paper towel and place it under the plate. You will never have a sliding plate again. Gary P., Laurel, Md.
A circle of rubber-mesh shelf liner will also do the trick, and it's reusable. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I love soup, and I save bones and veggie peelings, etc., from other meals for prep day.
For those of you who are weight-conscious, try this hint: Make your base stock and strain it into a large jar -- the bigger, the better. Place plastic wrap over the mouth of the jar and seal with the lid, but as a safety precaution place the jar in a dishpan or something that will hold the contents in the event of leakage. Invert the jar and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, remove the jar and place upright. All the fat will have risen to the top, which is now the bottom, and you can remove the contents and add fresh ingredients for an almost-fat-free soup or stew. Dave Q., Hazleton, Pa.
Dear Heloise: With the cost of food constantly on the upswing, it comes in handy to take advantage of coupons. However, I often found that they had expired by the time I tried to use them. As a former schoolteacher, I knew I had to get organized and found a great (and inexpensive) way to do it.
Take an old shoe box and make it into a file cabinet with 13 categories (12 months and one "no expiration"). File coupons by month of expiration. At the start of each month, check them out and place in an envelope the ones you can use that month. Christi Becker, Fort Myers, Fla.
Dear Heloise: I found a way to use up containers of croutons. I use them in place of crackers in my soup. I do not let my leftover croutons go to waste, and I have a tasty treat in every bite of soup. Tina Schauer, Minneapolis
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) HELOISE, or e-mail it to heloise@eloise.com.
King Features Syndicate