Aren’t you glad these aren’t really poisonous?

Dear Readers: Want to test your Heloise Hint IQ? What vegetable did the early-American colonists think was poisonous because it looked like the nightshade plant?

U Tomato.

U Potato.

U Carrot.

The answer: the tomato. Can you imagine life today without tomatoes? Meals wouldn’t be the same without them! Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have found that rolling a clove of garlic in one of those rubber grips (that help open lids) works perfectly. A roll or two and the peel comes right off. Give it a try. Annick Stacy, Fort Worth, Texas

Dear Heloise: I received a great hint from a friend about how to use leftover tamales. Cut them up and stir into soup. It’s a cross between dumplings and matzo balls, and they add great flavor to chicken soup! But they have to be the last thing you add, and don’t cook them much after you’ve added them, or they will fall apart.

Leftover tamales may not be a problem in some parts of the country, but in Texas, it’s not uncommon to buy several dozen and freeze them for later. K.B., Houston

You’re right — we love our tamales in south Texas. We are going to have to give your tamale soup hint a try! Speaking of soup, I’m thinking of a steaming bowl of delicious soup and some corn bread, baked in a cast-iron skillet. It seems that chicken soup is America’s favorite, and there are lots of different kinds to try. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have three long envelopes labeled “Food,” “House” and “Drugs and Toiletries,” and I keep them with a binder clip so they stay together in the drawer.

I clip only the coupons that I will use and put them in the appropriate envelope. When I complete my grocery list, I go through the envelopes, pull out the ones for the items that are on my list and mark a “C” by that item on my list.

Also, when I go through the envelopes, I pull out the ones that will be expiring in the next week or so and put them aside to use that week and add those to the list. Rae in Houston

X Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate