Veggie scraps make a tasty broth

Dear Heloise: I have a suggestion for those of us with cost savings in mind: Save the tough or root ends of celery, asparagus, carrots, onions, turnips, etc., and put them in a freezer bag, then into the freezer. When needed, put any combination in boiling, salted water and simmer for about 20 minutes.

It makes a wonderfully flavored broth to add to any dish or in which to cook rice or pasta, or add to soups. None of the scraps goes to waste, and it’s even more flavorful than the canned products you buy at the store. Use your imagination and make it in bulk. Cost Conscious in Katy, Texas

It’s easy and cheap to make a base with little bits and pieces. A good homemade broth is a delicious, healthy and cheap way to enhance your favorite recipes and to “recycle” veggies that might otherwise wind up in the trash. I like to add a tasty broth base to several of the recipes in my Spectacular Soups pamphlet, such as Italian Pasta Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup and my Quickie French Onion Soup. For all of these and more hearty and healthy soup recipes, send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Soup, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. And did you know that adding a small amount of pureed carrots can give most soups a sweeter taste and cut the acidic flavor of tomatoes in spaghetti sauce? Heloise

Money-saving grocery shopping

•Start at the left aisle of a grocery store. You will finish faster (since most people start on the right, so there’s more traffic there) and save a few dollars by not slowing down to buy things you don’t need.

•Avoid displays unless the items are on your list.

•With iceberg lettuce, look for a heavy, compact head. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Just by accident, we discovered that when you cook your frozen pizza in a toaster oven, it works well to use the toaster setting for the first three minutes, then finish off the remainder at the oven setting, giving the pizza a toasty finish on top and bottom. Bobbi Schott of Castroville, Texas

Dear Heloise: Tired of getting splatters on your cookbooks? I found a way to keep my cookbooks clean while I cook: I slide them into a large plastic bag until I finish with what I’m cooking. They stay clean and look like new. Beverly Short, Alvarado, Texas

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