Hints are as sweet as Honey Month

Dear Readers: September is National Honey Month. If you are a honey fan, here are some sweet hints for you:

One tablespoon of honey contains approximately 60 calories, depending on the type.

Honey is best stored at room temperature. There is no need to put it in the fridge, because honey gets granulated if stored there. Expiration or package dates usually are in the two-year range. However, honey can last indefinitely (according to the National Honey Board) when properly stored in a tightly sealed container.

Pure honey has no ingredients added and comes to the table just as honey bees produced the nectar.

There are hundreds of varieties of honey, depending on what flowers bees visit. Not only can honey have different flavors, but also different ranges of color. Heloise

Dear Heloise: At my kitchen sink, there is a soap dispenser that came with my faucet. As time went by, it became harder and harder to get any soap out of it. I kept thinking it was out of soap and would try to add more. Finally, I realized it needed water, because the soap had dried up over time. Now I just add water until I feel it needs some more soap, and it works great. Elaine Boehm, via e-mail

Elaine, I have one, too, and love it. You can go under the sink and carefully unscrew the container. You can clean it, refill and put back in. Heloise

Dear Heloise: When I buy fresh veggies and bring them home to clean, I keep the scraps. I put them all in a pan with some water, a bit of salt and pepper, and make my own vegetable broth. You can then save it by freezing. Susie, Little Rock, Ark.

A money-saving hint, too! Cooler temperatures are just about here, and a hot bowl of homemade soup comes to mind. FYI: Add a small amount of pur ed carrots to give soup a sweeter taste, or use celery to add thickness and extra “hidden” veggies. Heloise

SBlt 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