HELOISE: Cooking ahead can save time, cash

Dear Heloise: When my wife and I were still working, we came up with an idea to save time cooking evening meals during the week. We took about two to three hours on Sunday and cooked enough meals for the entire workweek. We put them in plastic containers in the fridge, making sure to label them. When we got home, all we had to do was set the table and put the meal in the microwave to reheat. It’s also cheaper, as we did not have to order takeout when we were tired. Our children helped prepare and choose the meals, so there were no arguments or refusing to eat what was cooked.

Timothy of Texas

A great hint for busy families. A few hours invested cooking meals for the week on Sunday pays off big-time!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: When I rinse the dishes and pots to load in the dishwasher, I rinse them over a colander. This keeps all the food particles together and makes it easy to dispose of them. No clogged-up sinks!

Valerie Hardy, Arp, Texas

Dear Heloise: When making soup, I wash the whole bunch of celery and then cut the tops, stems and leaves off and add them to the soup. It makes the soup very delicious.

Carol Scott, Little Rock, Ark.

Want to know some great easy-to-make soup recipes? Just send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Soup, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Have you ever wondered what the most popular soup is? Well, here’s the scoop — chicken noodle is No. 1!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: My granddaughter had a great idea. Whenever you roll out anything on your countertop, spray the area with nonstick spray, then put the flour on that. Things won’t stick, and it’s easy to clean up.

Shirley Ridenour in Michigan

Dear Heloise: I use parchment paper for baking cookies, using the same paper many times over. After the first batch, you can put more cookie batter on just the paper while the cookie sheet cools. Slip the cooled sheet under the paper with the cookies on it ready to bake. When you’re finished baking, just wipe the paper off with a clean, damp cloth, dry thoroughly and roll up.

Susie Klingler in Indiana

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

King Features Syndicate