Can you guess the big cheese?
DEAR READERS »
Do you know which cheese is the most popular cheese in the world?
If you thought about it and came up with cheddar, then you guessed correctly! Cheddar is a worldwide favorite for so many people because it not only has a nice flavor, but can be used in several dishes.
DEAR HELOISE » I always had trouble getting my family to eat leftovers. Since I refuse to waste food, I found a great way to reuse leftovers by making soup from items in the refrigerator.
I start with 2 cans of tomatoes, which I always have on hand. I add water, but the amount varies depending on how many people will be home for dinner and how many leftovers I have. Next, I add 1 or 2 bouillon cubes, diced meats, and frozen vegetables or leftover ones. Then I heat it up.
Before serving, I sprinkle Parmesan cheese and serve some warm, fresh bread as a side. It’s a much healthier dinner than takeout. For one thing, it has less salt and fat.
— Meghan F., Nevada
DEAR HELOISE »
With five boys, I have some very large meals to make, so I usually make two meat loaves.
Of course, like most people, I crush soda crackers or add another type of filler in the meat loaf, but my mother-inlaw told me years ago to add 1 or 2 raw eggs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to keep the meat loaf from drying out.
The boys love meat loaf, but the ones they’ve had at so many other places have been terribly dry
(or so they tell me). My mother-in-law said that eggs and oil would always keep the meat loaf moist.
Well, it must have been a favorite with the men in this house because my oldest son is getting married in June, and he asked his future bride to get the meat loaf recipe from me! — Matty B., Schuyler,
Nebraska
DEAR HELOISE » I got married last year, and my husband jokingly told friends it was my chocolate chip cookies that made him fall in love with me. I make them the same way my grandmother made them when I was a little girl.
Any basic cookie recipe will usually do the trick, but I always add lots of butterscotch chips along with chocolate chips. I also triple the recipe. Sometimes I add broken walnut or pecan pieces, too, if I happen to have them on hand. Then I drop the dough out little by little to make large individual cookies on parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. Bake at 300-325 F until done. They’re delicious!
You can add other types of chips instead of butterscotch, such as mint or white chocolate chips.
— Anne, Jackson,
Mississippi
DEAR READERS » If you see animal abuse, please report it to the police and/or a shelter. Ask them to intervene or, at least, let you know who to report it to. Remember, you can serve as the animal’s voice. Speak up!