HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I was going to wrap a pie with plastic wrap when the roll suddenly came out of the box after I pulled, and it fell to the floor. I told my son that the plastic wrap and foil both come out when I try to use them. My son showed me two cutouts on the ends of the boxes. You push them in, and they hold the roll in the box while you unroll the product. I wonder how many of your readers are unaware of this also.

— Jim J., Girard, Pa.

DEAR HELOISE: My mother-in-law made a vegetable-beef soup, which she said was from a recipe found in one of your pamphlets. Could you reprint it?

— Charlotte S., Texas DEAR READER: You’ll need:

10½ ounces unsalted chicken

broth

½ cup water

2 cups frozen mixed

vegetables for soup 16-ounce can of tomatoes

1 cup beef, cooked and diced 1 teaspoon thyme leaves,

crushed

Dash of pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

2 ounces (about 1¼ cups) narrow-width noodles, uncooked

Heat broth and water. Add vegetables, meat and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add noodles; cook until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Makes about four 1-cup servings.

FYI: When adding noodles in a soup, cook them until they are firm or “al dente.” Drain and add to the soup.

DEAR HELOISE: I bought a jar of onion salt, used it a few times and then it hardened. How do I avoid this situation?

— Christine F., California DEAR READER: The next time you buy onion salt or garlic powder, consider placing a few kernels of rice in the container, and make sure the cap is on very tight. This may help.

DEAR HELOISE: I remember my grandmother’s method of boiling eggs. She’d bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and, with a slotted spoon, gently and slowly immerse eggs, one at a time. She’d boil the eggs for 15 minutes (for hard-boiled eggs), then remove them from the pan of hot water and place them in cold tap water. She never had a messy egg.

— Bettie B. in Houston