HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I just read your column with the letter from Frank and Carol H., in Milford, Del., concerning scam calls. I am 84 and retired, and those calls are a nice respite from watching TV. The way I handle them is that after the obligatory “hello,” I just respond to all their questions with questions of my own. Usually, my first question is: “Where are you calling from?” In response to whatever they say, I’ll ask about the weather, or if there’s an Inand-Out Burger there, or some other question that has nothing to do with anything, until they hang up. This takes up their time, and there’s one less person they try to scam.

— Steve G., via email

DEAR HELOISE: For Eric who hates salads, eating foods you don’t like can be so hard, no matter how much (lovebased) logic goes into making your plate. To make your vegetables more palatable, help your mother roast them.

Participating in cooking brings you closer to foods and may help you find the best way to consume them. Many vegetables can be seasoned and roasted as a way to enhance the flavor and texture of the salad — broccoli, all kinds of squash, carrots, onions, tomatoes, green beans … even cabbage can be roasted and tossed in with raw leafy greens.

To roast most vegetables, put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees. Chop your vegetables of choice into 1- to 2-inch chunks and toss in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (garlic powder is optional). Spread vegetables onto the preheated sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they’re as browned as you like. I like to rotate things halfway through cooking, but it’s not strictly necessary.

Let vegetables cool five minutes before tossing them in with greens. Usually, I find that the oiled, seasoned vegetables coat the greens enough that I don’t need salad dressing. But you can add an extra drizzle of olive oil for taste. You don’t have to suffer for your health if you learn how to make food delicious. Good luck!

— Cindy L., Los Angeles

DEAR HELOISE: Rather than using paper towels or coffee filters to stop food from spattering in your microwave, you can buy reusable, inexpensive covers almost everywhere — at Target, Walmart, Kohl’s or Amazon. Paper items, made from trees, add to the landfill. We should all try to follow the “3 Rs” — reduce, reuse, recycle — wherever possible. I read your column every day. Peace!

— Lilith, Ventura, Calif.