Hints from Heloise
COUPON STRATEGY Dear Heloise: I was always forgetting my coupons before I went to the store, and I didn’t want to keep them in my purse. I’ve got enough in there already!
My car had a divider, a storage area between the two front seats, and it’s usually empty. I decided to store all of my coupons in there. When I clip a coupon out of a magazine, I take it out to the garage and put it in the divider/storage compartment. Same goes for the ones I get from the store. Now I never lose or forget my coupons. -- Casey P., Bloomington, Minnesota
AN ISLAND FAVORITE
Dear Heloise: I know people write to you all the time asking you to repeat recipes, but I really need you to repeat your Teriyaki Sauce recipe.
My husband and I were married one year ago on March 27 in Hawaii on the island of Maui. It was so romantic and actually a spur of the moment decision after three years of dating. Two weeks ago my husband broke his leg in a skiing accident, and while he’s recovering nicely, we won’t be going out to celebrate this year. So to celebrate our first anniversary I want to make a dinner like the one we had that evening in Maui. Would you repeat that recipe for us? -- Courtney A., Kenosha, Wisconsin
Courtney, Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary, and many happy years yet to come.
My family and I lived in Hawaii in the late 1950s, and I still have warm memories of the islands. So here is that Teriyaki recipe for your anniversary. You’ll need:
1 button garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup soy sauce Mash garlic with sugar to a fine pulp, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
If you like sauces that take plain food to a delicious new taste, you’ll need my pamphlet “Heloise’s Seasonings, Sauces and Substitutes.” With just a few simple steps you can make a dish everyone will love. To get a copy, just go to www.Heloise.com, or send $3, along with a stamped, self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/ Seasonings, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Surprise your family and friends with a new seasoning hint that has everyone asking for seconds. -- Heloise
LUMPY GRAVY
Dear Heloise: Just once in my life I’d like to make gravy that isn’t lumpy. Is there some kind of magic trick to getting lump-free gravy? -Clare F., Ponca City, Oklahoma
Clare, try this: Blend a little of the thickening agent (flour, cornstarch or arrowroot) with a little hot liquid (water, bouillon or milk) to make a paste. And then little by little stir the paste into the rest of the hot liquid. To give it a nice, warm brown color, add a little paprika to the gravy. -- Heloise SCRAMBBLED EGGS
Dear Heloise: I’m having a debate with my husband. I like scrambled eggs scrambled dry, while my husband claims they should be wet, which I find unappetizing. Which of us is correct? -Ellen C., Oxford, North Carolina
Ellen, you both are correct, although most people prefer their scrambled eggs on the dry side. It’s a matter of taste preference. -- Heloise