Bread ends

DEAR HELOISE » I never throw away the ends of a loaf of bread. Instead, I freeze them until I have enough to make bread pudding. Sometimes I’ll add a little butterscotch liqueur at the end to spice up the flavor.

— Grace T., Fostoria, Ohio

Marshmallows

DEAR HELOISE » My grandkids love ice cream, so I usually keep some cones and ice cream on hand for when they visit. Unfortunately, they never seem to finish the cone until it’s leaking at the bottom.

The next thing I know, I’m washing everyone’s shirt. Finally, I started to place miniature marshmallows in the bottom of the cones, and no more leaky icecream cones!

— Colleen F., Bainbridge, Georgia

Garden cheddar soup

DEAR HELOISE » You had a recipe for a cheddar soup that I really liked, but now I need the recipe. I’d ask my ex, but I’d rather not have to bother her. So, would you reprint it for me so I can make it myself?

— Chuck N., Laramie, Wyoming 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 2 small zucchinis, halved and sliced

2 tomatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 cup Portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, halved and sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 ½ cups beef broth

1 ½ cups tomato juice 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced ½ cup dry red wine ½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a stock pot, add the first nine ingredients and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in basil, wine, salt, pepper and parsley just before serving. Sprinkle top of each serving with cheddar cheese.

To get a copy of this and other delicious soups, just go to: Heloise.com, or send $5 along with a stamped (75 cents), self-addressed long envelope to: Heloise/Soups, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

With cooler weather just around the corner, you’ll be glad you have these easy to make soups handy and at your fingertips. The nice thing about soup is that besides serving it in a bowl, you can also serve it in a large mug while you watch one of your favorite television programs.

Sinking raisins

DEAR HELOISE » I used to have a problem with my raisins sinking to the bottom of my loaves or cakes. Finally, a friend told me to dust the raisins with whatever flour I was using in my recipe, and sure enough, no more sinking raisins. It makes for a nicer dessert when the raisins are spread out through the loaf. — Esther A., Perry Hall, Maryland