Hints From Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have always tried to throw away as little as possible when it comes to food, especially the expensive stuff your children eat.

After throwing too much away for several years, I have come up with a solution to getting all of the peanut butter out of the jar. Just take a small rubber baking spatula and scrape the sides of the jar down. The rubber even bends to scrape that terrible curved bottom that holds the extra peanut butter. I usually get enough peanut butter to make one or two more sandwiches. - Matt Anderson, Quartz Hill, Calif.

Dear Heloise: Whenever I steam or boil vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, I always pour the leftover water into a plastic container that I keep in the freezer. Then I nuke (microwave - Heloise) the broth and use it in place of water to prepare rice, stuffing and many other recipes that call for water.

It adds flavor and nutrients to my dishes. The frozen vegetable broth often has multiple layers, as I just add on to what is already in the freezer. - Nancy B., McKinney, Texas