Cooking for one

Dear Heloise: I am 102 years of age and live by myself. Cooking for one is difficult. I have containers that hold a serving of mac and cheese, sliced roast and gravy, meat sauce, etc.

One pound of ground meat pats out to five or six patties. I place them on a cookie sheet to freeze, then put them in a baggie for future use. I spread hamburger buns on sheet, and when they’re individually frozen, I return them to the bag and put them back in the freezer. One cup of cooked rice can be divided into serving amounts and placed in appropriate-sized baggies.

These are just a few ways to have ready-to-warm-and-serve meals. I truly save money and leftover food to my advantage. Thanks for your informative column. — Ruth B., via email

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise@Heloise.com

SPAM CALLS

Dear Heloise: I keep reading about people who are inundated with spam calls, so my hint is for landline users. One time, I called my granddaughter, and she had just gotten new phones with a message on them that prevented you from going any further until you gave your name. I was so impressed that I asked her about it. She said she no longer got spam calls because there was a spam option that she could activate. Regular calls would still go through.

I needed new phones, so I looked at landline phones with the same option for spam calls. They were easy to set up, and I could also activate the spam feature. I have had the phones now for probably five years and have not gotten a spam call since. It might be a headache for some people to get new phones, but trust me, it is well worth it. I would think that by now, most phones would have this feature on them.

I’m a widow who is on my own, and these phones give me a great deal of peace. They are landlines, but I also have a cellphone for emergencies. I am going to replace my cellphone and will see whether they have a feature like this, but I have a feeling that it’s just dedicated to landlines. Most people have my landline number, so I do not even receive spam calls on my cellphone. — Carol W., via email

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES

Dear Heloise: The Friends of the Springfield-Greene County LIBRAry in Missouri has two major book sales each year. When I was there for the last one, they had about 20 local yearbooks that were set out for purchase. People need to check in with and support their local libraries, or we are going to lose them. — Ann, via email

DISHWASHER HINT

Dear Heloise: Even though I put plastic bowls on the second tier of my dishwasher, they usually roll over and end up filling with water. To stop this, I put a steel rack for cooking and baking on top of the bowls. This keeps them from flipping over and getting filled with dishwater. — Kimberly H., in Houston

COOKING FOR TWO

Dear Heloise: My husband is a celiac and a vegetarian. I am neither of those things, so I have to cook separate meals for us. I don’t like cooking, but one of us needs to do it, and it’s easier for me. My husband does many other household and outside jobs that I do not do.

To solve the problem of having to make separate meals and my disliking to cook, I cook my meals and make them into TV dinners. I usually keep about seven different kinds of meals in the freezer for myself. This way, I can have what I like quickly and not have to be cooking all the time.

I cook one or two recipes for him each week. I always keep a tray of fresh, cut-up vegetables and fruits available. It works for us. Thanks for your column. I read it every day. — Carol B., via email