A lesson from my neighbor about soup bones

I was at the butcher counter in my old town about ten years ago, just looking at the prices... feeling a bit stuck. This older lady, Mrs. Ellis from down the street, saw me and pointed at the big bin of beef soup bones. She said, 'Honey, those are fifty cents a pound. You take three pounds home, roast them, and simmer them all day with an onion and some salt. That's two days of meals right there, just add whatever's left in your fridge.' I did exactly what she said. The smell filled my whole apartment, and I stretched that broth into soup and then a pot of rice. It taught me that the cheapest things can be the best base. Has anyone else had a neighbor give them a simple tip that really worked?

4 comments

4 Comments

simonp762mo ago

That's a solid tip for sure. My neighbor tried something similar with leftover veggie scraps for stock, but honestly the smell just made our whole hallway weird for days.

olivia_moore2mo ago

Had a neighbor show me how to use pickle juice to clean a coffee pot. Sounds weird but it actually worked pretty well.

danielnelson2mo ago

Remember when everyone was saving bacon grease? My old landlord swore by it for fried eggs, said it was free flavor. I tried it once and the whole kitchen smelled like a diner for a week, in a good way actually. It made the cheapest eggs taste amazing. Those old school kitchen tricks really stick with you.

amy_anderson25d ago

You know what, I used to be a bacon grease waster for years. I'd just pour it down the sink or toss it, figured it was unhealthy or gross or whatever. Then my buddy made me eggs at his place one morning and I couldn't get over how good they were. He just pointed at the little jar by the stove and I felt like an idiot. It really does change everything, even cheap eggs taste like a real breakfast.