Q: I love to fix a big pot of soup during these cold winter months, but I have a hard time cooling the leftovers down to refrigerate. Any ideas?

A: Basically, you can safely cool the soup using one of two methods:

• Pour the soup into shallow pans no more than 2 inches deep. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Cover the pans with plastic wrap or aluminum foil after the soup is chilled.
• Place the pot in an ice water bath, such as in the kitchen sink filled with ice water. Stir to chill. To speed up the process, fill a clean plastic bottle (like a 1-liter plastic soda bottle) with water and freeze. Place the frozen bottle of water in the soup and stir to chill the hot soup without diluting the soup.

Here are some other tips when making and serving soups:

• To help prevent drips and spills when ladling soup from the pot, once the ladle is filled, dip the ladle bottom back into the pot about halfway. Then pull it out to allow the surface tension to pull drips back into the pot.
• For a quick homemade cup of soup, freeze single-servings in microwave-safe hot beverage cups. Label, wrap, and freeze.
• When making stock from bones, use a large pot with a pasta insert, simply place the bones in the pasta insert, cook, and when finished, lift the pasta insert to remove bones and other solids easily.
• After making stock, freeze small amounts of stock in nonstick muffin pans. Once frozen, remove from the pans, place in freezer bags and return to the freezer.
• Freeze leftovers easily by placing plastic freezer bags inside coffee mug. Fill the bag almost full and seal. Place the filled bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, remove from the pan for space-saving freezer storage.

Q: Can you give me the recipe that can be used as a substitute for a can of cream soup?

A: Here are recipes for Soup or Sauce Mix and Chicken Enchiladas:

Soup or sauce mix

2 cups powdered nonfat dry milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon

2 tablespoons dried onion flakes

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a recloseable plastic bag, mixing well.

It does not have to be refrigerated.

Yield: Equal to 9 cans of cream soup.

To substitute for 1 can of cream soup: Combine 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water. Cook and stir on stove top or in microwave until thickened. Add thickened mixture to casseroles as you would a can of soup.

For soup variations, combine 1/3 cup soup or sauce mix dry mix with 1 1/4 cup cold water. Cook and stir on stove top or in microwave until thickened. Add the other ingredients, mix, and heat thoroughly:

Tomato: Add 2 cups tomato sauce

Broccoli cheese: Combine the broccoli with the soup or sauce mix and water.

Cook until thickened. Add 1 cup grated cheese.

Potato: Add 1 cup cooked potato cubes

Chicken enchiladas

2/3 cup Soup or Sauce Mix

2 1/2 cups water

1 can (4 oz.) green chilies, chopped

1 cup light sour cream

1 package flour tortillas

1 pound cooked, diced or shredded chicken

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Make sauce by combining Soup or Sauce mix, water and green chilies. Cook and stir on stove top or in microwave until thickened. Add sour cream to sauce. Cut tortillas in quarters. Line bottom of casserole with tortillas. Add a layer of chicken and a layer of sauce. Top with cheese. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.