Just a suggestion

It's very important to know exactly how to give advice. Take Yitro. He gave Moshe an excellent advice: "Look, son, you're running yourself ragged here. These Israelites will drive you to an early grave. Trust me, I know. Heck, everyone knows. Jews are world class kvetchers. Here's what you need to do. Delegate; Delegate; Delegate."

That is, as I said, excellent advice. However, Yitro must have been close friends with both my mother and my mother in law. Like these two excellent advice-givers, he, too, starts off with the Jewish mother's famous words "What you're doing is not good." After such an opening, how do you expect the advised to pay any attention?

My mother never offers advice. She simply tells me what I'm doing wrong and how typical it is of me to be wrong. Then she sighs and utters the second famous Jewish mother's words "I told you what I think. You do what you want." 

My MIL doesn't tell me I am wrong (after all, she really has no expectations of me at all.) Instead she uses the words "Not right" and "Shouldn't." As in "You shouldn't let your kids do their homework on Shabbat" (Since I just finished telling her that Shabbat is the only day the poor girls don't kill themselves over their work.) Or "It's not right of you to feed your family pizza on Friday" (Remember that one?)

So I know what I'm talking about regarding the proper opening lines for giving advice. OK, so how did Yitro get so lucky that Moshe not only listened, not only did not resent him but actually followed the advice? Because one thing we keep hearing about Moshe is that he is very humble. Not just before G-d (see his words at the burning bush) but before people, too. 

You'd think the man will get a megalomania complex. Leader of people, emancipator of slaves, teacher of a sacred text, the only human to talk face to face with G-d. What more can one ask for?

But no. He is really, really humble. He listens to everyone; he considers everyone; he never once uses his position for extra favors. So it's no surprise that he pays close attention to his father in law when the old guy gives him a tip.

I'm not as smart as Yitro (nor as old, I think) but at least I will not start my advice with "What you are doing is not good."

What you are doing is throwing away unwanted pieces of vegetables when you cook. Mushroom stems, cauliflower leaves, broccoli stems, the dark green parts of leeks, bits and pieces of zucchini, carrots, squash, whatever. Also veggies that are not quite at their prime usually get tossed (unless you make soup.) Then you read a recipe that calls for vegetable broth and you go to the store and pay good money for some product that is mostly water with salt.

So here's a tip:


Home made vegetable broth

Every time you process veggies for anything, take an extra 2 minutes to process them in a way that will allow you to save the parts you usually throw out. Usually it means some extra washing and more careful chopping. 
Put all scraps in a gallon size zip-top bag and store in the freezer. Keep adding to it whenever you have more scraps.
Once the bag is stuffed to bursting, empty it into a large pot, add an onion (if you don't have any scraps of the onion-y type), whatever old veggies you have on hand (limp celery, dried out baby carrots, any and all root veggies that are past their prime, whatever*.) Cover with water. Add salt only if you want to. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, cook for 2-3 hours. 
Strain. Throw out veggies. Now you have broth (with or without salt, your choice.) You can freeze it, can it, whatever. We put it in jars and process (like canning.)The important part is to store it in portions so you don't have to use the whole thing at once.
When you have to cook something that calls for broth (or even rice or quinoa) you can use it and feel virtuous and smart.

*As you get used to this process - you will think of other veggie scraps you can save for the broth. Please let me know which veggies you came up with.