TRY COMPOSTABLE PARCHMENT PAPER

Dear Héloïse: I appreciate the dialogue in your published advice. It is so useful to expand our knowledge. Regarding parchment paper, there is now compostable parchment paper. So I use this compostable product and add it to my compost bin. Silicone cookie sheet mats are still plastic and will eventually need to be thrown away.

Keep up the good work protecting our environment! I’m glad your column directs people to non-chemical cleaners like vinegar and baking soda. — JM, by email

coffee foam

Dear Héloïse: I am writing to see if you can help me. When I brew coffee, I get a greasy film on the top, and I don’t know what’s causing it. It tastes good, but still has an oily top. — PB, Minnesota

PB, this is pretty common, so don’t worry. It’s commonly called “coffee scum,” but despite its rather ugly name, it’s just the natural oils found in coffee beans, which contain antioxidants and unsaturated fats.

Drip-brewed coffee generally contains less oil than French-pressed coffee or Turkish coffee. The higher the temperature, the greater the oil production. Hard water, which contains minerals, also produces more oil. — Héloïse

PLASTIC PRODUCT BAGS

Dear Héloïse: In response to the reference to getting your fingers wet to open a plastic bag of produce at the grocery store, don’t use one! Take a reusable bag. If you don’t want to put produce in a reusable bag, purchase reusable mesh bags designed specifically for produce.

And don’t forget to wash your reusable bags! Unless there is a cardboard backing, most can be put in the washing machine. — JM, Ohio

GAIN WEIGHT?

Dear Héloïse: I was a professional model and I had to reduce my weight to fit into these beautiful clothes. However, like most people, I had sad days where things went wrong, but I quickly learned that things didn’t get better if I ate ice cream or stuffed myself with food. So here are some tips I used to stay slim:

• Always eat something for breakfast, even if it’s just toast. A cup of black coffee and a cigarette simply aren’t enough to get you through the morning.
• Put down your fork three or four times during a meal and chew your food slowly.
• Pay attention to what you eat. Ask yourself: does this nourish my body? Never let junk food cross your threshold. Plus, if you don’t have one at home, you’ll be less tempted to eat foods like cookies, cakes, etc.
• Get up from the couch and go for a walk. Keep moving forward. Sometimes getting out of the house cheers us up and makes us realize that many of our problems aren’t as big as we thought. — MH, Florida

PET PAL

Dear Héloïse: Our two pets, Sadie the Mini Bernedoodle and Taco the Cat, are waiting for me when I walk in the door. It’s so nice! –Bruce Granger, via email

Readers, to see Sadie and Taco, as well as our other Pet Pals, go to Héloïse.com and click on “Animal of the week”.

Do you have a four-legged friend to share with our readers? Send a photo and a brief description to [email protected]. — Héloïse

SEND A GREAT TIP TO: [email protected]

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