Dear Heloise: We tried the hint for how to make coffee less bitter by adding 1/8 teaspoon of table salt when making drip coffee. Ugh! It tasted terrible; I’ll take the bitterness! My favorite creamer balances any bitterness perfectly. No offense meant to the person who wrote in about the salt. I just wanted to weigh in so others readers are warned that they might have to dump a pot of coffee if they don’t like the salt either. — Jen, in New Jersey

Jen, coffee has always been a bitter brew, but many people like it this way. We get suggestions all the time on how to take the bitterness away with things such as salt, cinnamon, a tiny pat of butter, a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, and more. However, I think that using creamer like you do is probably the best method. Personally, I drink it strong and black. — Heloise

FREEZING BANANAS

Dear Heloise: Banana slices are not soggy if you freeze the banana in the peeling. It’s not necessary to throw away bananas that are browning in the peel. If they are still good on the inside, freezing them while they’re in the peeling keeps them for longer. Plus, the inside of the peeling of the banana is frozen and tastes like ice cream. You can slice the banana while it’s frozen in the peeling, then take off the peeling. — Beatrice S., via email

Beatrice, if you freeze a banana, it’s recommended that you remove the peel before freeing. If the banana is fully brown or heavily spotted with brown, I usually make banana-nut bread and make enough loaves so that I can freeze a few of them. It’s always so nice to slice and toast banana-nut bread at breakfast time. — Heloise

LICENSE PLATE GAME

Dear Heloise: When walking or driving with my grandchildren, we try to make three-word phrases with license plates. For example, my plate ends with the letters JPD, which stands for “Jonah plays drums.” It makes the ride or walk more interesting and helps me remember my license plate! — Roberta R., via email

Roberta, not only is that a fun and easy game to play, it also teaches children to think creatively. Teaching creativity is a valuable part of education. Turn them loose with a large pad of paper, some colored pencils, and felt-tipped markers, and watch them go to town. — Heloise

FREE-RANGE DOGS

Dear Heloise: I frequently walk on a greenway in a nearby park. On several occasions, I have seen dogs who are running free, and their owner is carrying the leash in their hand! I don’t hesitate to remind them of the county leash law and point out the signs directing that pets be kept on leashes.

I am always polite, but a woman recently yelled at me, so now I am almost afraid to say anything. Can you please remind dog owners to leash their pets for the safety of others and their dogs? I would hate to see a pet get run over by a car or hit by a bicycle. I have been jumped on by two dogs that were off their leashes before, and it’s very scary.

Oh, and I am a dog lover who doesn’t own a dog now only because of my age. — Susan J., in Virginia

Susan, many parks allow well-behaved dogs to roam and run free if their owner is close by. Some folks like it and getting to interact with all the dogs, but there are others who want leash laws up held at all times.

If the owner wants to let their dog run free, it might be best to take the dog to a dog park where like-minded people gather and talk about their dogs. Personally, I prefer the dog park so that my dog can feel free to run around and play with other dogs. — Heloise

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