DEAR READERS: Today's Sound On comes from a reader complimenting a large chain restaurant's effort to recycle. He wrote: "I want to commend a local restaurant for their carryout containers.
"I ordered some food to go and got it home in what I thought were insulated foam containers. Upon further inspection, I noticed that one of the containers was listed as 'microwave-safe,' and the smaller container was not only microwave-safe but also dishwasher-safe.
"I like the idea of reusing containers, thus limiting the number of foam containers I would contribute to the environment. I want to thank this large chain restaurant for doing its part to limit the use of this type of container."
-- Harold W. in San Antonio
DEAR READERS: Here are some other uses for a pizza cutter:
• Cutting toast.
• Cutting waffles.
• Slicing cookie dough.
• Chopping up parsley
• For anything thin requiring a clean cut.
DEAR HELOISE: I am experiencing something that I never used to experience: I buy women's socks, which usually are the size I need, or even a little bit bigger. After a while, they tend to shrink to a child's size. The store takes them back, but I'm still without socks.
-- Katie, via email
DEAR READER: Katie, I'm not sure why this is happening, but here are a few hints to consider:
• Buy socks that aren't made of cotton, since cotton shrinks.
• If you like cotton, then consider hand-washing them or washing them in cold water. Then "hand stretch" and let them dry naturally.
• If you must dry electronically, stretch them before drying, and then dry on the coolest cycle.
DEAR HELOISE: Every morning, my husband uses a small paper cup to rinse and take his morning "cocktail" of supplements. That's 365 cups per year from one person alone.
Most days I like to have a pudding or gelatin snack for a quick dessert. I used to simply recycle the containers, but now I clean and dry them for him to reuse during his morning routine. He actually likes them better, because they're sturdier and he can use them multiple times.
-- Harriet K. in San Antonio
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com
ActiveStyle on 08/29/2016