Dear Heloise: I love to bake and make desserts frequently. Last week, I made a couple of banana bread loaves from scratch, and they turned out well.

Just before we were going to sit down to dinner, a friend dropped by, and we invited him to dine with us. There wasn’t anything special to celebrate that evening, but for dessert, I fried some thick slices of banana bread in butter. Then, while the banana bread was still warm, I drizzled thick lines of chocolate sauce over the banana bread and topped it with one scoop of whipped cream. It was something new for our guest, and he’s still complimenting me on it.

When I told my daughter about it, she tried it with a scoop of hot fudge sauce for ice cream and let it melt slightly into the banana bread. Either way, it’s delicious! — M.K., in Nebraska

AIR CONDITIONER CLEANING

Dear Heloise: I always thought that I just needed to clean the filter in my small air conditioner unit every month with a vacuum, until I read the manual for it. After removing the front panel, I realized that more extensive cleaning needed to be done; there was quite a bit of dust and grime in there. A 6-minute video helped me give it a safe, deep cleaning using household materials.

I unplugged the unit, cleaned the filter with dishwashing liquid in the sink, cleaned the fins gently with a toothbrush and compressed air, and spritzed the outer panel with hydrogen peroxide. The unit was as good as new!

After allowing everything to dry and replacing the parts, I plugged it in. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence, but colds and upper respiratory issues that my husband and I have been plagued with over the summer cleared up within a few days!

By the way, I’ve always loved you and your mother’s columns, and my mom requested that I read your column to her every day when she was in an extended care facility during the last nine months of her life. What great loyalty! — M.H., via email

GET RICH QUICK

Dear Heloise: For nearly 30 years, I’ve worked as a financial planner and helped steer my clients to a secure future through careful planning of their finances. It takes self-discipline, patience and willingness to do the necessary research and planning to achieve a safe, secure future for your family.

Lately, several of my younger clients have come to me with questions about “get rich quick” schemes that promise thousands of dollars in passive income or money by the truckload, with very little effort. Please warn your readers that accumulating wealth and financial independence usually comes slowly. There are all sorts of scammers out there on the internet telling people how they can easily make $4,000-$10,000 a month. Maybe they have an oil well in their backyard or won the lottery, but for most of us, these “get rich quick” formulas are phony.

I recently warned a client to stay away from such a scheme, where he had to pay several hundred dollars to get started. (He had to borrow the money.) It was a scam! The old adage applies here: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Do your homework, research, and ask for advice from successful people. Use common sense and live within your means. It’s not glamorous, but it works! — V.T., in Michigan