EPISODE #1 -
SATURDAY APRIL 4, 2009
Greetings and welcome to Fusion. Fusion is a new show that focuses on
everything about the Northwest home. Each week we will talk about home
improvement, home design and cooking. The show will try to ‘keep it
simple’, that means we won’t be doing 62-step recipes that include goats
milk and saffron. What it does mean is that we will show you how to save
money and make your house a home.
Our
hosts Ken Ackerman and Robin Burke look forward to introducing you to
great ideas for your kitchen and home.
Pull
it All Together
If you are looking at redoing a room you may be overwhelmed with the
project and you may not know where to start. Amy Troute from ‘design
for home’ (503-805-0811) put up a display to help us get over the
hump of design inertia. She told us about some of the things she
recommends to get her client started. The first tip is to take stock of
the room you are working in and evaluate the area. How are you going to
use the space? What is the main purpose or use of the room, what kind of
furniture do you want to use? Next, figure out the style you want the
room to be. Find what you like in magazines and cut out pictures. This
‘borrowing’ of ideas will help you and your designer make style
decisions down the road. You may also look for your own inspiration. If
there is a piece that you ‘must have’ in the room, design around that or
use it to your benefit. Then use the colors or motif of that piece to
help you design the rest of the room. Finally, pay attention to the
lighting in the room. Look to light areas according to their use. Use
stronger light in areas where you work or play and more subdued lighting
in areas where you are going to relax. Dimmers are always good for
creating a mood. Remember that when you decorate you want to make the
space your own. Look to create a style, maybe take a chance and don’t be
afraid to ask for help!
Picture Perfect Frames
If you are looking to make a statement on your wall the best way to do
that is to add artwork. Some of the best artwork, the kind with the most
character, could be found at a local garage sale, antique store or even
in your own attic. Gary Germer from
Gary Germer and
Associates (503-235-0946) showed us some pieces that were great
pictures in bad frames or good frames around terrible pictures. If you
find picture take a close look at the frame. It could be a hidden gem
tied to a bad picture. That is also true for pictures. If you find a
picture you like you can check to see if it is valuable by using a small
magnifying glass. Look for brush strokes and artist signatures. If it is
a print and not a painting you will see small dots from the printing
process. Also, by looking for a signature or numbers in a series you may
have a piece that can be worth more than just aesthetic value. Of course
the number one rule is to look for pieces that you like. After all you
are looking for something enjoyable to put on your wall.
Enjoying Your
Winter Flowers
In the cold, dark days of winter it is hard to enjoy the colors of your
outdoor plants. To help you enjoy them, bring them indoors. Winter
blooming plants like hellebores are even more difficult to enjoy because
the flowers sometime face down to the ground. One way to enjoy them is
to cut the blooms and float them in a bowl of water. This way the blooms
are facing upwards and, because they are in water, you can enjoy their
beauty for a week or two.
A Dash and a
Pinch
If you have an older recipe or cook book, you may notice that it calls
for a dash, a tad, a pinch or a smidgen. These older style measurements
are hard to describe. But we will try… For most people the smallest
measuring spoon in your drawer may be a 1/8 of a teaspoon. If you cut
that in half (1/16), it is a dash. Half of that (1/32) is a pinch
or a smidgen. As you can see it is a very small amount of seasoning. But
don’t worry; they just want you to use a small amount in the recipe and
most likely it will refer to a very flavorful or spicy ingredient. In
fact, most new recipes will tell you to ‘season to taste’. So if you are
concerned that it will ruin your recipe proceed with caution and use
your best judgment.
Mississippi Garden Burgers
In the quest for healthy eating you may
have tried a garden burger. This is a burger substitute that is made
from vegetable products and contains no meat. Unfortunately, most of the
store-bought ones are tasteless and dry, but we found one locally that
you can make yourself, at home. Chef Tommy Wheeler from
Mississippi
Station Restaurant (503-517-5751) came up with this ‘winner’ that he
is willing to share. Chef Tommy told us that most of the mass produced
ones use too much oatmeal and mushrooms as a filler and binder and that
is their downfall. His contains these as well but in smaller amounts and
adds other ingredients that add flavor and texture. He also uses onions,
garlic, hazelnuts, black beans and even a ‘facon’ which is fake bacon
made from soy protein. If you would like to try this recipe, check out
this link to get a copy of your own. If you don’t want to tackle the
recipe you can get one from the expert, Chef Tommy, at the Mississippi
Station. Check out their website and pick a night when they have ‘live’
music.
Pantry
Organizing
If your pantry and cupboards are a mess it may hard to find what you
want and waste a lot time too. Robin gave us some tips for organizing
that will help you find food and may save you money too. Tip number 1:
Keep similar foods grouped together with their labels facing forward.
Now you can find food at a glance and not wonder if you are missing an
ingredient. Tip number 2: Inventory your foods and rotate them. By
inventorying your foods you can be more efficient when you shop and that
means you can save money by not buying food you don’t need. Also, by
rotating your food you can make sure that you are serving the freshest
food to your family. Try these tips so you can bring a little order to
your kitchen.
Correct Insulation
The winter has been tough, and it may not
be over with yet! To keep your family nice and cozy (and to save you a
few bucks too) we stopped by
Parr Lumber
(503-531-7277) in Hillsboro to visit with Chris Erskine and learn about
adding insulation to your home. Most homes have insulation in their
attic or crawl space, but what they have may not be enough. The normal
home has only 6 inches of protection in their attic for an R-value of
19. Chris recommended adding an additional layer to your existing
insulation and bringing it up to 12 inches for an R-value or 36. R-value
is a rating of your insulations ability to resist heat traveling through
it; the higher the number the better the insulation. Parr offers the EZ
attic insulation system for homeowners. All you need is to open the bag
and rake it out. Remember when you are using insulation to use the
correct safety equipment; breathing masks, gloves and eye protection. In
addition to saving money, you may also qualify for tax credits. Check
with your local Parr store for details and potential savings.
Faucet Filter
Fix
Losing pressure in your faucets can be very frustrating. Regaining that
lost pressure maybe an easy fix. Fabio Testa from the
Parr Cabinet
Outlet (503-614-2655) showed us how checking the faucet aerator
could solve your problem. Simply unscrew the aerator from the faucet. It
is located at the end of the faucet where the water comes out. You can
then check for bits of gravel and rust that may be causing your problem.
You can also see if the washer needs to be replaced. It is a simple fix
and it will help you get back that lost pressure!
Energy Efficient Appliances
Fix it or replace it? If you have an appliance that is on the fritz,
that may be your most important question. In these tough economic times
it is a tougher decision. Tony Gayaldo from
Standard
TV and Appliance (503-619-0500) tried to help us make the decision.
If the repair is easy and cheap it may be a no-brainer. If it a more
expensive repair it may make sense to buy a new energy efficient
appliance. If your appliance is over 10 years old it may be cheaper to
get a newer model. For example, a newer dishwasher may use one third the
amount of water than your older dishwasher. It may do a better job of
cleaning with just 5 gallons of water; hand washing could use up to 27
gallons of water. The most important factor in deciding what type of
appliance to choose comes down to your families needs. Pick the
appliance that works well for your situation. Don’t just get one because
it looks cool. To find out if a newer appliance will save you money you
can check with the experts at Standard TV and Appliance or you can check
out the Energy Star website at
www.EnergyStar.gov.
|