|
  |
|
EPISODE #43- SATURDAY JULY 3, 2010
Happy Fourth of
July! It is hard to believe that we are in the month of July
already. Wow! Just over a year ago we were finishing our spring
13-week season of Fusion. We were taking a break until last
fall. Now we are giving you great home information every week.
We hope you enjoy all the
tips and recipes we share.
The Fusion crew wishes you a safe and happy Fourth of July.
Must-Have Appliances
If you have a wedding or
graduation in your family this spring you may be at a loss
to pick the perfect gift for those lucky recipients.
Robin talked with Chase Voelker at
Bed Bath and Beyond (503-624-9242)
to see what the best gifts to get for these people are.
He first showed us the Keurig K-cup coffee maker. This
is a single use coffee maker that is all the rage right now.
All you do is put in the coffee close the lid and push the
button, you get your coffee and you don’t ever waste a full
pot. It also has lots of different choices when it
comes to coffees, hot chocolate and even teas.
Next we looked at the Krups electric kettle. This is
great for heating water for noodles, drinks or soups; a
perfect appliance for the college student. A reminder,
some colleges have restrictions on electric cooking and
heating items. You can check with your college or stop
by Bed, Bath and Beyond to check their list of colleges and
see what is allowed, there is no guessing! We then
moved to the Magic Bullet. We all thought this was
just a TV gimmick, but Chase told us this is a great gift
for anyone. It chops, blends, and grinds all kinds of
different foods and takes very little space on your
countertop. The next item was the Kitchen Aid mixer.
This one is a must have for new couples and comes with lots
of different attachments so you will never need to buy
multiple kitchen tools to get the job done. Finally,
the one fun item that Chase brought out was the
Margaritaville Fiji Frozen concoction maker. This
party machine grinds the ice, blends the drink and is a lot
of fun! To find more great gifts for couples and grads
stop by Bed, Bath and Beyond.
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!
4th
of July Grilling
It is almost the 4th of
July and that means it is time to fire up the grill! Jerry
Yost from
Gartner’s Meats (503-252-7801) invited us to his
backyard to show us how easy it is to organize a holiday
cookout. Jerry pulled out the chicken and steak kabobs, and
some twice baked potatoes to heat up on the grill. While
they were cooking he showed us the assortments of salads and
breads that they also have for sale at the store. And don’t
forget the wide array of other meats you can try on the
grill. If you are looking to be the king of the party
this coming holiday, stop by Gartner’s and let them do all
the work!
Preparing an Artichoke
Most people have seen an artichoke and some have experienced one at a
meal or as an appetizer, but most people have never prepared one
themselves. Chef David Musial joined us once again to show us how easy
it is to prepare one at home. First you will want to pull off all the
smaller leaves at the base of the artichoke. Then you can also cut off
the sharp points with a scissors. You will then cut it in half. Add a
little oil to a non-aluminum pot full of water. The aluminum will cause
discoloration. You will want to let it simmer for about 20 minutes,
checking every once in a while to see if they are ready. Once they are
soft, but not too soft, you can pull off the leaves and enjoy with
melted butter or mayonnaise.
Click here for full instructions.
Knife Tips
Chef Woody Bailey from
Oregon Culinary Institute (1-888-OCI-CHEF) joined us to
fill us in on knives. Chef Woody is also the owner of
Zen
Blades so he knows his knives! His first and most
important tip for finding the right knife, get the one that
FEELS right. The second question, what WORKS best for you?
If you take these two factors into consideration you will
have almost won the battle! The first knife you should look
at buying is a chef’s knife. Don’t worry about the cost, as
Woody said, this knife should last you a lifetime and it
will make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Some
other knives to consider; a bread knife, a boning knife, a
cleaver and a paring knife. Remember, don’t buy knives in a
set, buy them individually, you will get a better set of
knives that way. If you have any more questions, give Zen
Blades a call.
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 of your
older dishwasher. Many newer models do a great job
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.
Washer
Water Saving Tips
Water use in the house is hard to track and even harder
to cut back on. One of the areas that use the most water
is the laundry room, specifically the washer. The only
way to cut back on water is to do less loads of laundry,
right? Wrong. There are new water efficient
front-loading washers available on the market. With
these new models you can cut your water usage in half,
from over 40 gallons a load to about 20 gallons. A few
other benefits to the front load models. They get your
clothes cleaner by mixing the detergent, clothes and
water better. They are also easier on the fabrics, so
your clothes will last longer. And finally, you will use
less energy in your dryer as well, since these front
loaders spin more water out of the clothing! You can
also save money by taking advantage of energy credits
and rebates. For more information and water saving tips
check out the Regional Water Providers Consortium
website at
www.ConserveH2O.org. |
| |
|
   
 |
