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EPISODE #44- SATURDAY JULY 10, 2010
It is hot out...
it is hard to focus on home projects when it is this hot.
The Fusion crew feels your pain. We are focusing on picnics,
BBQ's and
tasty treats for the next few shows. You will find ways to enjoy
the
outdoors and plenty of reasons to put off those projects, at
least until the
weather changes.
Al's Indoor Plants
One of the most overlooked design elements in the home is the
indoor plant. Plants can add a lot to your décor and they are
also good for
your health. They clean the air, removing toxins and adding
oxygen. We
stopped by
Al's Garden Center
(503-726-1162) in Sherwood to learn a
little more
from Josh about some of the different choices you can get for
your living
space. Plants need a few things to thrive. Light is one and
water is
another. With all the choices out there you can find the right
plant for
any light condition. We saw some that really need a lot of
light, like the
'Snake plant' to some that don't need much light at all like the
Zee Zee
plant, which can grow even in a low light area like a closet! A
loose rule
of thumb is that the smaller the leaf the more light the plant
will need.
Also the thicker the leaf the better it can handle low water
conditions.
Speaking of water, we tend to kill our indoor plants with
kindness. Josh
follows a 'rule of thumb' or actually a 'rule of forefinger' for
figuring
out the water needs of his plants. Just put your finger in the
soil of the
plant up to the first knuckle. If it is dry give it some water,
but don't
let it sit in water. Let the excess drain out. This will avoid
root rot
problems and your plant will stay healthier. If you are worried
that your
plant will die of thirst you can pick up a water meter that will
tell you
when you plant needs a drink. As far as fertilizer, you can do
that between
April and August. In the winter they don't need as much plant
food since
most varieties slow down in their growth. To learn more about
indoor
plants, stop by the Al's Garden Centers in Woodburn and Sherwood
and they
can answer all your questions.
Hot Accents -
Balls and Tiles
One of the hottest accents for the home are globes. Just the
unique shape alone is enough to really create a visual
'bookmark' in your
home décor. To learn more about this design trend we stopped by
Terra Casa
(503-577-8242)
in Damascus,
just east of Clackamas Town Center. Kathii pulled together some
of the
great items from their store. Globes have always been popular,
either as
gazing balls in the garden or as floats from the ocean, people
just like the
shape. Kathii showed us a couple of the different styles that
have become
popular recently, including multicolored globes bursting with
different
colors and crackled globes which reflected the light in
interesting
patterns. You can even get painted globes with different
patterns and
themes.
Next we moved to another hot accent; painted tiles. These tiles
are high fired glazed tiles, so they can handle some pretty
rough handling.
The high firing also brings out the bright colors. These tiles
are also
versatile. You can hang them as art work in your home (we have
one over our
stove), or use them as a trivet for hot pans, or even
incorporate them into
a tile mosaic on your wall. Check out the selection of both of
these cool
accents at Terra Casa.
Strawberry
Lavender Parfait
Hot days deserve cool treats! This week David wraps up the
final one of the 'lavender' series of recipes with Kathy Gehrt,
author of
'Discover Cooking with Lavender'. Today she is doing a
dessert,
Strawberries with Lavender Yogurt Cream, one of the many tasty
recipes in
her book. She started with organic local strawberries, but you
can use any
type of fresh local fruit. She added 1 tablespoon of lavender
sugar, which
is regular granulated sugar that has been infused with lavender
buds to get
some of their light flavor. She also added balsamic vinegar to
the
strawberries as well. Then, for the topping she mixed Greek
yogurt,
lavender honey and Crème Fraiche. These 2 mixtures are layered
in a dessert
dish and you are done. It is quick, easy and delicious. You can
also learn
more about lavender at the
Oregon Lavender Festival
happening at over 30 lavender farms around the state this
weekend!
Find the recipe here.
Grills for Girls
The kitchen is officially closed. It
is grilling season and we found one of the most interesting
classes at the
NW
Natural Appliance Center (503-220-2362) in SE Portland.
David led
this session which had 5 lovely ladies there to learn more about
grilling.
First he covered safety tips. As David said in the story, it is
all about
location. Don't set up your grill near flammable objects and
always keep a
fire extinguisher close at hand. Plus you want to make sure that
your grill
is in good condition, no worn gas lines or rust. Our friends at
NW Natural
also recommend that you light the grill with the lid open so the
concentration of gas doesn't get too heavy. Once everything is
warmed up
you can coat your grill with a light coating of vegetable oil or
olive oil,
do this right before you put your meat on the grill.
When you add your meat, go with the pieces that are going to
take the longest to grill. Chicken and steaks are the thickest
and should
be started 10 minutes before your burgers and hot dogs. The
temperature is
very important too. The problem with home grillers is that they
turn the
grill on high and that just burns the outside and leaves the
inside
undercooked. A nice medium heat will take a few minutes longer,
but your
meat will turn out better. Vegetables should be the last thing
on the grill
since they don't take as long to cook. If you want to use a
Bar-B-Q sauce
you will want to add that to the meat just before you pull it
from the
grill. Most sauces contain sugar and that will burn very easily
if left on
the grill too long. Marinades generally don't have the same
problems as a
sauce and can be used without a problem.
Remember to monitor your meat temperatures with a thermometer so
you are sure the meat is done and it is safe to eat. Check out
the
USDA Meat Safety page for more information.
Once
everything is done turn off your gas and let the burners' burn
off the
remaining gas from the lines, then shut off the individual
burners. For
more information about the Grilling for Girls classes or the Linx grill that
we were using, you can check with the NW Natural Appliance
Center.
Summer Wine
Gadgets
Summer picnics mean relaxing and for a lot of people it also
means a nice glass of wine. We were at
The Container Store
(503-620-5700) and
we found few items for the summer wine lover. The first thing
was an
insulated wine caddy. This bag is made out of an insulating foam
material
and it will keep your wine chilled for quite awhile while you
get to your
destination. The second item we found was a chilling pack. You
can keep
this pack in your icebox and when you are headed out to an event
and you
need to chill your wine you can just slide it over the bottle
and it will
quickly chill your wine as you drive to the party. Finally we
found the
coolest gadget of all... wine glass clips. These clips fit on
your plate
when you are at a dinner or picnic and they hold your wine glass
at the side
of the plate. Now you can eat and enjoy your dinner without
looking for a
place to put your glass. Truly an engineering genius came up
with this!
You can find these and other picnic helpers at The Container
Store.
Champion Awnings
During these hot days of summer you can be more comfortable by
keeping the sun off your deck or patio with an awning. To check
out some of
the latest ones we stopped at
Champion Windows (503-624-2678). The newer
types of
awnings are automated with retractable frames. These are built
for
durability with aluminum coated frames and treated fabrics. With
proper
care they can last 15-20 years. They are easy to install and can
extend
your outdoor living space and you can even pick the fabric to
match your
other patio furniture. For more information, contact our friends
at
Champion Windows. |
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