EPISODE #51- SATURDAY AUGUST 28, 2010

Summer is drawing to a close and soon the kids will be back in school. The weather will start to turn, the rains will start again (are you getting depressed yet?) and cold winds will blow. What am I hinting at? It is time to think about how you are going to spend your winter days! A new HD TV set is probably a good idea! We take a look at them in this week's show. We also change over you bed for the season and enjoy the final days of heat and sun with a seasonal martini! Enjoy!

HD TVs

The conversion from analog to high definition has finally happened and for most people it has been great, in fact it has some people looking for new TV's so they can get the most out of the programs they watch. To find out what is available and new on the market we stopped by Standard TV and Appliance (503-619-0500) to talk with Tony in the TV department. First of all if you are on cable or dish network, or you have a newer HD TV you should have no problems getting an HD signal. It should be ready to go. However, if you have an older set or you are using an antenna or 'rabbit ears' you will need an HD converter. If you want to get a new set to enjoy the great picture and sound of HD then you will have to choose between plasma, LCD, LED, or even laser (the newest version of HD). LED is very thin, very bright and very energy efficient. LCD is just like your computer screens and is the most popular way of viewing HD signals. Plasma is the choice for a very large and flat screen. Tony also told us about DPI or 'Dots per Inch'. The more dots the better the picture. The standard right now is a 1080p. If you have that you are in great shape. Any questions about which is best for you or any concerns about HD TV's can be answered by the experts at Standard!

Bed Makeover

Like a lot of things in your home your bed can really benefit from a makeover! To help us make a seasonal change in the bedroom we stopped by Ste. Maine (503-232-1880) in the Westmoreland/Sellwood area. Elizabeth joined David to show him how to do it, but before we got started he needed a little education about the bed linens and what they are there for. We started with the headboard. It is great to have so your pillows and other decorations don't slide off the top of the bed. As a bed-covering we had a quilt which will work for most of the year here in the Northwest. If you need a little more coverage you can add a duvet. Usually this stays folded at the bottom of the bed. At the bottom is the 'dust ruffle', this covers the box springs and the metal frame of the bed and makes a nice accent to the look of your bed. There were numerous pillows on the bed and they were covered by shams and Euro Shams. The Euro shams are large coverings that protect the larger decorative pillows. These can be used for sleeping but generally they are just decoration. The regular bed pillows also have a sham (covering). These protect the pillows and like most of the coverings, they can be changed to match the season. The bed we saw was a classic white bed that looked light and summery. Then Elizabeth and Erin took over and with a few changes of covers and the duvet, they created a more 'earthy' appearance. They kept the 'white' look which is more neutral than other colors, but added a splash of color to really change the look.

How to Choose a Wine

Choosing a wine can be a pretty intimidating thing. You might get lucky and find one you like or you may waste a lot of money on something you will never finish (or drink again). To take some of the fear out of it, we visited with Todd at Metrovino (503-517-7778). The first thing he recommended was to not pick a wine by the label. A pretty label doesn't mean a good wine. Todd recommends that you find someone that understands your tastes and can help guide you. There are even some grocery stores that have good wine selections and knowledgeable people to help you. Look for someone who asks the right questions and is truly helpful. You can also attend tastings at local wine shops and wineries. Metrovino also offers tastings and has over 100 wines by the glass for you to try, 25% of those are from the northwest alone. If you want to change your taste, say you want to try a red wine instead of your normal white, you should start out with softer wines with less tannin. These will have less 'bite' to them and will help ease you into the new flavors. Metrovino has a system of Enomatic wine machines that serve small samples of various wines so you can just get a taste before you buy the whole bottle. This system is great since it serves the wine at the perfect temperature for both reds and whites. They also have a system for sparkling wines too. The Perlage system keeps the bubbly in top form as well. If you are looking to choose a new wine or want to experiment, stop by Metrovino and let Todd and his knowledgeable crew help you.

Watermelon Basil Martini

Watermelon is one of the fruits of the season. Late summer is greeted with the sweet, succulent taste of watermelon. We decided to let Chef David come up with a drink recipe that would use this fruit and he came up with a real winner! He combined the flavors of watermelon and basil that knocked our socks off. We met him at Standard TV and Appliance (503-619-0500) where he had all the ingredients set out on the counter in one of their demo kitchens. It was really simple with just watermelon, basil, lime juice, simple syrup and gin. Just get the water out of the melon, add the basil, pour all of that in a shaker with the lime juice, simple syrup (sugar water that has been boiled into a syrup) and gin. Just shake and enjoy! If you would like to try this recipe for a refreshing late summer drink, you can get the recipe here.

Garbage Disposal Fix

It always happens... usually at a dinner party or some other big event. The garbage disposal gets stuck and it doesn't work. We stopped by George Morlan (503-224-7000) to get some tips for fixing it from Dave Charvet. He told us the number one reason for the clogs in the first place... not enough water! You have to be running water through the unit to make it work at its best. Water first and then add the garbage (don't pack it full either). The sound will also tell you when it is empty. Now if you have a clog the first thing you need to do is to shut off the power. Not just at the switch on the wall, but also at the circuit breaker in your power box. Next try to dislodge the clog from the top. Don't use your hand; there are sharp objects in there! Use a broom handle or the handle from your plunger. A lot of times that will knock the object loose and it will work again. If you hear a hum that means that there is power to the unit. If you hear nothing you may have tripped the circuit breaker on the unit itself. Open the doors to your cabinet and look under the unit for a red button. This is the breaker switch and it may need to be reset. While you are under the unit you may also notice a hole in the center of the unit. This hole is for an 'Allen wrench' or 'hex key'. This will allow you to turn the blades from under the unit and that could help in breaking a clog loose. If any of these options fail, call a plumber! It is better to have a professional take care of things than to ruin a dinner party with a trip to the hospital. For all your plumbing questions you can do what we do, check with the experts at George Morlan Plumbing!

 

 

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