EPISODE #75 -
SATURDAY MAY 28, 2011
Memorial Day
is here and it is time to thank and remember all those who have
served our country. It is also a time to get together with
friends and family as we kick off the unofficial beginning of
summer. We kick off the summer by including a great recipe for
fish tacos that you can do on your grill! We also have a story
that will help you give your patio furniture a new look. So sit
back, stay dry inside as you watch this week’s episode of the
Fusion show.
Ludeman’s Cushions
If you are
looking to change the look of your deck or patio furniture it is
easy to do with a quick and simple change. Just replace your
cushions on the furniture. It is easy and inexpensive. You can
find replacement cushions at many local furniture and variety
stores. We found a huge selection at the
Ludeman’s (503-646-6409) in Beaverton. When you go looking
for new cushions look for ones that are water resistant and UV
protected. Get a couple of different patterns and then you can
have 2 or 3 different looks all summer long.
Pendleton Home Décor
If you mention
the name Pendleton in the Northwest you will get the response
‘oh, the blanket people’. Well the Pendleton Woolen Mills is
known for their wonderful blankets and throws, but they are also
becoming known for their incredible line of home decorating and
décor items as well. We stopped by the
Pendleton Home Store (800-248-8144) in downtown Portland to
learn about the store and their new items from Shelly.
Pendleton has been associated with western outdoor style, but
she took us to a bedroom setup in a nautical theme. She called
it her ‘east coast Hamptons’ look. The bed was handmade with
recycled wood and was covered with the comfortable and
long-lasting Pendleton blanket and sham. It is a washable
wool! Some of the items that you can use to accessorize include
a lamp with shells, wall art and a recycled mantle. This
bedroom had a very masculine feel to it. Next we moved over to
another part of the store to another bedroom set-up that was a
little more feminine. This bed was covered with a quilt
featuring the Crow Creek design which is made just for
Pendleton. The hand beaded pillow was also kind of cool with a
unique design made especially for Pendleton. The final touch
was a pottery piece made by local artists at
LoneSomeVille
pottery. You have probably figured out by now that they like to
use local artists and designers in their décor work at the
store. If you would like to check out some of these décor ideas
(and even some Pendleton shirts or blankets) you can stop by
their store on Broadway in Downtown Portland.
Kids Cooking Corner
A lot of
today’s kids don’t have a very good idea about healthy cooking
and what it means to their body. We found someone who wants to
help teach kids about cooking and how it can help them grow.
Heidi O’Connor started the
Kids Cooking Corner (503-381-0933) to help kids focus on
nutrition, kitchen safety, proper food preparation, etiquette,
cleanliness and FUN! They learn how the reading, math and
science they are being taught in school are applied in the
kitchen. They also have classes in sewing, crafts, pottery and
painting to name a few. David joined them to make tilapia fish
tacos, oven baked sweet potato fries and a strawberry desert.
The kids learned how to prepare everything so that it was all
ready at the same time and they didn’t have to wait. After it
was all done we were able to have a bite with them and it was
wonderful!!! The Kids Cooking Corner is a non-profit and if
you would like to learn more or to make a donation we would
welcome you to check out their website! While you are there
check out the entire list of classes they have coming up for the
summer.
NYC – Fish Tacos
Grilling
season is here and so our ‘Now Your Cooking’ segment is perfect
for the outdoor chef. Chef Adam Zwerling from Evo joined NW
Natural Host Jenna to show us how easy it is to make ‘Tilapia
Fish Tacos’. Of course the star of the segment was the Evo
Grill. This grill has a double burner system that allows it to
get hot very fast, so you don’t have to wait to cook. The
surface is huge and because of the double burner it can have
different cooking temperatures over the whole surface of the
grill. Chef Adam started by oiling the surface of the grill
with olive oil. He then placed the fish filets on the surface
and let them sear on both sides. That took about 4 minutes per
side. When they were close to being done he warmed up the
tortillas on the outer edge of the grill where it was a little
cooler. Then he built his tacos on a plate with some shredded
cabbage, some homemade salsa, some chipotle sour cream, cilantro
and a squeeze of lime juice. It was fantastic! If you would
like the recipe you can check it out
here and if you would like more information about
the Evo grill you can see them at the NW Natural Appliance
Center and on-line at
www.evoamerica.com.
Call 811
There is no
better feeling than turning some soil in your garden. That
feeling will disappear quickly if you dig into a utility line.
We found out that there is an easy way to avoid this problem.
Mike and Jenna from
NW Natural
Gas told us about the 811 number. This number is a
nationwide number to help homeowners and businesses locate
buried utility lines so you can stay out of trouble. The ‘Call
Before You Dig’ program is not new, it has been around for a few
years now and the program has really help reduce the number of
accidental gas line breaks by quite a lot. One call will help
you locate any line, including fiber optic and even cable.
Don’t think that the lines are buried deep. Over time the lines
can work their way to the surface and it only takes a little
digging to hit one. If you don’t call you can be held liable
for the damages of cutting a line. Just
call 811
two business days before you dig!
New Hot Water Heaters
There are lots
of new innovations in water heaters and to learn about the
latest in hot water we went to the water heater kings at
George
Morlan (503-224-7000). You may not think you need to worry
about your water heater, but in the Northwest the average water
heater lasts about 12 years, so you will have to worry about
replacing yours soon. The conventional water heaters come in 2
main styles, one for natural gas where a flame heats the water
and an electric water heater which uses two heating coils to
heat the water for your home.
Next, we moved
to the new ‘Cadillac’s’ of energy efficiency in water heating.
First was the Rheem Marathon water heater. The main cause of
failure for most heaters is a leak in the tank. This new model
from Rheem is guaranteed to never leak. Next we saw the GE
Hybrid water heater. This one uses a heat pump to pull heat
from the surrounding air to complement the normal heating
process. That extra heat from the heat pump can lower your
water heating costs by half. The final model we saw was a ‘heat
on demand’ water heater. This one only heats water when you
turn on the faucet so you don’t have to pay money to keep a tank
of water hot, even if you are not using it, like a normal water
heater. You can even get an on-demand electric water heater
for those hard to reach areas in your shed or garage. The thing
to remember when you are choosing a new water heater is to
figure out the water needs of your family and then find the
right unit to meet those needs.
No matter
which type of heater you use, remember you have to secure it to
keep it safe in case of earthquakes. Also, for most areas you
may need a permit to install a new water heater. Be sure to
check with your local municipality. For any of your hot water
needs, check with your local ‘Water Heater Kings’ at George
Morlan. |
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