EPISODE #92 -
SATURDAY OCTOBER 1, 2011
Brrr… I was outside
walking around the house, assessing it for the coming winter
months (check out our story below) and I was chilled! The
mornings and late evenings are showing the signs of the changing
seasons. With that change comes the realization that my home may
not be as efficient as it could be. If you feel your home is the
same way, check out the two stories we have on energy efficient
windows and the home energy audit. They could save you hundreds
of dollars a month!
Cascade Window Coverings
We visited
Cascade
Flooring America (800-942-0376) in Vancouver to learn about…
window coverings! That’s right; Cascade had so many requests
from customers that they hired a Hunter-Douglas window expert,
Jim, to help customers make the right choices in picking out
window coverings. Choosing a new window covering can be a
daunting task, because there are so many choices. Some of those
choices can now save you lots of money too. Jim showed us how
you can get up to a $1,500 tax credit on certain styles of
window coverings. Not only can you enjoy great energy savings
you can also pick window treatments that can compliment any
décor. Jim also showed us how you can enjoy other benefits such
as light control and privacy. If you are looking to make a
change to your window coverings you need to make the short trip
to Vancouver and visit Jim, Sunny and all the Cascade staff for
help.
Gluten Free Salad Roll
Food sensitivity has
become more and more common in our society and so have the
number of cookbooks that address those issues. Recently we
received a copy of a new cookbook called ‘The Gluten-Free Asian
Kitchen’. What surprised us about this cookbook is that it
didn’t talk about doing ‘without’. What we mean is that it
talked about enjoying your meals and making them with great
flavors and textures. Most of these types of cookbooks have
recipes that become bland because they take away the flavor when
they remove the gluten. Laura B. Russell wanted her cookbook to
be different and it is! Laura is a local author and so we
decided to try out one of her recipes. Robin got to tackle this
one and gave Chef David the day off. Robin decided on the Salad
Rolls with shrimp and David volunteered to do a couple of the
sauces. The ingredients included shredded carrots, cilantro, a
daikon radish, red bell pepper, chopped lettuce, mint and a
sauce made from fish sauce and lime juice. Finally you will need
Chinese vermicelli rice noodles (no gluten). The main warning to
keep it gluten free is to read all the labels carefully. Gluten
can be found in some of the most unusual products. Don’t assume
that just because you think it doesn’t have gluten that it is
good, we found a bunch of products that still contained it. It
also helps to ask at your local market when you are buying it
too. Then you just mix all the ingredients in a bowl and top it
off with the fish sauce. Let that sit while you mix up your
dipping sauce. David decided to do a mango sauce, but you can
also make (or buy) a peanut sauce as well.
You will find both recipes here.
Finally roll your
salad mixture in a rice paper wrapper and drizzle on a little of
the mango sauce and enjoy. This is one of those cookbooks that
you will enjoy for years to come. In fact we all have a copy now
and are enjoying these tasty dishes!
Fall Table Dressing
The fall is here and
it is time to dress things up for the season. We made our way
back to visit with Kim Foren at
Geranium Lake
(503-228-1920)
to check out her latest design for the fall table. Kim decided
to harvest some of the bounty from her garden to help make a
splash on her fall table. She cut some of the veggies from her
garden and some stuff she picked up from the local farmers
market and then worked them into her design. She made a
centerpiece which included kale, red peppers, sunflowers, basil,
mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes and colorful cabbage. She had made
the arrangement in a clear glass vase and lined the inside with
asparagus spears. It looked fantastic! She also placed
sunflowers around her table, with out the petals! They still
look great and they will last longer. On each of the plates she
had made place card holders with bell peppers that had been
carved out and filled with flowers. Since most of the peppers
have a round shape they had been shaved off at the base so they
could sit up-right on the plate. Kim also used a lot of
different textures on the table to make it visually interesting.
A burlap table runner was paired with log slab chargers to make
an interesting statement. She also brought up to the
entertainment area a lot of plants from her garden that were
showing off their fall colors. Add a bunch of small candles for
ambience and it looks ready for company! For more decorating
ideas you can check out her blog at her website,
http://geraniumlake.com. She also has new classes happening
all the time, check out her website for a list of current
topics.
Home Energy Audit
With the recent
downturn in the economy a lot of people are looking for ways to
make their home more energy efficient. We recently met with Chad
Ruhoff from
Neil Kelly (866-691-2719). Neil Kelly has been a leader in
home remodeling and recently established a new part of the
business,
Neil Kelly Home Performance. Chad told us how their crews
can come in and assess every aspect of your home and how it may
be wasting your energy and money. They can also recommend steps
you can take to improve the efficiency of your home. He also
recommends a few tips that you can do if you don’t want to have
major work done. First of all turn your thermostat down a few
degrees; wearing a sweater can help you save money. He also
recommended getting a digital electronic thermostat. These can
be programmed to lower the heat during the nights when you are
asleep and during the day when you are gone. Weather stripping
doors and windows can be a big help as well.
If you want to really
save some money then the audit is for you. Neil Kelly will come
in and test your home to see where you can make improvements and
they will also make sure your furnace and other appliances are
working efficiently and safely. A poorly performing furnace or
water heater can produce carbon monoxide which can endanger your
family. They will even make sure that there are no small gas
leaks. Then they can make recommendations for improvements. Now
you might be thinking that all this testing could get costly,
but the audit can be free!
Clean Energy Works Oregon is helping to underwrite this
audit. Just go to their website and click on the ‘Apply Now’
link and then enter the Neil Kelly rebate code ‘CNNLK’. They
will tell you if your home qualifies. Once the audit is done you
can also work with Neil Kelly to see if you qualify for an
instant rebate up to $2,000. Any remaining costs can be financed
through a low-interest loan, with monthly payments that appear
right on your utility bill. Your home’s improved energy
efficiency will partially or fully offset these costs, making a
more comfortable home an affordable reality.
Fall Home Checklist
The change in the seasons is a good
time to check to see if your home is ready for the cold wet
weather yet to come. David and Robin received some tips from our
friend Linda Gemal about things you should check on your home to
get it ready for the season. We started at the top of the list
and the home. The roof is where Robin started. Get at eye level
with your roof. Look for loose shingles or flashing (the metal
areas around vents and chimneys). Check for cracks in your
chimney and repair the mortar if needed. Call a chimney sweep
and get the inside of the chimney checked out as well. Clean out
your gutters and make sure they are not loose or have cracks
that would cause any leakage. |
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