SATURDAY JANUARY 7, 2011

We're on winter hiatus right now, but don't go away! New episodes of Fusion return on March 3, 2012.

The cold weather is coming.  I think we haven’t hit our coldest days yet.  Not to worry, the heater is going and there sweets left over from the holidays.  Check out our stories this week for tips on enjoying both!

Mini Pizza Appetizers

The football playoffs are here and that means friends and family getting together at one time or another.  You don’t want to spend most of your time in the kitchen preparing food while your guests are visiting so we stopped by Reser’s Fine Foods (to check out a quick and easy appetizer recipe with Chef Barbara Jordan.  Chef Barb has been working with the other chefs at Reser’s to come up with a bunch of great holiday appetizer recipes using their Stonemill Kitchens line of premium dips.  Chef Barb decided to show us one of the easiest to make with a white pizza recipe.  She picked out some pre-made pizza skins (Boboli is a popular brand), some precooked chicken (or leftover turkey) and some Stonemill Kitchen artichoke and jalapeno dip.  Just spread a small amount of the dip on the pizza skin and add the small pieces of chicken.  Put it in a 450 degree over for between 5-10 minutes and it is done.  You can add a little finely cut basil once the pizza cools down.  If you would like to see this recipe and more like it you can check out the Reser’s or Stonemill Kitchens websites, then sit back and relax and enjoy the holidays.  

Hummus

Chef David whipped us up a simple recipe for hummus today to help you make a splash at your next holiday get-together.  This hummus is one with a twist, it has red peppers!  This one also uses garbanzo beans as its base.  It also has garlic and lemon juice.  To get all the ingredients and instructions click here.  Then whip up a batch and impress your friends!

Quick Tip - Fireplace Flue

Our quick tip this week is one for those homes with a fireplace.  Shawn with Energy Trust of Oregon showed us how easy it is to shut the damper to your fireplace when you are not burning a fire to save your heat from rising up your chimney.  The flue can rob your home of warmth if you leave the damper open, so close it when you are not using the fireplace.  For more tips on saving energy check out their website.