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EPISODE #15 -
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2009
It is
great to be back working on Fusion. We had a great run
in the spring and we forgot how much fun it is to be
doing cooking segments, meeting new designers and
learning how to tackle some of those fix-it projects. We
have already been laughing a lot and we hope that you
have as much fun watching the show as we have had taping
it.
Shady Looks
Your
indoor lamps are one of the most overlooked décor items in
your house. As you paint and decorate you just move them
from one room to another and miss the decorating
possibilities that they offer. To help give you some ideas
we traveled to
Naomi’s Lampshades (503-636-1884) in Lake Grove. Bea
Searles is the owner and she brought out a couple of lamps
to demonstrate. She made a quick change to one lamp that
gave it a fresh new look. But the problem was the height of
the new shade; it was sitting too low on the lamp so all she
did was change the ‘harp’. The harp is the metal loop that
goes around the light bulb to protect it and creates the
structure to attach the shade to. The fitting of the harp
is very important when changing the shade. Bea recommends
that you bring your lamp into the store when you are looking
for a new shade so you can see how the shade fits. You can
even change the look by changing the finial which is the
part at the top of the lamp. For more tips you can check
out their website, or visit them on Boones Ferry Road in the
Lake Grove/Lake Oswego area.
Must-Have Appliances
If you have a wedding or
graduation in your family this spring you may be at a loss
to pick the perfect gift for those lucky recipients. Robin
talked with Chase Voelker at
Bed Bath and Beyond (503-624-9242)
to see what the best gifts to get for these people are. He
first showed us the Keurig K-cup coffee maker. This is a
single use coffee maker that is all the rage right now. All
you do is put in the coffee close the lid and push the
button, you get your coffee and you don’t ever waste a full
pot. It also has lots of different choices when it comes to
coffees, hot chocolate and even teas. Next we looked at
the Krups electric kettle. This is great for heating water
for noodles, drinks or soups; a perfect appliance for the
college student. A reminder, some colleges have
restrictions on electric cooking and heating items. You can
check with your college or stop by Bed, Bath and Beyond to
check their list of colleges and see what is allowed, there
is no guessing! We then moved to the Magic Bullet. We all
thought this was just a TV gimmick, but Chase told us this
is a great gift for anyone. It chops, blends, and grinds
all kinds of different foods and takes very little space on
your countertop. The next item was the Kitchen Aid mixer.
This one is a must have for new couples and comes with lots
of different attachments so you will never need to buy
multiple kitchen tools to get the job done. Finally, the
one fun item that Chase brought out was the Margaritaville
Fiji Frozen concoction maker. This party machine grinds the
ice, blends the drink and is a lot of fun! To find more
great gifts for couples and grads stop by Bed, Bath and
Beyond.
Drake’s Outside-in
For the garden lover there are lots of
ways to bring the outside in to your house to add color and
texture to your décor. We stopped by the new Westside
location of
Drakes
7 Dees (503-292-9121) to get a few tips from Lynn
Snodgrass. There are lots of different plants that you can
use both indoors and out to really enhance your decorating.
Lynn had a flowering plant and David was holding a
succulent. Both of these can easily make the transition from
outside to inside and are only a small example of plants you
can choose from. Next we moved to another part of the
nursery to talk about using garden accents to add to your
décor as well. There are lots of earth-toned accents that
will really create a splash in your home. Your chance to
check out these different plants and decorating ideas is
made even better during the next 2 weekends during the Grand
Opening of Drakes Westside location. This weekend there are
lots of things happening for the kids, with kid-friendly
projects and activities. You can even meet children’s author
Ruth Saltzman, the author of ‘Poppy Bear’. The following
Saturday you can meet Michael Allen Harrison and sign up to
win a private gardener for a day. With food, music and
prizes it should be a great couple of weekends.
Lynn was also proud of the new group that Drakes belongs to
called
Northwest Neighbors. The Northwest Neighbors group is a
select group of businesses that have been hand picked based
on their reputations, quality of service and longevity in
the area. We are talking about some businesses that have
been around for nearly 100 years! These businesses are
strong local leaders and they offer service and expertise
that you can’t find at your local big-box stores. If you are
tackling a project, either in your home or your garden, you
can check out their website find a great business to partner
with you to get the job done!
Rhubarb Soup
Rhubarb is
one of those old-time vegetables from your grandmother’s
garden. Who would ever eat this stuff if it wasn’t in a
Strawberry-rhubarb pie? Well, count us as people who are
rhubarb lovers! Chef David Musial joined us again for a recipe
that will change the way you look at this vegetable. Rhubarb is
considered a sour or bitter vegetable. The leaves are not good
to eat and can give you an upset stomach if you eat them, but
the stalks are where the flavor is. Chef David used a couple of
cups of rhubarb chunks, some sugar, orange juice, water and
orange zest to make this wonderful chilled, soup recipe. It is
another great way to enjoy the fresh fruits and vegetables of
the season. Check out the recipe here.
Rhubarb Margarita
Earlier Chef
David showed us how to make a wonderful and tasty rhubarb soup.
Now he showed us how to use that same recipe to make a cool and
unusual cocktail for your next party. First he took the base
soup and strained it to get more of the fiber out of it. Then he
added Triple Sec, Tequila and lime juice. He also added a
little bit of chopped rhubarb to give it a tiny bit more
‘bite’. Shake it up and serve it over ice and enjoy yet another
taste from your garden!
Check out the recipe here.
Painting
Your House
Painting your own house can be a daunting task. But
David showed us a few tips for doing it right the first time. We were
working with pre-painted wood siding. If you have vinyl siding you may
have a few extra steps in the process. To begin, you need to have at
least 3-4 days of dry, warm weather; at least 50 degrees for the paint
to cure. First he gave the house a good cleaning. A power washer set on
a broad spray helped knock off all the dust and dirt. Don’t use too much
pressure or you might damage the surface. Next look to scrape off the
loose bits of paint and caulk the cracks and fill the holes with a
paintable caulk. Find rusty spots (nail holes to weather stripping) and
sand them down. Touch up those sanded areas with a good primer. Now you
can hit it with the paint. We use a good latex paint that is breathable,
will give us good coverage, and is easy to clean up. We apply the paint
with a painting pad. This gave us a good coat and eliminated the need to
do touch-ups. Some people like applying the paint with a sprayer, but
that can sometimes leave too thin of a coat and then you have to
back-roll to get good coverage. Finally we went around and did some
touch ups with a 1-2 inch brush. Of course these are just basic tips and
you should always check with your local paint supplier for more tips and
information.
Kitchen Sink Accessories
If you only
have hot and cold water on your sink you need to get with it.
Dave Charvet from
George
Morlan Plumbing (503-224-7000) invited us over to show us
some of the new gadgets that you can have with your sink to make
your life in the kitchen easier. The first appliance was the
Insta-hot water heater. This is a mini-hot water heater that
fits under your sink and delivers a stream of 190 degree water
when you need it. Great for instant oatmeal, soups and
coffees. We then saw the latest in garbage disposers.
Insinkerator was the pioneer in building these and their latest
model is now 60 percent quieter than their older models so you
can even have a conversation while it is running. You can even
install this in an afternoon with a special air switch that
makes it simple to operate with a touch of a finger. And don’t
forget soap dispensers. They are perfect for liquid soaps or
hand cream and now they can be easily refilled without climbing
under the sink to do it. Stop by George Morlan today to
check-out these products.
Yeast
in your Toilet
This little quick tip is one that been
around for many years and is supposed to help extend the life of
your septic system. The tip is to add a tablespoon of brewers
yeast to your toilet once a month. The yeast will help the
bacteria in your tank and drain field break down the waste. Of
course, the best way to promote a healthy septic system is to
not add any non-biodegradable materials or caustic chemicals to
your system. |
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