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EPISODE #59- SATURDAY OCTOBER 30, 2010
BOO! Did we scare you? Probably not...
I find it funny to hear what is
scary to some people. When we are young it can be the
'boogieman' or the
'monster under the bed', when you are older it can be the 'hole
in the roof
during the middle of the storm' or the dreaded question 'did I
remember to
change the batteries in the smoke detector' as you leave for
vacation. I'm
not sure we can help you with the former, but I'm pretty sure we
can help
with some of the other scary 'adult' issues around your house.
Check out
our archive page to watch some of the great home do-it-yourself
projects we
have featured this season.
If you are looking to do a project in the garden you can stop by
Grande
Valley Ornamental Iron this coming week and get 20% off any
arbor. Mention
that you saw it on Fusion because it is only open to Fusion
viewers.
Al's
Pumpkins
Halloween is the time for scary pumpkins and tradition holds
that the carved pumpkin is the way to greet those trick or
treaters as they
approach your doorstep. But we found a bunch of different ideas
for
decorating your doorstep this Halloween. Josh from
Al's Garden
Center
(503-981-1245)
in Woodburn gave us 3 or 4 different ideas to try. First of
course was the
traditional carved pumpkin, but with a few twists. First, Josh
recommended
that you look for a pumpkin that will fit your space. Don't
always look for
the larger pumpkin. Think about your doorstep and what you have
to work
with. Next, look at the stem size; larger stems add character.
As far as
lighting the pumpkin he recommends the new LED battery lights.
They don't
have to be relit if a breeze comes along and they can be reused
on different
holidays. We also saw some planted pumpkins. These pumpkins were
hollowed
out and planted with various fall color perennials. You use soil
in the
pumpkin and after about a week you can replant them in your
landscape or a
container. Since they are plants and have moist soil they will
make the
pumpkin rot a little faster than normal. To extend the life of
the pumpkin
you can apply Vaseline to the inside of the pumpkin to block the
moisture.
Finally we moved to the painted pumpkins. Josh used masking tape
to cover
parts of the pumpkin and then removed to tape to show off the
unpainted
areas, or reapplied the tape to paint other areas of the
pumpkin. To finish
it off he used a spray lacquer to protect the paint and add a
shine. To see
these and some of his other creations you can stop by the Al's
in Woodburn.
Geranium Lake Pumpkins
On an earlier show we visited with Kim from
Geranium Lake
Flowers (503-228-1920)
to learn how to set the perfect holiday table. This week we are
looking at
how she made those cute little fabric pumpkins that she had used
for her
place cards. She started with some spare scraps of velvet, but
you can use
just about any kind of fabric you have lying around. She used
about a 10
inch circle of fabric to make a larger pumpkin for us. Then you
have to run
a thread of string around the edge of the circle. This will be
drawn tight
at the end to create the pumpkin. For the stem, she found some
stems on
some small decorative gourds at the store. You just snap them
off and you
can use them for your fabric pumpkin. Once David had finished
stitching the
fabric Kim drew the string tight creating a pouch that she
filled with rice,
though you can use any small bean or dry seed. Then we tied it
super tight
and we glued the stem to the top. You can use this as a place
card holder
like Kim had done or you can use them as a regular decoration
around your
home. For
step-by-step directions,
check out Kim's
blog on the
Geranium Lake website.
Rejuvenation Door Hardware
When you are trying to create that perfect atmosphere or style
for your home, don't forget the doors. We met with Nichol at
Rejuvenation
(503-238-1900) on SE
Grand to get some tips for dressing your doors. The first thing
you need to
do before you come in is to figure out what style you would like
to have.
Check out books, search for pictures on the internet and then
get lots of
measurements. Figure out the dimensions of the door you are
working and
what you want it to do. Do you want it to lock? Is it a newer
door or an
older door? Does it have holes in the door already or do you
need them
drilled? Bring all this information with you when you shop and
you can
eliminate multiple trips. Once you get to the store you will
need to pick
out the type of finish you are looking for. Remember to take
into account
what you currently have in the house. The wood, tile and paint
color can
all make a big difference in the type of hardware you choose.
The best part
is that you can pick matching finishes in other hardware (door
stops, pulls,
locks, etc.) so you can match just about anything. They also
have a factory
here in Portland so the turnaround on these pieces is pretty
fast. Stop by
and check out all the cool stuff. If you want to have fun and
have your
purchase benefit a great cause you can check out Rejuvenation's
House
Warming party on the 11th of November. There will be food and
drink, live
music, door prizes and a 'Pin the Tail on the City' contest. A
portion of
the sales from that evening are going to benefit 'p:ear' which
is a mentoring program for homeless youth. For more information
and to RSVP
check out the link here.
Toasted Pumpkins Seeds
It is one of the delicacies of the fall, toasted pumpkin seeds.
Like sunflower seeds, once you start eating these it is hard to
stop. Once
you have carved your pumpkin you can clean your seeds and then
let them soak
overnight in a brine solution. When they have soaked for a day
you can dry
them, and then add a little salt and some vegetable oil. Spread
them on a
pan and roast them in your oven for about 20 minutes. For all
the details
click here.
Cupcake Jones Frosting
Licking the spoon was one of the highlights of helping out in
the kitchen, and the frosting spoon was the most coveted of all!
We had the
dream job of helping to make the Cream Cheese Frosting at
Cupcake Jones
(503-222-4404) in the
Pearl District. Cupcake Jones is a must see place if you have a
sweet
tooth. Sabrina, the master baker, even shared the ingredients
with us. To
start you need 1 ½ pounds of cream cheese, 8 ounces of unsalted
butter, ¼
teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix these
together on a
medium speed on your mixer. You want to make sure that there are
no lumps
in your mixture. Check it often to make sure the lumps are all
gone. Once
the mixing is done you then add 2 ½ pounds of powdered sugar to
the mixing
bowl. You will need to sift it to make sure all the lumps are
out the sugar
as well. Return the bowl to your mixer and set the speed for as
slow as you
can. This will keep the powered sugar from blowing up in your
face. If it
does that, you will be breathing sugar for the rest of the day!
Once it is
folded in you can set your mixer to a higher speed for the final
mixing.
After a few minutes it should be done, but you will not want to
use it yet.
The frosting is too warm at this point, so you will want to put
it in the
fridge for a few hours to let it set up and harden a little bit.
Once you
have tried yours, stop by Cupcake Jones and see how your recipe
matches up
with theirs, you won't regret it!
You can find the
complete recipe here.
Newspaper
Tips
The newspaper... all the news that's fit to print, plus it is
great for chores around the house too! David and Robin took a
few minutes
to show us a couple that we learned. First of all, since it is
paper, you
can use it for wrapping. The comic section in the weekend
edition is great
for kids. They get a colorful print that they can read after
they unwrap
their gift and you get to save a few cents on buying expensive
wrapping
paper. Some of the other uses are tied to the absorbency of the
paper
itself. Robin used it to absorb odors in an old lunch box. You
can also
use it to absorb moisture and the smell in your old shoes too.
Fall is
harvest time in your garden and the paper can help you there
too. If you
have green tomatoes and you would like to have them ripen
indoors, just wrap
them in newspaper and set them on your counter. They will ripen
quicker and
you will have tasty tomatoes in a couple of days. One use that
everyone has
heard of is using newsprint to clean your windows. Use your
regular window
cleaner or a weak solution of ammonia and water, and then wipe
it off with
the paper. The newsprint will leave no lint or streaks! Finally,
David had
a suggestion for the gardeners in the house. Lay pieces of
newsprint down
in your garden and cover them with mulch. The paper will act as
a barrier
for weeds and will eventually breakdown and be food for your
plants. There
you go, breaking news on recycling your newspaper for chores
around the
house.
Quick Tip - Curtains
Here is another quick tip that can save
you some
money. During these chilly fall and winter days you can still
let the
warmth of the sun warm your home. Just leave your curtains open
during
those sunny days to warm your home, but remember to close them
at night to
keep that heat inside. This little tip can keep you and your
house warmer
and save you a couple of bucks! |
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