EPISODE #74 -
SATURDAY MAY 21, 2011
Welcome back
Mr. Sunshine. With the return of the warmer weather it is time
to think about outdoor projects. I even got outdoors and did a
little power washing on the patio this week. It felt good to be
outside! It is also the time to think about outdoor
entertaining. We have a few stories in this weeks show all
about grilling and relaxing on the deck. Enjoy the sun and this
weeks show!
Geranium Lake Spring Table
Spring is
here and the warmer weather is beckoning us outside. To get
some tips on creating a wonderful spring table we stopped by
Geranium Lake
(503-228-1920) to visit with Kim. Kim is known for her great
decorating ideas and even recently appeared on the Today show.
Kim had just a few ideas to share with us. First we checked out
her collection of decorative vases in the middle of the table.
She simply took some round containers and covered them in
wrapping paper and ribbons. She then filled them with flowers,
wheatgrass and moss to create a cool and colorful centerpiece
display. The wheatgrass was also added to little cups on each
of the plates to make the look complete. Next we talked about
the table runner. This was easy to make as well. It was simply
a bunch of washcloths that had been sown together and edged with
a pompon fringe. It was very cute! The color theme also went
up to the umbrella over the table. The umbrella had the old
fabric taken off and Kim made a new cover with beach towels that
she put together. Everything was very bright and beautiful! If
you are looking for more decorating ideas you can check out her
website or stop by her brand new location on the first floor of
the US Bank Tower.
Ludeman’s Patio
Spring is
here and that means it is time to head outside to enjoy the
wonderful weather, and the best way to do that is to have the
right patio furniture for your deck or patio. We stopped by
Ludeman’s (503-646-6409) to talk with Mark Ludeman to see
what the newest trends are in outdoor furnishings. The latest
trends are ‘deep seating’ and ‘chat height’ which help people
enjoy their outdoor entertaining in comfort. Deep seating
refers to large, wide comfortable chairs. These chairs come
with an all-weather covering and repel rain and dirt a lot
better than the older styles and fabrics. They are paired with
‘chat height’ tables and fire pits. Chat height is lower than
dining height and higher than a side table. It is designed for
entertaining and visiting. The tables at this level include
fire pits, and areas for dining. Grills are also changing.
Grills are now more than just a place to cook food. They are
designed as areas for entertaining and built-in grills are
becoming more common. You can even get them with extra burners
and even refrigerators!
Weather
doesn’t always cooperate with our outdoor plants and for that we
have a couple of different ideas. Umbrellas come in all
different styles and colors and can really extend your time
outdoors. Also outdoor heaters have become more popular as
well. There are simple models that can mount on your umbrella
and wall mounted ones for your home that will cycle on and off
so you don’t waste all that energy for too much heat! If you
would like to see some of the new styles and learn more about
being comfortable outdoors, stop by Ludeman’s and ask Mark and
his staff for some help.
Teflon Cookware
If you are
cooking in the kitchen you need to have good cookware. One of
the most popular styles of cookware is the Teflon coated
cookware. Chef David did some research and shared some
information with us. A reminder, Chef David is not an expert,
so if you have questions you may want to check out the
Teflon webpage. What Chef David was able to find out was
that Teflon is safe when used in normal conditions. Under
certain extreme circumstances, like extreme high heat, it can
release a gas that can be harmful. How to avoid that? Use your
exhaust fan when cooking and never leave your pan unattended on
the burner. If you are cooking at a very high heat, you may
want to use a different pan.
Avoid using
metal spatulas with your cookware. Use plastic, wood or
bamboo. These won’t damage your cookware or the coating and
your cookware will remain ‘non-stick’. If you do notice flaking
or bubbling of your cookware you may be worried about ingesting
some of the particles of material from the pan. We have found
out that the material is inert and should be safe. If you are
worried, then you should replace your pan with a new one. If
you still have concerns then you can go to a stainless steel,
enameled or a cast iron pan.
NYC – Grilled Mushrooms
This weeks
‘Now you’re Cooking’ segment has one of the funniest chefs we
have had on the show. Lisa Schroeder from
Mother’s
Bistro and Bar, and
Mama Mia
Trattoria joined Jenna to share a wonderful recipe for
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Lisa is a wiz in the kitchen and
she has even written a cookbook called ‘Mother’s Best’ where she
shares great recipes like the one she had for us. Lisa cracked
us up with her fun approach to cooking and her easy to make
recipe! She started by making a simple marinade that had olive
oil, chopped garlic, balsamic vinegar and parsley. Next she
removed the cap from the inside of the mushroom and dipped the
mushroom in the marinade. The mushroom is allowed to sit in the
marinade for about 10 minutes and then it is placed on the
grill. She placed the mushroom with the ‘gill’ side up so the
marinade had a little more time to soak in the mushroom while it
cooked. She also seasoned the mushroom while it was on the
grill with salt and pepper. She was able to see where the
seasoning was going to prevent her from ‘over’ seasoning the
mushroom. The grill we used was the Fuego grill and it is
designed for grilling in a smaller space. It is only 21 inches
across, but that doesn’t mean it can’t handle a big grilling
job. It heats up really quickly and can reach 500 degrees in 2
minutes. You can find this grill at the
NW
Natural Appliance Center (503-220-2362).
Once the
mushroom has some grill mark on it you can turn it to make more
marks (to create that wonderful ‘cross’ marking) or just turn it
over and place a piece of cheese on it (Lisa likes provolone but
you can also use Swiss). Then you will want to grill the buns
for the sandwich and to keep your buns from drying out you put a
light coating of olive oil on the inside of the buns and then
put them on the grill. Once the buns were done she use a
spread that was easy to make (you can check out the recipe here)
and assembled the whole sandwich together. It was so quick and
easy that we were able to make it in less than a half hour! If
you would like to try this at home you can
find the recipe on the NW Natural website or you can stop by
Mother’s Bistro.
Goodwill Housewares
If you are
looking to outfit your home or kitchen you can do it without
spending a ton of cash. To learn how we paid a visit to
Goodwill
(503-238-6100) in SE Portland. Dale joined us once again to
talk about all the great houseware items you can get for a
fraction of their retail price. First we talked about shopping
strategies. The best times to shop are Sundays, Mondays and
Tuesdays. Since donations come in on the weekends, these days
are the best for finding new items on the shelf. The time of
the year for finding the best stuff include Memorial Day (people
are spring cleaning), Labor Day (getting ready for fall and
winter) and at the end of the year (all the people donating for
the tax deduction). Goodwill also gets brand-new items through
out the year. This includes items from stores that are getting
rid of old styles and models. In the Northwest there are 5 top
items that people shop for. #1 is clothing, #2 housewares, #3
DVD’s, CD’s and books, #4 electronics and #5 shoes. You local
Goodwill has a ton of all these items. We then moved to
housewares and were amazed at all the items for the kitchen.
This was heaven for David. Here you can find everything that
you would need in the kitchen. Even if you just need a special
pan or mixing bowl they have them here, and if you just need it
once, you can buy it and then donate it back! If you haven’t
been to a Goodwill Store in awhile, stop by and check out all
the great items they have for sale.
Dryer Sheets
We have been
doing a series of stories on the multiple uses of everyday
household items and this week we are using our old friend, the
dryer sheet. The dryer sheet was designed to keep clothes from
clinging and to help them smell fresh. Because of this
anti-static feature you can use them all over the house for
things like dusting furniture, cleaning computer screens,
removing pet hair from upholstery and even untangling sewing
thread. Because they are scented sheet you can also use them
around the house to help freshen things up too. Place them in
suitcases that you are storing to keep them from smelling
musty. You can also place them in old books or even shoes to
accomplish the same thing. Dryer sheets are not just for the
dryer! |
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