Avocado and harvest gold bring back memories of the 70s – but what colors will summer of 2010 bring to our homes?

“As the economy continues to work its way out of a recession, there will be less spending on new items and more repurposing of existing items throughout the home,” says Donna Schroeder of spray paint manufacturer Krylon. “A great way to breathe new life into these old objects is with spray paint in one of the year’s hottest colors.”

Nature, collections, senses and symbols will be the drivers for paint trends in 2010, says Schroeder. These main drivers are interconnected, allowing each trend to blend into the other to create a cohesive look and feel throughout your space. The four stylish color themes found in the 2010 trend palette are:

Sense
Whether you prefer scented candles, dim lighting or cozy rugs to accent your home, stimulating all the senses is a key style component in 2010. Comprised of soft colors, the sense trend will swaddle and soothe the soul. It engages all five senses as it mixes textures, scents and patterns throughout the home. This trend also focuses on the details, allowing you to make a statement with even the smallest elements. Colors in the sense palette include Pacific Purple, Morning Mist, Hyacinth, Celery, Jade and Sand.

Nurture
As concern for the environment continues to play a large role in home design and decorating, homeowners are shifting toward smaller spaces. They’re also buying less and repurposing more. To complement this eco-consciousness and the shrinking of carbon footprints, indoor design and decor trends continue to be reminiscent of the outdoors. Bring the beauty and wonder of the environment into your home with colors found in natural elements. Colors in the nurture palette include Fern, Meringue, Terra Cotta, River Rock, Mountain View and Cloud.

Symbol
A love of architectural shapes and details from the past help fuel the trend of symbols in 2010. Moody and complex colors are integral to this palette, allowing design elements from yesteryear to resurface in modern-day homes. Look for accents with a historical look and feel to complement the dramatic hues and elegant feel of this trend. Spray paint colors in the symbol palette include Almond, Cherry Red, Navy, Ivy Leaf, Leather Brown and Castle Rock.

Sojourn
The beauty and wonder from across the world can be a great place to derive inspiration for your home. By combining meaningful objects from your personal travels with rich, globally inspired colors you can showcase your belongings as a masterful collection. This trend allows you to tell a story of your past travels and experiences through your home decor. Colors in the sojourn palette include Bahama Sea, Burgundy, Peek-a-boo Blue, Blonde Shimmer, Niagara Ivory Mist and Equestrian.

To learn more about color trends and how to choose the perfect color, visit www.krylon.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Lasting summer memories often begin with a pleasant environment in your own backyard. But the first step is keeping the mosquitoes at bay.

It’s summer time again and the living is easy – at least it’s supposed to be. But when mosquitos invade your yard, it’s tough to enjoy fun in the sun.

Lasting summer memories often begin with a pleasant environment in your own backyard. But the first step is keeping the mosquitoes at bay. TV home and garden expert Shirley Bovshow, in partnership with OFF! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent, wants to help make your backyard an ideal place to relax or entertain guests by creating your own personal outdoor oasis this summer.

Bovshow suggests these tips to help you make the most of your outdoor time and space this summer:

Define your space: Use potted plants to identify space and create intimate areas in your patio or yard. Certain plants are perfect for screening an unappealing view, dividing large spaces into smaller ones and directing foot traffic.

Make it private: Hang inexpensive, colorful or patterned rugs between simple wood posts for a fast and cheerful screen.

Repel unwanted guests: Keep mosquitoes from spoiling your time outdoors. OFF! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent provides head-to-toe protection without spraying anything on your skin and lasts for up to 12 hours. It features a quiet, battery-powered fan that circulates repellent and can clip to a belt, purse or chair. More information about helping to keep away mosquitoes can be found at www.off.com.

Be creative: Create a festive focal point with your pool at night by adding floating candles and glass orbs. If you are not swimming, these festive additions will make your pool look magical at night.

Keep it cozy: Create an impromptu side table with a large flower pot capped with a round paver or flagstone. You can add built-in seating by capping your raised vegetable garden beds with stone, wood or tile at a finished height of 14 to 16 inches and add cushions for entertaining guests.

Light up the night: Solar-powered path lights gather energy during the day and can be used as soft, ambient lighting at night. Gather and stick them into potted plants in your patio near sitting areas. Solar lights are safer than candles and require no electricity.

Add flair in unexpected places: Repurpose wine corks, sea shells and marbles as “mulch” or as a finishing touch to container gardens.

Whether you’re creating a backyard oasis to amaze guests or looking to build a beautiful retreat for your own enjoyment, keeping pesky mosquitoes from taking a bite out of your summer time is priceless.

“For me, enjoying time outdoors is an essential element to a relaxing and memorable summer,” says Bovshow. “With OFF! Clip-On, I can spend time outside enjoying my favorite activities without pesky interferences from bug bites and without having to spray anything on my skin.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Attic Bedroom

For many people, the attic is an oversized junk closet. It’s a space where all of the “I don’t know what to do with this” items go and seem to disappear for years. However, homeowners forget that a finished attic can be usable living space. And, whether you’re trying to increase the appeal of your home before selling, or simply adapting to a growing family, an attic bedroom can be an excellent upgrade to your home.

Often, homeowners are reticent to create an attic bedroom because they’re worried about structural challenges, appealing decor and establishing a comfortable environment within a small space. But a few simple steps can help create a livable, inviting bedroom in the attic.

Lots of natural light
Most attics do not have exiting windows or lighting. And, because attics tend to have a lower ceiling height than the rest of the house, it can be challenging to find lighting options that won’t hang so low that people hit their heads on them.

Adding a skylight is a great solution to this problem. Skylights are generally easy to install, and provide a lot of natural, cost-free light. Certainly in the late evening and night, skylights won’t offer as much light, so consider supplementing with track lights or recessed lights. Both require minimal space and can be directionally focused on the area of the attic in need of the most illumination.

Be color conscious
Though an attic bedroom is a great way to effectively utilize a home’s space, the dimensions are generally very different from other bedrooms. Sloped ceilings and smaller square footage can make the room feel smaller than it actually is. However, good color selection, like using a light or cool colored paint on the walls will help open up the room, and make it feel much larger than it is.

Monochromatic color schemes of soft shades of blue or green can make an attic bedroom look larger, feel cleaner and evoke a relaxed environment. One trick to make the room feel even larger is to utilize a color palette that has a slight gloss to it. Because a true semi-gloss can be a bit too reflective, companies like Pratt & Lambert (www.PrattandLambert.com) are now offering a “satin” finish to its paint. Satin has a subtle gloss to it that will help create the illusion of light in a small room like an attic bedroom.

Furniture that fits
Though most people would love to have a comfy couch next to their bed and a big armoire dresser and a standing floor to ceiling mirror in their rooms, it’s just not possible in a small space. When choosing furniture for an attic bedroom, utilize pieces that have clean lines and are not oversized.

Ornate detailing will clutter the room, and oversized pieces like dressers or armoires will decrease open walking space and make the room feel very closed-in. Consider getting a bed that has storage space underneath. This will allow you to neatly organize folded clothes, without the need for a standing dresser.

Also, make sure not to block any doorways or window areas with furniture. This will also make the room feel much smaller than it is.

For the floor
Generally, light colored wood flooring will provide the best aesthetics for making small spaces look larger, and will also be easier to clean than carpet. However, in an attic, footsteps on a wooden floor could be very distracting for the lower levels of the home. A good compromise is sturdy, short sheared carpeting.

Short, sheared carpeting will look clean, provide some additional insulation and can easily be treated to repel stains and spills. Since attic spaces are generally not as easily accessible, these are all important factors for easy maintenance.

It’s all worth it
For any homeowner, a major upgrade project like creating an attic bedroom has to have a solid return on investment. If you need more space for a growing family, an attic bedroom is an ideal way to turn storage space into livable space. And, if you plan on selling your home, attic upgrades have been shown to yield more than a 75 percent return.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Children crave the attention of their parents and need their affection more than they need the distraction of cartoons or video games, and the bonding that comes with regular family meals is a positive influence for them.

Want your kids to get the most out of your summer picnic? Just make sure there’s plenty of love on the menu.

Children crave the attention of their parents and need their affection more than they need the distraction of cartoons or video games, and the bonding that comes with regular family meals is a positive influence for them.

At My Best, a free school-based wellness program for children in kindergarten through grade three, created by AstraZeneca Canada in partnership with Physical and Health Education Canada, recommends a heavy dose of quality family time to help build self-confidence for young children.

Keeping kids healthy depends on a recipe combining healthy eating with regular exercise with plenty of parental attention on the side. Here are some fun tips when planning your next family picnic:

1. As a family, visit the local market and choose ingredients for a nutritious and delicious meal. Prepare a shopping list together ahead of time focusing on healthy ingredients.

2. Involve kids in the preparation. Let them wash the fruit and vegetables or prepare the salad.

3. After the meal, engage in some fun-filled family activities, like hide-and-seek or a game of tag.

The kids will feast on that experience for a lifetime.

A selection of fun and healthy family recipes can be found online at www.atmybest.ca.

www.newscanada.com

Also, visit Savvy Cafe for more on picnic ideas!

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Blue Corn

Streamers and brightly coloured balloons aren’t the only way to add some pizzazz to your social event. Hosts can complement their favourite food platters with an array of different hues and brighten up their guests’ snacking experience.

While many snack foods contain artificial dyes, there are several choices available to shoppers that come in a rainbow of naturally-occurring colours. Some interesting colour options are eggplant, purple or orange cauliflower, blackberries and red cabbage – those will certainly add a pop of colour to any plate. Also, corn is harvested in a variety of intriguing hues, such as blue, red, yellow and white. The rarest finds that are sure to impress your guests are blue-coloured foods.

Blueberries spring to mind but, otherwise, there are not many truly blue-coloured foods. Tostitos Blue Corn Tortilla Chips are made from real blue corn and contain no artificial colour. They offer a quick and easy way to jazz up traditional dishes, like chips and salsa, with a splash of unexpected colour. These blue hued chips can also be paired with a variety of sides, like guacamole and black bean dip, for an infusion of colour to impress your guests.

More information and easy recipes featuring Tostitos Blue Corn Tortilla Chips are available online at www.tostitos.ca.

www.newscanada.com

Also, you can get recipes for mini fajita bites and spicy yogurt cucumber dip using blue tortilla chips at Savvy Cooking.

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Some families will travel. Others will send the kids to recreational programs in a neighborhood park. For many, though, there are no planned activities. The kids will simply spend more time watching TV on the couch and playing computer games in their rooms.

But there is another option you may not have considered. Why not sign your kids up for summer camp?

At their recent annual conference, members of the American Camp Association (ACA) discussed some of the reasons today’s parents are not exploring that option as readily as their own parents did. Quoting Wendy Mogel, PhD, from her book, “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee,” and author Richard Louv in his articles about “Nature-Deficit Disorder,” ACA members identified a number of causes: over-protective parents; fears about their child’s safety, injury or teasing; fixation on materialism over nature; over-scheduling of sports, lessons and other programs near home; and tolerance of more and more video games, cell phones and hand-held computers.

Louv urges parents to restore childhood to the unplugged state of casual outdoor play that they may remember from their own youth but that few promote in their offspring. “It’s society’s whole attitude that nature isn’t important anymore,” says Louv, 56, who has two sons ages 17 and 23. He advises parents “to let kids be kids.”

In response to parents’ hesitation to look to a camp experience as a viable part of youth development, the ACA has introduced its “Partnering With Parents” campaign. It seeks to reassure parents that providing their children with a community of caring adults who will nurture experiential education will ultimately pay off by helping children build what the ACA calls the “Four C’s”: compassion, contribution, commitment and character.

“First and foremost, we want to provide a safe haven for learning, growing, relating and having fun,” says Sam Cote, executive director of his family-owned and operated twin camps, Camp Lincoln for Boys and Camp Lake Hubert for Girls. These camps, located on opposite sides of a pristine, spring-fed lake in the Brainerd Lakes area of north central Minnesota, have been providing a “North Woods Experience” for boys and girls for nearly 100 years. They attract children from all over the U.S. and several foreign countries.

“We specialize in building moments that create wonderful, lifelong memories,” Cote says. “But we also realize that such experiences help shape the future; we teach and reflect qualities that help build a better world. The kids pick that up by osmosis, though; they are too busy having fun, experiencing new sports and activities, and making lasting friendships to know that they are learning or relearning values that will remain with them into adulthood.”

There are many accredited ACA camps providing just about every kind of camp experience for all ages and for various periods, costs and locations. At Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert, for instance, children between the ages of 8 and 17 are accepted into programs of 2, 4 or 8 weeks with the cost starting at $2,000.
“Camp is a special place for fun and exploring the real, the genuine and the non-artificial,” says Cote. “It’s a shame that so many youth today are not being given this tremendous opportunity.”

For years, campers’ parents have reported that when their children return home from camp they are more caring, understand the importance of giving, are more equipped to stand up for what they know is right, and are willing to be more responsible. These are qualities that will help build a successful nation and a civil society.

Parents interested in more information on summer camps can contact the American Camp Association at www.acacamps.org . (Hit the “Find a Camp” button.) For more information on Camp Lincoln/Camp Lake Hubert, call (800) 242-1909 or visit its Web site at: www.lincoln-lakehubert.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Spike Mendelsohn, executive chef and owner of Good Stuff Eatery, enjoys cooking with Vidalia onions.

(ARA) – Maybe it was helping your grandma with her favorite summer recipe or shopping with your mom at the market when the first shipment of the season arrived. No matter the memory, Vidalia onions are as versatile and delicious today as they were back then.

Vidalia onions are the original sweet onion. They are only grown in a small region in southeast Georgia and are only available in the spring and summer. Forget about the strong flavor of red and white onions that often leave odors in the kitchen for days. The sweet, mild taste of Vidalia onions makes them a great addition to any summer recipe.

“Vidalias have always been one of my favorite additions to warm-weather recipes,” says “Top Chef” season five contestant Spike Mendelsohn. “Then, when my sister married a Vidalia native, I got to go down for their engagement party and see first-hand how much care the farmers put into their crop.”

“When my family and I were thinking of what type of restaurant to open, we kept coming back to our favorite meals. Burgers, shakes, fries and Vidalia onion rings! What’s better?” says Mendelsohn, who is executive chef and owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C. He shares a favorite family Vidalia recipe from his brother-in-law:

Cliff’s Homegrown Vidalia Onion Petals

Vidalia onions make a perfect addition to summertime favorites like burgers.

Ingredients for the onion petals:
4 Vidalia onions, cut into quarters
4 cups batter (recipe follows)
Canola oil for deep-frying
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients for the onion petal batter:
(This can be made one day in advance.)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch black pepper
Pinch ground cayenne
1 cup beer
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:
To prepare the onion petal batter, sift 2 cups flour, salt, paprika, brown sugar, Old Bay seasoning, cumin, black pepper and cayenne into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the beer, buttermilk and egg. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients, and whisk to prevent lumps. Refrigerate until needed. Line a metal tray with paper towels.

Heat about 3 inches oil in a large skillet until it reaches 350 F on a candy thermometer. To prepare the onion petals, toss the onions in a bowl with 1 cup flour, coating them well, and shake off the excess. Pour the batter into another bowl, and dip in the petals to coat well. Slowly add the petals one by one into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook until golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the petals, and drain them on the paper towels. Season the petals with salt and pepper while still hot. Serve immediately.

“I suggest serving these with a homemade basic mayonnaise or a horseradish mayonnaise for a bit of zip,” says Mendelsohn. “These onions are also great in soups, salads, sandwiches, salsas, sauces — the list goes on and on. Just be sure not to miss them as the growing season is short.”

Share your own pleasant memory of cooking with Vidalia onions and your favorite family recipe with the famous sweet treat and you could win some cash. Enter the Vidalia Onion Committee’s “Sweet Times with Vidalias Recipe Contest” from May 1 to Aug. 14. To enter, visit www.VidaliaOnion.org or join the fan page on www.facebook.com. Entries must be submitted online along with a memory or short story about cooking with Vidalia onions.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Not too sweet, not too tart. Pink and Blueberry Lemonade is just right.

(ARA) – Summer brings warm weather, a break from school and endless hours spent outdoors with friends and family. Summer is also a time for good eating, with farmer’s markets and roadside stands brimming over with the fruits and berries of the season. Locally grown blueberries are available in most areas of the country and from all reports, this year’s supply is excellent.

Blueberries are the perfect grab ‘n’ go snack for active families, combining the best that nature has to offer: good nutrition and luscious flavor. A cup of blueberries has just 80 calories and is an excellent source of vitamin C, a good source of fiber and manganese, an essential mineral our bodies need every day. Blueberries also contain antioxidants that may contribute to good health. But there’s no need to clue the kids into the nutrition benefits of blueberries when they’re so much fun to eat.

A great summer family activity is blueberry picking at a local farm. Look for nearby pick-your-own farms or, if the drive is a bit longer, make a day trip out of it. Kids of all ages can get in on the action since blueberries grow on bushes within arm’s reach.

Once you get your berries home — whether from the farm or the supermarket — refrigerate in a covered container or the plastic packs they came in. A quick rinse just before using and they’re ready for action. They never need to be peeled, pitted, stemmed or chopped.

A breakfast featuring fresh blueberry pancakes is certain to be a hit. Use your favorite pancake recipe or a prepared batter and simply drop a few blueberries onto the pancakes as they cook in the pan, before flipping them over.

For a lazy summer afternoon refresher, make a tall pitcher of “Pink-and-Blueberry Lemonade.” The pink color of the lemonade happens completely naturally with the addition of a few blueberries to the fresh lemon juice and sugar. This lemonade treat can be even more fun with long spoons to pull out and eat the blueberries that float in the glass. If you don’t have fresh blueberries on hand, this special lemonade works just as well with frozen blueberries.

And throughout the year, you can surprise the kids with blueberry ice cubes to add to lemonade, apple juice or fruit punch. Just drop blueberries into an ice cube tray, cover with water or juice and freeze.

You can find more blueberry recipes and information, including a list of u-pick farms, at www.blueberrycouncil.org.

Pink and Blueberry Lemonade

1/3 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
1/2 cup lemon juice

In 1-quart glass measuring cup, combine sugar, 2 tablespoons of the blueberries and 1/2 cup water. Microwave on high until hot, about 1 minute; stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and enough water to make 1 quart; chill. Fill tall glasses with ice cubes, add chilled blueberry mixture and remaining berries, dividing equally. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Yield: 1 quart or 4 (8-ounce) servings

Per serving: 94 calories, 25 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, 20 mg vitamin C

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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