L@H September 2013 by Times Union Magazines

September 2013

The Cutting Edge

The best knives and how to care for them

If Walls Could Talk Why your homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past matters today

DIY Time!

Tips to save those old photos

Modern Living

River life in Rexford

The LED Revolution The Future of lighting is here today Neo

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Suspense

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Life@Home is published monthly. If you are interested in receiving home delivery of Life@Home magazine, please call (518) 454-5768 or e-mail magcirculation@timesunion.com. For advertising information, please call (518) 454-5358. Life@Home is published by Capital Newspapers and Times Union 645 Albany Shaker Rd, Albany, NY 12212 518.454.5694 The entire contents of this magazine are copyright 2013 by Capital Newspapers. No portion may be reproduced in any means without written permission of the publisher. Capital Newspapers is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hearst Corporation.

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Contents Home

In Every Issue 10 12 14 20

Talk Back On the Web Editor’s Note Window Shopping

In This Issue 24 Comfortably Modern A river house with the perfect sunroom

36 A Cut Above

Getting the most from your kitchen knives

40 If These Walls Could Talk Why you should know your house’s past … and keep track of its present

42 Think Like a Designer ... And take your home to the next level!

Features September 2013

September 2013

18 Home Life

An appreciation for entropy

Life@Home | Ideas and Inspiration for Living

The Cutting Edge

30 Design Defined

The best knives and how to care for them

If Walls Could Talk Why your home’s past matters today

DIY Time!

Tips to save those old photos

www.timesunion.com/lifeathome

Modern Living

River life in Rexford

Yes, comfort really does matter

32 Problem Solved Modernizing a modest kitchen

34 DIY Diva

50 Down the Garden Path

46 Living Green

53 10 Ways to ...

49 Refurnished Living

54 Dollars & Sense

Making old photos bigger and better Going green at home Consider the street sign

The perennial that keeps on giving

Get motivated to move On-the-go on a shoestring

57 Tech Tips

Homework apps!

On the cover: Photo by Philip Kamrass  timesunion.com/lifeathome | 7

JOIN US!

Saturday September 28, 2013 10:00 AM A 5K event committed to helping those in the Capital Region living with brain, head, and neck cancerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; over $175,000 raised since 2009. USATF sanctioned and certified. Register to RUN, WALK or DONATE at:

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ALL Proceeds (including registration fees) go to The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region for the Capital Region Special Surgery Race for Hope Fund.

Contents Life

In This Issue 65 Stay-at-Home Students

Homeschooling in the Capital District

78 Getting Crunchy

Granola earns a reboot

82 One Skein? No Problem! Crochet projects using very little yarn

Features 63 Help Me ...

Make it a smooth start to school

69 Kitchen Crumbs

Tasty tidbits to brighten up your cooking

70 Dish

Cooking with Dora Swan and Peter Kenyon

74 Table@Home

Where salad and soccer intersect

76 The Vineyard

More adventures on the rosé roundabout

85 My Space

Brandon Russ’s favorite space

86 Photo Finish

A purple bench on a garden path

70 timesunion.com/lifeathome | 9

 Talk Back

The story behind the story ... from our contributors Read below about what our contributors learned while working on this month’s edition of Life@Home.

Homework Apps

John Adamian

Brianna Snyder In high school I used to have futuristic fantasies about bringing my laptop to class. It just seemed so much neater and organized than my spiral notebooks and binders. But that was unheard of then. Today, however, computers and technology are an integral part of the learning process, and I was so interested to learn about apps that let kids collaborate on projects, chat with their teachers, track their classes and keep on top of their homework. The future and its many inventions hold so many possibilities for students today. See Brianna’s story on page 57.

Phlox Fest Colleen Plimpton It’s difficult to contain my enthusiasm for the various types of perennial phlox. The name comes to us from the Greek meaning “flame” and indeed, this plant glows in the garden. From early spring to late summer, phlox supplies gardeners with a bevy of colorful, easy, fragrant, butterfly-attracting beauties. See Colleen’s story on page 50.

Knife Talk  Laurie Lynn Fischer Why does the Hibachi chef at the Japanese restaurant put on such an impressive show? Blades from the Far East have different cutting angles from Western ones, I discovered. I also learned from a master chef how to cut like a pro, care for knives and keep them keen. See Laurie’s story on page 36.

Think Like a Designer Kristi Barlette Complementary and matching are not the same thing. Just as you wouldn’t wear head-to-toe floral, all the furniture in a room shouldn’t be from the same collection. Also, mixing texture is as important as mixing patterns. See Kristi’s story on page 42.

We asked ... you answered Join the conversation! facebook.com/ lifeathomemagazine

There’s always something happening on Facebook. Click to add your two cents and enter contests.

10 | Life@Home

• Have you ever thought about naming your house? What’d you come up with? Joanne: I’ve named my house Timberwyck Manor. Pamela: I named one of my previous homes “Owls Haven.” I liked owls at the time and had owl decorations all over the house.

I was surprised to learn about the history of granola and muesli. I always thought people had been eating this stuff since whenever we started feeding oats to horses. The idea that each is only a little over 100 years old seems to suggest that our taste for cold cereal might have as much to do with being in a hurry and wanting to eat quickly in the morning as it does with health. See John’s story on page 78.

House Histories Wendy Page It really struck me when Dan Osborn of HouseFacks said that as buyers, most people spend more time researching a TV or a car than they do their house. As a seller, have a prelisting inspection before you put your house on the market even if it’s just to know what’s coming. Knowledge is power! See Wendy’s story on page 40.

Here’s what our readers said this month on Facebook.

• Got any good book recommendations for us?

• What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Lisa: The Light Between Oceans, What Alice Forgot, The Language of Flowers, Lipstick in Afghanistan.

Brigid: My daughter’s “Nia bridal shower” and SUNSHINE!

Carie: Elsewhere, Richard Russo Colleen: E.B. Sledge’s With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

• What’s your favorite flower? Denise: Russian Sage. Cynthia: Oh that’s a tough question. Peony perhaps.

ONLINE

Find more at timesunion.com/lifeathome Explore more content — photos, stories, recipes, videos and companion blogs — all in once place.

Cutting vegetable photo: Cultura/Zero Creatives/GettyImages.

PHOTOS Check out more photos online from this month’s @home feature, the Livingstones in Rexford. (Page 24)

STORIES The Empty Nest The kids are gone. Finally. Now celebrate!

VIDEOS

Mini-gardening

Learn how to make halibut en papillote, plus a video demonstration of the best knives and how to use them.

Terrariums and container gardens are all the rage. Check it out online.

LIFE@HOME ONLINE Pinterest

pinterest.com/ timesunionmags Like our photos? Follow us on Pinterest, where we pin all our original photography and more! 12 | Life@Home

Facebook YouTube

youtube.com/ TimesUnionMagazines Want to go beyond the pictures in the magazine? Check out our behind-the-scenes videos.

Life@Home Blogs timesunion.com/lifeathome

Follow our 518 blog for great local finds and our House Things blog for gems dug up around the Web.

facebook.com/ lifeathomemagazine

Like us! Join in our conversations! Win free stuff! And stay on top of all our latest stories and news.

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 Editor’s Note

Leftovers

Sometimes a little really means a lot

tip of e h t t s Ju rn ver ya o t f e l . my here .. g r e b e ic

ome people plan their meals just for the people who are going to be around the table. Others, like me, deliberately cook too much because that means that at least one night later that week all I have to do to make dinner magically appear on the table is take out a container, scoop whatever’s in there onto a plate and nuke it. Like walking in the door the day the cleaning people have been in my home, this dinner moment never loses its magic. Not all leftovers are equally wonderful. Some leftovers are an annoyance, an irritating reminder that you didn’t quite calculate your task correctly. The stuff that’s sitting there is a metaphorical fingershaking from your mother or grandmother. Why weren’t you more careful, the item seems to say. Now you’ve got all this waste. Waste was not an acceptable way of living in my house as a child. The daughter of two Depression-era parents, I was taught to use everything until it was completely empty — that bottle of dishwashing liquid? Add a little water at the end to make sure you’ve got every drop — and reuse whatever was possible. Part of my dishwashing duties invariably included washing out plastic bags and aluminum foil. Like many children, I initially rejected

some of these strategies the minute I moved into my first apartment. No plastic bags hanging to dry from my cabinets, thankyouverymuch! And, like many adult children who’ve reached mid-life and aren’t as concerned about the ways in which they might, in fact, be like their parents, I’ve reinstituted a few of those waste-not, want-not ideas in our household — with a 21st-century twist. Rather than washing plastic bags, we simply use reusable cloth ones. I still, however, harp about turning off the lights when you leave a room. This is a long way to explain why leftover yarn so annoys me — and why I have so much of it hanging around. Surely, something will come up for that one skein left over from Peter’s sweater or that half a skein from Maxine’s dress! It never does, of course ... and so the stash grows. Enter the One Skein series, which might more aptly be called the salvation series for yarn stashers. Thanks to these books — see our story on page 82 — leftover yarn will be a thing of the past in my house. And that’s great news. Not only will I assuage my yarn guilt, but soon I will have plenty of room for oodles of new yarn for projects to come. Now that’s magic. 

Janet Reynolds Executive Editor jreynolds@timesunion.com

Learn how to make these cute storage bins on page 82 14 | Life@Home

SIGNS OF THE SEASON!

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Furnishings  Gadgets  Décor

Home 17 – 60

Kitchen makeovers are easier than you think. Photo by Emily Jahn. Read more on page 32.  timesunion.com/lifeathome | 17

 Home Life

House Entropy E

18 | Life@Home

Here’s a month-by-month sampler:

JANUARY: A full shampoo bottle tumbles from the shower caddy and breaks the handle off the hot water lever.

FEBRUARY: The toilet clogs. My husband discovers a toy in there. It predates our residency. MARCH: The handle on the storm door seizes up. We can no longer get inside through the front door. APRIL: The ladybug invasion. We remind ourselves that they’re beneficial beetles. MAY: Large chunks of cinderblock crumble off the chimney that vents our furnace. JUNE: Our deck railing is a foot farther from the house than it was previously. To prevent the deck from slumping downhill and collapsing, my husband winches it onto the foundation. JULY: The back door to the kitchen has an interchangeable screen and storm window that slide up and down. The storm part gets stuck. SEPTEMBER: My son reaches up and accidentally bashes the overhead light fixture in the living room. The cover plate comes loose. Bulbs blow out.

OCTOBER: We chase a chipmunk around the living room and trap it beneath a clear plastic one-pound deli container, but it gets away. NOVEMBER: In the laundry room, something chews the arm off my favorite brown sweater and nibbles my son’s leather dress belt. We should have covered up the cat door leading to the basement after Gwynivere died. (See October.) DECEMBER: The dishes in the dishwasher are getting hot but not wet. Something has chomped through the water hose to the dishwasher. Beneath the dishwasher, in the cellar, water has poured onto the furnace’s expensive circuit board, frying it. It is naturally the coldest day of the year. JANUARY: High winds blow the railing off the back deck. We finally catch the chipmunk in a have-a-heart trap. Our high-efficiency washing machine takes over where Chippy left off. It starts eating holes in my son’s favorite maroon Abercrombie T-shirt, not to mention everything else. My husband says not to stuff the washer so full of clothes. For a year, we’ve been turning on the hot water in the upstairs bathtub with a jury-rigged piece of hardware. And remember that busted front door handle? We’re still using the kitchen door. What will it be next? Entropy. 

Photo: Image Source/GettyImages.

ntropy. Look it up on Wikipedia, and you’ll probably see a Google Earth satellite shot of my house. Entropy is a scientific term for the natural tendency of all matter to tend toward disorder. The concept helps me accept the chaos that continually threatens my abode. Trying to tame it seems an exercise in futility. Dishes and laundry keep piling up … and things keep breaking. My appreciation for entropy began soon after college, when I shared a funky old farmhouse. At one point, pouring scrambled eggs into a pan gave me an electric shock. The landlord replaced the stove. He was a lawyer. Another time, a woodchuck awoke me. It must have entered through the basement. Wielding a tennis racquet, I chased it downstairs and out the door. The farmhouse my family shares now is nicer. The propane stove couldn’t zap anyone if it tried, although it did recently run out of fuel, creating an unpleasant aroma. We haven’t noticed any groundhogs inside either, but a few rodents — some small, some not so small — have periodically joined us. Occasionally, little black rubber doohickeys turn up. They might have fallen off of something important — exactly what only becomes clear after they’re tossed out. It seems as if no sooner do we get one thing fixed than something else breaks.

By Laurie Lynn Fischer

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 Window Shopping

Shop Smart Shop Local In each issue, Window Shopping highlights interesting and unique items available at area stores. This month we visit the vehicle-free shopping experience of Jay Street in Schenectady. Photos by Krishna Hill

Stone Pipe Lamp Celtic Cake Plate A charming ceramic piece by Grasslands Road. $52.99 at Lennon’s Irish Shop.

Two-piece Conversation Couch This Henredon piece seats up to four in cool 1960s-era style. Each component is 22" x 30"; 60" long when you put them together. Set, $250. Available at Vintage Art.

20 | Life@Home

From Catskill Mercantile, this conversation starter stands 23" tall and features metal base with craft paper shade. $175 at the Gallery of New York Folk Art.

Amish Bent Willow Rocker Desk Clock A plug-in timepiece boasting ornate 1930s-era metal. $300 at Vintage Art.

Woodworking at its finest, by artist Sam Byler. $210 at the Gallery of New York Folk Art.

Handwoven Wool Pillow A perfect companion, by artist Colleen O’Connor. $35 at the Gallery of New York Folk Art.

Celtic Cross A large stone piece (26.5" x 15.5") suitable for garden or lawn. $250 at Lennon’s Irish Shop.

Featured stores Lennon’s Irish Shop

Vintage Art

The Gallery of NY Folk Art

164 Jay Street, Schenectady (518) 377-0064

175 Jay Street, Schenectady (518) 618-9593

129 Jay Street, Schenectady (518) 346-7008

continued on 22 timesunion.com/lifeathome | 21

 Window Shopping continued from 21

Our Bloggers Shop

ONLINE

To stay in our bloggers’ design loop 24/7, go to timesunion.com/lifeathome.

Are you a design and décor junkie? We’ve got your fix at timesunion.com/lifeathome. And check out this month’s picks from our local and national bloggers. There’s more where these came from!

House Things

Home Décor@518

By Brianna Snyder

This Trenton Suitcase Chest is rustic, with “vintage-inspired details,” according to worldmarket. com, who sells this pretty piece. This luggage look is pretty popular these days — if Pinterest is any indication (and it is) — and this

22 | Life@Home

is a stylish way of imitating the stacked-suitcases-as-furniture look. Made with bonded leather and faux buckle drawer pulls, this set of drawers perfectly mimics suitcases but quadruples their functionality. $549.99 at worldmarket.com.

By Valerie DeLaCruz

Want a sustainable floor product but don’t like the contemporary look of bamboo? Take a look at this hand-scraped eucalyptus strand floor and tell me it doesn’t look as gorgeous as walnut! Created by cold-pressing the strands to form blocks similar to railroad ties that are then milled into 5" x 47" planks, they install quite easily as a floating floor and have

no VOCs or formaldehyde for offgassing. With a lifetime structural and 35-year finish warranty, this flooring product is not only eco-friendly and non-allergenic but has a lasting beauty too. Find the full line of Ecofusion flooring products at Green Conscience Home & Garden at 5 Spring St., Saratoga Springs. Call (518) 306-5283 or visit green-conscience.com.

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Comfortably Modern A river house with the perfect sunroom

By Brianna Snyder | Photos by Philip Kamrass

he sunroom in Linda Livingstone’s Rexford house takes your breath away when you walk into it. It’s that gorgeous. Not that the rest of the house isn’t stunning (it is). But, oh… this sunroom. Looking directly out over the Mohawk River, the walls of windows, bright furniture and deep, dark bookshelves make a lovely little cove; Livingstone says her husband, Jim, calls it her Princess Room. “That’s my favorite room,” she says. “I’m on the computer, I’m reading. I love it.” Livingstone is a retired VP of finance and operations at The Ayco Company, and has always had a passion for interior design. Though she’s never done interior design professionally, “I did do a lot of regional office planning and layout as part of the operations part of the job” at Ayco, she says. “I’ve been interested in design since I was probably 15 years old.” And it shows. Livingstone’s house, which was built in 1970 and bought

by Jim in 1980, is full of interesting and unusual art fair and market finds. Twisted, abstract glass and metal structures and pieces adorn mantels and walls. Downstairs, two overlapping rows of metallic pieces shaped like rounded horseshoes hang on a deep-orange wall. In the sunroom, the walls are painted in broad geometric patterns — big, intersecting squares. In fact, the whole house seems informed by geometry, and Livingstone

 Linda and Jim Livingstone

timesunion.com/lifeathome | 25

Livingstone calls her vision for her home “comfortably modern.” agrees she’s drawn to contrasting shapes. Along the downstairs bar and on the outside wall below the deck, Livingstone pieced together broken bits of tile — a painstaking project that took several days of tile-breaking and tile-attaching, but she loves those kinds of projects, she says. “I used to work 12-hour days. I need to always be doing something.” Livingstone says her vision for her home is what she likes to call “comfortable modern.” Helping her realize this vision is her longtime friend and local designer Denise Maurer, of Denise Maurer Interiors in Troy, and Betsy Mattice, of Elizabeth Rae Interiors in Bethlehem, both of whom have done work in Livingstone’s house. continued on 28

26 | Life@Home

timesunion.com/lifeathomeâ&#x20AC;&#x2021; |â&#x20AC;&#x2021; 27

continued from 26

“A part of my vision is I can’t leave a place undecorated,” Livingstone says. And it’s true. Every corner of the home has a flourish — with restraint; nothing is cluttered or overbearing. As for the “comfortable” in “comfortable modern”? The home has at least half a dozen places to sit and socialize: the sunroom, the sunken living room, the basement, the downstairs patio, the upstairs patio, the 28 | Life@Home

Above, Linda shattered tiles to make this wall on the underside of the bar stand out. Right, if you look closely, you’ll see the windowsills are granite — an interesting, elegant idea.

ONLINE

For more photos, go to timesunion.com/lifeathome.

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pool patio, the other downstairs patio. And that’s good, because Linda and Jim have nine grandchildren among their four grown kids, so their riverside home is the go-to place for parties, reunions and get-togethers. So what’s next? The downstairs bathroom, says Livingstone, who wants to enlarge the shower. And the master bedroom needs a new floor. Livingstone’s looking to get

rid of the carpet and install heated, hardwood floors, just as she has done in the kitchen. (She uses Dan Rogers, of CAT Flooring in Altamont, for all her hardwood-flooring needs; “We call him Dan the Floor Man,” she says.) Livingstone says she’ll probably never be finished working on the house. “I love to repurpose things,” she says. “You can paint anything. You can give it a new life. 

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 Design Defined

Comfort

Really Does Matter By Lucianna Samu | Photo by Mark Samu

t’s sound design practice to buy a chair because it’s comfortable. But when we get swept away by the turn of a leg, the drop of a skirt or the feel of a luscious fabric before we actually sit on a chair, this logical approach is easier said than done. Living as I do in the equivalent of a design test laboratory, giving in to a whimsical chair purchase just because I liked the slipcover, seemed worth the risk. My intention was to give this chair a chance; let it “grow” into a level of comfort it lacked at the start. As is my habit when I personally make a design mistake, I’m ready to disclose the pros and cons of buying a chair based solely on how it looks while ignoring entirely the glaring reality that it was — and remains — the most uncomfortable chair I’ve ever owned. Let’s begin with the frame, or what is essentially the foundation of all upholstered furniture. High-quality solid wood frames have weight to them, and testing for this is simple. At the back leg, lift one side of the chair off the floor. Unless you’re very fit, crouching over to raise a chair 10 inches will make you think any chair is heavy. But as you lift one side, if the opposing leg stays on the floor, you’ll know for certain that the chair is heavy. My chair is very light, light enough, in fact, for a child to make use of it as a dumbbell of sorts — never a good sign. When any chair lifts easily from the back, it’s a sure bet the chair will scoot back just enough to startle the uninitiated as they lower themselves into it. Because the

30 | Life@Home

chair failed the heavy test, I added rubber feet under the legs to prevent the chair from flying across the hardwood floor. It’s not a perfect situation because it raises the height of the entire chair. So this little quick fix exacerbated the next all-important measurement we assign to quality seating — the height of the seat. Chairs sit higher, in general, than a good sofa, and a reliable standard for both is 19 1/2” above the floor. If the seat is too high, a person of average height will not have the proper bend of the knee or “squarefootedness” once seated. Dangling feet, or heels above the floor when seated, causes

that nasty ache in the small of the back. A stool can help, as will a small pillow for more lumbar support. Both remedies compromise the result, adding another layer of complexity to what is for all practical purposes a required measurement. This is further complicated because getting past the footstool means reaching before settling in, and, once settled, the slope of the arm is ever so slightly lower than usual. I added another accessory — a throw — to raise the arm height. While now easier to lean on the arm of the chair in order to get seated, this move causes the already flighty, lightweight and too-high chair to move just

enough to compromise what should be the perfectly natural event of sitting down. Rubber feet, a throw, a pillow and a stool — my pretty little chair is now sporting a lot of accessories, and all this stuff is more than your average visitor is prepared for. There it is then, still looking smart but still unforgivably uncomfortable. The seat is too high, the arm is too low, and the chair is too light. What more could be wrong? Plenty. My chair has, by all appearances, a nice deep cushion. It’s a foam cushion, so stiff it lifts at the corners when someone is seated. Of course few people actually ever sit on my lovely experimental chair. Instincts prevail when comfort is in question.

visual experience. My final experiment will be to remake the too-high and toostiff cushion, replacing the unforgiving foam with a suitable new-age foam and down combination. The luxury of horsehair fill is no longer attainable, and goose down is too expensive to risk for this already lengthy experiment. Chairs made up with synthetic blends or eco-friendly down-alternative cushions are the standard for mid- to highpriced furniture, a category my pretty chair has yet to achieve. High quality foam alone is not necessarily an inferior cushion filling, and will often soften in time. But a crazy stiff cushion like mine, lacking any poly wrap or down additive, is not likely to ever soften up to any level of comfort.

“

Giving in to a whimsical chair purchase just because I liked the slipcover seemed worth the risk.” Here at my home-turneddesign-decision lab, I have another arbiter of good taste and comfortable design who will point out when my instincts are on the skids. His name is not important; it’s his honesty I rely on, and every single time my very best, unapologetically honest unnamed friend makes his way onto my uncomfortable chair, he delivers his assessment with a now predictable sigh of frustration. “It’s horrible,” he says, and I sheepishly reply, “ I know.” But I’m on a mission, to turn an uncomfortable chair into an OK chair at least. The freshly starched slipcover never gets noticed. Comfort, I’ve learned, is not a

This brand-new chair has brought a lot of fuss. Once I take the cushion to the upholstery man to transform the seat, which I have no doubt can be done, I will have done all I can. Whether this final fix will turn my impulsive chair purchase into a family favorite remains a mystery. Still, I’m not quite ready to part ways, even though it’s cost me much more in time and toil than a higher-quality chair would have at the start. It’s been an interesting learning experience to unravel the intrinsic luxury we perceive as comfort, when ergonomics and quality come together to surpass all the pretty every time. 

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 Problem Solved

AFTER

Back Country Modernizing a modest kitchen

By Brianna Snyder “After” photos by Emily Jahn

SOLVED

PROBLEM When Leanne Goldberg first moved into her house in Alpaus nine years ago, her kitchen had “white vinyl floors, which were all dirty, blue laminate countertops, and a blue tile backsplash with like dried flower tiles that were so not me,” Goldberg says. The kitchen had a dated country look to it (“like it had gingham curtains”). “It was very country, but not in a good way,” she says.

TOP TIP

“Believe in yourself. You can do it!,” says Goldberg. “Everyone can do it. You just take the

time and learn on the Internet if you need to. But my top tip for someone trying to do it by themselves like I did is believe in yourself.”

32 | Life@Home

BEFORE

It took a few years, but little by little Goldberg, who runs a decor business called Project Decor Consulting, redid her kitchen. First, she added knobs and pulls to all the cabinets and drawers (which had none), and then she added Corian countertops, a new backsplash, new flooring and repainted all the cabinets. She also built a storage cabinet to augment the modest kitchen. “I go for very clean and modern,” Goldberg says. “Country isn’t really my thing. It has to be very modern. And it has to be clean and uncluttered. Streamlined.” 

 DIY Diva

Photo Restoration Making old photos bigger and better Story and photos by Megan Willis

All of your gorgeous photos don’t have to stay their original tiny size or be relegated to shoe boxes and photo albums. Nor do they have to cost you a fortune in restoration. It’s fairly easy to blow up your images to fit larger frames and reprint them on your computer. Here’s how.

You’ll need: • A scanner and a printer • A ruler • Photo-editing software, like Picasa (which is free) or PowerPoint • 8 ½ x 11” sheets of photo paper. Get the kind you can print on both sides. High gloss is best if you are not framing; if you are, it doesn’t matter. • Picture frame and mat (optional)

Scan your photo using the highest resolution or best quality you can. These settings are often found in the “advanced” or “custom” settings.

Crop, edit and enlarge. You can use free photo-editing software such as Picasa, which has an “I’m Feeling Lucky” button that does a bunch of great autocorrections. PowerPoint is another option and can be simpler if you are looking for a quick and easy way to edit, size and print your photos all in one place.

Always select highest quality. When scanning, exporting from Picasa,

and in your printing menu, look for these settings every step of the way.

Measure and test-print twice. Don’t use your photo paper until the end. It will take a few tries to get things how you like and don’t go by how it looks on screen.

A note about picture quality. The bigger you blow up the picture, the blurrier it will get, but the joy you’ll get from your bigger images of your auntie laughing in her horn rims just might be worth a little blurred vision. 

Megan Willis has a life-long passion for turning trash into treasure. Her blog, The Davenport Chronicles, can be found at blog. davenport.com.

34 | Life@Home

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A Cut Above

Getting the most from your kitchen knives

36â&#x20AC;&#x2021; |â&#x20AC;&#x2021;Life@Home

By Laurie Lynn Fischer

Knives Illustration by Emily Jahn. Photos: hanging knives, Mark Bolton/GettyImages; Wusthof knive courtesy Wusthof.

hey’ve given humans an edge since the Stone Age. What are the best knives nowadays, what’s the proper way to care for them and how can you safely chop a carrot into 30 pieces in 5 seconds flat? Here’s what local experts say. “A lot of people like stainless-steel knives, because they don’t rust,” says Albany High School teacher Barry Davis, owner of Davis Custom Knives. “Go in the back room of any butcher shop and they’ll be using carbon steel. It’s softer and more flexible. It will rust, but you can protect it with oil and sharpen it easily.” Western knives have a 16- to 20-degree blade angle, while sharper Asian knives have an 11- to 16-degree angle, says Michele Weiser, manager of Different Drummer’s Kitchen in Stuyvesant Plaza. Wüsthof knives from Germany are her favorite. European knives are wider and “more allpurpose” than Asian knives, Weiser says. “There’s really nothing I can’t do with it,” she says. “I buy chickens and cut them up myself. I would never do that with an Asian knife because that would probably chip it. An Asian knife is like a razor — very thin, and very, very sharp, but also a bit more fragile. If I want a paper-thin slice, my Asian knife will slice much better. The first time I got my Shun knife, I took it home and cut an onion. There was no resistance. It was like cutting butter.” “I like Wüsthof because it’s a smaller

company,” Weiser says. “It’s been in the same family for eight generations. The higher-end Wüsthof knives are fully forged, not stamped, so they’re better made.”

Your arsenal This basic knife set originates from French cuisine, says Brough:

KNIFE ANATOMY A knife’s tip is the point area, explains David Brough, dean of Schenectady County Community College’s School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism. The heel is at the opposite end, the cutting edge is the sharp section of the blade, the spine is its back, the handle is the grip, and the tang is the metal part that penetrates the handle, he says.

KNIFE KINDNESS Knives last longer if you rinse them, dry them with cloths, don’t set them in puddles and avoid dishwashers, says Weiser. Never toss a naked blade in a drawer; instead, use a sheath, a wooden knife block or a wallmounted magnetic strip, she says.

NIFTY KNIVES Besides these essentials (see right), many specialized knives are sold. OXO Professional Knives feature soft-grip handles. Dishwasher-safe, Easi-Grip knives are designed for the disabled with a perpendicular handle and blade. Electric carving knives have been around for decades. “There aren’t any good ones on the market,” Weiser says. “If you get cut with an electric knife, it’s really an issue. If you get cut with a good sharp knife, it heals.”

continued on 38

Wüsthof is a brand of knives forged in Solingen, Germany.

Chef’s (Cook’s) This 8-inch go-to knife can be sized to the hand.

Boning (Utility) Removes flesh from bones. It’s 6 inches long, and slender, with an understated heel.

Filet Designed for fish, it’s thin & flexible.

Paring A small knife for tasks like apple peeling.

Slicing Used with a roasting fork, this long blade shaves thin slices off ham, turkey or roast beef. It comes with a honing wand called a steel.

Bread It’s long & serrated.

timesunion.com/lifeathome | 37

ONLINE

continued from 37

For a video demonstration on different knives and how to use them, go to timesunion.com/ lifeathome, or scan the QR code at left.

GET A GRIP How should you hold a knife? Watch the rumble scene in West Side Story, says Brough. “You want the grip that gives you the most stamina,” he says. “With the pad of your thumb and index finger, pinch the sides of the blade at the base where it meets the handle. Wrap your hand around the handle, similar to a tennis backhand grip. Get your palm on the back of the handle — not the side of it — or you’ll have no leverage. You want your elbow and shoulder behind your push. You get much more control and endurance holding the blade than just the handle.” Extending the index finger along the spine is a common mistake that results in “no control,” he says.

Knife pointers Here are 10 tips from Dave Brough, dean of Schenectady County Community College’s School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism.

6. Never talk with your hands while gripping a knife.

1. Keep knives sharp. Dull ones can slip, causing accidents.

7. When passing a knife to someone, present the handle first with the spine of the blade facing your palm.

2. One item at a time on the cutting surface!

8. Clean your cutting surface with salt and diluted bleach.

3. Place a bar mat, wet cloth or paper towel beneath your cutting board so it won’t slide.

9. Color-code cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination.

4. Place food flat-side down when cutting. 5. When walking, hold the knife tip-down, at your side.

10. Butchers wear protective, washable cutting gloves on their nonknife hands. If desired, you can too. Gourmet stores sell them.

SPIDER HAND Save the fingertips of your other hand. Point them downward while steadying whatever you’re cutting. Place your pinky and thumb outside the object, with your middle fingers on top. Press the blade against your fingers, using your knuckles as a guide, Brough says.

MAKING THE CUT

Photo: penguenstok/GettyImages.

Precision knife cuts can make a dish, Brough says. Keep the tip touching the cutting board; it’s safer if someone knocks into your arm, he says. “You’re pushing and pulling, not lifting and chopping,” he explains. “Every time you push, you cut. When you draw back, you lift the heel. Your hand lifts and makes a circular motion, like the rod on the wheel of a locomotive. Once you get a rhythm going, it looks like a swan eating.” 

Staying sharp I once watched marine biologists dissect a 40-ton humpback whale. One of them sliced; the other sharpened. Every couple of minutes, they exchanged knives. How can you keep a keen edge? Some professional sharpeners make house calls. One regularly visits the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany. 38 | Life@Home

Slide-through grooved sharpeners for home use aren’t ideal, says Castleton-onHudson knife-maker Barry Davis. “There’s not one golf club that’s good for the whole course,” he says. “A knife is the same. It’s critical to get the angle right.” Chef Dave Brough recommends a threesided sharpening stone, an Internet tutorial and practice. With the stone on a table and

one hand on the knife’s spine, pull it slowly off the stone lengthwise, from tip to handle, he explains. Progress from the coarse to the fine surface, using the same amount of pressure and an equal number of long strokes on both sides of the blade, he says, and never sharpen a dirty knife or you risk infecting the sharpener with bacteria.

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Truth is, I never did get around to replacing that 10-year-old hotwater heater …

I traded in those old

galvanized pipes

If These

Walls

Could Talk … Why you should know your house’s past … and keep track of its present

40 | Life@Home

By Wendy Page

f your home’s walls could talk to prospective buyers, what would they say? Would they tell a rich history of past owners dating back to the 1800s? Would they tell the buyer that the water heater is eight years past its expiration date? People love stories, and discovering the story behind your (possibly) historic house could help a buyer feel a connection to it. It can help financially, too, if you uncover a historically significant fact and are interested in selling it. Research into the home’s past, combined with learning the nuts and bolts about how the house was built, will tell you how the house was — and should be — maintained. “In the teens and turn of century, electrical was different than today,” says house inspector Dan Osborn. “But appreciating that a home has a different system and doing something about it are two different things.” Knowing a house’s history can explain why

the closets are so small, but it helps more to know that “the old galvanized piping, found in older homes, has been updated to copper or plastic (PVC),” says Andrea Crisafulli Russo, owner of Crisafulli Bros. Especially in our history-rich Capital District, a house’s legacy can add to its value, though it’s difficult to place a price tag on it. “If this is the house where Herman Melville was born, that’s one thing,” says Ellen Gamache, local history librarian at the Albany Public Library. “If it was a prominent person from the 19th century who’s unknown, that’s another.” Gamache offers an example of how researching the history can benefit the homeowner: “With zoning problems, say there’s a home that’s been broken into a couple of flats, and they want to turn it into a single family home. You can trace it back to learn it was originally built as a single-family.” The library has reference books to guide you

Photos: house, The Power of Forever Photography/GettyImages; home journal by Wendy Page.

of mine for copper.

through the process, although Gamache says the best repository for records and documents is the Albany County Hall of Records. If you’re looking for a primer on how to research your house’s past, a good place to start is Historic Albany Foundation’s Director of Preservation Services Cara R. Macri’s presentation, “The Story of My House.” There she details how to research a house’s history by looking at maps, deeds, city directories and census records. “The Albany County Hall of Records, the library, assessment records. … All together, these can help tell the story of how the house has changed and of the people who lived there,” Macri says. “Building permits go as far back as 1904, so you can really get the people’s stories and the house’s story.” You may get a historic designation for the house; at the very least, you’ll have a narrative to pass on to the next owner.

ut telling your house’s story isn’t just for older homes. Savvy realtors suggest putting together a book to leave with new buyers. “What I try to convince the homeowners is to open a book and write down dates — about the roof, appliances, landscaping, everything,” says Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate/Tech Valley owner Miguel Berger. “There’s a trail and it’s easier to remember years later what you did.” For the seller, this trail is indispens-

able. “It would be good for sellers to have actual facts of what was done to the house,” Berger says. “Information is power. Any time you can justify anything done to your house — even the sprinkler system — you’ll know what you can expect [when selling]. As a buyer, if I go into a house and I see a manual, my comfort level will go way high.” Since nothing lasts forever, “keeping service records and knowing when the last time something was replaced are important pieces of information for someone buying your home,” agrees Crisafulli Russo. “The average hot-water heater gets 8 to 12 years, so [knowing] the last time you replaced it would be helpful to buyers.” Other important aspects to note concern the piping, sump pump and heating system. “These are things no one wants to plan for [at an inspection], so work it into your budget so it’s not a surprise,” she adds. “Drain cleaning is a huge piece. Gain any knowledge you can — learn if there’s a history of backups.” Osborn is continuously stunned that most people don’t know anything about the house they’re buying. “They spend more time researching the purchase of a TV or automobile than they do for the biggest investment of their lives,” he says. Osborn is such an advocate for pre-listing inspections that he started House Facks, a program designed to help the homeowner track the history

of his house forever. “The selling point is that the home inspector comes out every one to two years and documents on the report what’s been done to the house, what was wrong and what corrective measures the homeowner did,” he explains. “You can catch small defects before they become large defects.” The seller can share the home history report at HouseFacks.com, which “shows the prospective buyer the care you took with documenting everything that happened, and infers that you did take care of the house,” Osborn says. “It’s an investment to make sure your house is at the top of its market. I think that’s the most valuable thing a homeowner can do.” Or start your own journal, as I did. It began as a way to remember the paint colors and purchase dates of furniture, and evolved into updates on our water heater, appliances and so on. Do I update it religiously? I wish I could say yes. Rather, I turn to it when we make a home improvement or change a paint color. I also jot down who did the work. We don’t plan on leaving this house any time soon, but when we do, the new owners will have way more information than they’ll need, which can only be a good thing. Herman Melville may not have slept in my house, but I can explain why the entrance to the attic is hidden in my son’s bedroom closet. 

WHERE TO START YOUR HISTORICAL RESEARCH

WAYS TO TRACK YOUR HOME’S IMPROVEMENTS

In addition to visiting the county clerk and library, here are some places to trace the history of your home.

HouseFacks.com is one online method for tracking the history of your home. Other options include the MyLowe’s card, which contains your in-store Lowe’s purchase history, items you personally add to your profile, as well as a reminder system to keep up with maintenance of your products; online home maintenance log templates; and workbooks galore (check Amazon.com), with two of the most popular being The Home Owner’s Journal and The Home Owner’s Diary.

yy Albany County Hall of Records 95 Tivoli St., albanycounty.com yy Albany Institute of History & Art 125 Washington Ave., albanyinstitute.org yy Albany Public Library Albany Room, 161 Washington Ave., albanypubliclibrary.org yy Historic Albany Foundation 89 Lexington Ave., historic-albany.org

Keeping a home history journal is one way to create a knowledge base of information that can be passed on when you decide to sell.

yy New York State Library 222 Madison Ave., nysl.nysed.gov

timesunion.com/lifeathome | 41

Think Like a

Designer… And take your home to the next level! By Kristi Barlette

THINK COLOR. Many design consultations begin with the color on the walls. Walk through your home and think about what’s working and what isn’t. Ask yourself what’s important to you in a home. Many times a fresh color that works with your treasures is all that’s needed to completely change the look of a room, says Shannon McGivern, owner/operator at Secretary of the Interior in Delmar. McGivern says color theory plays a big part in her design decisions. Think about warmer colors in the “warm” places, such as the kitchen, living and dining rooms, and reserve the cooler colors for the bedrooms, offices, etc. A warm gold living-room color with cool teal colored couch cushions could work, or a cool sea-green-colored bath with rich and dark brown towels and accents make a nice contrast, she says. No matchy-match, adds McGivern. One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner makes when designing a room is fixating on “matches.” In fact, take that word right out of your vocabulary for this discussion. 42 | Life@Home

A room that contains perfectly matched elements falls flat to the eye — it has none of the contrast or zip so necessary for a pleasing scheme, McGivern says. Instead, think complementary colors, those colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. When you put complementary colors together, each makes the other color more vibrant and interesting. Think flow, advises Maggie Fromm, a design studio specialist at the Pottery Barn in Crossgates Mall. Are your decorations matchy-matchy or totally random with no purpose? Are you drawn to a certain color? Do the curtains coordinate with the area rug and throw pillows? (They should.) Does the sofa look completely out of place next to the table lamp and its shade? (It shouldn’t.)

THINK USE. Asking yourself how you use a space is key, says Jennifer Gargano, owner of Jennifer Gargano Interiors in Saratoga Springs. The answer to that question gives designers insight into how to specify the fabrics/pieces of furniture and more importantly how to improve the flow and performance of a space. That question can do the same for you. Do you have children and/or pets? If so, you need items that will be safe and also hold up to that lifestyle. A critical aspect of good design is application, Gargano adds. What good is a silk sofa when you have toddlers and cats?

THINK SMALL STEPS. An inspiration piece is all you need to get started on decorating your room, says McGivern. It doesn’t matter what it is; it could be a swatch of fabric, a pillow your grandmother embroidered or photos from design magazines. From there, take color cues from your inspiration piece. Fabrics work well for this because a designer has already coordinated the colors in that fabric for you, so you can take the smallest accent color in the fabric and use it as a wall color, an adjoining room color, or as inspiration to help you choose carpet or accessories. The inspiration piece narrows your focus and gives your design direction. The easiest, most affordable way to update any room’s look is to switch out three main elements: curtains, lampshades, and throw pillows (for a living room) or a tablecloth (for a dining room), says Fromm. For more involved and detailed projects, focus on one area at a time and complete each task one by one, rather than trying to tackle an entire area or home at one time. Set goals and deadlines; it will help you stay focused and on task. 

Photo: Gary Houlder/GettyImages.

e all have that one friend, or family member, whose home is magazine-perfect. When she mixes fabrics, the result is chic; when you give that a go, you get chintzy. She knows how to incorporate color without making the house look like a box of crayons and the furniture is the perfect blend of fashionable and functional. Everything just works. Her secret? Her best friend is a designer. Now, you can’t steal her friend, but you can steal the friend’s ideas — as well as the ideas from several other designers in the area. Incorporate some of these tips and you, too, will have visitors to your home oohing and ahhing as they come in the door.

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 Living Green

Think Global, Act Local Going green at home

By Cari Scribner

Here’s a sampling of Worldwatch tips to try:

SAVE ENERGY: • Use cold water to wash clothes whenever possible. Nearly 85 percent of the energy used to wash clothes in a washing machine goes to heating the water. • Hang clothing on a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy typically used by your dryer. • Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs. You won’t feel a significant difference, but the savings can be huge. • Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) promptly when your older incandescent bulbs burn out. • Unplug appliances when not in use. Or, use a smart powerstrip that senses when appliances are off and eliminates phantom energy use.

SAVE GAS: • Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay 46 | Life@Home

huge dividends in improving your health and reducing traffic. • Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs and boosts your cardiovascular health. • Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.

EAT SMARTER: • If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat is costly and even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.

• Buy locally raised, organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy. • Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain. This is especially true for seafood.

SAVE WATER: • Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. They’re inexpensive, conserve heat and water, and still keep water pressure high. • Plant bulbs this fall for droughttolerant native plants in your garden Photos: GettyImages. Woman with bicycle, Mike Kemp; local veggies, Digital Vision; drinking water, Dorling Kindersley.

very effort we make in our homes and businesses to reduce waste and protect the Earth helps pave the way for global change. Worldwatch Institute, an independent global research organization based in Washington, D.C., offers plenty of ideas that can easily be incorporated into your family’s regular routine. Worldwatch studies energy, resource and environmental issues, and then offers a forum for sharing ideas on how to go green and save green at home and at work.

next spring. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area. • Install a low-flow showerhead. They don’t cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.

SKIP THE BOTTLED WATER: • Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. • Bring a reusable aluminum water bottle with you when traveling or going to work.

THINK BEFORE YOU BUY: • Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you’ve just moved or are looking to redecorate, track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.

• Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items. • Make sure you know what will suit your needs long-term and what won’t. Avoid buying items that will need replacing in the near future. Your purchases have a huge impact on the environment and solid waste facilities.

BORROW INSTEAD OF BUYING: • Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, as well as the ink and paper that goes into printing new books. Or pass along books you’ve read to friends, who will appreciate the chance for a great read. • Share power tools and outdoor equipment. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbors while also cutting down on the number of gadgets cluttering your closet or garage.

• Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but there will be far less waste. Bonus: time saved that you’d spend shopping for new items.

KEEP ELECTRONICS OUT OF THE TRASH: • Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event. • Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible. • Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.  The EWG’s 2013 Guide to Sunscreens lists nearly 200 beach and sport sunscreens that meet their strict criteria. Products are listed by brand names. To check the list before you head into the sun, go to ewg.org/2013sunscreen

timesunion.com/lifeathome | 47

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Refurnished Living 

All Signs Point Here

By Alison Grieveson

With their bright colors and reflective properties, road signs make for a distinct and sturdy medium. A few designers are transforming this recycled material into everything from home accessories to jewelry.





he title of pioneer of this medium goes to Rhode Island’s Boris Bally who has been “exploring and designing with recycled traffic signs since the late ’80s when nobody even cared about recycling or green design.” Be sure to check out his website to see all of Boris’ work, which includes jewelry.

u Boris’ Transit Chairs (at right), like all his pieces are HUMANUFACTURED® (hand-fabricated, hand-pierced and brake

formed) and feature recycled champagne corks for feet! His Transit Tables (above) would make a statement in any room. Each measure 18" x 18" x 20". borisbally.com

 Designer Brett Coelho of Australia also works with this recycled material to create modern art pieces and a number of home goods such as these “Speed Lights.” Bonus: You’ll get to see signs you won’t see in the U.S.! brettcoelho.com.au

w To take advantage of the natural

 x

reflective qualities of road signs, cyclist Stephen Hartzler created these recycled street sign cuffs that would appeal to both men and women. $25. uncommongoods.com

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x Get your drink on with these colorful coasters. borisbally.com

y A bullet hole in a stop sign doesn’t deter designer Tim Delger. “I get a lot of satisfaction in presenting something with earned character in a new light. It forces you to consider beauty in an otherwise ignored object.” Case in point: this “No Left Turn” chair. timdelger.com 

Alison Grieveson is a graphic designer who enjoys exploring the greener side of the design and decorating industries. For more green tips, check out RefurnishedLiving.com. timesunion.com/lifeathome | 49

 Down the Garden Path

A Phalanx of Phlox The perennial that keeps on giving

Story and photos by Colleen Plimpton

et ready, get set, go! Despite what the weather says, it’s time to plan next year’s garden. Consult your memory (or better yet, that garden diary you’ve been keeping). What plants did especially well this year? What flopped? What do you want more of and what do you want to gleefully rip out? Walk around your plot of Mother Earth and take notes. As the cool of autumn takes hold, it will soon be prime planting time once more. And as you go through this exercise, I hope you’ll decide to put in additional perennial phlox. Most of us grow phlox paniculata, that visual thunderclap of the summer garden, but there’s a wealth of other types as well. Let’s take a look: Phlox stolonifera: This foot-tall perennial is native to Appalachian woodlands and spreads by stolons, thus the name. Its common moniker is tufted creeping phlox, differentiating it from phlox subulata,

50 | Life@Home

which we know as creeping phlox or moss pinks. In May phlox stolonifera flowers on short erect stems in hues of lavender, pink or white. While it lacks the central color band of moss pinks and is therefore more subdued, it’s much easier to grow. Given its preferred shady conditions, it forms a dense flowering groundcover that roots at the nodes and spreads laterally. Hardy to zone 3, its fragrant flowers attract butterflies. Use as cover for early spring bulbs, a border edging, to light up a shaded rock garden or to mark where the garden drifts off into the woods. I grow Bruce’s White, a blazing white that scrambles over a large outcropping in my shade garden. It receives little care, never mildews and blooms enthusiastically each year. If you desire more color try cultivars Sherwood Purple for port-wine blossoms and Home Fires for magenta pink. This phlox, like most, is super easy to propagate; just dig up a clump and place in its new home.

Phlox subulata, aka mountain pink, or moss pink: This miniature, semi-evergreen 6-inch tall phlox comes in yummy, Skittlesesque colors and prefers neutral soil in full sun. The needle-like foliage supports a bevy of flowers in spring. But it’s one I don’t grow. It never seems to like my soil or exposure and proceeds to die out in a year or two. But give it a whirl; we all have our garden talents and you may be successful where I am not. Phlox divaricata: If phlox stolonifera hugs, phlox divaricata hovers. Twice as high and twice as fragrant as its earlier brethren, Wild Sweet William lofts loose flat clusters of blooms in mid-May. At about 18 inches, this woodland phlox will create great drifts of color and issue clouds of perfume. It also will gradually reseed to cover a generous area. The flowering stems die after the three-week show, so if seedlings are not desired, cut the stems down. The subse-

Changing the Quality of Your Life Water Garden Design & Installation Complete Landscape Design & Installation Pondless Waterfalls • Seasonal Pond Maintenance quent emerging fresh foliage will happily act as a summer ground cover in the lightly-shaded garden. I grow London Grove Blue, but try May Breeze for swansdown white and Charleston Pink for prom-gown pink. Place this native beauty by a stream edge or anywhere in bright shade to almost full sun. Give it organic, moist soil. To prevent powdery mildew allow for good air circulation. Though phlox divaricata benefits from occasional fertilization, it is exceptionally simple to grow, and is a real show-stopper in bloom. What garden could be without airy, floriferous Wild Sweet William? Phlox paniculata, aka garden phlox: This butterfly-attracting, sweet-smelling perennial provides much-needed color in the late summer border. A backbone of the perennial patch, the cultivars vary in size from 18 to 48 inches and in color from purple to red to orange and pale pink and through to pure white. A strong grower, it will remain upright against punishing wind and rain. And it multiplies sumptuously every year. What’s not to love? Not much. Every garden should contain at least a stand of David, the pure glowing white cultivar that won the Perennial Plant of the Year award in ’01. Or Laura, with her winsome white eye in a deep pink flower. Or Robert Poore, a strong, regal purple. Like most other phloxes, Phlox paniculata is ridiculously easy to grow, requiring only sun, average moisture and room to

spread its wings. It’ll thrive in any good compost-amended soil, but do it a good deed and apply organic fertilizer in the spring. Divide when the bounty overruns the boundaries. While it makes a statement in any garden, there are a few cautions with garden phlox: • Watch for seedlings. A notorious cross breeder, phlox paniculata will set seed with abandon, resulting eventually in stands of magenta flowers across the garden. • Deer relish phlox paniculata at almost any stage of growth, especially in the spring and later in the season when in bud. Apply deer repellent once a week. • Powdery mildew is an unwelcome visitor. To prevent, plant phlox in good soil and grant adequate moisture. Concentrate on growing resistant cultivars such as the ones mentioned above and thin the emerging stalks in spring to allow good air circulation. Despite efforts, your phlox may sport some afflicted leaves. I’ve learned to live with it. Life isn’t perfect, and neither is phlox. A couple of other tips to growing phlox paniculata. To delay bloom and shorten a bit, whack off the top one-third of the plant during the “June Prune,” July 4 at the latest. And deadhead faithfully to keep the show going. Growing a plethora of phlox keeps your garden strutting its stuff from early spring to frost. Plan ahead, choose wisely and enjoy! 

Garden communicator Colleen Plimpton writes about, lectures on, teaches and coaches gardening. Visit her website at colleenplimpton.com

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10 Ways to …

Get Motivated to Move

Need some new workout songs?

By Melissa Fiorenza

here’s no shortage of excuses to skip the gym — too tired, too much work, too much else to do, blah blah blah. Even though we know the endless benefits that come from exercising, we’ve all been guilty of skipping a run for a pointless reason, right? Let’s make a pact: that stops now. We dug up 10 ways to get that extra push you sometimes need to get out the door. Try ’em all until you find the one — or the few — best for you.

Sleep in your workout clothes.

No, really. If you’re bent on becoming an early-to-rise exerciser, doze off wearing your gym tank or shorts (as long as they’re comfortable, of course). Then put everything else you need — sports bra, sneakers, socks — right next to your bed. When you wake up, you’ll be one step closer to getting out there.

Enlist a workout buddy.

Photo: Darryl Leniuk/GettyImages.

You’ll be more likely to show up for that morning run or afternoon gym class if you’re holding each other accountable. If you prefer to work out solo, make your goal public on Facebook or to your friends and family to get that same effect.

Write something directly on your sneakers …

… or gym bag that will inspire you to move every time you see them — like your upcoming wedding date or your goal weight.

Make exercise fun.

Working out doesn’t have to mean dumbbells and cross-country runs. Sign

Ask your Facebook friends what they listen to when they exercise. You’ll have a new playlist in no time.

up for a Zumba class, try your hand at hip-hop or bring out your inner ballerina. If you always loved playing with hula hoops as a child, check out HulaFit in Albany.

to getting motivated, we know, but as soon as you have a realistic goal in mind you may find yourself working toward it more than you thought you would.

The right playlist can be crucial.

Got a treadmill at home?

After a great workout session, write down how you feel,

or record your feelings on your smartphone. Perhaps you really didn’t want to exercise, but now that you did, you feel awesome and know it was worth it. Jot that down, so that the next time you’re about to ditch a run, you’ll have a reminder that you’re at least 30 minutes away from feeling good.

Running against the clock not motivating enough?

What if you were being chased by ... zombies? Download the “Zombies, Run!” app on your phone, an interactive game that gets you to speed up using virtual zombie chases. (It’s pretty genius.)

… such as the upcoming Turkey Trot in Troy. It doesn’t sound like the answer

Create one with songs that pump you up and make you want to move. That may be all you need for extra endurance.

If you’re lucky enough to have access to a machine with a TV nearby (or maybe use your iPad), toss the playlist and instead start marathoning an addictive TV show, such as Mad Men or Game of Thrones. The trick is to allow yourself to only watch the next episode while you’re working out.

Set a reward …

… such as a foot massage at the spa or a new accessory — anything that isn’t food-related. Promise yourself that if you work out say, three times this week, that reward is yours. 

Want to join in the 10 Ways fun? Stay tuned to our Facebook page for upcoming questions: facebook.com/lifeathomemagazine. timesunion.com/lifeathome | 53

 Dollars and Sense

On-the-go on a shoestring Thinking outside the box lunch

By Laurie Lynn Fischer

COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE When I worked in newsrooms, I used to freeze leftover supper portions. They’d thaw enough by lunchtime for a quick zap in the microwave. I also cooked up big batches on weekends to consume throughout the week.

BREAK ROOM If you don’t have the time or inclination to pack a lunch in the morning or the night before, do it at work, suggests my hubby. Put the ingredients in the fridge at the office either daily or at the start of each week, then 54 | Life@Home

prepare your meal during break time, he says. For instance, buy cold cuts, bread and whatever else you like on sandwiches. Make them in the lunch room.

EXPRESS CHECKOUT “If you’re out and hungry, and haven’t made a plan, try a supermarket,” says Sandra Varno, a registered dietitian and nutrition educator with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County. “Often you can find a much greater variety of affordable, ready-to eat foods than in a fast-food restaurant. Check out the deli and salad bar or pick up a yogurt. Often you can either eat it there or take it with you.” Go generic, suggests Ellie Wilson, senior nutritionist for Price Chopper supermarkets. “When it comes to looking to purchase on a budget, I look at store brands because they’re less expensive, but comparable to national brands,” says Wilson, whose favorite economy travel foods are “things that are already in nature’s own packages,” such as grape tomatoes or apples. “In addition to how you budget money,

you have to budget a little time for preparation,” she says. “It really opens the refrigerator door, if you will, to a lot of ways to put this together. Make your lunch at the same time as you’re making dinner. That way you don’t feel like you’re having to spend a lot of extra time doing it.”

BETTER BODEGAS Convenience outlets offer more inexpensive, nutritional choices than ever before, says Wilson. “You can find better options in almost every possible fast purchase place,” she says. “There are whole kiosks dedicated to this now in places like airports and highway rest stops. Where there used to be two or three things in the gift shop, now there’s an entire wall. Yogurt is available in convenience stores now. You can get small packages of nuts. They sell granola bars and protein bars. Another idea is low-fat jerky and a banana.”

DRIVE-THRU “An average fast-food meal can run to 1,000 calories or more,” says Kanchan Saagi, who studied nutrition at the Sage Graduate

Photo: Hybrid Images/GettyImages.

hen my husband Bill worked in downtown Albany, he ate takeout food at his desk every day. After launching a home-based guitar-making and -repair business, he shed 20 pounds and saved $50 a week because he ate healthier lunches at home. Are candy bars and Ramen noodles your idea of eating inexpensively on the fly? The next time you leave home, take along these suggestions from Bill, me and area nutrition experts.

Always the leader in: School. “When you are pressed for time, food is the last thing on your mind, and more often than not, you eat what you get, which is not always the best option at hand.” If fast food is the only choice, Wilson suggests children’s meals. “Most of them are plenty of calories and they often include low fat milk and fruit options,” she says. “Look at the dollar menu for things that include fruits and vegetables. Many fast-food folks have a chicken wrap with tomato and lettuce. It’s a dollar and not a bad nutrition profile if it’s not the fried version.”

RESTAURANT RECON Dining at a sit-down restaurant? Stretch your dollars instead of your waistline by first researching reviews, restaurant menus and nutrition data on the Internet. Sometimes, you can even order online. Check out HealthyDiningFinder.com “for healthier picks at many restaurants in your area,” Saagi suggests. Many helpful hints can be found at myplate. gov, Wilson says. “Look for early-bird specials,” she advises. “Breakfast and lunch is often less expensive than dinner. Do you really need an appetizer and dessert? Split your meals, but look for split plate charges. I do an appetizer as an entrée pretty routinely, with a salad.” Alternatively, load up at the salad bar, and take some of your entrée home. Never mind whether you own a dog; a doggy bag effectively cuts your check in half.

“Put half your meal immediately into a takeout container,” advises Saagi. “Then you have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch!”

A LA CARTE Need car fare? “Have a water bottle and snacks on hand,” says Varno. “A favorite of mine is trail mix. If you make your own, you not only save money but can make it healthier. Have family members assemble their own mix from favorite nuts, dried fruit and dry cereal.” Consider the mess factor if you want to return to your home “without having damaged any peripheral bags or carpets or back seats,” says Wilson. “What I prefer are things that are self-packaged — a box of granola bars, preferably ones that don’t have chocolate in them because it can melt,” she says. “They come in different sizes so they could be a meal replacement or tide everyone over until you get home for real food. I’m also a big advocate of things like lowfat cheese sticks.”

PREPARE A PICNIC “Sports schedules often disrupt family meals and lead to hurried meals out or unhealthy options at the concession stand,” says Varno. “Try packing a picnic dinner.” “In nice weather, planning for an easy picnic lunch while out running errands with kids can make a fun as well as money-saving event,” Varno adds. “There are plenty of parks close to local malls. Or if it’s raining, just put out the picnic in the food court.” 

Bethlehem native Laurie Lynn Fischer is a regular Life@Home contributor who bought her first car, began her investment portfolio and launched her professional journalism career as a teenager.

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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Apps to help you get organized for school

By Brianna Snyder

S Illustration: © iStockphoto.com/aleksandar velasevic.

martphones and iPads make for great distraction, don’t they? Games, chat, e-mail, Facebook. Kids can get lost in their digital worlds as easily as we do. That’s why we love these apps designed to help students stay organized at school. Organization can be tough, but it can also be fun — at least that’s the idea behind these homework, study and calendar apps.

iHOMEWORK ($1.99, ITUNES) OR HOMEWORK (FREE, GOOGLE PLAY) Both of these apps, for Apple products and smart devices using Android, Google’s operating system, have similar options. They let the user keep track of all upcoming quizzes, assignments and upcoming homework. iHomework lets the student color-code her calendar and tasks, e-mail with other students (for group projects) and sync all your information with other devices,

too. There’s also a place for teacher info, and a place for note-taking while reading. HomeWork does much of that, too, though without the collaboration part. (But both apps are comparable.)

WOLFRAM ALPHA ($2.99, ITUNES AND GOOGLE PLAY) Struggle with math? This app helps students make sense of formulas, tables and their notes. The program explains different formulas one step at a time, breaking down the process and illustrating how (and why) it works. Great backup for a tough math class.

SCRIBD (FREE, ITUNES, GOOGLE PLAY) Scribd is the largest document-sharing library in the digital world. Here, students will find study guides, notes and texts from users everywhere in

the world, including Random House, the New York Times, the World Bank, all kinds of libraries, and even the president. Got a student reading The Great Gatsby? Curate a list of study guides and resources on Scribd.

STUDYBLUE (FREE, ITUNES, ANDROID) Flashcards are a popular way to study for a test, but this rote-memorization strategy isn’t necessarily the most effective. With StudyBlue, the student enters all the information he’s trying to learn — using not just text but video and audio, too — and the program tests him and keeps track of what he’s not grasping and what he’s mastered. It’ll even help him find other flashcards that relate the subject he’s studying to make sure he’s got it all down.  Want more tips about handling the back-to-school craze? See our Help Me story on page 63. timesunion.com/lifeathome | 57

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Help Me …

Make It a Smooth Start to School By Jennifer Gish

Photo: Paul Bradbury/GettyImages.

asn’t the last day of school just yesterday? The summer melted like a snow cone on a fair midway, and suddenly you’re unloading crumpled lunch menus and permission slips from homework folders and trying to figure out if the middle schooler has soccer practice and the high schooler has trumpet or vice versa. Before someone gets stranded at the school auditorium or your kindergartener cracks from the pressures of the Big K, take a look at these expert tips on how to get the school year started right.

the acronym “O.H.I.O.” —“Only Handle It Once” — when it comes to controlling all the papers that inevitably make their way home in the backpack. “Look at the piece of paper and make a decision about whether to act immediately or file it away,” she says. “If it takes less than five minutes to do, you may want to do it just now. Sign the permission slip, write the check and stick it in the backpack. We spend a lot more time pushing stuff around or looking for things than we would have initially taken just to do it.”

play and decompress and do homework.”

TEACH PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: Heading

IN TUNE WITH THE TEACHER: “As far as

MAKING THE LEAP: “The major transitions

into middle school, children need to get themselves up and ready each school morning without a parent’s help. It’s an important life skill, says Ellen Green, school counselor at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School, part of the Albany City Schools. They need to set their own alarms and figure out how long it will take them to get ready. “They also need to be mindful of packing their backpacks the night before,” Green says. “A lot of times they’re like, ‘Oh shoot, I forgot to do my blah, blah, blah’ or ‘I forgot to have you do that, Mom.’” These discoveries won’t come in the morning rush if they get organized every evening.

are clearly the most stressful, and there are some kids that clearly have a more difficult time making transitions in general,” says Erica Ellis, a child psychologist with Associates in Mental Health and Neuropsychology in Niskayuna. “Look out for warning signs — if the kid isn’t sleeping, if they’re starting to talk about having stomach aches, if they’re starting to seem anxious about other things — sometimes [transition stress] can manifest as something totally unrelated.” Give your child the chance to talk about what’s going on, Ellis says. “If they don’t tend to be very good at verbalizing, ask open-ended feelings questions: ‘How do you feel about starting school?’”

AVOID THE PAPERWORK FLOOD: Debreen Oliva, professional organizer and owner of d.o. organize in Saratoga Springs and a teacher in the East Greenbush schools, likes to use

SCALE BACK: “As an organizer and a parent and a teacher, I’d say one sport per child,” Oliva says. “Then they still might have scouts or dance school, but even with the dance classes, how many do they need? They need to have time to be at home and

GET IT ON THE CALENDAR: When paperwork comes home about PTA meetings or field trips, record the dates and pertinent details on a calendar, and if the paper still has more pertinent information on it, file it away in a “reference” folder, Oliva says. Store the folder in the one place in the house you keep things you may need to refer to later. Be sure to regularly clean out that folder when events are over, she says.

transitions to a new school or a new classroom or a new teacher, give it a couple weeks for the teachers to get to know their kids,” Green says. “But then call or e-mail the educator to ask how the child is doing. An e-mail is not intrusive. It’s really such a low-impact inquiry, so I think if it’s relieving the parent’s anxiety, then I think it would relieve the child’s anxiety, and it would have a nice snowball effect.”

KNOW THEIR FRIENDS: It’s good to know who your child is hanging out with, but friends also provide clues to what’s really going on in your child’s life. “Invite friends over, have a Friday night pizza night or take a group bowling,” Green says. “It’s good because you can do that car therapy thing where you can eavesdrop on what they’re saying.”   Back to school: There’s an app for that. Learn more on page 57. Jennifer Gish is features editor at the Times Union. timesunion.com/lifeathome | 63

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Stay-at-Home Students Homeschooling in the Capital District

Photo: RubberBall Productions/GettyImages.

By Kathy Ceceri

here do kids learn if they don’t go to school? For homeschooling families in the Capital Region, the answer is all around them. Today’s homeschoolers have a choice of parent-led classes, activities, and field trips, as well as ongoing programs created especially for them at museums, arts organizations, parks, nature centers, recreation facilities, private schools and educational enrichment centers throughout the region. And that’s not counting resources open to all residents, such as community colleges, afterschool and summer programs, youth groups, and sports teams. If that old saw

about homeschool kids being isolated and lacking socialization was ever true, it certainly isn’t today. The number of homeschooling students in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties has stayed about the same since 2001 — roughly 1,600, according to state Department of Education figures. But those homeschoolers are more connected to each other and their communities than ever before. Jeanette Roundy of Schodack organizes informal events such as science and history fairs for local homeschoolers. She and her husband, Paul, who teaches meteorology at UAlbany, first looked into homeschooling their four children — Elizabeth, 13, Joshua, 10, Allison, 8 and Zachary, 5 — when their oldest was in first grade and the school would not allow her to miss class for a family vacation. Roundy says

her philosophy of education is based on research into how children’s brains work. Early years are dedicated to helping kids acquire the skills needed to learn, and real academics start around age 12. “You don’t have to do a lot,” she says. “Kids love to learn. It’s a natural part of being human.” For Tracie Tilgner of Delmar, the decision to homeschool her daughters Samantha, 10, and Chloe, 8, was influenced by her experience as a former public school teacher. “I had a naive belief in my ability to change the system. The system fought me down at every turn. There’s not a lot of room for innovation,” she says. Tilgner has an eclectic homeschooling style. For math, she lets her children help with the grocery shopping and making a budget with their allowance. They use books from the library, foreign language timesunion.com/lifeathome | 65

Homeschooled students and parents get together for a history and mythology fair. Cenzia, left, and Emmet, below, show their work.

“The Upper Hudson Library System is the best use of our tax dollars,” she says. “I’m always happy to pay late fees. The librarians are fabulous. It’s rare that I request something and can’t find it.”

Homeschooling Resources in the Capital District Unless otherwise noted, groups are open to any family that is homeschooling or considering it.

Capital District Home Educators e-mail list: groups.yahoo.com/group/CDHE Saratoga Area Homeschoolers e-mail list: groups.yahoo.com/group/ SaratogaHomeschoolers Capital District Homeschoolers Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/ 340355839310818 programs they find on sale, videos, apps for their mobile devices, and free printouts from the Internet. Her family has also taken field trips to local sites, including farms, Albany Airport, and Howe Caverns. And they take advantage of select programs offered throughout the area, such as workshops at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar. “There’s a lot of good museums in the area. CMOST [the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology in Troy] has a monthly program. The Albany Institute — they have an Egyptian section. We love the mummies! And pottery. It’s nice that it combines art and history.” April Zhang, of Albany, is another former 66 | Life@Home

LEAH (Loving Education at Home): A statewide support and lobbying group for conservative Christians, with chapters in Schenectady, Saratoga, and Glens Falls; members must sign a statement of faith. leah.org

classroom teacher. She chose homeschooling because her daughter Cenzia, 9, had a longer attention span that didn’t mesh with the typical short periods spent on each subject. Like a lot of homeschoolers, Zhang relies on the public library systems in the area for materials and resources.

omeschoolers from the Hudson Valley up to the Adirondacks keep in touch and make plans via e-mail lists and Facebook groups. The Capital District Home Educators (CDHE) Yahoo group, an e-mail list started in 2001, is probably the largest and most active, with over 700 members and often more than 100 messages a month. Terri Jones of Halfmoon, who has run the list for the past couple of years, describes it as a place for homeschoolers across the region to find enrichment opportunities and connect with each other for support, park meetups, carpooling and field trips. “Whatever your student’s interests, they can find like-minded friends,” she says. “Skiing, bowling, chess club, book club, rock climbing, American Girls doll club, music, homeschool days at museums. I remember mentioning that my son was interested in learning blacksmithing, and I instantly had a bunch of e-mails telling me where he could get lessons and pointing me towards the local blacksmith’s organization. There’s nothing like being able to tap into that collective knowledge.” Jones’ sons -- Nick, 17, and AJ, 14 -have taken part in homeschool classes in writing at East Line Books in Clifton Park and wilderness skills at Tamakoce Wilderness Programs in Grafton. They’re also part of a Saratoga contingent that attends week-long homeschool camps at Hulbert Outdoor Center in Vermont. In addition, both teens began classes at Hudson Valley Community College at age 14. This fall Nick heads off to Rochester Institute of Technology to study applied mathematics. Other homeschooling teens from the Capital District have reached the

Photos at left by Colleen Ingerto. On right: RubberBall Productions/GettyImages.

Questions About Homeschooling WHO HOMESCHOOLS?

highest levels of national and international competitions in spelling and math. Homeschoolers here and around the country are often courted by local and nationallyranked colleges. Nick Jones believes homeschooling puts students in a better position for college because they can focus on what interests them. “[If] my interest lies in mechanical engineering and cars,” he explains. “I have the freedom to explore that very thoroughly. I know public schoolers who are high-achieving and do lots of projects. But homeschooling gives you more time.” Another popular online gathering place for local homeschoolers is the Capital District Homeschoolers Facebook group. Started in 2012 by Michele Fuchs of Schenectady, membership has topped 200, surprising even its founder. “I never thought that the homeschool community was as big as it is,” she says. Fuchs decided not to send her daughter Kaitlyn, 8, back to public school when it became clear it was causing her attacks of massive anxiety. “My husband and I said, ‘What are we doing? Why don’t we keep her home and homeschool?’” (Their son Tyler, 5, still attends public school.) Kaitlyn has Asperger’s, a form of autism, as well as medical issues. At school, she was bullied and had trouble fitting in socially. But because she was advanced academically, school officials were reluctant to provide her with aides or support. Fuchs was recently certified as a lay advocate for parents dealing with the special education system. She says homeschooling students with special needs can request an evaluation and services from the school district. But for Kaitlyn, just working at her own pace at home with one-on-one attention from her mom is enough. “This is one of the best decisions we ever made in our entire lives,” Fuchs says. “I wouldn’t change it for the world, and I know she wouldn’t either.” 

Homeschoolers come from every walk of life. In the Capital Region, their parents include public and private school teachers, college professors, doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, business owners, farmers, clergy, artists, musicians, writers, and child care providers. In some families, one parent works full-time while the other oversees most of the homeschooling. However, in many if not most families, both parents work at least part-time. WHO MAKES SURE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING? While parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s education, under Part 100.10 of the New York State Department of Education regulations, local school districts oversee homeschooling children between the ages of 6 and 16, the age of compulsory education. New York’s regulations are widely considered some of the most stringent in the country. Parents are required to send a Letter of Intent and an “Individualized Home Instruction Plan” to the district at the beginning of every school year (or within two weeks of starting home instruction, if it’s midyear). They must also submit quarterly reports throughout the year, and either a narrative report or the results of a standardized test at the end of the year, depending on the grade. New York’s regulations include very broad guidelines about what subjects must be covered, but within those guidelines, homeschoolers have a lot of flexibility about what to teach and when. The school district is not required to provide any materials or assistance, and homeschooling children are not allowed to attend classes part-time or to join school sports teams. However, regulations permit districts to let homeschoolers participate in afterschool or summer programs, along with other residents of their district. HOW DO HOMESCHOOLERS GET INTO COLLEGE? Homeschooling students don’t receive a high school diploma from the state (although many online and correspondence schools

issue their own). But you don’t need to show that you completed high school to be accepted by a college in New York State — although, by a quirk of state law, you do to graduate and receive your college degree. Homeschooled student can get that required degree several ways, including getting a letter of substantial equivalence from the district superintendent, taking the GED, taking a certain number of Regents exams, and taking a certain sequence of community college classes (known as the “24-credit option,” a method used by Nick Jones, see main text). Many homeschooling teens fulfill high school requirements by taking classes at public and private universities and community colleges, including UAlbany, RPI, Union, Hudson Valley, Schenectady, SUNY Adirondack. Many go on to matriculate at these colleges and others around the state and the country as well. WHAT ABOUT KIDS WHO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER LEARNING AT HOME? It’s not unusual for students to homeschool for a limited time and then enroll in public or private school. Sometimes parents pull their children out because they need more help than the school can give them, and then send them back when they have caught up. Many families homeschool for a year or two because of bullying or other problems during the middle school years. Others decide to send their children to school as they reach the upper grades. Usually students who have homeschooled have no problem fitting in. As with any student transferring in, the school evaluates the student to see where to place them. Often, homeschooled students are found to be advanced compared to their grade level.

timesunion.com/lifeathome | 67

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Saute chopped onion in a bit of olive oil and rosemary. Add garlic, then diced zucchini and tomatoes. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in cooked pasta, season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan and thick slices of bread.

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 Dish

It’s time to plan our y t r a P y a d i l o H already ! ! ! ??

At home with ...

Dora Swan & Peter Kenyon

By Steve Barnes | Photos by Paul Barrett

Dora Swan and Peter Kenyon like to say they got their house at Marshalls. It’s a Macy’s house at least, even Nordstrom in some elements, but the builder, who created the home for himself a few years back, was forced to sell. And so they got it for a bargain. A classy 2,850-square-foot four-bedroom place on a hill in Altamont, the house is theirs — Swan calls it the dream home she didn’t know she wanted until she saw it — but it doesn’t really belong to them. “It’s for our family to be together,” says Swan, who works for the state and also for the Guilderland seafood store she and Kenyon co-own, Fin – Your Fishmonger. She says, “We just take care of it until they show up.”

Between them the couple has four grown children and two grandkids. When everyone gathers for feasting, dinner likely will feature some of the sustainable, fresh-never-frozen fish they sell at Fin. One of the easiest ways to cook fish is en papillote, French for “in parchment.” A few quick folds produce a fillet and seasonings sealed inside a paper envelope that puffs up and browns slightly while cooking. Adding wine or broth to the pouches will allow the fish to steam and become infused with herbs and spices, and the resulting finished dish is moist, tender, flavorful and healthful.

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Life@Home is packed with inspiration to help you make your house a home. HealthyLife magazine brings you stories and advice geared at living a balanced life, and nourishment of your mind, body, and spirit. Capital Region Women@Work is the in-print component of an innovative network of local women in managerial and executive positions. VOW: Your Wedding. Your Way. is the secret to creating your fairytale wedding using local resources. If you are interested in receiving free home delivery of any of our magazines, please (518) 454-5768 or email magcirculation@timesunion.com. Know what’s going on 24/7 and be part of our community, both on- and offline. Connect with us on all our social platforms, so you never miss a beat!

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Dish  continued from 71

As long as the folds are secure, en papillote is also an almost foolproof way of cooking fish. Simply pop the packets into a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on fish type and thickness, for perfect results. And the individual envelopes can be prepared hours before dinner and stored in the refrigerator, lessening last-minute cooking duties. Still, customers often tell Kenyon and Swan they’re leery of trying to get the folds right, so Fin offers prepared papillote packets that need only to be put in the oven. When halibut is in season, its flesh sweet and mild and snowy-white, the shop sells more than 40 a day. 

ONLINE

Want to see how this recipe was made? Watch our exclusive video at timesunion.com/ lifeathome or scan the QR code at the left to link directly to our Life@Home videos on YouTube.

Halibut en papillote

slices to each portion.

4 (8-ounce) halibut fillets 2 teaspoons olive oil ½ cup dry champagne (or dry white wine of choice) 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 8 sprigs thyme 8 sprigs parsley 8 thin lemon slices Salt and pepper to taste

 Begin to fold the parchment paper

Method  Heat oven to 350 degrees.

 Fold a 16-by-12-inch sheet of parchment paper in half. Open again. You will place the halibut 2 inches above the fold line. Brush olive oil onto the parchment where the fish will sit. Place halibut on the oiled section of parchment paper.

at one corner, fold again beginning halfway through the previous fold, and again, until you have successfully folded your way around the parchment to the last corner, carefully sealing the fish inside a parchment packet. The folds should be secure. This secure seal will allow the fish to steam inside the packet during cooking.

sheet and transfer the contents to plates, remembering to pour the champagne/herbs/juice over the fish, as well.

and pulling apart, to rip the packet open, as if you are opening a potato chip bag. Take care, as hot steam will escape when the packet is opened

 The packets should be opened by

 Serve with vegetables and starch

grasping the center of the packet with thumb and forefinger of each hand

of choice. Asparagus and brown rice would complete a lovely light meal.

 Place packets onto baking/cookie sheet and into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. (Thicker cuts of fish will take 15 minutes; thinner, 12.)

 Remove baking sheet from oven. Parchment packets will be hot to the touch.

 Salt and pepper the fish. Drizzle

 Either place the packets directly

champagne onto the fish. Add 2 sprigs thyme, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 2 sprigs parsley and 2 lemon

onto plates using a spatula and allow your guests to open their packets or open the packets on the baking timesunion.com/lifeathome | 73

 Table@Home

Carrot Tops Where salad and soccer intersect

By Caroline Barrett | Photos by Paul Barrett

y son Elliot is a cool little guy. He’s a sweet, mellow soul and — most of the time — will sit and read, listen to music or just talk. And although he is only 9 years old, he is a big kid in so many ways. He independently makes himself breakfast and beats his father in backgammon regularly. There are bits of the little boy in Elliot still, most often late at night. He will wind his arms around my neck, tired head on my shoulder and let me carry him up to bed (though don’t tell him I told you that). The early evenings when we prepared dinner together, stirring sauces and measuring spice, are now few. He’d rather kick the soccer ball against the garage. Or don the soft leather soccer gloves Paul bought him, and play goalie while I try to score on him. This game we play again and again. Playing soccer goalie is much better than mixing salad dressing or picking herbs. When we stand together on warm evenings, playing goalie and soccer player, he likes to tell me what to do. “Kick the ball here. No, Mom. Lower. Now make it go higher over my head so I can jump for it.” I do as he asks, occasionally telling him to stop being so bossy. He would go on like that all night if I let him, but I don’t. Eventually, I have to prepare dinner, check e-mail, pay attention to other children. So I tell him it’s time to go in, and now he owes me. Since I kicked and threw and tossed the soccer ball, he has to work for me in my playground: the kitchen. And you know what they say about payback. He throws his head back and groans, but follows. I set him up, just as I did when he was

74 | Life@Home

Elliot’s Carrot Salad, Two Ways This recipe makes enough for 5 servings plus leftovers the next day (it’s always better the next day). There are still plenty of tender, sweet carrots available locally right now. Those are best in this salad. ingredients 1 pound carrots, peeled and grated coarsely 5-6 green onions, tops and dark greens trimmed, chopped

little. I put the cumin, sea salt and paprika in front of him. I give him a lemon to squeeze. Most of all, he likes to operate machinery. So I give him carrots to grate and spices to grind. He’s great at using my immersion blender to whip up salad dressing. It’s funny but Elliot doesn’t love vegetables and never has. When he was a little boy, there was a good long stretch when he only ate carrots. “You’ll turn orange,” I told him. He would look at me, eyes lowered and head cocked. It was the same look he gave me when I told him we were eating snake eyeball stew for dinner. Or that I could feel the beginnings of horns growing from under his hair. He’s not easily tricked. He wouldn’t have cared if he really did turn orange. When he was 4, nothing would have gotten him to eat spinach or beets, even orange skin. Slowly, as days turned to months and then years, he added a few more vegetables to his plate. Roasted cauliflower. Green beans. Beets were in for a time but now they’re back out. Salad is something he stands steadfast and true to his word on: He will not, under any circumstances, no matter the dressing, the lettuce leaves, even the threat of no dessert, ever-ever-ever eat a salad. It’s

written in his 9-year-old cool-guy code of conduct: no salad. And he sticks to it. I’m at peace with the no-salad rule. Someday, I know he’ll wake up and decide it’s time for a salad. Until then, there’s plenty of beans and broccoli and he’s even added red peppers to the list of acceptable vegetables. I still offer, every night. And he always says no. After grating carrots for the salad and whipping up the dressing (Elliot likes the blender but really a whisk works just fine), he’s back out the door, soccer ball under one arm. “Soccer?” he asks me before leaving. “Sure,” I say, wiping my hands and putting shoes back on. “I’ll play soccer goalie if you eat a salad.” He gives me that look of his, the head tilted and the expression that says, “Really?” Because we both know the chances of him eating a salad on that night are the same as him having horns growing under his hair. “OK, OK,” I say and give in to him, easily, “I’ll be right there.” 

The Moroccan Version Combine the carrots and onions with 1 cup golden raisins and 1 cup unsalted pistachios. For the dressing, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon cumin, a pinch of cayenne, a few drops of honey and sea salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the salad and mix well. Best at room temperature. The Asian Version Combine the carrots and onions with 1 handful chopped cilantro and 1 cup sliced, toasted almonds. For the dressing, combine 3 tablespoons canola oil, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, a few drops honey, sea salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the salad and mix well. Best at room temperature.

timesunion.com/lifeathome | 75

 The Vineyard

The Eye of the Partridge

More adventures on the rosé roundabout

Story and photo by Alistair Highet

eptember is the best month of the summer — at least it always has been for me. June is abrupt, and damp, and I can’t decide what to wear. In July, nothing gets done. August is OK, I guess. But by September I’m getting the hang of things. The air is clear. The harvest is beginning to come in. The trees are at their most lush, and the sunsets are gorgeous. I have been a proponent — OK, a groupie — of rosé wines for years now, and while I see more and more of them in the wine stores (meaning someone else is drinking them) I’m still surprised that they so rarely show at parties or Sunday lunches. When they’re at their best, they are the most charming of wines. The colors range from the vibrancy of cranberry, to the almost graying hue of a pink rose in the elegant early stages of its failing bloom. Do not think about White Zinfandel! In the right light, wearing the right clothes, with the right fish on the grill, a glass of rosé is the taste of heaven. I tried several from around the world and in varying styles and price ranges in recent weeks, and I give you my detailed thoughts below, but I wanted to share with you some history, inspired by the names of one of the wines I tried — the Brugioni Vineyards, Oeil de Perdrix, Belle Glos Pinot Noir Blanc (Sonoma County, 2012, $21.26). This is from the Wagner Family vineyards, and a portion of the sale of the wine goes to breast cancer research. I am reading between the lines here, but Joseph Wagner’s grandmother was named Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, and perhaps there is a story there. But the one I want to tell is the “Oeil de Perdrix.” This is literally translated as “eye of the partridge” and it comes to us from the Champagne region in the Middle Ages. Evidently, at one time white grapes and red

76 | Life@Home

grapes were grown together and thrown into the mix together, making the wine’s color up for grabs — sometimes white, sometimes red, but then a gray with a pinkish hue. Presumably the original rosés. Anyway, wines with this pinkish color — whether made deliberately or by accident — were called “eye of the partridge” because they resembled the color of a partridge eye, particularly right after they had been, um, dispatched to the other side. The expression fell out of favor in France, but the phrase migrated to Switzerland, where it is still in use. The Wagner family borrowed it for this wine, made from pinot noir crushed in their skins allowing some of the color to seep in. This was a very elegant, feminine wine, with an orangey, cranberry color and flavors of strawberry and raspberry muted with creaminess, but with good acidity. See below for some others. I recommend them all.  Alistair Highet is a former editor, restaurant manager, and vinedresser, and has written about wine for over 20 years.

Gerard Bertrand Gris Blanc 2012 ($12) Gerard Bertrand is a huge producer of unusual wines in the Languedoc. The wine is made with a grayishpinkish variation of the Grenache grape, is very pale in color but vibrant, juicy, with grapefruit and lemon, hints of white pepper. A perfect wine for the porch. Vitiano Rosato Umbria, 2012 ($12) Vitiano is also a big producer, and this rosato is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet

Sauvignon and Aleatico. A very rich and dense cranberry color, it had a lot of character. A masculine rosé with sour cherries, vibrant acidity, notes of stone, dried herbs and some strangely enchanting woody flavors, and very tart. I liked it. Caves D’esclans, Sacha Licine, “Whispering Angel,” Côtes de Provence, 2012 ($20) I’m about as likely to buy a wine called “Whispering Angel” as I am to read a book with that title, but this is a very good wine, very refined in the

Provençal style, pale peach in color, rose hip bitterness, arugula, lemon, grapefruit, minerality, all of it ethereal like a choir in heaven. Ca dei Frati, Rosa dei Frati, Riviera del Garda Bresciano, 2012 ($18) OK, a mouthful, but what fun! A blend of Gropello, Marzemino, Sangiovese and Barbera, made on an estate near lake Garda in Lombardy that dates back to 1782. A tea color, it had tongue scraping tartness, acrid almost, crabapples, and a lingering finish. Great.

 Food Trends

Getting Crunchy Granola earns a reboot By John Adamian

78 | Life@Home

in breakfast cereals, or even those who are just convinced that breakfast cereal doesn’t need to cost quite so much, homemade granola, which can be made with organic rolled oats and natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey, is a rewarding activity. And for anyone with children with nut allergies, or just with kids who are very particular about what dried fruits or nuts they do or don’t eat, making granola in your own kitchen might be the easiest way of arriving at the combination of ingredients that works best for your family. And for parents of youngsters looking for a kid-friendly kitchen activity that is a little more foolproof than, say, baking a cake, making granola is fun, with plenty of measuring and stirring to entertain the children,

and enough potential for spoons coated in sticky sweet stuff, and handfuls of tasty dried fruits to make the process rewarding for any little helpers. Another selling point: you don’t need to blend milk and butter, so there’s no mixer required; you’ll just want to have a big bowl and a spoon. Here’s what you’ll need to make granola: some rolled oats (I use six cups for each batch I make), a cup or so of whatever nuts you want to add, the same with the dried fruit, and some sweetener, a half cup or so of honey, of brown sugar, or maple syrup, or brown rice syrup, if you like. I also use chopped, unsweetened coconut and sesame seeds. Sometimes, if I have it, I’ll throw in some wheat germ. We steer clear of nuts in our house, but granola calls out for walnuts,

PHoto: Sylvie Shirazi Photography/GettyImages.

ranola needs an image upgrade. Somehow this tasty and satisfying cereal and snack made with baked oats and dried fruits got a bad rep, or an unfortunate association. Granola — particularly crunchy granola — became shorthand for all things hippie-fied: any trend, any food, and any world view that reflected a kind of simple-minded Earth Mother-obsessed attitude. It tended to suggest qualities of anything healthy but not necessarily delicious or fun, anything environmentally responsible but not necessarily comfortable or stylish, or anything wide-eyed and idealistic but not necessarily realistic or rooted in the real world. But there’s a new wave of hand-made and healthy living that’s emerged in recent years. Twenty-first-century granola — like bread-baking, sweater-making, gardening and pickling — has acquired a new cachet. You don’t need to be a hippie to see the virtue of learning to make things for yourself. More and more, we want to be able to adjust and fine-tune the basic components of what we eat every day, whether to cut back on sweeteners, to eliminate things like nuts that could be allergens, or to add more whole grains to our diets. Making your own granola is easy. Easier than kneading dough, learning to knit, hoeing weeds or boiling a bunch of Mason jars. Making granola is a simple way of getting that satisfying feeling of taking a little control over what you and your family eat. For anyone who’s concerned about the presence of things like genetically modified grain, or high-fructose corn syrup

S H OWC A S E C H E F S EV E N T

SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

hazelnuts or pecans. I usually top off the mixture with a half teaspoon of vanilla extract, which makes each bowl smell perfumey and delicious. But if I go for a dessert-tinged granola, others opt for a more earthy version, with notes of cardamom or ginger. That’s one of the pleasures of making granola — you can freestyle quite a bit every time you make it. Take your oats and sweetener, your nuts and whatever else (save the dried fruits), mix it up, put it in a metal pan with sides, and you’re ready to go. And one has to sort of try to mess it up. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve messed up a few batches of granola in my time. And in every case, it was by making the same mistake: cooking it for a little too long, maybe at a little too high heat, or failing to stir it often enough. That said, if you keep your oven at 300 degrees or so, and stir the mixture about every 10 minutes, cooking for around 30 minutes, you shouldn’t have any trouble. Add your dried fruits at the end of the process (since they’re already dehydrated, they won’t benefit from any time in the oven.) The more vast varieties of dried fruit available at most markets make granola-making that much more interesting these days. It used to be that raisins were likely to be the main dried fruit added to granola for sweetness, chewiness and an added bit of color contrast. Now — with dried strawberries, goji berries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, apples, pomegranates, dates, guava and lots more — there’s a rainbow spectrum to choose from, with textures from

gummy to crunchy and flavors that range from syrupy sweet to tangy and tart. At some point in your granola-making adventure you may find yourself wondering what the difference is between muesli, granola and gorp, or trail mix. It’s a good question. Muesli is basically granola that hasn’t been baked or cooked. And trail mix tends to have been tricked out with other tidbits, like chocolate, yogurtcovered raisins or pretzels. Your granola is one step away from being fancy gorp for your next hike. The word “granola” was evidently coined by Kellogg’s 120 years ago. Something called “Granula” was created as a health food by a New York doctor. (Muesli was developed by a health-conscious Swiss doctor in the 1890s.) Dr. James Caleb Jackson helped run the Albany Patriot, an abolitionist paper, in the 1840s. Health problems led him to retire from journalism and pursue a medical career. Jackson became a vegetarian and encouraged his patients to give up red meat, alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea. Jackson thought a diet of whole grains was essential to good health. He developed Granula, which used Graham flour and is thought to have been similar to today’s Grape-Nuts. The Kelloggs poached his idea and even the product name, eventually, after a copyright lawsuit, having to rename their cereal “Granola,” which, ironically, has become a generic term for the cereal. Those health-minded doctors and their ideas about diet proved to be about a century ahead of their time. 

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A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Have you heard about this new technology that is FDA cleared, and non-surgical treatment for back pain?

Herniated Disc?

Non-surgical spinal decompression may be the last back pain treatment you will ever need. And you may be able to forget the pills, getting endless shots, struggling through exercise programs...and...risky surgery...because with this amazing new technology...if you are a candidate... they may be a thing of the past. You’re about to discover a powerful state-of-the-art technology available for: Back pain, Sciatica, Herniated and/or Bulging discs (single or multiple), Degenerative Disc Disease, a relapse or failure following surgery or Facet syndromes. Best of all -- you can check it out yourself for FREE! CALL 518-300-1212

magine how your life would change if you discovered the solution to your back pain.

In this article you’ll discover powerful new back pain technology that has the potential to be that solution for you. This incredible technology is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and the DRX 9000. Here’s the amazing story how it was discovered and why it has a chance to help YOUR back pain...

How Science Helps Back Pain The lower back is a series of bones separated by shock absorbers called “discs”. When these discs go bad because of age or injury you can have pain. For some the pain is just annoying, but for others it can be life changing...and not in a good way. It has long been thought that if these discs could be helped in a natural and noninvasive way, lots of people with back and leg pain could lower the amount of pain medication they take, be given fewer epidural injections for the pain and have less surgery.

Recent medical breakthroughs have led to the development of advanced technologies to help back and leg pain suffers!

Through the work of a specialized team of physicians and medical engineers, a medical manufacturing company, now offers this space age technology in its incredible DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression equipment.

The DRX 9000 is FDA cleared to use with the pain and symptoms associated with herniated and/or bulging discs. . . even after failed surgery. What Conditions Has The DRX 9000 Successfully Treated And Will It Help YOU? The main conditions the DRX 9000 has success with are: • • • •

Back pain Sciatica Spinal Stenosis Herniated and/or bulging discs (single or multiple) • Degenerative disc disease • A relapse or failure following surgery • Facet syndromes A very important note: The DRX 9000 has been successful even when NOTHING else has worked. Even after failed surgery. What Are Treatments On The DRX 9000 Like?

After being ﬁtted with an automatic shoulder support system, you simply lie face up on the DRX 9000’s comfortable bed and the advanced computer system does the rest. Patients describe the treatment as a gentle, soothing, intermittent pulling of your back. Many patients actually fall asleep during treatment. The really good news IS... this is not something you have to continue to do for the rest of your life. So it is not a big commitment. Since offering the DRX 9000 in my Colonie office, I have seen nothing short of miracles for back pain sufferers who had tried everything else. . . with little or no result. Many had lost all hope. Had herniated disk operation 8 years ago another disc became herniated. Doctor wanted to operate have arthritis from 1st one (did not want to go under knife again) very grateful to DRX9000 (thank you Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC) Very happy camper. Raymond F Niskayuna, NY Age 55 This treatment was a miracle for my cervical disk herniations. Only other alternative was surgery, which I no longer have to face. William I Schenectady, NY Age 63

I was told by a doctor I wouldn’t be able to work. I cannot afford to not work so I tried Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC, and not only did the pain go away but I never missed a day at work. Rick S Clifton Park, NY Age 42 I would love to shake the hand of the person who invented this machine. It was a life saver for me and a lot better than going under the knife. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone with chronic back pain. Dawn H Colonie, NY Age 49 Before the DRX 9000 treatment. I had no quality of life. Couldn’t do anything for myself. Thank God for Dr. and the DRX machine. I can live again. Yvette K Schenectady, NY Age 47 I suffered for three years, before I received treatment on the DRX 9000. Today, I can sleep and get out of bed like a normal human being. Before, I couldn’t even drive my car because the pain in my hips, legs and feet were so bad from the sciatica nerve being pinched by my Herniated Disc L4 and L5, which also prevented me from sitting in a chair or even using my computer lap top at any time. Today things have changed due to advance technology therapy on the DRX 9000. They always try

A DV E R T I S E M E N T I would deﬁnitely refer people to your office. Dr. Guerra and his staff have made this experience a pleasure. Ed H Hoosick Falls, NY Age 70 Pain free, numbness in the left foot is gone. DRX 9000 is GREAT and does work. Sal L Niskayuna, NY Age 50

Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC demonstrates the DRX 9000 to a patient

to regulate the treatments that work. What is up with this taught process???? The world is changing and so have I. Frank A Troy, NY Age 52 Before receiving the DRX treatments, my quality of life was very poor. I could hardly do anything other than going to work and going to bed. After the DRX treatments my quality of life has improved 90% which has resulted in me being able to go for long walks without a cane and go shopping. Anne P Burnt Hills, NY Age 70 I am so appreciative of this method of therapy because when I came to the office I had to use a cane and had muscle pain in walking. After 2nd treatment sciatica nerve pain was gone in my left leg. Judith W Albany, NY Age 64 Prior to this treatment my only options appeared to be invasive pain management, or surgery. After receiving 24 sessions on the DRX, I am markedly improved, relatively pain free and am able to function as I had in previous years. Highly recommend to anyone with disc issues. Alan P Scotia, NY Age 53 I would choose this therapy again! Painless treatment that gets your life back to

normal. Stick with it-it works! Linda G Broadalben, NY Age 53 I am so happy I came to Dr. Guerra. I was in a lot of pain and after being on the DRX I tell you I do not have pain. I feel wonderful and the staff are very nice. Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC is wonderful. If you are in pain try the DRX it really helps. Edith C Schenectady, NY Age 71 I think more people should know about this procedure before considering any surgery. Medications help the pain but they don’t cure the cause. I am back to my old self again. Lorraine B Scotia, NY Age 78 I highly recommend this machine. I had my doubts but it really and truly works. Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC is a wonderful doctor and his staff is great too. Linda D Clifton Park, NY Age 46

I’m able to go on long walks and get all night sleep (I’ve had 3 surgeries since 2006) Without the DRX I would be in for a 4th back surgery. I’m getting back to doing activities with my 10 year old son. Lisa V Catskill, NY Age 45 I wish to thank you very much for all the help I received with the spinal decompression therapy. Your entire office was very helpful and compassionate. No longer do I sit at night with my heating pads, moving them from sore spot to sore spot. My knees are no longer on ﬁre and I’m able to go up and down the stairs much easier than before. Mable D Ballston Lake, NY Age 68

SPECIAL OFFER Call Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC’s office at 518-300-1212 and mention to my assistants that you want a FREE back pain/DRX9000 qualiﬁcation

consultation. It’s absolutely free with no strings attached. There is nothing to pay for and you will NOT be pressured to become a patient.

Here is what you will receive: • A consultation with me, Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC to discuss your problem and answer the questions you may have about back pain and the DRX9000 • A DRX9000 demonstration so you see for yourself how it works! Due to current demand for this technology, I suggest calling today to make your appointment. The consultation is free. We are staffed 24-hoursa-day, 7-days-a-week. Call 518-300-1212 right now!

It’s absolutely FREE with no strings attached. There is ONE Big Problem: My busy office schedule will limit how many people I’m able to personally meet with... so you will need to act fast. Call 518-300-1212 right now... to be sure you are among the ﬁrst callers and we will set up your free consultation today. We have the phones answered 7 days a week 24 hours a day so call now... 518-300-1212. (Free consultation is good for 45 days) 2016 Central Ave., Colonie www.albanyDRX.com

I was extremely skeptical at the beginning of treatments - Progress was slow in coming - But... then it worked! What a relief!!! Joan K Delmar, NY Age 71 I had no where else to go with this problem. The DRX 9000 was just what I needed. Many thanks! Burton S Mechanicville, NY Age 50

www.healthsourceofalbasnynorth.com Like us on Facebook: Healthsource of Albany North

One Skein? No Problem!

Crochet projects using very little yarn

rocheters and knitters know it’s the rare project that ends without leftover yarn. As a result, crafters who work in yarn often have a stash of single — either completely unused or mostly unused — skeins sitting around without a project to attach to their name. Knitter and editor Judith Durant has solved the problem with her One-Skein Wonders book series filled with projects that can be made using one skein or less. While the first four books in the series focused on knitting projects — Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders and Luxury Yarn OneSkein Wonders are two in the quartet — the newest book is for crocheters. Like its sister books, Crochet One-Skein Wonders has 101 projects for various yarn weights and pattern complexities. Each pattern is easy to follow and has a photo of the finished project so that you can tell where you’re going. And, like the other books in the series, the patterns are all by different creators. In conversation about the series, Durant, an accomplished knitter, admits another reason for the series’ creation: the addictive nature of yarn. “Some of us are just addicts,” she says. “I can’t leave a yarn shop without buying. I buy one or two skeins and I’m not sure what it will be. There are a quite afford/bring herself to buy the six lot of people like me.” or so skeins needed to make, say, a vest. In the first book, Durant reached out to “You might find a yummy skein of cashyarn shop owners for their favorite orphan mere that costs $60,” she says. “You’re — aka leftover skein — yarn patterns. not going to buy a sweater’s worth of that “They often come up with patterns to get unless you hit the lottery.” people to buy orphan skeins,” she says, Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders is for the noting that shop owners regularly have a sock yarn hoarder. (It’s okay to admit it. few skeins left of a particular dye lot, i.e. You’re among friends.) “I was amazed [to not enough to make a sweater or shawl, learn] how many people have huge stashthat they need to sell. es of sock yarn who don’t knit socks,” “That did really well so we said let’s try Durant says. “Most stores have a whole this again,” Durant says, saying the next book focused on patterns by designers who have books or who design for yarn companies. The luxury yarn book is meant to Crochet One-Skein Wonders, 101 Projects from Crocheters Around the World, edited by Judith Durant help the knitter who falls in love with & Edie Eckman, Storey Publishing, 286 pages, $18.95 a particular higher-end yarn but can’t

82 | Life@Home

Want to spruce up your favorite chair or sofa? This Lodge Pillow is a perfect place to start.

Excerpted from Crochet One-Skein Wonders, edited by Judith Durant and Edie Eckman, photography © Keller + Keller Photography Inc. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.

By Janet Reynolds | Photos by Keller + Keller Photography

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wall of nothing but sock yarn and it’s easy to get pulled over there and buy something. But if you don’t want to knit socks, we came up with a whole bunch of other things you can do with it.”

ince Durant’s expertise is knitting, she teamed up with crochet queen and author Edie Eckman for this newest book in the series. “Edie is the goddess of crochet in my book,” Durant says. While the designer book obviously featured people making patterns for a living, this book — and others in the series — features patterns from folks who just like to crochet or knit. “Anybody who has an idea can give it a try,” Durant says, noting they also seek potential patterns from popular yarn sites such as Ravelry.com.

“There are a lot of people in these books who’ve never had patterns published before.” After separating the patterns into categories, such as toys or home goods, Durant and Eckman looked at each one anonymously. “We go with what would be appealing,” she says. “We try to make something for everyone so there’s not too much of one thing.” While it would be ideal to try every single pattern herself before publishing, Durant says that’s not reasonable. “I first look to see if the pattern makes sense. Sometimes you do put yarn on a needle to check but mostly I use a calculator and follow stitches,” she says. “Sometimes errors get through. My goal is to get a book that has no errors in it. For the most part people are understanding of that. 

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Enjoy the Times Union magazine experience. Online.

Flip through the virtual pages of our Times Union magazine titles, accessible from anywhere online. The same award-winning layouts. More photos. Links that take you where you want to go. All from the comfort and convenience of your own device.

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body. mind. spirit.

My Space 

e all have favorite spots, places where we feel most comfortable or at home. Sometimes it’s a favorite chair or nook in a room; other times it’s outside the house. Wherever it is, it is where we are most at home.

Story and photo by Suzanne Kawola

WHO: Brandon Russ — Terra Luna Wellness

FAVORITE SPACE: Home Brandon Russ is the owner of Terra Luna Wellness, which, he says, “creates a concert of care between Eastern and Western medicine.” He and his wife, Tracey, have four foster children, and he loves his home.

WHY: Russ says he and Tracey looked into adoption but were put off by the expense. After much research, the couple decided that foster care was the right match for their family’s strengths. He and Tracey always knew they were going to be parents. “We bought a van the second year we were married,” he says. “We bought this house with four bedrooms and said, ‘We’re going to put a family in this.’” Now the couple are foster parents to four boys ranging in age from 4 months to 17 years. Even with the sleepless nights and vastly different needs of the children, Russ says, “It all works out and we have the space in our home. This house fulfills our needs. It fulfills their needs.” 

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 Photo Finish

A purple bench on a garden path. Photo by Philip Kamrass. Read more on page 24. 

86 | Life@Home

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