Midwest Home Living

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Midwest Home Living

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C O N T E N T S Home Lighting Design & Home Lighting Decor The Importance Of Home Security Today Is Your Home Office Furniture Hindering Or Helping You? Converting An Old Barn Into A Home Your Barn Kitchen Can Be Stylish How to Live in a House During a Renovation or Construction Gardening with Tips - Tips and Activities Variations on a Theme Called Canine Play How to Prepare for a Cruise Drinking Water Can Encourage Healthier Food Choices Recipe of the Month

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PUBLISHED BY

Zammito & Company LLC Office: 314-258-4412

Residence: 636-8543

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Email: midwesthomeliving@gmail.com

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Midwest Home Living

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Home Lighting Design | Home Lighting Decor Some use track lighting for the design element.

Others might use track lighting for the mere fact that you don't have any space above your kitchen to put a recessed can. There are remodel cans that can be installed from below if you can not get to the crawl space above your kitchen. But when you don't have that space is the time someone might opt for track lighting.

Recessed Lighting There are a couple of ways that you can use recessed lighting. The first is to use it as a wash of light over the fronts of your cabinets as well as your work areas. A spot would give you a narrower beam of light that could create shadows either wanted or not wanted. A flood light would give you more of a wash of light.

The second function of recessed lighting in a kitchen is to illuminate the whole room. If you have a large kitchen you might decide to use some additional recessed lighting around an eating cove or along walk way areas that might appear dark otherwise.

Track Lighting Track lighting can be used for the same functions of the recessed lighting. It can either provide light above counters and cabinets so that you can see in the cabinets. Or it can light up dead spaces. Track lighting generally comes down a little from the ceiling. The amount of distance is dependent on how high your ceiling is.

There are basically two styles of track lighting.

One that is a straight bar that can either be installed flush with your ceiling or lowered a bit. The second is more of a funky artsy style that is often curvy.

They can take LED light bulbs or more often Halogen light bulbs.

Under Counter Under counter lighting is really more important than most think. The main function is to light up your work area on your counters. It also lights up the area under your counter where recessed or track lighting will not reach.

When under counter lighting is installed it should be installed under all of your cabinets. They either come in the form of low voltage puck lights or string of fixtures that hold a long tube style light bulb.

Pendant Lights Often you will see pendant lights in groups of three.

Always try and install an odd number. Occasionally, two will suffice but one or three is much better. Today pendants enhance the dĂŠcor or feel of your room.

Manufacturers offer many different styles of pendant lights. Those styles enhance your dĂŠcor whether you are decorating your home in a modern style, traditional style or any other fancy you have.

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Midwest Home Living

Over Table Lighting Larger pendants and chandeliers are common place in a kitchen over an eating area. These provide an anchor above your table and complete the space whether it is portioned off by a wall or is a part of another room.

You will want to hang a chandelier or pendent in the center of where your table will be. Now, if you live in an older home like mine the electricity doesn't always come out of the ceiling in the right place.

What we've done is to place a hook above the center of our table. We insured the cord of the chandelier was long enough to drape from the power to our hook and fall to right length.

Over an eating table you will want to hang your fixture at 60" from the floor. For the same reasons I've noted above with pendant lights, you will want to be able to converse with someone across the table but not be blinded by the light bulbs when you look up into the fixture.

Accent Lighting Kitchens today are built much larger than they use to be. As a result you have a lot more space to play with. Accent Lighting is not only decorative but can provide function as well. We use ours in the event someone needs to visit the refrigerator or get a glass of water in the middle of the night but doesn't want to completely wake up in the process.

Small portable lamps can be placed on counters where there are no upper cabinets. You might also be able to find one small enough to go under the upper cabinets.

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Midwest Home Living

The Importance Of Home Security Today

People have always tried to protect themselves and their families, just like most animals do. In very early days, cavemen protected their caves by lighting fires outside the entrance to discourage interlopers and wild animals. Later on, man learned how to increase his security by training dogs to safeguard him and his family. Later still, houses and then doors were invented; bars and locks arrived soon after that.

However, until a few decades ago in the west, people lived in extended large families. A family could consist of six-to-ten children and the mother and the grandmother would often live there too. This made home security systems extraneous from the early 18th Century to the 1930?s, which were quite peaceful times. After the Second World War, families were not so large and new families got their own house away from their parents.

Nowadays, both parents are likely to be working and the children are probably at school. This means that many houses are left unoccupied during the day, making them easy plunder for burglars. In fact, the number of household burglaries has increased by almost 10% in the last five years according to Ameri-

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can government figures. Furthermore, according to a survey, forty percent of home burglaries were carried out due to inappropriate locks and doors.

ANSI (American National Standard Institute) produced a standard for deadbolt locks for external doors which is very hard to beat. If you are worried about your external doors, you should seek these ANSI deadbolts out, but beware, there are many copies. However, regardless of the sort of lock, the quality of the door is just as crucial. Its thickness and composition can also be a disincentive. After all, why put an expensive deadbolt on a door made of cardboard?

There are about 14,000,000 home burglaries every year in the United States and many of them are preventable. The first stage that you should achieve in home security is well-built doors and sturdy locks. Deadbolts on exit doors is a good idea.

Once you have completed that, get some exterior security lighting that reacts to either motion or body heat. The former sort are microwave and the latter passive infra red sensors. These sensors will also contain a daylight sensor so that they will only become active at night. The sensors will also save you money by activating the powerful halogen floodlights only when someone enters the range of the sensor’s beam.

Once you have done that, you ought to think about a home security alarm system. This should consist of contact sensors on all outside doors and windows, vibration sensors on all widows to alarm you in case of breakage and PIR or microwave motion sensors in the corridors and hallways.

Then, if you want to go even further in your home security system, you can fit surveillance cameras on each exterior wall of the house and maybe one in the interior too. You do not have to take all these precautionary measures at once, if you are short of cash, but they should be taken in that sequence.

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Midwest Home Living

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Is Your Home Office Furniture Hindering Or Helping You?

Do you work from home? Or do you surf the Internet or buy or sell on eBay? Do you send and receive email? Of course you do, because you are reading this piece. So let me ask you, how much attention do you pay to the equipment you use to perform these tasks?

You might make sure that you have the latest and fastest computer, you may make sure that you use the provider of the fastest broadband connection accessible in your area, but how much consideration do you pay to your computer table and chair?

If you do not pay attention to these particulars as well, you are surfing at top speed but you could be heading for a bad back and other physical complaints at break-neck speed too. If you work for a company, these details are checked for you, or should be and if your boss does not take care of your posture, then the company could be liable for compensation. If you do not have a supervisor and work from home, it only makes sense that you take care of these details yourself.

If you take part in any of the activities mentioned in the first paragraph, you really should be taking an active interest in ergonomics, which is the study of the correct way to sit and how to use the proper equipment to help you to achieve the correct posture so that you do not subject your body to undue stress while you are working.

So, how do you go about acquiring the proper table or desk and the proper chair for you to do your work safely? Well, it is probably easiest to start with the chair. The correct chair for you will allow you to

place your feet flat on the floor with your thighs parallel to the floor. You should be able to accomplish this position without balancing on the edge of your chair. If you require a foot stool to achieve this state, that is all right. The chair should have a back too. Some say there should be arm rests as well.

The table or desk should be of the height that will permit you to sit on your seat and put your elbows on the desk comfortably with a straight back. The height of the table should not encourage you to reach out or slump.

After you know how high your table and chair have to be, you can take into account size. In general, the bigger the table or desk the better. However, you know what you are like. Are you the sort of person who clears the desk at the end of every day, or are you the sort that works until you cannot work any more and likes to leave books and papers open for a quick start the next day?

If you are the latter type, then you need as large a desk as you can get, but you may just want a big desk because they are imposing. Whatever. It does not matter. A bigger desk is better anyway. The bigger the better, but it must be at the height that permits you to sit at it on a seat that suits the length of your calfs and the length of your abdomen.

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Midwest Home Living

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Converting An Old Barn Into A Home Tim Davis/Architectural Designer

In late 2000, I bought a piece of property that was used as a farm for the past three generations. And even though just under six acres, was one of the prettiest pieces of land you ever laid eyes on. One half of the property is wooded and the remainder is rolling hills. At the westernmost section of the land runs a bubbling brook fed by a gushing spring. The water in that spring is crystal clear, fresh, and cool, all year round.

My wife and I borrowed my families RV and moved onto the property that same year with all intentions of building an English Style Tudor home on the front side of the property.

I’m an architectural designer by trade and had spent months laying out my wife’s dream home. (OK, I admit it was mine too!) It was going to be built using trees off the land that I spent six weeks cutting down and shaping into 8” x 8” beams with my chain saw.

Then we hit a snag. The place where we were to build our dream home sat too close to the power lines that ran across the front of the property. Sure, I could get the utility board to move them, but not at their expense. I’d have to pay for the entire shooting match and that just wasn’t in the budget.

By the time we got the news about the power lines, we had already spent nine weeks in that old RV and to be honest, it was getting sort of cramped seeing that three of our five children were still living at home. I don’t care how big the RV is, if there is a 5 year old, two young teens, and two adults packed in it, life gets interesting. My wife’s nerves were getting a bit frazzled and to be honest, so were mine.

On our farm, the only other suitable place to build sat the most beautiful old barn you ever laid eyes on. 64’ wide by 30’ deep. This barn had good solid construction with 6” x 6” columns, true 2” x 6” girts and rafters, 1” x 10” & 12” planking on the walls and lofts floors. All rough sawn and true size. This building was nearly a century old and twice as solid as modern structures today.

When I got the news about the house, I tried to break it to my wife as easy as possible so I took her out for a moon light stroll. You know, one of those romantic type walks that women just seem to get all gushy about. On our stroll we walked up to the barn where I had stored all those beams I had made to keep them in the dry until needed.

Sweety, I said. “We can’t build the house right now. If I have to clear land to build it, there will be another three to four month wait before I can even start construction.” Then, off the cuff I said; “Maybe I could build us an apartment in the barn until I can start on the house.” Her eyes lit up and she asked me; “How long would it take to build?” I thought for a second and decided it would take probably a month to complete.

Her excitement returned and seeing her face light up like that spurred me on to swinging a hammer. I selected the widest open part of the barn and started the construction. I’m glad I had the utility board hook power up to the barn as it really made life easier to use my power tools.

I visited our local saw mill and bought as much raw lumber as I could. First I constructed a new loft area using some of the beams I had cut out, then using those same beams, started cutting out stairs.

Next I enclosed the face of the opening with native rock and mortar at about three feet tall and then a wood wall on top of that.

I built the floor to the Living Room and Den and then started framing the Kitchen which would protrude out of the back of the barn. Next, the loft I had previously built became mine and my wife’s bedroom. From there I opened an area into the existing loft and started building the bathroom and two other bedrooms.

It has been close to eight years now and that barn apartment has become a full blown home complete with five Bedrooms, a Living Room, Den/ Dining Room, Kitchen, Full Bathroom, Study, Sunroom/Laundry, Sewing Room, and a Garage. use.

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Midwest Home Living

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Your Bar hen Can Be S ty lish Barnn Kitc Kitchen Sty tylish

Not many homeowners want a new kitchen that looks like it belongs in a barn. But in this case, the sought-after look was the perfect fit.

The home is a converted barn with the original sliding doors and cow pen still in place. Although the rest of the home is decorated with charming

antiques and trompe l'oeil artwork, the '70s - style kitchen was overwhelmed with an oversized refrigerator and microwave oven. It also lacked storage space.

The recessed-panel cabinetry was carefully selected to match the color of the cow pen and barn doors, focal points of the adjoining family and dining rooms. White painted bead board, found elsewhere in the home, is used on the backsplash and as wainscot.

Individual furniture pieces were designed so that two large windows and the hot water baseboard heater could remain undisturbed. The sideboard countertop is made of salvaged pine, stained and distressed to resemble the color and character of the kitchen's exposed ceiling beams. The drawer heads of two plate rack cabinets are also finished in this warm color.

The starting point of the renovation was the floor: earthy ceramic tile over concrete that the homeowners didn't want to replace. Thus, relocating electrical, plumbing and heating fixtures was kept to a minimum. The dishwasher was moved out of a tight corner, where it was difficult to unload, to the end of the "L".

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How to Live in a House During a Renovation or Construction

1.) Lay the ground rules in a detailed talk with the project manager. Inform the work crew right away of any rules .)you have. Outline designated smoking areas, parking areas and usable entrances. Let the project manager know what the earliest and latest possible working hours are to avoid any unnecessary disruptions. Inform him of any area that is off limits to the crew.

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2.) Protect your belongings by moving furniture and accessories out of the construction area. Use plastic sheeting to section off the area. Cover furniture, electronics and air vents in adjoining areas to protect them against construction dust that finds its way through the sheeting.

If the remodeling is in your kitchen, keep refrigeration, a microwave and utensils in a separate area where you will have access to them at all times. If the renovation is outside, cover plants and gardens. Keep children and pets out of the construction area at all times.

4.) Be patient and flexible. Don't expect to keep a spotless house for the duration of construction and don't expect everything to go as smoothly as planned. Initial scheduling is a great tool to estimate how long the project will take, but delays happen because of weather, transportation issues and out-of-stock materials, for example. Chances are, the project will take longer than you first thought.

5.) Make yourself accessible at all times--by cell phone or pager if you are not home. Although most details get sorted out beforehand, new things often come up and you'll need to make on-the-spot decisions for the work to progress.

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Midwest Home Living

Gardening with Tips - Tips and Activities Fertilizing The first thing that you must do is prepare your garden for growth. This must occur before you plant any seeds, since the soil must be fertile enough to support life. Many people keep compost throughout the year and then use it to fertilize their gardens in the spring. It is also possible to use synthetic fertilizers if you do not keep a compost.

Both types of fertilization can be enjoyable and will keep you active for days.

Planting Once the soil is ready for a garden, you can begin planting seeds or bulbs. The method that you use to plant depends entirely on the crops that you wish to start. With some plants, you must put bulbs into the soil for them to grow at a rapid rate. This requires you to plant them carefully, since you do not want to crowd the plants together. Flowers are a good example of this, as they need room for the roots to take hold. Therefore, you want to give each plant enough space. This type of planting is fun for anyone who likes getting down and dirty.

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Weeding Since you have fertilized your soil, there is always the chance that weeds will infiltrate your garden. Some garden weeds can take over very quickly, so you must stay on them at all times. While some people use herbicides to kill weeds, this can do soil damage if done for long periods. It is best to pull the weeds out of the ground. Weeding burns many calories and works the entire body, which is why many people actually enjoy the process.

Pest Control Much like weeding, pest control must be part of your garden routine, as insects and other creatures will try to feed on your plants. You can use pesticides or insecticides to kill these bugs, although you must be aware that you are potentially spraying a food source with these chemicals.

Non-toxic pest control methods include spraying liquid soap, garlic or hot sauce on the plants. Make sure that you dilute each ingredient with water before spraying it in the area. These ingredients will kill insects in a hurry, but will not do any damage to your plants.

You can also take the steps to attracting beneficial insects to your garden. These insects include wasps, ladybugs, hover-flies and lacewings, all of which will eat the insects that are killing your plants.

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those who can get the serious work of life done first then celebrate afterward radiate a confidence not present in their less efficient cohorts.

Within the domestic arena, we see these same

By Myrna Milani, BS, DVM principles at work. Granted only the smallest percentage of domestic puppies need to learn the basic survival skills of their wild canine ancestors. Nonetheless, their early play with humans, other animals, and objects can do much to help them fit smoothly into our often complex human environments. Good breeders who routinely expose their pups to a wide variety of different experiences under playful, upbeat circumstances do much to make life easier for these animals as well as for their future owners.

As dogs grow older, play serves other equally important functions. Activities spanning the spectrum from the most simple game of fetch to an intricate round of hide-and-seek can stimulate the mind and body of even the most energetic dog living in the most limited human environment, thereby enhancing More driven by dour Victorian beliefs than any that animal's physical and mental well-being. scientific fact, early behaviorists viewed play as But what about those pets who don't play? Dogs strictly limited to young animals. Not only that, they who don't play may not for physical, behavioral, and/ claimed that what we viewed as entertaining animal or bond reasons. A canine couch potato's extra fun and games served only one function: to prepare weight, lack of condition, and mental sluggishness the young animal for the deadly serious adult remay make him reluctant to play. In that case, only sponsibilities of fighting, killing prey, and mating. the simplest games (such as hiding a ball under a However, as more scientists studied more animals pillow practically next to his nose) may appeal to him throughout their entire life cycles, a different view of until he gets the hang of things. Other times the dog’s play has emerged.

To be sure, young animals in general do play more than adults, and an axiom often quoted by ethologists, "The more you need to know, the more you need to play," is typically used to describe the behavior of the young. However, as the research on play in adult animals accumulates, it appears that play in older animals communicates a message of confidence as well as learning. The wild animal with time to play with a leaf, or even another animal it would normally hunt for food, loudly and clearly communicates that it not only has enough energy to accomplish its basic survival function and reproduce, but also some extra left over for fun. Naturally, those animals who play before they attend to their essential needs get eliminated from the gene pool; but

Variations on a Theme Called Canine Play

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behavior negates play. Timid Rosie so cowered when her owners took her to the park to play frisbee, they took her right home. In that more secure environment, they used carefully timed, confidencebuilding playful distractions preceding and during stressful situations to help her over the rough spots.

As the play sessions built her confidence, they moved these out of their home and into their yard and, finally, back to the park.

Of all the bond factors involved in play, a lack of human leadership in the human-canine pack serves as the primary squelcher of the playful canine spirit.

Dogs who feel obligated to police up busy human households and their inhabitants rarely have time to relax, let alone play. Owners who resolve packrelated problems often comment how much more playful their pets become.

Enjoyment differentiates play from exercise or work far more than the nature of the activity. And while no scientific criteria exist to define canine enjoyment, who doesn't recognize the special spark that lights up a dog at play? Just thinking about it is enough to make us smile.

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The Fear in Dogs

Most people do not realize that fear is a common problem with dogs, especially a new dog, as he does not know what to expect from you. Fear in a dog is most often associated with anxiety and it can be hard for the pet owner to help his four-legged friend.

Dogs can suffer from all types of fears including fear of noise, fear of being alone, separation anxiety and fear of certain objects such as a vacuum cleaner.

No matter what fear your dog has trouble with, you can rest assured that you can comfort him and help him get over his fear. The key to helping your pooch is knowing what causes his fear. This way you can help him work to get past his fear. No matter how fearful your pet is, you can help by using patience, love and understanding.

One thing you do not want to do is give too much attention to the dog as he will start to think that his fears are justified. Most dog owners want to reassure their pet that all is ok but they are really giving in to the fear, which will not help him at all. There are other ways to calm your dog when he is showing fear or anxiety. For instance, if he is afraid of thunderstorms, it is important for you to remain calm during a storm, showing your dog that there is nothing to fear. Your dog will look to you to see if there is a problem, so it is good to show him you are not afraid.

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How to Prepare for a Cruise Verify the information on your cruise documents as soon as you get access, usually no later than one week before departure. Double-check the spelling of your name, your appointed cabin and departure date. Contact your travel agent or cruise line provider if you notice any mistakes.

Check the validity of your passport. Your passport has to be valid and should not expire within six months of the cruise. Carry your passport for proof of citizenship and identification purposes. Your passport has to display the same name as your cruise documents.

Inquire with your travel agent or cruise line provider about current required visas and vaccinations for the destinations you will be visiting because these regulations periodically change. Bring proof of any acquired vaccinations with you on the ship.

Schedule a pickup service or arrange for someone to drive you to the cruise port. You may also need to arrange a plane flight if the cruise departs from another state or far away location.

Reserve shore excursions. Call your cruise line's customer service department or log into your online cruise account to set up shore excursions before your cruise.

Avoid making reservations on the ship because shore excursions often have a limited number of available spots.

Pack appropriate clothing and place identification tags on each piece of luggage. Bring casual clothing, smartcasual clothing and formal clothing. Pack mostly casual clothing, such as pants, skirts, shorts or sundresses for women. Pick out sporty shirts, shorts and slacks for men.

Include smart-casual clothing, such as pantsuits and dresses for women, and ties and jackets for men. Pack formal clothing, such as a tuxedo for men and a cocktail dress for women. Bring shoes for shore excursions; sneakers, sandals and flip-flops are common cruise attire. Bring swimwear to wear poolside and workout clothing if you plan to exercise.

Put your essential items in your carry-on bag because it may take a while before your luggage arrives at your cabin after checking in. Keep your money, medications, jewelry and breakable items, in your carry-on bag. If you don't want to wait for your bags to arrive, pack swimwear or workout clothing so you can start enjoying the ship.

Set aside traveler's checks and some cash or a credit card to pay for on-board expenses and on-shore purchases.

On many ships, you use your cabin's key card to charge expenses to your room. At the end of your cruise you have to pay for your expenses Arrange for someone to watch your house, water your plants or feed your pets while away.

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Midwest Home Living

Drinking Water Can Encourage Healthier Food Choices by: Raw Michelle

While the majority of concern about diet busies itself with the chemical makeup of nutritious foods, a large portion of health problems are held in place not only by what foods are eaten, but by the consumption behaviours that reinforce poor choices.

Just as connoisseurs of fine dining would recommend red wine with red meat and white wine with fish, the combinations in which foods and drinks are consumed can demand each other's company. The study of gastronomy springs from the natural urge to pair complimentary flavours.

Two research studies investigating the impact that beverage choice has on accompanying eating behaviours were recently conducted at the University of Oregon and Michigan State University. The studies, while largely similar in their subject matter, differed in the ages of participants. One targeted the eating behaviours of 60 people aged 19-23, while the other studied 75 children between the ages of three and five. Both studies were investigating the impact that different drinks, such as soda or water, had on the consumption of vegetables.

Wisdom comes with practice, not age When given the option, more of the older participants, when given sweet drinks, preferred high calorie and salty foods over the available vegetables. The study of the preschoolers played out a little bit differently, with the amount of vegetables eaten being the variable, instead of the option to choose junk food. A similar pattern still arose. When given soda instead of water, the younger children consumed fewer raw vegetables.

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This could be either be due to a taste preference, or the simple fact that the caloric intake is already elevated, removing the motivation to seek out other sources. The leading researcher notes that food preferences are established by eating a particular food repeatedly. The preferences become habitualized. Dr. Cornwell believes that this unlocks an important key to curbing negative eating behaviours before they start. Childhood exposure to high calorie foods may condition future eating behaviours to seek out foods that are poor health choices.

Filling up before a meal Drinking water with meals could make a big dent in the health problems and rising obesity rates, simply by forcing people to get more of their caloric intake from their foods. Consuming sugary drinks works against the probability that both children and adults are going to consume their vegetables. In many Asian countries, the first course of a meal is often a soup, which is both low calorie and takes the edge off of the hunger, making individuals far less likely to overeat.

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Eileen's Best Banana Bread Ingredients

Preparation

3 2/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup) 3 3/5 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 3/4 cup) 1/4 cup flaxseed meal 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup mashed ripe banana 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt 1/4 cup canola oil Cooking spray

1.) Preheat oven to 325°.

2. ) Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine banana and next 4 ingredients (through oil) in a small bowl. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3.) Spoon the batter into a 9 x 5– inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

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