4th of July Show
Segment 1: Preview of the 4th of July Special
This is our special edition for the Fourth of July! Highlights include
the seven seasonal décor changes for summer decorating, a fancy
picnic basket filled with great food ideas, a visit with the famous
Zambelli family who create the big fireworks displays all across the
nation and how to photograph them. And a special salute to our soldiers.
Segment 2:Picnic Ideas
For a hassle free party remember it's better to do a few dishes in abundance. Heap plates full rather than serving a lot of little dishes.
Add a twist to traditional favorites like:
Burgers
Add the following to ground beef:
Red onion
Capers
One raw egg
Store-bought breadcrumbs
A jar of roasted bell peppers
Diced jalapeño peppers
Grated cheese (3 cheese Italian shredded)
Finely diced tomatoes
Once made, soak the burger mixture overnight in a marinade of:
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 /2 bottle of red wine
Two bay leaves
Four cloves of garlic (to be removed later)
Form patties then bury either a pat of butter or a cube of Gorgonzola cheese in the center of each.
For a cool condiment: A day ahead, sauté red and white onions in garlic and balsamic vinegar with a dash of Madera wine with salt and pepper-heap them on a plate as a gourmet addition to both hamburgers and hot dogs.
For hotdogs, grill ahead of time the day before for the markings and char so all you have to do is warm them up on the grill quickly. This will free up grill space for other things that require longer cooking time. Instead of buns, try fresh pita bread so you offer more meat and less starch.
For a great potato dish slice potatoes crosswise into 1/4" slices, lay them out on cookie sheets, add salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil and Old Bay seasoning and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Heap on a platter, sprinkle with fresh dill, parsley and sea salt. A great cross between a twice-baked potato and a potato chip. Add dipping sauces like bottled ranch dressing or fat free sour cream and you're in business.
For a great drink go to your local store or restaurant supply store and get a large drink dispenser-usually a large glass jar with a removable lid and a spigot. Layer it with watermelon, orange, fresh mint and lime slices then cover with one part pomegranate juice, one part lemonade, one part apple juice and one part clear cranberry juice---as the official drink-of-the-day. For adults, they can easily spike it with any of the clear spirits like gin, vodka, tequila or rum. But beware - it's one of those drinks that tastes sweet and terrific and you can drink more than you need to before you know it!
Deviled eggs are a great tradition. Most people overcook hard boiled eggs. The best way to cook them is to take them out and bring them to room temperature (leave out of the fridge for 30 minutes), bring the water to a boil, place the eggs in the water and then boil them gently for 5 minutes and pull out immediately.
Aunt Karen's Michigan Blueberry Pie
1 box of Betty Crocker or Pillsbury crust mix (follow directions on
box)
4 c. blueberries which you add to the following:
1 c. sugar
2 tablespoons flour (mounded a bit)
2 tablespoons tapioca
1 tablespoon vinegar
Stir the 4 ingredients in a bowl and then add the blueberries. Put in
crust, dot with butter, and then add the top crust. For an extra special
touch, brush milk on the top. Cook in oven at 450 degrees for about
15 min. and then for 30 min. at 350 degrees. You'll have to watch it.
Put a piece of foil under the pan to catch possible overflow.
Segment 3: Zambelli Family Fireworks
Guest
Dr. George Zambelli
Zambelli Family Fireworks International
zambellifireworks.com
Dr. George Zambelli's family came from Italy in the 19th century and
brought their pyrotechnic artistry with them. His father and brothers
have kept it going and many of the family are still involved. For a
choreographed extravaganza it generally takes an hour per minute ahead
of time to choreograph the fireworks to the music. They painstakingly
handcraft each of the shells during the year. There are designers that
help choreograph each display. Audiences demand ever increasing complex
and ambitious designs so the choreographers and designers have their
work cut out for them. Signatures designs make Zambelli fireworks stand
out from others. They include splitting comets, smiley faces, spider
webs and titanium salutes. They are known for their vivid colors and
innovative designs. The Zambelli Family also does fireworks for weddings.
Quick tips for videotaping fireworks:
Choose a good location without a lot of people in front of you with
the right angle of wind so that it will not be coming toward you. Get
in an area where the wind won't catch too many people talking in front
of you. Keep a flashlight with you and keep your camera on a tripod
with a wide angle lens using the manual settings as auto focus will
not work when trying to capture a firework in the dark sky - they will
only appear as white dots.
A book about the Zambelli family is also available on Amazon.com entitled:
Zambelli: The First Family of Fireworks: A Story of Global Success by
Gianni DeVincent Hayes
Segment 4: Design Email and Caller Questions
Here is the deal - both rooms have the heaters running along the
floor. I just can't seem to figure out what to do with the windows.
Drapes? Blinds? Nothing? I want it to look "Christopher Lowell"
and it doesn't.
Joy from Scotts Valley, CA
Joy has traditional heaters attached to the wall that run along the baseboard all the way under the windows, so she can't put fabric near them. Christopher suggests continuing the wood valance around to the next wall and over the window where the curtain rod now exists and which will tie the room together. Shutters would also be great looking to the windows adding a lot of texture and you can control the light. Once that is up you might consider what might appears to be Roman Shades. You aren't actually going to open and close them; you can leave them so they tip past the window. You can do two per window in a great looking fabric which will add color, warmth and texture. Do the same on the other end of the room and don't be afraid to mount the shades a good 8-10 inches above the window so it makes the windows appear to be a little bit taller and let them come down about 3 inches into the window pane area which would look great. Take some of that fabric, make pillows and scatter them around the room.
Segment 5: Summary of Second Hour
Christopher talks about his trip to China where he checked on the manufacturing of his Office Depot line and learned how the employees worked and are treated in the factory. All live on the premises in dormitories and it's a complete culture change from our country.
Soldiers Angels had been featured in a prior show and we are bringing
them back along with the founder, Patti Patton-Bader, in our next segment.
Christopher will also be giving his Seven Simple Season Décor
Ideas.
Segment 6: Soldiers' Angels
Guest
Patti Patton-Bader
Soldiersangels.org
Patti Patton-Bader joins Christopher to tell us about her organization Soldiers' Angels whose motto is:
May no soldier go unloved.
May no soldier walk alone.
May no soldier be forgotten,
Until they all come home
Patti started the organization when her son went to Iraq and her father
encouraged her to make care packages which consisted of baby wipes,
tee shirts, snacks such as beef jerky and cookies, powdered drinks in
the summer with electrolytes, coffee and hot chocolate in the winter.
She initially sent several per week and it's grown from there. She is
now involved in the Veteran's hospitals after learning about the problems
in many of them. There are conservatively 300,000 soldiers that have
been processed through the VA hospitals from the Afghanistan and Iraq
war and the hospitals are brimming with those who are trying to make
the transition from holding a gun in war and being back home. We, as
Americans, need to stand up and help. Whether it's visiting or in sending
a Vet Pack which includes a blanket, clothing, hygiene items, a coin
that says "May We Never Forget" and a card thanking them for
their service among other things. You can send these by going to the
website and clicking on the yellow bar that says "Help our VA's
- click here" which will tell you how to send a Vet Pack along
with other information on how you can help our veterans. There are classes
at the VA hospitals which help you get involved and train you accordingly.
Get involved America! Our soldiers need you as they serve, recover and
transition from the war.
Segment 7: Seven Simple Seasonal Decor Changes:
1. One of the reasons I tell you to keep your window treatments simple
is so you can change them out seasonally. Remove fall colored and weighted
drapes and replace with breezy summer weights like cotton, canvas or
sheers in colors that range from pale blues to sunny yellows and vibrant
nature inspired greens.
2. Find coordinating pillows and add them to sofas to draw the color
from the shell of the room into the center of the room. When choosing
these fabrics think "RESORT."
3. Try bringing your outside furniture's throw pillows inside to make a more seamless bridge between indoors and out.
4. Change dark lampshades to white. This will give them a whole different and fresh look.
5. Once you've established a summer accent color, add scatter rugs that coordinate. This will pull the color under foot for even visual balance-both inside and out.
6. Replace winter accessories with clear containers of glass jars filled with sand, seashells and other organic elements that remind you of summer. Cluster them together in varying heights on sideboards, shelves and side tables for more visual interest.
7. Whether real or fake, this is the time for flowers. But don't mix
and match. Pick a flower you love and do it in abundance in clear containers.
If using fakes, add real water to help sell the illusion. As another
alternative, clear containers filled with lemons and limes, real or
fake, add a great splash of color and geometrics to any space.
The Lowell Down
Remember, while it's a purely American holiday, America is the ultimate melting pot where all cultures should be celebrated.
- Try Italian sausages, soaked in red wine and placed on the grill.
- Try German potato salad -- no mayo and safer in the sun.
- Try a Chinese noodle salad with spice ginger and wasabi dressing.
- Try French baguette hoagies with brie and spiced herb butter.
- Try Mexican nachos versus just chips.
- But don't forget the all American hotdog.
- Finally, The Fourth of July is for celebration, giving thanks that we get to live with more freedom than anywhere else on the planet.