Is there a power cut in your home? Has your refrigerator stopped working during the night? Are you worried about the food you had in the freezer?

If this happens, don’t worry because there are easy to follow instructions for food safety.

Through the food away when it is thawed or warmed to room temperature. Throw it out if it has been sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours.

If the food is mostly thawed, but still cold, cook it immediately. Once cooked, food can be refrigerated for later or eaten right away.

The food can be refrozen if there are still ice crystals visible on it. If you don’t have a freezer to put it in, make sure to get some dry ice and put it in a cooler. The food will need to be cooked, because it won’t last as long as with a normal freezer.

Once food starts to show off the markings of freezer burn they need to be thrown out immediately.

Storms and accidents will always cause power outages; however, you can use preparation to be ready for whatever happens.
If your current refrigerator or freezer isn’t working like it should, your best bet is to purchase a new one. Consider a large American Style fridge freezer when you have enough space. Any kitchen will be much better by having this. A broad selection of American refrigerators and freezers is available for viewing at this site.

Get your mind around this hypothesis. You are invited to dinner with your partner, along with four other people - a total of eight including your host and his wife. There will be a session of card-playing afterwards, finishing off with a movie on your host’s new home theatre system.

Unfortunately, for the last 30 years, all the chair makers in the country have been on strike and you have to enjoy the evening without any chairs to sit on. See what I mean: you arrive at your host’s place, welcoming drinks, all very nice. Go into dinner, beautifully laid out table. Have to stand to eat your meal. Retire to the card room, stand up for a few hands of whist. Finally, stand through your all-time film favourite, “Gone With The Wind” for over three hours.

My offbeat way of giving an example of how much we take chairs for granted and how a normally pleasurable evening out could turn into a nightmare without their presence.

Chairs can come in different forms as we know, in industry, at home, medicine, punishment and other branches of society. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular (or unpopular) uses of this piece of furniture.

Think of something that we all do from time to time, visit the dentist. What is the dreaded thing we have to sit in while waiting for him to perform his nerve-tingling professional duties? Chairs that we use day by day in our homes are so far removed from this piece of equipment as doesn’t matter, but they are equally chairs. Yet the way we sit and relax in one could in no way be compared to the other.

Let’s get morbid for a moment and think of another use for a chair. The electric chair. Incidentally, as you probably know - this particular form of execution equipment was invented by a dentist. It is probably the most fearsome type of chair that has ever been manufactured. No relaxing here, just a certain finality and a piece of equipment to perform a final gruesome act.

I will give one more example from times gone by. During the days of witch hunts and religious zealousness, a chair was used on more than one occasion to seat a woman who was found guilty of this very “crime”. This procedure was followed - if she was very lucky - being ducked into a deep vat of water to try to purge the demons from her soul. If she wasn’t so lucky and the “court” so deemed, piles of kindling and flammable material were placed around the chair and she was simply burned to death, the chair attacked to a stake - hence burned at the stake.

We have above, a few examples of the way the chair has been developed - and in some cases revamped - to suit various needs. It wouldn’t be foolish to say that more uses will be found for them as time moves on. I personally find that one of the most pleasurable things is coming home from work on a cold evening, house nice and warm, coffee in hand and sinking into my favourite chair. Heaven!

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Chairs

The sink is the busiest spot in your kitchen. Nearly every task begins or ends in its embrace, so choosing the right one for the way you will use it and the way it will look may be one of the most important decisions you will make when planning your kitchen. You may not feel you really need the new one that ‘cooks’, but you do want a sink that will serve you well and look terrific, while not requiring too much time to maintain.

The newest looks in sinks are those that compliment the latest trends in kitchen design; namely the ‘commercial’ or ‘professional’ look and the traditional Old World styling, two design trends that continue to run parallel to one another, closely followed by the nostalgia of ‘country’ .

After you choose the look you want to enhance your kitchen’s personality, there is still plenty to decide. Will you use stainless steel, porcelain, enamel or solid surface material? How about copper or brass? For more on sinks, go to Estimating Costs.

Stainless Steel - More popular than ever, the stainless steel sink is the perfect compliment to the ‘professional’ kitchen that boasts stainless steel appliances. Easy care is a big plus. The quality of a stainless steel sink is measured by its gauge (the higher the number, the lower the quality), the amount of chromium and nickel it contains (the more, the better) and the sound control employed ( the more padding or coating the quieter. Tile and solid surface counters allow undermount installation for easy clean up - just push the wet and the mess right in with no lip or edge to collect debris or dampness. Laser embossing is available from some manufacturers to relieve the ‘too commercial’ look for use in more traditional settings, too.

Solid Surface - First used for easier care custom counter tops, sinks of solid surface materials have attained a close second in preference among consumers for upscale kitchens. These wonderful man-made composite materials present a quiet, easy to clean surface that is stain and scratch resistant. Solid surface sinks also allow for either surface or undermount applications and can be fabricated to create a completely smooth transition from a solid surface top with no discernable ridge or line where they are joined. Computerized cutting allows fabricators to create custom designs for both decorative and functional choices.

Porcelain - Still the number one choice for many consumers, there is nothing to compare with the gleaming surface of a quality porcelain sink. Surprisingly durable, porcelain on cast iron sinks are available in bolder colors and more shades than any other material. Available in either undermount or surface mount styles, porcelain sinks are available in every imaginable style and with a wide variety of functional options and features.

Enamel - A less expensive alternative than others, except the most inexpensive stainless steel, enamel sinks are also less durable. Available in several colors and configurations enamel sinks do require more careful maintenance. But, top mounted models may be changed out with relatively little trouble, so enamel sink may be a better way to cut costs than with some more permanent choices for your kitchen like the cabinets. A good quality enamel sink may be expected to last for several years with a little loving care. Be sure not to scour with abrasive cleaners.

Other materials seen on today’s sink scene are Soapstone - a natural mineral substance, it is easy to care for, available in several color ranges (no two are alike) and in some of the most ‘now’ styles like extra deep farm sinks with wide apron fronts.

Copper or Brass - usually familiar as bar or ‘veggie’ sinks, these metals are sometimes chosen for kitchens planned in the Old World mode or for a ‘gourmet’ appearance.

For more kitchen planning tips and kitchen remodeling ideas, visit http://www.superkitchens.com

Ask any interior decorator and they will tell you that bamboo shades offer a level of sophistication that goes beyond the ordinary to any room. Bamboo shades look good in the home or office. That’s why more homes and businesses are asking for bamboo as their choice for window treatments.

Most shades using bamboo are a combination of exotic reeds, grasses and bamboos. They come in beautiful colors and styles that add nature-like warmth to any room. Because of the knotty patterns bamboo makes when it’s cut, it has been used for centuries because of its density and durability. It is environmentally safe and grows quickly. It matures in six years or less; unlike a regular tree that takes anywhere from 30 to 120 years. Bamboo shades are made from the highly fibrous wood from the tree. Therefore, when the wood is stripped, there is no harm done to the bamboo plant.

There are many companies on the Internet that sell bamboo shades. Most of them offer a limited lifetime warranty that guarantees the shades will last for years. Some also offer free shipping. You might also check with local shops in your area that specializes in shades. You can also buy bamboo shades from brick and mortar stores in your area. They are available at furniture stores, home decorating supplies, and other types of stores. For a discount, you can go to furniture supply outlets. Wherever you choose to purchase them, make sure you check out the quality before making a decision.

Color is the prime mover in decorating. There is no limit to its versatility. it can change the shape and size of a room, disguise it’s architectural defects, emphasize and dramatize it’s good points.

Clever use of color creates the mood and atmosphere in a room…serene, gay or dramatic. Color plays it cool, or turns around and is warm and friendly. You can use any color with any period or style of furnishing and it will be perfectly compatible. Most important, color influences your own mood, evokes a personal, emotional response…it can make your spirits soar or soothe and relax you.

When you enter a room, color makes the first impression, and so it should be one of the first considerations in your decorating plans. Creating your own color scheme is not as difficult as it sounds. An analysis of your of your wardrobe might provide a clue to the colors you are happiest with, your favorite color in fact.

If you favor neutral shades and spark your ensembles with vivid accessories, then a subdued background with bright accents is your best bet in the home. If your wardrobe reveals more pungent hued clothes with a repetition of one color, select this color and work around it.

You may own an original painting, which you treasure. Display it against a neutral background and key your color scheme to the painter’s palette. In fact, let any colorful, prized possession inspire your color scheme.

Remember that a small swatch of color looks totally different than when it covers a whole wall. In fact, always bear in mind that color changes color when used in a large area. it becomes stronger, brighter and more intense.

Let color burst forth in your kitchen. Dispense with that antiseptic look which sterile white, often creates. Match walls to the new colored refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers; make floors, ceilings, cupboards sparkle with bright shades to cheer up your kitchen. Remember, a daring color changes the shape and size of any room, gives it totally new dimensions.

Vivid color on the floor in vinyl, mosaic, tile or carpet makes a good jumping off point for a color scheme. Certain vivid colors which can look too harsh on walls, are doubly effective underfoot. They look more subdued while still remain lively, make successful backgrounds for white rugs, painted furniture, antique as well as modern pieces. Pale colored floors reflect light, help to enlarge a small room. Either way, a bright floor can be the color anchor of your decorating scheme.

Lisa French is a freelance writer and webmaster for Decorating Country Home.com

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