You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2485 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Tips For A Great Birthday Party Green While The Dishes Get Clean (NAPSA)—Clean up on these dishwashing tips and save a considerable amount of energy. A lot depends on the machine you have and the way you operate it, for example: • Use energy-saving cycles whenever possible. • Don’t prerinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Pre-rinsing can waste 20 gallons of water per load. Modern dishwashers do a superb job of cleaning even heavily soiled dishes. Compared to washing by hand, using an Energy Star dishwasher, such as a Miele, can save up to 5,000 gallons of water a year. This particular dishwasher actually exceeds Energy Star requirements. • Wash only full loads. Most dishwashers use the same amount of water whether it’s half full or completely full. Putting dishes in the dishwasher throughout the day and running it once in the evening will use less water and energy than washing the dishes by hand throughout the day. • Load dishes according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Completely fill the racks to optimize water and energy use, but allow proper water circulation for adequate cleaning. Unique Features That Save Energy • Some dishwashers, such as Miele’s, have an AutoSensor system that evaluates wastewater quality and will automatically determine if the unit actually needs more water. This feature can reduce water consumption by over two gallons per cycle. That Some energy-saving dishwashers have a sensor that evaluates wastewater and determines if the unit actually needs more water. means the less soiled the dishes are, the less water the dishwasher uses. • That same dishwasher ’s turbo feature calculates room air temperatures to reduce drying times by 10 to 15 percent. There’s also a drying feature that opens the door automatically at the end of the cycle to save energy and improve drying quality. Of interest to consumers is that the same manufacturer’s G 2002 dishwasher meets all Energy Star requirements for low water usage and is made so that more than 90 percent of the dishwasher itself is recyclable. Miele has actually reduced water consumption in its dishwashers by more than 50 percent and energy use by over 33 percent. For more tips, visit miele.com. (NAPSA)—The next time you’re planning a birthday celebration for your child, you may want to keep these tips in mind: 1. Plan ahead—Send out invitations four to six weeks in advance allowing time for replies. Once you get an idea of how many people are planning to attend, make sure you book your venue and order a cake accordingly. Set the tone for a great birthday party with invitations that reflect your child’s personality. 2. Pick a theme—Whether it’s Thomas the Train, princesses or cowboys—use your child’s playtime favorites as inspiration for a party theme. 3. Select the perfect invite— An invitation sets the tone, so select quality invitations that reflect your child’s favorites—like colors and themes. Stationery experts such as Tiny Prints (www.tinyprints.com) offer themed birthday invitations and designs that let you add your child’s photo. 4. Plan activities—That will keep everyone having fun. 5. Remember to send thanks —After the party, encourage your child to handwrite thank-you notes. Online retailers such as Tiny Prints even offer “fill-in-theblank” thank-you notes that allow any child able to hold a pencil to give thanks. A Zesty Chicken Dinner Brings Color To Your Plate And Palate (NAPSA)—The U.S. is wrestling with the worst food inflation in nearly 20 years. Combine that with high gas prices and you’re talking about a budget buster. But you can make a savory meal for a family of four and spend less than $10. The spectacular flavor in Herb Roasted Chicken comes from the blend of cooking oil and fresh herbs. (Fresh herbs are sold in individual, small packages near a grocer’s fresh vegetables and can be used to create other meals later in the week.) Vegetable (or canola) oil seals in moisture and keeps chicken and roasting vegetables crispy. The vegetables cook alongside the poultry, saving on cooking time and energy usage. Herb Roasted Chicken Ingredients: 1 ⁄2 cup LouAna vegetable or canola oil, divided 1 (4-pound) whole roasting chicken 21⁄2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 11⁄2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 11⁄4 teaspoons salt 1 ⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 ⁄2 small onion, peeled and cut into 4 wedges 8 ounces baby carrots, peeled or unpeeled 8 ounces red-skinned potatoes, quartered 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed Preparation and Cooking: Preheat oven to 450. Remove giblets and neck Fowl is fair—and fairly inexpensive—when you roast a whole chicken in herbs and oil. from chicken; freeze for future use. Combine and stir sage and ingredients through pepper. Measure out 2 teaspoons herb mixture and mix it with 1 1⁄2 tablespoons oil. Starting with neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks with hands. Rub mixture under skin and over breast and drumsticks. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under. Rub 2 tablespoons oil over outside skin of chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on a roasting pan rack. Roast at 450 for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Toss reserved herb mixture and remaining oil with onion, carrots and potatoes. Add vegetable mixture to roasting pan. Roast an additional 30 minutes at 350, basting with pan juices after 20 minutes. Add green beans to pan; toss. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serves four people. Visit www.louana.com for more recipes and cooking tips.