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 #2494 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 In A Slow Housing Market, Quick And Easy Exterior Design Tricks Make A House A Home Adding Brown Rice To Your Daily Diet (NAPSA)—Any way you serve it, brown rice is a nutrition winner. Just one cup of cooked brown rice gives you important phytonutrients and two of the three daily whole grain servings recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Brown rice has earned FDA’s approval for the whole grain health claim which states, “Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.” There are many easy ways to include more brown rice in your diet. For breakfast, cook up the microwaveable variety as a hearty nutritious hot cereal. Add raisins, dried cranberries or chopped prunes and a touch of cinnamon. Or scramble eggs in a pan with half a cup of cooked brown rice. For lunch, pair it with black beans, shredded chicken and fresh salsa for a healthy burrito, or have a vegetable pilaf with cooked vegetables and toasted pecans or almonds. Use brown rice as a healthful filler in meat loaf or substitute it in ethnic recipes such as Asian stir-fry or Mexican dishes. Make rice pudding out of brown rice with rice or almond milk, golden raisins and sugar. Here’s a delicious recipe that delivers the nutty flavor of nutritious brown rice: Confetti Rice Pilaf Yield: Makes 6 servings 2 teaspoons olive oil ⁄2 cup cubed or julienne carrots 1 ⁄2 cup cubed or julienne zucchini 1 There are so many easy and delicious ways to add brown rice to your diet. ⁄2 cup cubed or julienne yellow squash 1 clove garlic, minced 3 cups cooked brown rice (cooked in low-sodium chicken broth) 1 ⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 ⁄4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves or favorite herb 1 Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, zucchini, squash and garlic; cook until vegetables are tender crisp. Stir in rice, pepper and rosemary. Cook until thoroughly heated. Serving suggestion: Makes a great side dish for grilled meats, poultry or seafood. Nutrition Facts: Calories 99; Total Fat 2g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 82mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Protein 3g To julienne vegetables, slice diagonally. Cut each slice into matchstick-size strips. For more information and recipes, visit www.usarice.com/ consumer. Look Your Best For Less by Lawrence Zarian, “The Fashion Guy” (NAPSA)—Updating your ward-robe doesn’t have to break the bank. Purchasing just a couple key items can freshen up your look this fall. Try these “must-have” pieces: •Chunky, colorful necklaces •Powerful plaid pieces—from pleated shirts to tailored blazers •The pencil skirt •Big, beautiful handbags— from totes to hobos to messenger • Shoes with daring detailing • And for men, a vest. For celebrity fashion news and style tips, watch “The Fashion Team” on TV Guide Network, Sundays at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT. “The Fashion Guy” Learn More For more information, visit www.tvguidenetwork.com. • Mr. Zarian is a well-known celebrity stylist and the host of “The Fashion Team” on TV Guide Network. (NAPSA)—The nationwide mortgage meltdown and resulting decline of the real estate market have prevented many homeowners from moving into their dream home. However, instead of moving out, many are staying put and revitalizing their existing home. By improving specific areas, a bland house can easily change into one of style and pride. Duo Dickinson, a founder of the Congress of Residential Architecture (CORA) and award-winning architect and author, suggests a few quick tricks that can significantly change the look of your home. • Look up—Whether it’s an entryway, screen porch or covered patio, the most neglected outdoor space is the underside of the roof. For most homes, this area is traditionally treated as a plain, flat surface with no distinctive design element. By adding color and texture, it’s possible to create a subtle yet invigorating effect that draws attention to otherwise unnoticed accents. • Step up—Steps leading to the front door are often in need of repair. Although the entryway to a home is the obvious “first impression,” the most attractive design can be undercut by a neglected set of steps. The combination of a beautifully crafted wood stoop with brick or stone accents or a simple but unique wrap-around step feature can greatly affect a house’s curb appeal. • Spruce it up—A beautiful landscape connects a house to the land around it and is used to naturally accentuate your home’s exterior. Landscaping allows homeowners to take ownership of their outdoor area and demonstrate their creativity by adding A few quick design tricks can significantly raise your home’s curb appeal and value. dramatic effects that can change season to season. • Mix it up—The detail of your home’s exterior—siding, color, texture, trim—provides the visual appeal that distinguishes your house from all the others. But mixing and matching aren’t always the easiest tasks. The Dream Designer from Exterior Portfolio by Crane is an online design tool that enables homeowners to actually visualize the positive impact that window trim, textured siding, stone and color can have on a home’s exterior. Try out your inner architect at www.exteriorportfolio.com/EP/ Dream/Visualizer/index.aspx. Investing in a new home doesn’t always have to mean moving from one to the next. Maximizing your home’s existing design potential is a great way to transform it into your dream home. With simple exterior enhancements, you can increase curb appeal and create a unique visual presence that your neighbors will envy. Contact Exterior Portfolio by Crane at (800) 366-8472 for more information.