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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 #2512 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Sweet New Ways To Indulge In Chocolate 10 Tips Toward Sprinkler Season Smarts (NAPSA)—You might be able to save money and protect our environment simply by giving your inground sprinkler system an annual checkup. Doing this will help keep your lawn and garden healthy and green. A few easy-tofollow tips, from the experts at Rain Bird, can aid you in saving water all season: 1. Get with the program. Check your irrigation controls and programs. Make sure your settings are appropriate for expected seasonal rainfall. 2. Clear your heads. Look for rocks, dirt, sand and other debris that may block the even flow of water from sprinkler heads; uneven distribution can lead to too much water in some areas and not enough in others. 3. Do the cancan. Conduct a “can test” for even watering. Place open, empty tin cans or paper cups every 10 to 15 feet throughout your yard and begin watering. Compare the level of water in each receptacle. If the water levels differ significantly, adjust the flow and spray pattern of the sprinklers as needed. 4. Out with the old, in with the new. Replace cracked, chipped or worn plastic nozzles. A broken sprinkler can wreak havoc on lawns and water bills. 5. Don’t be deceived by warm air temperatures. That may not mean increased ground temperature. Use a small shovel to make sure that the ground below the lawn and garden is frost-free to a full 12 inches. Irrigating while the ground is frozen may result in a burst pipe. 6. Follow the rule of six (inches). Water long enough to saturate the soil six inches deep. Poke a screwdriver into the soil to see how deep the water is being Water, water everywhere your lawn needs it is easier to achieve when you’re sure your sprinkler system is in tip-top shape. absorbed. If the screwdriver meets resistance caused by dry-hardened soil less than six inches from the surface, adjust watering times to increase soil saturation. 7. Flush it out. Twist two sprinkler heads completely off and then turn on the sprinkler system for two or three minutes. This should flush out any debris and relieve air pressure in underground pipes. 8. Value your valves. A leaky valve will waste water. Inspect each valve to make sure it is operating properly. Overly wet areas in the lawn, resulting in muddy patches, may be a sign of a leaky valve. 9. Be prepared. Replace the backup battery in the timer-controller every six months and keep a copy of the watering schedule nearby. A power surge or brief outage could cause the timer-controller to reset and clear all the preset watering programs. 10. Learn more. Further information on irrigation system maintenance and water conservation in the yard is available at www.rainbird.com. (NAPSA)—As if you needed another reason to eat chocolate, now studies show it helps fight depression and control asthma and that its antioxidants reduce blood pressure. Still, more of us eat chocolate because we love it, not because of its health benefits. But whatever your reasons, now you have two new ways to indulge from Karo Co rn Syrup and Argo Co rn Starch. Banana Split Pudding has the classic taste of the traditional dessert with a fun variation— creamy homemade vanilla pudding in place of ice cream. The pudding takes just 10 minutes to prepare and chocolate lovers can spoon on as much fudge topping as they prefer. Banana Split Pudding Prep time: 10 minutes Microwave time: 5 to 7 minutes Chill time: 30 minutes Makes: 6 servings ⁄3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons Argo Corn Starch 1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 2 egg yolks 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 to 2 bananas, sliced 1 ⁄4 cup fudge topping Optional: whipped topping, chopped pecans, cherries 2 MIX sugar, corn starch and salt in a large microwaveable bowl. Whisk in milk and egg yolks until well blended. MICROWAVE on HIGH (100%) about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes. Cook until pudding is thick and has boiled at least 1 minute. Remove from microwave. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover surface with Chocolate Scotcheroos Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Cool time: 45 minutes Makes: 24 bars 1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup 1 cup sugar 1 cup creamy peanut butter 6 cups crispy rice cereal 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch chips Banana Split Pudding features rich chocolate fudge and homemade vanilla pudding. plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes. LAYER pudding with bananas and fudge topping in individual bowls. Garnish with whipped topping, pecans and cherries, if desired. If you love the taste of chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch, then try Chocolate Scotcheroos. For more recipes and tips, visit www.argostarch.com and www.karosyrup.com. COOK corn syrup and sugar in a large pan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal; stir until evenly coated. POUR into greased 13x9inch pan and pat into place. MELT chocolate and butterscotch chips in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over cereal. COOL at least 45 minutes, or until firm. Cut into bars. Chocolate Scotcheroos blend the flavor of peanut butter, butterscotch and chocolate in these crispy treats.