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 #2486 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Plan A Garden Makeover For Seasonal Savings (NAPSA)—Designing your garden to conserve water can help weed out one cause of high utility bills. Advance planning can save homeowners hundreds and even thousands of gallons of water during the growing season. Here are a few tips for a water-saving garden makeover from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). • Start early. Plan ahead so that all new plantings take place in the spring. Plants require much less water to get situated when they are planted during the cooler months. • Go native. When deciding what to install in your yard, consider native and drought-resistant plants. They typically require less maintenance and little watering once established (sometimes none at all). • Must mulch. Use compost when planting and cover the area with mulch afterwards. Compost helps keep the water by the plant’s roots and mulch prevents evaporation. Make sure to leave some space around the base of each plant and resist creating mulch mounds around plants and trees. • Less lawn. The average American uses 200 gallons per day watering the lawn. Consider replacing some of that grass with an attractive ground cover that is drought resistant, covers a large area and requires no mowing. • Supersoak. Up to a third of all water from sprinklers can Stop Emotional Overeating (NAPSA)—If negative emotions are causing you to overeat and gain weight, it may be time to stop and smell the flowers—or sip a flower remedy, that is. “We may start out feeling a bit hungry, but when our eating is emotionally driven, we soon become robotic,” says Dr. Denise Lamothe, author of “The Taming of the Chew.” “Mindless eating ensues. Fortunately, we can regain control of our need to mindlessly devour what our bodies don’t really need.” Saving water in your garden may be as simple as following a few tips from landscape architects. evaporate during the heat of the day. Instead, give your plants fewer, heavy soakings. If you use sprinklers, only use them in the morning. • Gray is good. Recapturing gray water or rainwater can provide a free source of garden irrigation. These systems can be easily installed and even incorporated into irrigation systems. • Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip irrigation systems water plants right at the root and serve as an efficient alternative to sprinkler systems. For maximum effectiveness, be sure to get a timer. To learn more about reducing utility bills through landscape design or to find a landscape architect, visit www.asla.org. An all-natural healing system provides a calming positive energy to help deal with the emotions that contribute to overeating. Dr. Lamothe has found success using the all-natural Bach Original Flower Remedies with her clients who struggle with emotional eating and recommends the Emotional Eating Support Kit in combination with developing a healthy, balanced lifestyle. The kit contains three remedies— Cherry Plum, Crab Apple and Chestnut Bud—to help you stay in control, feel better about yourself and change negative behavior patterns. The drops have no side effects. For more information, visit www.bachremedies.com. A Cookie Recipe To Sweeten The Season (NAPSA)—’Tis the season for holiday baking. A recent national survey found that more than 75 percent of respondents plan to bake holiday cookies this year. To celebrate this tradition, here’s a festive recipe for chocolate lovers to ensure the season is sweeter than ever. Peanut Butter Blossoms Ingredients: 48 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates 1 ⁄2 cup shortening 3 ⁄4 cup Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter 1 ⁄3 cup granulated sugar 1 ⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt Granulated sugar Directions: 1. Heat oven to 375F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir Peanut Butter Blossoms—A fun and festive holiday dessert that is sweeter than ever. together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies. Though holiday cookies are a dessert-tray staple, festive baking extends well beyond the cookie jar. For more delicious recipes featuring Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates, visit www.hersheyskitchens.com.
