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 #2602 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Create Beautiful Blueberry Gifts (NA P S A ) — Lo o k i n g fo r th e perfect gift? Stop looking and start making! A personal gift you create is always appreciated, whether it’s for a holiday present, a warm welcome to a new neighbor, or a thank you for a hostess or teacher. Just about anyone on your list would love to receive a sweet box of Blueberry-Chocolate Bursts! And who would guess that these two-ingredient goodies are so simple to make. Choose dark, milk or white chocolate to cover blueberries. For an extra special gift, put the box of chocolates in a napkinlined basket and add a bottle of sparkling wine or cider. Delight your cookie-loving friends with Blueberry-Oatmeal Cookies! Make your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe and stir a cup each of dried blueberries and white chocolate chips into the dough. Layer the baked cookies in a pretty tin lined with colored foil. Looking for an even easier-tomake gift that’s guaranteed to appeal to kids and adults? How about Blueberry Party Mix! Simply toss in a large bowl: one cup each of dried blueberries, toasted nuts, thin pretzel sticks (broken into pieces) and unsweetened crunchy cereal. Spoon the mix into jars or clear bags. Go to www.blueberrycouncil. org to find many more recipes and to get inspired with ways to add blueberries to gifts and menus for your family and friends. Protective Pecans (NAPSA)—Eating a handful of pecans each day may play a role in protecting the nervous system, according to a new study. Research from the University of Massachusetts suggests that adding pecans to your diet may help keep nerve cells functioning well as you age. Bursting with blueberries, these chocolates make a sweet gift. BLUEBERRY-CHOCOLATE BURSTS 2 cups (12-ounce bag) semisweet, milk or white chocolate chips 1 cup frozen blueberries, not thawed Recent research revealed that adding pecans to your diet may help protect your nervous system. Line 24 mini-muffin cups with mini-cupcake papers. In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the chocolate at 50% power for 40 seconds. Stir the chips well and repeat several times, warming and stirring the chocolate until just melted. Into each cupcake paper, spoon 1⁄2 teaspoon melted chocolate. Arrange 3 or 4 blueberries on chocolate. Spread about 1 teaspoon chocolate over each, covering all blueberries completely. (If chocolate thickens, return bowl to microwave for 3 or 4 seconds and stir.) Refrigerate, covered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Enjoy or refrigerate in airtight container up to 3 days. Yield: 24 pieces The study was published in the journal Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research. “Antioxidants like those found in pecans help protect against cell damage,” said lead researcher Thomas B. Shea, Ph.D. “These findings suggest eating pecans on a regular basis may provide significant nutritional benefits that may provide a protective effect for the nervous system.” Pecans are the most antioxidant-rich tree nut and are among the 15 foods that contain the highest antioxidant capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For more information, visit www.ilovepecans.org or call (404) 252-3663. Getting The Lead Out Of Your Drinking Water (NAPSA)—While many people are aware of the dangers of lead in paints and toys, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says potentially toxic lead is most commonly found in a home’s plumbing and water system. Extended exposure to lead in drinking water can cause a variety of adverse health effects ranging from delayed physical and mental development in children to kidney problems or high blood pressure in adults. Dwellings built before the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments of 1986 are especially vulnerable. Lead can sometimes “leach” from pipes in the water service line entering a building or from welds used on pipes in the home. However, there are several things you can do to decrease or eliminate the threat of lead in your drinking water: Tips to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead • Do not consume water that has been sitting in your home’s plumbing system for more than six hours. • Run cold water for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking it. • Use cold water for drinking or cooking. • Never cook or mix infant formula using hot water from the tap. • Use a faucet or filters that can remove lead from drinking water. A lead-free water recirculator can also save families up to 12,000 gallons of water a year. • Use a professionally installed water filter system on the pipes entering your home as well as under the faucets in your kitchen and bathrooms. • Put your filtered water in a safe container—glass or BPA-free plastic. • Invest in lead-free, energysaving plumbing products such as balancing valves and the brass ITT Bell & Gossett ecocirc water circulating pump that can save a family of four up to 12,000 gallons of water a year. To learn more about how to get the lead out of your drinking water, check out EPA’s Safe D r i n k i n g Wa t e r H o t l i n e a t ( 8 0 0 ) 426-4791 and website www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/index. html. E x p l o r e l e a d - f r e e a n d e n e r g y - e f f i cient products at www.bellgossett.com.