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 #2654 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Solar Roofing Your Neighbors Will Love Chocolate And PB: Nutritious? Hobbies Help Wounded Vets Solar panels on the roof can help keep energy costs from going through the roof. (NAPSA)—According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, heating and cooling costs the average homeowner more than $1,000 a year, or nearly half a home’s total energy bill—but you can reduce utility bills. One of the best ways may be to install a solar roof. In the past, bulky, expensive, rack-mounted solar panels were the only option available to homeowners who wanted to reduce their reliance on traditional electricity sources. And if you wanted a cool roofing shingle, going green meant going white. Now there are affordable, aesthetically pleasing photovoltaic solar panels manufactured to seamlessly integrate with asphalt roofing shingles. When combined with solar reflective shingles, homeowners can create a beautiful, energy-efficient system with exceptional curb appeal. Perhaps even better, this combination benefits the environment by reversing the solar radiation absorption that can cause a rise in temperature, or heat island effect, in highly populated areas. One of the new, affordable residential solar panel options available is the CertainTeed Apollo solar roofing system. It is lightweight, durable and easily installed into either an existing roof or a new asphalt shingle roof. Each slim photovoltaic module features polycrystalline silicon solar cells that can offset 30 to 70 percent of a home’s electricity usage. If it exceeds power usage, the excess flows back through the meter into the power grid, creating a credit to your account. Generally, these new integrated solar systems are installed with solar reflective roofing shingles, such as CertainTeed Landmark Solaris with rich colored granules, which reduce a roof ’s surface temperature by as much as 20 percent in hot weather. This means while the solar panels are working overtime to collect the sun’s rays, your family won’t have to adjust the cooling system to stay comfortable indoors. These Energy Star–qualified laminated asphalt shingles come in a variety of popular styles and colors. A roof makes up approximately 40 percent of a home’s exterior. However, investing in a cool roof is now a practical option, with an integrated system feasibly paying for itself in as little as four years. Also, solar panel installation qualifies for a 30 percent federal tax credit—available through 2016. Many roofing contractors throughout the U.S. are also taking advantage of solar training, and communities and utilities often have money-saving programs, which can be found at www.dsireusa.org. To learn more about solar roofing, visit www.certainteed.com or call (800) 233-8990. (NAPSA)—Many American veterans are getting mental and physical therapy—and a lot of fun—from a surprising source. That’s because America’s hobby industry is reaching out to organizations, such as the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment, that care for recovering veterans by providing free model kits. (NAPSA)—Chocolate and peanut butter are a great match for many taste buds, but they can offer nutritional benefits, too. The key is in which varieties you consume. According to Registered Dietician Tammi Hancock, chocolate is rich in beneficial antioxidants, which are highest in unsweetened cocoa powder and dark chocolate. Peanut butter is a good source of protein and vitamin E. Hancock recommends choosing a natural variety with no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, such as Smart Balance Rich Roast. A good way to enjoy the pair is in this recipe: Chewy Chocolate PB Sandwich Cookies Wounded veterans can not only enjoy building models from kits, they can help rebuild themselves at the same time. How It Works Model hobby kits assist soldiers who are on the mend in refocusing their energies on positive accomplishments and improving their fine-motor skills as part of their therapy. Expert’s Opinion According to Patrick Mooney of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, which also works to find ways to improve wounded veterans’ lives, “We are thrilled to have the continued kit contributions from the hobby industry, which support a number of hospitals, as well as the Wounded Warrior Regiment.” Learn More For additional information on enjoying a model hobby kit, visit www.myhobbyfun.com. Dough: cup all-purpose flour cup whole wheat flour cup rolled oats, pulverized to coarse flour in a food processor or blender cup Dutch cocoa powder tsp baking powder tsp salt cup Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread 1 cup granulated sugar cup packed brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly Filling: cup Smart Balance Rich Roast Creamy Peanut Butter 1 cups powdered sugar 3 Tbsp Smart Balance Fat Free Milk tsp vanilla In a small bowl, combine flours, oats, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, cream Smart Balance Buttery Spread and sugars with an Chocolate and peanut butter combine to create a tasty and nutritious sandwich cookie. electric mixer. Beat in vanilla and egg. Blend in melted chocolate. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, spoon dough 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on parchment paper for at least 5 minutes. For filling, cream together all ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth. If needed, add a small amount of extra milk to reach the desired consistency. Transfer filling to a zip-top plastic bag or piping bag. When completely cooled, place half the cookies bottom side up. Pipe filling onto the cookies, using about 2 teaspoons of filling per cookie. Top with the remaining cookies, bottom side down, to create a sandwich. Yi e l d : a b o u t 2 4 s a n d w i c h cookies (48 cookies made into 24 sandwiches) Per 1-sandwich cookie serving: 196 calories, 3g protein, 28g carbohydrate, 8.5g fat, 2g saturated fat, 4g monounsaturated fat, 2g polyunsaturated fat, 0g trans fat, 238mg omega-3 fatty acids, 1,688mg omega-6 fatty acids, 8mg cholesterol, 133mg sodium, 2g fiber
