(NAPSA)—Increasingly busy schedules make finding time to escape for a romantic getaway with your better half nearly impossible. When we do make time for romance, it’s usually limited to Valentine’s Day. But according to Danielle Hanscom, owner and innkeeper of the Brampton Inn in Chestertown, MD—recently named to the American Historic Inn Association’s “Top 10 Most Romantic Inns” list—jump-starting romance doesn’t have to be limited to Valentine’s Day. “When people come to the Brampton Inn, our goal is to provide a beautiful, relaxing atmosphere, where they can escape from their daily lives and truly focus on each other. However, if you can’t get away, you can re-create the same romantic ambience we have here at home—any time of year,” says Danielle. Creating an atmosphere of romance at home can be easily accomplished by simply breaking the routine and getting creative with what you’ve already got on hand. Danielle offers a few tips to help you get cozy with your better half and turn your home into a B&B-style hideaway: • Eliminate all distractions. If you have kids, let the grandparents or friends take them for a night. Turn off the TV, shut down the computer and unplug the phone. • Invite your better half to spend an evening alone with you. A simple note on fancy paper will do the trick. • Have your favorite treat prepared and presented by candlelight. Short on time? Have dinner delivered or pick it up from your favorite “date night” bistro. • Set the mood—light scented candles, have champagne chilling on ice, and “your song” or favorite romantic album playing in the background. • Sleep in and instead of slav- ing away to prepare a gourmet breakfast, take time to savor a rich romantic coffee creation that will keep the romance going all day. The Brampton Inn’s smooth and creamy signature coffee recipe includes chocolate—known to invoke feelings of being in love—cinnamon and a dash of cayenne pepper to spice up special moments with your better half. Hearts Afire 2 ⁄4 1 ⁄4 1 ⁄8 cups strong hot coffee cup chocolate syrup teaspoon vanilla extract teaspoon cinnamon Dash cayenne pepper 1 ⁄2 cup LAND O LAKES™ Half & Half LAND O LAKES™ Aerosol Whipped Light Cream, if desired Chocolate shavings, if desired 1 The world’s tallest fountain is found in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Built at a cost of $1.5 million for McCulloch Properties, Inc., the 564-foot-tall column of water weighs more than eight tons. Aborigines are thought to have been able to cross the Torres Strait from New Guinea to Australia, then at least 43 miles across, as early as 55,000 B.C. Savor Nutritious Twist On American Classic Instructions: Pour coffee into 1-quart saucepan. Stir in chocolate syrup, vanilla and spices; add LAND O LAKES™ Half & Half. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (3 to 4 minutes). Garnish each serving with LAND O LAKES™ Aerosol Whipped Light Cream whipped cream; sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired. You could win a romantic getaway to an historic bed and breakfast. The “Getaway With Your Better Half” sweepstakes, which runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 26, offers the chance to win a three-night stay at one of America’s most romantic inns as judged by the American Historic Inns Association, and a year’s supply of LAND O LAKES™ Half & Half or cash equivalent where required. Go to www.lando lakes.com for more details. *** Love your neighbor; yet don’t pull down your hedge. —Benjamin Franklin *** *** If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. —Benjamin Franklin *** *** Three may keep a secret if two are dead. —Benjamin Franklin *** *** Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire. —Arnold H. Glasow *** Reuters, one of the first news services to provide political, economic and general interest news to European newspapers, began its service using pigeons to carry messages between the terminals of telegraph lines. 3 (NAPSA)—Feeding your family on a tight schedule doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Take advantage of your favorite fruits and vegetables available year-round in cans. Canned foods can be a great way to add fruits and vegetables to your diet. Because they provide convenient nutrition, canned foods can help you meet the new 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Canned foods are Pivonka pre-cooked and precut, saving time in the kitchen. They can also remain on the shelf for up to two years without losing nutrients. Studies from the University of Massachusetts and the University of Illinois confirm that canned foods are nutritionally comparable to cooked fresh and frozen varieties. Sweet potatoes aren’t just for the holidays. Rich in vitamin A, canned sweet potatoes are especially delicious in this recipe for Gingered Sweet Potato-Apple Salad, which was developed by the Canned Food Alliance and meets Produce for Better Health Foundation nutritional standards that maintain fruits and vegetables as healthy foods. Try this nutrientdense twist on an American favorite. Gingered Sweet Potato-Apple Salad 1 can (15 ounces) sweet potatoes or yams, in light syrup, drained and cubed 1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained 1 apple, cored and diced Canned sweet potatoes can help you prepare a nutritious meal in less time. ⁄2 cup diced celery ⁄2 cup coarsely chopped cashews 1 ⁄4 cup honey mustard dressing 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger 6 cups mixed salad greens 1 1 Combine sweet potatoes, pineapple, apple, celery and cashews in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine salad dressing and ginger; pour over sweet potato mixture; toss lightly. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve over salad greens. Makes 6 servings. Nutritional information per serving: calories: 222, total fat: 7.6g, saturated fat: 1.4g, % calories from fat: 29%, % calories from saturated fat: 5%, protein: 4g, carbohydrates: 38g, cholesterol: 0mg, dietary fiber: 5g, sodium: 148mg. For more information on canned foods, visit www.mealtime.org. For information about eating a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, visit www.5aday.org. Note to Editors: 84th in a series of columns by Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., president and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation. More stories at www.napsnet.com. Search: “Pivonka.” A New Look For A Trusted Seal Of Approval (NAPSA)—There’s news for consumers who are shopping to upgrade their homes’ heating and cooling systems. A well-known seal of approval has undergone a redesign. After certifying the performance of more than 150,000,000 air conditioners, heat pumps and other heating and cooling components for homes and businesses for nearly 50 years, the Board of Directors of the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) has approved the redesign of its product performance certification seal. The Institute’s certification programs provide a sound engineering basis for rating the efficiency of HVACR equipment, allow product comparison that benefits manufacturers and consumers, and provide incentive to manufacturers to improve efficiency in order to gain market share. Said William G. Sutton, ARI president, “The certification seal assures customers that the products they are buying—those used in homes, businesses, factories and all structures in between—will perform as claimed.” The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute is the trade association representing manufacturers of more than 90 percent of North American-produced central There’s a new look for a seal that’s been certifying the performance of heating and cooling components for over 50 years. air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment. It has been administering its industry-directed voluntary programs since 1959, when ARI published its first product directory. With only 26 participants, the directory was only 19 pages and had only 600 products listed. Today, it publishes an on-line version of its directories at www.ari.org/cert. The current listing has over 200 participants and over 150,000 products listed. For more information about ARI’s product performance certification programs, visit the Web site at www.ari.org/cert.
