Homes & Health How to get that engine running C1
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Peninsula Clarion
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peninsulaclarion.com
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sunday, august 11, 2019
Healthy breakfast on a busy school morning? It’s not so hard By Melissa Rayworth Associated Press
Breakfast, as you may have heard, is the most important meal of the day. That’s especially true for kids returning to school, who need fuel for energy and learning. But serving a healthy breakfast can feel like one more challenge for parents trying to get themselves and their kids out the door on time. Never fear. With a bit of planning, breakfast can be a great opportunity to get dairy, fiber, fruits and even vegetables into a child’s diet. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. “It’s not like there’s one perfect breakfast,” says Jessica Jaeger, a registered dietitian at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. Just try to include a mix of proteins, complex carbs from whole grains and healthy fats. “This helps stabilize blood sugar and appetite,” Jaeger says.
Diane Dembicki, an associate professor of nutrition who works with Jaeger at Adelphi, suggests involving kids in decision-making, and even in prep work the night before. Avoid the packaged frozen breakfast sandwiches and “breakfast bars” that have names that suggest nutrition but are often high in sugar and fat, Dembicki says. A few strategies for planning good breakfasts on school mornings:
Eggs can be easy EGGS CAN BE EASY Try make-ahead egg cups or breakfast burritos. Kirsten Clodfelter, a mom of three from Louisville, Kentucky, does meal prep on Sundays with the help of her oldest, who is 7. They scramble eggs with a variety of chopped addins (sausage with diced onion and peppers, or perhaps bacon and spinach), and then put the eggs in
a tortilla with a bit of cold cheese and wrap it in foil (for reheating in the oven the next morning) or plastic wrap (for reheating in the microwave), and freeze it. You can cut the burrito in half for little kids. Choose whole-grain tortillas or flatbread. Another make-ahead option: Fill the cups of a muffin tin with a mix of egg, veggies and meat, then bake. Once they’ve cooled, pop them out and freeze or refrigerate the individual egg cups. Then quickly microwave them at breakfast time, served with a piece of fresh fruit. For easy eggs prepared in the morning, Kate Wehr, a mother of four in Montana, suggests combining some chopped veggies and perhaps meat with a well-whisked egg and a bit of butter or olive oil in a ceramic bowl. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for about 45 seconds. The eggs will be ready to scoop into a whole wheat wrap, and breakfast is ready.
Melissa Rayworth / Associated Press
Avocado toast, banana and a glass of milk are shown on a table in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Whole grain toast with avocado is a fast but nutritious school-morning breakfast, and parents can add a hard-boiled egg for extra protein.
If you’re running late, wrap it in wax paper and your child can eat it on the way to school.
Grains can be quick Try topping whole-grain toast or a whole-grain waffle with natural See breakfast, Page C2
‘BRING LIFE’ INDOORS ‘Plant influencers’ offer decor tips for fall houseplants
By Tracee M. Herbaugh
variegated monstera is close behind. One of these plants might cost up to $200. Growers haven’t yet cultivated them for the mass market. “If you say a plant is rare, people will pay anything for it,” Pileggi says. The cissus discolor and a peperomia plant are among his fall picks.
Associated Press
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ouseplants are a quick and easy way to dress your home in autumnal color. Anthuriums can add hues of pink, red or white. The philodendron’s cascading, heart-shaped green leaves bring a touch of the outdoors inside. And of course, the poinsettia’s red and green foliage is a popular choice for holiday décor. It’s no secret — houseplants are back in style. “They are naturally chaotic and provide great contrast to the structure of a room and its furnishings,” says Sarah Cole, a Boston-area interior designer. “They bring life, literally, to a room.” But with so many houseplant varieties, how’s a neophyte to choose? If you are new to the crazy, cool world of houseplants, don’t fear: Instagram is here to help. On the photo-sharing social media platform, houseplants and their owners have carved a niche under hashtags like #plantsofinstagram and #plantcommunity. Like their counterparts from the world of pop culture, “plant influencers” garner loyal followings in the hundreds of thousands. Their photos depict beautifully grown, tended and displayed houseplants — on shelves, with cats or filling an entire room. They promise to help you find the most popular, beautiful and in-demand houseplants. Some plant influencers’ suggestions for fall:
Ana Carlson @sillappeal Followers: About 8,900 The Los Angeles-based owner of Sill Appeal, an online store for plant décor, says houseplants brighten a home in the throes of
Karin Scholte @ botaniquegreen.home
Kelly Boitano / The Sill
Eliza Blank from The Sill holding a Rattlesnake Calathea outside the shop in San Francisco. Blank is the founder and CEO of the popular gardening store and a plant influencer on Instagram.
winter darkness. “Plants that bloom in the fall are always a good choice for shorter days,” Carlson says, mentioning holiday cacti and African violets as good choices. “These old-fashioned plants are making a comeback,” she said. “African violets are beautiful, and they can bloom year-round with proper light and care.” Another popular fall plant, according to Carlson, is the variegated croton. “The croton’s leaves are colorful, but they need a lot of light to keep their vibrant colors and not drop leaves,” she said. “Without special care and conditions, it can be hard to keep it healthy in most
people’s homes.” One easygoing plant that’s becoming more popular in the U.S. is the ZZ Raven. Its new growth is green like the regular ZZ variety, also known as Zanzibar gem, but the raven turns black as it matures. “Black plants can be really cool for Halloween,” Carlson said.
Eliza Blank @thesill Followers: 564,000 People pay more attention to their homes as summer turns to fall, says Blank, owner of the New York City-based houseplant boutique The Sill. “In preparation to hunker down for the winter ahead, people buy
more houseplants,” she said. “We see deeper color foliage and patterned foliage trending, along with the darker hues of planters.” Her fall picks include: the philodendron, rubber trees and the visually interesting alocasia.
Nick Pileggi @ Phillyfoliage Followers: 36,200 Variegated plant varieties are both interesting to look at and wildly popular, says Pileggi, the curator at Urban Jungle, an eclectic houseplant shop in Philadelphia. The pink princess philodendron is probably the most coveted plant right now, he says. But the
Followers: Around 5,000 This year’s fall plant, Scholte says, is the ficus elastica. “The variegated ones bring light and color in a darker period,” she says. She also recommended plants from the codiaeum family: “Their colors are so bright and are the same as the leaves from the trees outside,” she said. “And they give me a warm feeling like a blanket, especially when they’re bigger and hanging down from a shelf.”
Erin Harding and Morgan Doang @houseplantclub Followers: 611,000 If you don’t have any plants, these plant influencers say fall is the perfect time to add some green to your home. Having a tropical plant inside during the darker days can help lift your spirits. Harding and Doang think the African violet and begonia varieties will be hot this fall. “African violets seem to be gaining popularity on Instagram, probably because of the wide variety of foliage and because they flower indoors,” Doang said. As for begonias, Harding says, “there are thousands of species, making it fun to collect them all.”
Fall décor’s style song: Feel-good vibes, personality By Kim Cook Associated Press
For keen serial redecorators, it’s time to start thinking about an autumn refresh. This fall, interior designers say there’s demand for eclectic styles, interesting prints, rich hues and warm textures.
Style sense The trim, tailored lines of midcentury decor have been ensconced in the home furnishings marketplace for several years now; versions of iconic pieces can be found in all big-box retailers. Has the beloved style peaked? Some designers see an easing of the fever, but that doesn’t mean midmod is going anywhere. “It has saturated the market,”
says designer Elizabeth Stuart, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. “(But) I think the interesting thing is that unlike the ‘industrial’ look, the midcentury ‘comeback’ has proven not to be just a fad but an awareness and a respected way of designing. Amazing furniture and fabric designers came out of that time — Florence Knoll, the Eameses, Saarinen — design that’s held its own and shown the world that it never really left.” Christiane Lemieux, who founded the home-design and fashion brand DwellStudio and now runs the custom furniture retailer The Inside, sees change coming. “Interiors have been clean, midcentury-inspired and fairly generic for the past few years, (but now) people are craving the ‘new and more.’ Enter maximalism,
specifically through the lens of British design, which is experiencing a major revitalization,” she says. Elaborate patterns, ornamentation, and luxe materials are hallmarks of that style. Designers like Miles Redd and Ken Fulk are known for their max-y, layered, curated interiors. “The beautiful thing about maximalism is that it’s entirely personal,” says Lemieux. “You’re encouraged to choose pieces that visually express your individuality. My No. 1 maximalism tip: Strive for personalization over perfection, and you can’t go wrong. The more you mix, the better the result.” She has introduced a chintz fabric collection at The Inside. And at August Abode, there’s a Notting See style, Page C2
Antoine Bootz/Craig & Company
This undated photo provided by Craig & Company shows a master bedroom that interior designer Joan Craig designed for a New York client. Craig used a hand-painted Chinoiserie gilded silk from de Gournay. “Wallpaper is having its day,” says Craig. “We can’t get enough of it and neither can our clients.”