I love technology, except when it fails me

Faithful  reader, I'm having a bit of an issue this week with the old computer (as in three years old, which my tech guy says is “ancient”. That’s totally ludicrous – talk about built-in obsolesce. Completely unsustainable design!) So you’ll have to bear with me. I’ll have to catch you up next week on the outdoor living tips I promised in this week’s Hot Home Products column, which runs each Saturday in the print edition of The Toronto Star. One of my fave summertime treats is to take the paper out on the patio with a pot of coffee and leisurely make my way through it. Maybe I’m showing my age here, but sitting under a tree with a laptop just isn’t the same experience. And  may I just remind everyone that a newspaper never "crashes". Although, now that I think of it, I'm not sure how a couple of Toronto's other dailies are doing these days!) 

I am able to share links to three sites that have great barbeque recipes, which you may want to try this weekend. They are those of Ted Reader, bbq expert for Napoleon, along with links to PC Home and Longos. If you haven’t yet entered the contest to win a mini grill, click here  for details. And wish me luck on getting my computer – along with all my files and email – back later today.

More than smart - it's genuis!

If you love grilled food, but don’t have a backyard or balcony, check out Breville’s Smart Grill, which opens like a butterfly to provide 260 square inches of cooking space. It has a ton of other features as well, which, for about $350, it should.

This is a grill for a serious cook who wants something that performs well and will last a long time. You can adjust the tilt and height of the plates, both of which are non-stick cast aluminum “infused” with titanium. I believe this is the same material that’s on the Breville Panini grill I own and which is SO easy to clean. Which is probably one reason I use it at least three times a week. (At this time of year, it’s perfect for grilled asparagus. My only complaint is that it's too small to cook for a crowd, which is one reason I love the Smart Grill.  On the other hand, the panini maker has got a small footprint! Does this mean I need both? Surely not? Or does it?) More good features on the Smart Grill -- the flat griddle pan on the bottom can be removed and placed in the dishwasher. It can also be positioned in “BBQ mode” so that fat from both plates drips away at the same time. There’s also 30 minute timer and the unit shuts off if there’s no cooking activity for an hour. Most importantly perhaps, for the serious home cook, is that there are sensors that detect drops in cooking temp, and self-correct to maintain an even heat – essential for good searing and grilling. Love it!

If you want tips on how to make a summer recipe staple, potato salad, check out this how-to video on the Breville appliance site.

Savoury summer shortcuts

If you love savoury grilled food, but don’t have the time to make your own marinades and rubs, take a shortcut and use something that’s pre-mixed. You can get good results even just by adding red wine or soy sauce to consumer brands of BBQ sauce. Or you can treat yourself to one of Williams-Sonoma’s line of sauces. Sure, they’re a bit pricey ($19 for a 17-ounce bottle) but they are delish — flavours include red chilli/peanut, roasted tomatillo and Jalapeño/Peach. Tomorrow, look for another delicious recipe in this spot. In the meantime, don't forget to enter the contest to win one of four Portable Charcoal Grills by clicking here. More contest details can be seen in the last entry.

Get grilling - but first, enter this contest!

Are you a serious outdoor grill gourmet who has a tiny balcony or an itsy-bitsy backyard? Or are you an empty nester or singleton who just doesn’t need or want a huge honking barbeque? Then, dear reader, have I got a deal for you. We’ve got four Portable Charcoal Grills (shown above) to give away this week. I love these gorgeous little grills. Small enough to fit onto a condo balcony (check if you’re allowed!) or even to carry to the beach or park for a summer get-together. Click here for a chance to win. I’ll also be posting BBQ and outdoor entertaining tips this week on my blog. Just don’t expect anything new till after the weekend, because I’ll be up at my cottage – painting it. (Since you asked, I’m doing the entire main floor and loft bedroom in String from Farrow and Ball, which I think will go beautifully with all the pine.) A random draw will be held of all eligible entries on the morning of Monday, May 31, 2010. The winners will be contacted by Tuesday, June 1, 2010 and all four winners will be listed here on June 4, 2010.

(Editor's Note: This blog post has edited from a previously published version)

My weekends are, in fact, VERY BUSY!

Judging from  recent comments, some person or persons, who shall remain nameless, seem to think that I have a life of leisure, and that I spend my weekends eating chocolate-covered cherries and reading Nietzsche (the latter is most definitely not true, as I have vigorously avoided the reading of Nietzsche for several decades now) The truth is, I often spend at least part of the weekend trying out new house and home products. This weekend, for example, I'll be testing a Zoku Quick Pop Maker from Williams-Sonoma AND Hamilton Beach's new Half Pint Soft Serve ice-cream maker. Sorry, Kawartha Dairy, I don't think I'll be making an ice-cream run this weekend. I'll also be trying out Minwax's rub-in wood stain and finish on a set of four chairs I picked up for $15 at a junk store purveyor of fine antiques that's on the way to my cottage. Why just $15? Well, there was a long and complex story about the owner needing to clear the "warehouse" out in order to use the space to build some kind of flying machine/caravan. Gheesh, who does this guy think he is, I asked myself - Superman?

Pssst - let's pillow talk

Why am I whispering? Well, technically, I'm not supposed to be writing about outdoor decor and accessories till next week, but I could not resist giving you a sneak peak of these gorgeous pillows from Pottery Barn. I love the vintage floral look. Despite the fact that I have a rocky relationship with yellow, I think I like the one in that colourway best.  I can imagine how sunny and fun they'd look on the chaises on the deck at my cottage. Yes, $45 is more than I really want to spend on a pillow, but these are very nicely made - not at all squooshy and pancake-y - as are many cheap pillows.So they will last longer and in the long run, cost less. Get the logic? Have I talked you into it yet?  What if I just get two and mix them with something more affordable. Like the pretty ones I saw this week at Bouclair, which also had really sweet  - oops, no, I really will make you wait until next week for that. So, can I get a couple of these other beauties? Please? After all, I work hard all week. Don't I deserve them? Say yes.

The Platonic Chair - or at least very cool

This chair, from Danish furniture producer, Carl Hansen & Son, is a fresh incarnation of the famous Wishbone design by Hans J. Wegner. To me, it’s about to close to perfection as a chair can be – beautiful to look at and lovely to sit in. It was just launched in a range of Citrus colours at the Salone Internazionale delMobile (Furniture Fair) 2010 in Milan. If this chair has good bones, it’s because it’s got good pedigree. Carl Hans & Son was established in 1908 in Aarup, Denmark. It’s one of Denmark’s oldest furniture makers and the world’s largest producer of furniture designed by Hans J. Wegner. Is this not a wonderful chair? If you answered yes, click here to see more from this iconic design house.

Bathroom bling and trading up on tableware

While chatting about bathroom trends this week with style expert Arren Williams for my Hot Home Products column, he shared what he thinks are three tips for getting great style. “The biggest mistake is not buying a good faucet,” says Williams. “And you should. You’ll be handling it every day, and it’s a visual focal point. So make it a little jewel!" He also suggests running tile all the way to the ceiling for a cleaner look, and building in “storage niches” for bath products when doing a shower redo. While Williams like a sleekly spa-like feeling in bath design, he concedes that ornamental elements and colour are creeping in. The raised white bowl, set against blue tiles, from a new collection from Villeroy and Boch, shown above, is a good example.

Speaking of Villeroy & Boch, the renowned tableware company is sending Isabelle von Boch, who represents the eighth generation of family members involved in the business, to a Dinnerware Exchange event being held at their Cookstown location on May 22 and 23, at which attendees can "trade up" to Villeroy & Boch pieces. Folks whose tableware has seen better days can turn them it for upgrade, and get style tips from von Boch. Walk-ins are welcome, however appointments are highly recommended. For more information or to reserve a space, click here or call the Cookstown House of Villeroy & Boch at 705-458-0435.Customers who can’t get to the event can still take advantage of the promotion, which launches May 14. Personally, I was delighted to learn that the V & B has re-issued its Acapulco design, as I inherited a set of the sunny, seventies-style dinnerware from my mother, and need a few replacement pieces.

Time for a new hint

Apparently, my darling-est husband did not get the numerous hints I cleverly dropped about wanting a Longines watch for Mother's Day. Look at the pic of the model  from La Grande Classique collection and you'll see why I'm in lust with this timepiece. I thought I was being SO subtle. For instance, at dinner one night, I casually mentioned that I had caught my pal, stylist and new reality tv host Janette Ewen, on Breakfast Television that morning. "She looked great," I said, "and I'm sure she was wearing a Longines watch. It was SO gorgeous.Come to think of it - I need a new watch."  Was I too subtle, I wonder? Anyway, hon - if you're reading this -- let me be clear - I WANT A NEW WATCH, preferably - this one! After all, didn't I just get you a new boxed set of Stanley screwdrivers with every head imaginable? I'd even be prepared to make a deal. I get the watch and that Bosch mitre saw you want? It's yours.

The origins of evil OR where the hell is my other argyle sock?

Sometimes, I strongly feel the need to avoid a deadline silently ponder impenetrable questions such as “what is the origin of evil?”, “what is the meaning and purpose of life?” or “where do all the socks that get lost in the laundry go?” On this last one, I'm apparently not alone in clinging fondly to the hope that these socks disappear into an alternate universe for a while before returning to earth as more enlightened and self-actualized socks. Toronto Hydro has found, through a survey with Leger Marketing, that nine per cent of Torontonians hold on lonely socks for at least a year while almost one in five keep it for eternity (how does one define eternity, anyway?) For other fascinating laundry facts, or if you too are trying to avoid a deadline, see below.

In an heroic gesture of corporate responsibility, Toronto Hydro has come up with a possible solution to the lonely sock crisis currently facing Torontonians by offering a Sock Exchange. Under the program, the first 100 customers who send in a photo and brief description of their lonely sock to media@torontohydro.com will receive a free eco-friendly indoor drying rack. All socks will also be reviewed for compatibility with other socks in the database. Owners will be notified and matches will be posted on the website. Click here for info. 

Toronto Hydro has also partnered with local with Home Depot stores, Caplan’s Appliances and the City of Toronto, so customers who buy  a new ENERGY STAR washing machine in  May or June get an $80 instant rebate, a $60 mail-in rebate from the City of Toronto, and an eco-friendly indoor drying rack (valued at $68.) ENERGY STAR washing machines not only save water and electricity, but Hydro suggests front-loading machines may also help to reduce the occurrence of missing socks. Anonymous insiders who refused to be named have suggested that Hydro will be answering the question about the origin of evil next month and that it has something to do with ill-fitting shoes, but our sources were unable to confirm this.

OTHER LAUNDRY FACTS

• On average, Torontonians spend about 3 hours a week doing laundry.
• Only 19 per cent of dads/husbands are responsible for the laundry.
• Watching television is the most popular past-time while waiting for laundry to be done (61 per cent) followed by house cleaning (55 per cent) and surfing the net (53 per cent).
• Nearly half the Torontonians surveyed who are in a relationship (45 per cent) say that their spouse or partner has ruined their clothing in the wash.
• Demographically, men are slightly more likely to hold on to a lonely sock for only a week (eight per cent vs. four per cent among women).
• ENERGY STAR qualified washing machines use at least 30 per cent less electricity than other washers. They also use up to 50 per cent less water and the combined water and electricity savings can total almost $68 a year. As well, if customers use a clothes drying rack even just a quarter of the time (instead of a dryer), they could save another $21 a year.