March 1986

EDITOR'S LETTER

The following letter landed on my desk a day or so ago, sent over from our food editors. It comes from Samuel Mancuso, of East Meadow, New York. I'm sure you'll get as big a kick from it as I did:

AMERICAN SNAP SHOT

KID VIDS

GARDENING AMONG FRIENDS

Good things come in BRIGHT PACKAGES

SURPRISES ON TODAY'S WELL-DRESSED TABLES

THE BMW AND CUISINART Blues

The Global Showroom

EXCUSE ME, WAITER, THERE'S A FLOWER IN MY SALAD

House Proud

AND IT TASTES GOOD TOO!

Fostering Your Child's Independence

Do your children approach problems with an "I can do it" attitude? Can they make smart decisions even in the vise of peer pressure? Children who have been taught a healthy sense of independence can stand up to whatever the world throws at them. You can begin teaching your kids to stand on their own feet earlier than you think.

FOCAL POINTS

Create a focal point to dramatize your home and bring your style into focus!

FAMILY RESORT VACATIONS

Relaxing is easy amid the country-club atmosphere at this contemporary lakefront resort, 15 miles north of Palm Beach. Golf is a way of life here, though activities also include an outstanding tennis program and free supervised recreation for children in Capt. Mac's Kids Camp. The Atlantic is minutes away.

TIRES

How to Buy 'em Right and Make 'em Last

Ready-Made Fireplaces

These days, adding a fireplace to your home doesn't have to strain the budget. With a factory-built unit, you get all the charm of a custom fireplace, without the cost of brick-by-brick construction.

LOANS AND GRANTS FOR Energy-Efficient Homes

When applying for a mortgage or home improvement loan, four or five thousand dollars makes a big difference. If the loan amount you can get is that close to what you need, and you're interested in buying a new, energy-efficient home or upgrading an older one to energy efficiency, help is available.

GARDENER'S LOG

You can ensure a colorful flower border this year by dividing your perennials now. Many perennials should be divided in early spring, every three to five years. Among them are hardy aster, astilbe, bee balm, bleeding-heart, chrysanthemum, coreopsis, "gaillardia, hosta, liatris, phlox, primrose, rudbeckia, veronica, and yarrow. ...

SELECTING SALAD GREENS

A bountiful variety of salad greens fills produce bins at many supermarkets. For flavor and color contrasts, add a sampling of these greens to your salad repertoire. Some of the varieties you'll find include:

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES

ZEROING IN ON VITAMIN C

A balanced diet with plenty of vitamin C makes smart eating. Vitamin C, an essential vitamin, is important in building healthy teeth, bones, and tissues. It also may play a role in preventing colds, but researchers still aren't sure.

100 IDEAS UNDER $100

Toys, storage, furniture, crafts-- all this and more-- fill our brand-spanking-new collection of ideas for every room in your house.

SMART INVESTING STRATEGIES

The ups and downs of interest rates during the 1980s have been volatile, and many investment advisers don't expect things to calm down anytime soon. With the possibility of rates rising sharply one year and plunging the next, how can you begin to figure where to invest your money?

NUTRITION INFORMATION WITH EVERY RECIPE

To help you keep track of the calories, protein, fat, cholesterol, and sodium you consume each day, we include the amounts of these nutrients by gram weight per individual recipe serving for every recipe we publish.

How To Order ... Project Plans, Patterns, and Kits Featured This Month in Better Homes and Gardens

This unique editorial feature of Better Homes and Gardens magazine is an annual favorite with our readers. Not only do our editors provide you with a wealth of creative ideas, but our Family Shopping Service offers you a collection of craft kits, patterns, and woodworker's blueprints to help you re-create those ideas in your own home.

STEP-BY-STEP To Fancy-Folded Napkins

Let your fingers do the folding for a table with pizzazz! Put a fancy-folded napkin on your guests' plates and they'll think it took you hours-- you'll know all the folding only took five to 10 minutes. Just follow these simple directions.

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence. If not delighted, each company will happily refund your money.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

"Have you ever noticed," Dot Dresch observed, "that the cheaper the wine, the easier it is to pronounce?"