March 1993

SPECTACULAR DESIGN IN OUR KITCHEN OF THE YEAR

The model that Building Editor Tom Jackson and I are examining (above) is the first response we got from architect Duo Dickinson after we sent him a long list of family friendly ideas to incorporate in our 1993 "Kitchen of the Year." You can see this kitchen in all its colorful splendor on page 84.

EARLY START FOR SWEET PEAS

TOOLS FOR KIDS

DWARF MORNING-GLORY

NEW NATURAL INSECTICIDE

Big harvest from a small garden

The battle strategy "divide and conquer" is a gardening motto now for retired U.S. Air Force General Gordon Doolittle. After years of airborne adventures, Gordon and his wife Ione returned to their roots in Oregon for a more down-to-earth challenge: gardening in small spaces.

BUILD THIS TRIO WITH OUR PROJECT PLANS

RAISING HAPPY KIDS

You can't make your children happy. Showering them with toys, praise, and attention won't guarantee their happiness. Only children who learn how to handle life's constant struggles on their own will achieve true happiness.

PARENTS IN ACTION

Guess who has the greatest impact on your child's education? You do. Parent involvement fuels a youngster's enthusiasm for learning. It ignites a commitment to knowledge that can transform an average student into an academic all-star.

COMPANIES THAT CARE

To continue exploring major issues facing our country and its families, Family Forum this month tells about how some businesses are addressing child care, elder care, and other pressures that millions of employees must deal with today. These programs may serve as models for your employer or business. We welcome your opinions about these issues, as well as information about other such programs.

BUILD IT BETTER WITH EARTH-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

1993 KITCHEN of the YEAR

if you normally associate kitchens with drudgery, here's our solution-- break out of the box and get into the swing of a kitchen with curve appeal. It's time to loosen up, have some fun, and go with the flow.

Adding ON

EXPAND YOUR HOME'S LIVING SPACE BY CRAFTING AN ADDITION WITH THAT ALWAYS-BEEN-THERE APPEAL.

The great cover-up

Be your own decorator! A few sew-your-own touches will turn plain spaces into personal places.

1993 DECORATING CONTEST

Your home could be featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine!

Decorating with more a love than money

Call her crazy, but Joni Ruff believes that her checkbook is more decorating friend than foe. "Decorating is more fun when you have limited funds," says Joni, an interior designer. "You have to be creative." She proves the point again and again in her family's Portland, Oregon, home, where mind-over-money ideas pay off in a friendly, one-of-a-kind style. Help yourself to her doable ideas.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

DRIED MUSHROOMS WHET APPETITES

Despite their shriveled appearance, dried mushrooms swell into tender, flavorful morsels-- ready to toss into pasta, stir-fries, soups, or sauces. Simply soak them in warm water for half an hour. Then rinse, squeeze, and cook them in recipes as you would fresh mushrooms.

FRESHEST FINDS IN THE MARKET

The fresher the food, the better the flavor, and the greater the nutritional value. That's why it pays to use these fresh hints when shopping.

GUIDE TO FRENCH COOKING TERMS

We Americans have borrowed many favorite dishes and cooking methods from the French, adopting the sometimes mystifying French terms that go with them. Count on this glossary for help in pronouncing and understanding common French cooking terms.

CONDIMENT IDEAS

Yes, it's fun to cook with those specialty condiments-- exotic chutneys, oriental flavors, spicy hot sauces, and the like. Their distinctive flavors can turn ordinary recipes into bold new dishes. What's not fun are the jars of leftovers. Get to the bottom of those half-empty jars with our easy ways to clean your cupboard.

Linen & Lace

"I knew lace would be perfect for mail order," says Sunny Drewel, who started Linen & Lace in her home in 1986.

PROTECTING YOUR RETS FROM 3 SAFETY THREATS

We all love our pets, but sometimes we can harm our trusting companions because of a lack of knowledge. Here's how to safeguard your dog and cat.

Weekend getaways

During a long weekend, you can sail to the Bahamas and back; take a whale-watching boat tour, then stretch out on an uncrowded New England beach; frolic in the Atlantic after teeing up on one of Myrtle Beach's myriad golf courses; linger at a sidewalk café by San Antonio's famous

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

College is definitely giving our Rosemary an increased appreciation of life. In a science class, she just learned that human parents are about the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home.