Anchorage Daily News

Homemade liqueurs: Gifts to sip and savor

Homemade gifts from the kitchen are culinary treasures. They have a personal touch and in these challenging economic times, a present from hearth and heart seems especially meaningful. So when I spied A.J. Rathbun's new book, "Luscious Liqueurs" (Harvard Common Press, $12.95) I knew I'd found the blueprint for my '08 holiday gifts.

Landreth Seed Co. turns 225, launches African-American collection

Six years ago, when Barbara Melera bought the venerable D. Landreth Seed Co., it had been decades since Landreths were at the helm, and the company no longer specialized in the vegetables and flowers that had built its fine reputation.

http://www.philly.com/

Should your walls go black?

Black walls aren't just for Goth kids and heavy metal fans anymore. They're popping up in upscale shelter magazines, hipster design blogs and just about everywhere in between. Witness the black dining room at the Benjamin Moore paints Web site, where "Black Satin" is one of the featured "Colors for Your Home, 2009."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Snapdragons are simply irresistible

No matter where you live in the country, there is a season when snapdragons will absolutely steal the show in your landscape. In zones 7 and warmer, many gardeners plant them in the fall as pansy partners. They are planted in late winter to early spring in colder areas where they give riotous colors almost all summer.

Fixit: Some are more prone to head lice; removing scratches from glass; placing CO alarms

Q: Are some children more prone to get head lice than others? It seems to me that it's more of a problem with girls, but maybe it just seems that way because it's so much trouble dealing with long hair.

http://www.startribune.com

Cheat Sheet: Shoveling snow needn't break your back or heart

This is one of my foolish annual exercises. I call it providing information on shoveling snow, from buying shovels to rearranging your snowfall without breaking your back or giving you a heart attack.

http://www.philly.com/

Home energy Q&A

A GUIDE TO HOME ENERGY SAVING STRATEGIES (Part 3 of 3)

Home and garden news and notes

WHAT'S NEW: TOOTHBRUSH IS SELF-CLEANING

http://www.ohio.com/

http://www.mouthwatchers.net

Handmade items in big demand

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Clint and Lacey Loumaster of Lenexa, Kan., met in an advanced calculus class. But the husband and wife share more in common than a prowess for complicated math.

http://www.kansascity.com

A haven for his work; Artist uses found items, skills to create home, sculpture garden

MILWAUKEE - In a bark burl at the bottom of a woodpile, Paul Bobrowitz saw a mask with a wise man's face. In an old sewing machine case, he saw a handy computer printer table.

http://www.jsonline.com/

Do-it-yourselfer Q&A

Q: I want to paint several rooms in my house this winter and would like to use paint that is healthful and safe for the ecology. How can I be sure I am getting that kind of paint? -Maryann

Home Base: So many decor rules, so little obedience

I was hesitant to place furniture in a room other than where it was intended to go - until I fell in love with a nightstand that complemented my living room sofa. I wonder if I broke the rules.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

A garden fit for a Hobbit: A little bit of Middle Earth survives in Texas

"Beyond this place there be dragons," reads the sign over a courtyard door, visible once you've walked across a drawbridge, over a moat and passed through ornate iron gates. Let it be known there are talking trees and fairy woods, too.

http://www.dallasnews.com/

Tough questions that demand abstract thinking usher in new challenges for students (and parents)

When your fourth-grader complains about homework, it's not just empty whining. Homework for fourth-graders is more difficult.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Hearing set over needed repairs at Madonna's childhood home

A couple who own Madonna's childhood home in Rochester Hills, Mich. - severely damaged in a fire last summer - are to be in court Thursday for a hearing on bringing the home into compliance with city ordinances.

http://www.freep.com

Tricks to happy houseguests

Sharing your home over the holidays is what the season is all about, but it can also be trying, especially if you're busy and unable to be the most attentive host. Here are some easy tricks, from Woman's Day magazine, to make sure your houseguests are as comfortable in your home as you are - or even more so - without feeling like you have to go overboard.

12 money-saving energy tips for renters

Renters needn't depend on simply turning down the thermostat to reduce home-energy costs. Even though most energy-saving tips are written for homeowners, there are many ways renters can save money without making major home modifications.

http://www.freeshipping.org/blog/)

Give your kitchen a boost

Think you have to shell out serious bucks to take your kitchen from blah to great, guess again! For the price of a few tools, some key materials and a little sweat equity, you can rehab the main surfaces of your kitchen and transform your space for next to nothing. Here are four favorite kitchen-upgrade projects from the editors of Fresh Home magazine:

How to bring the touchstones of your heritage into your home without turning it into a theme park

We are a nation of nomads, traveling from house to apartment to condo to townhouse, searching for that comfort we call home.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Christmas Story' site will be ablaze in lights

Ralphie's house is getting the Griswold treatment.

http://www.ohio.com/

http://www.AChristmasStoryHouse.com

Jim Thome still open to returning to White Sox

CHICAGO - Regardless of the White Sox's intentions this offseason, Jim Thome plans to make Chicago his home.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/