9 icy driveways

7 Myths About Warming Your Car Up In Winter

It’s February 2nd of yet another brutal Canadian winter, and the mercury hasn’t risen above –10 Celsius in a fortnight. Brrr. Six o’clock Tuesday morning finds you shivering in the driver’s seat of your car, which has sat on the driveway since the evening before. As you turn the ignition, the car roars to life. Pop quiz: To avoid damaging the engine, should you let the car warm up for a) 2 minutes, b) 5 minutes, or c) 10 minutes.

The answer? None of the above. Idling your car in cold weather is—what’s the phrase?—totally unnecessary. Don’t take our word for it, though. Here’s master mechanic Rob Maier: “Because of the efficiency of modern fuel injection, which eliminated carburetors and chokes, you don’t really need to idle your car. My truck has 250,000 kilometers on it, and I just throw it into gear and go.”

Here are 7 myths about idling your car in cold weather (with a handy assortment of delightfully toasty truths):

1. The driver’s got to warm up before he can hit the road. Hmmm, getting warm by sitting still? You know what warms up a car even faster than idling? Driving. If you’re concerned about physical comfort—and who isn’t?—get moving. Driving is a much faster way to get the heat circulating in the car, return feeling to your fingers and toes.
2. A couple of minutes of idling doesn’t cost much. Actually, idling for longer than 10 seconds is putting the hurt on both you and the environment. After 10 seconds, you waste more money running the engine than restarting it. Word to the wise: If you idle your car five minutes a day for a year, you’ll waste 75 litres of gasoline—which produces 200 kilograms of carbon dioxide AND costs you at least $90.
3. Idling is gentle on the engine in cold weather. Sorry, wrong again. According to the Anti-Idling Primer, idling forces an engine “to operate in a very inefficient and gasoline-rich mode that, over time, can degrade the engine’s performance and reduce mileage.”
4. Idling in the garage is safe. You’ve seen House of Cards, right? Idling a car in a garage is a terrible idea, even with the door open. It’s dangerous and exposes the driver to carbon monoxide and other noxious gases. And if the garage is attached, those fumes can also enter the house.
5. Remote starters are better than block heaters. Take it from Lori Strothard, an expert from the frosty climes of Waterloo, Ontario: “Remote starters often cause people to warm up their cars for five to 15 minutes, which is unnecessary.” A block heater is designed to heat the engine and can be set to turn on one or two hours before driving. It costs under $30, and does the trick in very cold climates.
6. “Ah, just leave it running—I’m only dashing in and out.”
   Natural Resources Canada points out that quick errand idling is another way to waste gas and pollute both your town and the planet. “Leaving your engine running is hard on your pocketbook, produces greenhouse gas emissions and is an invitation to car thieves,” the agency says.
7. Idling isn’t such a threat to public health. Come, come. Exhaust is hazardous to human health, especially children’s. (Studies show that children’s IQ levels are lower when they live near major roads with lots of traffic.) The air pollution from tailpipes is linked to increased rates of cancer, heart and lung disease, asthma and allergies. Idling is the second-hand smoke of the outdoors.

[More at Yahoo Autos Canada]

10 Marthas crafting

How to Make an Amazing Yuletide Wreath ‘Chandelier’

Okay, it’s not a chandelier in the strictest definition. It has no lights. But this arrangement of greenery is attractive and comes from Scandinavia—facts we suspect are related. It’s made from a pair of cedar wreaths dressed up with with wine-colored satin bows and hung from the ceiling with lengths of the same ribbon. Here’s how to make your very own.

What You Need

1. A ceiling hook and good pair of scissors
2. Two cedar wreaths (one 40 cm in diameter, the other 55 cm)
3. 15 meters of red satin ribbon of 3 to 4 cm width

What your wreath chandelier will look like.

What To Do

1. With the small wreath’s wire frame facing up, slip one end of a 150 cm ribbon length through frame’s rim, and knot firmly. Repeat with 2 additional 150 cm ribbons, knotting at evenly spaced intervals around wreath.
2. Gather ribbons together, and knot at a point 40 cm above center of wreath. Leave these hanger ribbons in center of wreath while working on large wreath.
3. Attach three 1-meter ribbon lengths to large wreath frame.
4. Place large wreath on top of small wreath, aligning hanger ribbons. Gather hanger ribbons of both wreaths together, and knot 45 cm above center of large wreath. Trim ends of hanger ribbons above top knot to create a finished look.
5. Screw hook into ceiling. Hang wreaths from top hanger-ribbon knot.
6. Tie a 1-meter ribbon length at base of each hanger ribbon, and fashion into a classic bow. Trim bow tails to 30 centimeters.

[More at Martha Stewart]

11 bulbs a-twinkling

Expert Tips for Dazzling Christmas Lights

1. Variety is the spice of light. When it comes to holiday lights, there’s a type available for every nook and cranny of your house and yard. Whether you want blinking rope lights outlining windows or net lights blanketing bushes, wising up on your holiday light knowledge will help you get the most bang for your buck.
2. Know your limit. Light within it. If you don’t have roofing experience, limit your lights to eaves, gables, and the edge of the roof. Keep lights and cords away from metal. Beware of overheated wires, aluminum gutters, and ironwork decor. If you want more lights on the roof itself, call a professional lighting company.
3. Less is more. If you’re a Christmas lights novice, light just two or three items—trees or bushes are good starters—to serve as focal points.
4. Exercise restraint. Holiday lights can be dazzling and fun, but be careful not to overload your circuits. Include no more than 1,400 watts on a circuit. If other lights in the house dim when you turn on the holiday lights, your circuit is overloaded.
5. Nothing cute about ‘electrocute.’ Only use lights with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriters Laboratory (UL) label and be sure you’re using lights designed specifically for outdoor use.
6. Give it a rest. Turn off outdoor lights before going to bed, and don’t leave them on when you’re away from home, unless they’re attached to a timer with a photocell.
7. The point is eyeballs. If your evergreen can only be seen by passersby from the front, save lights and work by decorating the tree front only.
8. Avoid pierces and punctures. Avoid old-fashioned nails, staples, screws, or hooks when mounting your display. Electrical tape is a quick and easy alternative—it won’t destroy your roof, and it’s a good tool for protecting electrical connections. Clips, such as shingle tab or parapet clips, hold lights to surfaces by applying simple, safe pressure.
9. Burnt = toast. Recycle and replace. Test light strings and replace any burned-out lights before decking the halls. Burned-out lights drain power from the entire light string, and the other bulbs will grow dimmer.
10. When to start high or low. To string trunks of deciduous trees, start at the base and wrap the lights around in a spiral. If you want to illuminate an evergreen, however, start at the top and zigzag lights through the center of the tree, getting wider with the tree’s shape.
11. Add depth and dimension. Consider ground and stake lighting for extra holiday oomph. Multicolored lights work well for outlining walks, paths, and driveways.

[More at BHG]

12 ginger mansions

11 bulbs a-twinkling >>

How to Build the Perfect Gingerbread House

A homemade gingerbread house is always something to look forward to at Christmas. Here’s a great blueprint from our friends at Lindt. A handful of caveats: 1) It takes 90 minutes to make one house, 2) it’s NOT for novices, and 3) you have to refrigerate it overnight.

Ingredients for the dough

• ½ cup water
• 5 ½ tbsp. golden syrup
• ¾ cup honey
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. gingerbread spice
• 1 1/3 cups butter
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 ¾ cups flour
• 6 ½ tbsp. peeled almonds

Ingredients for the frosting

• 2 tbsp small, edible, decorative silver pearls
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 ¾ cups icing sugar
• 3 egg whites

What your gingerbread house will look like.

Gingerbread Steps

1. Bring water, golden syrup, honey and brown sugar to a boil. Whisk in gingerbread spice and diced butter. Stir in baking soda and salt. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Once cool, add cocoa and flour and hand knead until combined. Roll dough into a ball and cover tightly with saran wrap. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
3. Preheat oven to 375° F (190°C), or convection 355°F (163°C).
4. Knead dough briefly on a floured surface and then divide into 3 equal portions. Roll out the dough until it’s 6 mm thick, flouring the surface as needed.
5. Trace and cut out the gingerbread house parts on baking paper. You will need:
   —2 roofs
   —2 sides
   —1 front (cut out a front door that is 8 cm x 5 cm in size)
   —1 back
   —4 chimney walls
   —1 30 cm x 25 cm base plate
   —4 2.5 cm x 5 cm window shutters
   —Fir trees (optional)
6. Cut out gingerbread parts from the rolled out dough.
7. Brush all parts with water and decorate with almonds.
8. Place the gingerbread house parts on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes. Bake small parts around 12 minutes.
9. Let the gingerbread parts cool completely.
10. Icing: Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer, gradually adding icing sugar until stiff.

Assembly Steps

1. Using the icing, attach the front, back and sides of the house to the base plate. Let it dry for 1 hour.
2. Attach the roof with the icing glue and let it dry for 1 hour.
3. Build the fireplace and attach the window shutters with icing and let dry for 1 hour.
4. Finally, decorate the gingerbread house with the fir trees, icing and edible silver pearls. Be creative and have fun!

[More at LindtTheSeason.ca]