Great Audio Gift Ideas -- Big Sound, Small Price Tags ARA(ARA) Its that time of year again. Time to go shopping for holiday gifts, and this year, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) expects an estimated 78-percent of Americans to purchase electronics.

Kate Connors, resident audio expert at Cambridge SoundWorks, believes audio products are going to be big this year. Prices are coming down and there are a lot of affordable gifts worth considering, says Connors. Among them, speakers that can transform the PC or MP3 player into a full blown music system, high performance table radios that perform like stereo systems, and outdoor speakers.

Why skimp out on good sound when youre at the PC or listening to a CD or MP3 player, says Connors. If you want better quality sound than a Boombox, but dont want to deal with running wires, so a multimedia speaker systems is the way to go. These speaker systems can be connected to anything with a headphone jack -- like a portable CD player or MP3 player -- and can run on a rechargeable 12-volt battery. The result is a portable, versatile high performance sound system that can be placed anywhere -- and is small enough to take along on trips. Such systems now retail for under $100.

* Consider a high end table radio in place of a stereo system

Another popular gift idea this year: a high-end table radio, like the SoundWorks Radio CD. They allow you to put together a great sound system without breaking the bank, says Connors. Unlike other high-end table radios, this new radio is outfitted with three speakers, including a powered subwoofer. The result is a sound system that offers rich, natural, room-filling sound -- a feature normally associated with larger stereo systems. They are great for adding music to the kitchen, living room or den. Think of the SoundWorks Radio CD as a full featured stereo system in the form of a small, stylish table radio, says Connors.

It features a front loading CD slot (based on the design of high-end car CD players), which plays standard CDs as well as MP3 files on CD-ROM. Radio Data Service (RDS) capability is also featured, so users can see the name of the station and even the current songs title and artist scrolling across the display. The SoundWorks Radio CD has a multi-language display, and an easy to use JOG button to change radio functions, as well as an FM stereo tuner that can store sixteen FM station presets, and an AM tuner with eight preset buttons. Front and rear auxiliary inputs for additional CD or MP3 players are provided, along with dual alarms that wake to tone or music, as well as an ultra-compact remote control.

* Outdoor Speakers are a Unique Audio Gift Alternative

If someone already has a decent stereo inside, why not buy them a pair of outdoor speakers so they can have a great audio system outside, say Connors. Outdoor speakers are one of the most popular gift items for the holidays. The beauty of this type of speaker is that they can be tucked under the eaves and angled towards the deck or patio for natural, accurate, wide-range sound. And, since they are weather-resistant, they can be left out and wont be damaged by the elements. A good pair of outdoor speakers starts at $200.

For more information on great audio gift ideas, visit Cambridge SoundWorks at www.cambridgesoundworks.com or call (800) FOR-HIFI to speak with an audio expert.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Wedding Reception Tips for Brides on a Budget ARA(ARA) - The reception is traditionally one of the most expensive aspects of a wedding. However, by combining personal creativity and ingenuity -- the foundation of lifestylist Sandra Lees Semi-Homemade(R) philosophy -- with inexpensive, ready-made items available at discount retailers, brides-to-be and cash-strapped parents can host a beautiful wedding reception without blowing through the entire bridal budget.

Creating a beautiful wedding environment on a budget is simple, says Sandra Lee, entertaining expert and author. By putting a personal touch on everything from table centerpieces to wedding favors, brides and grooms can save while creating memories for years to come.

While June is still the most popular month for weddings, according to a recent study by Hallmark.com, September and October are quickly gaining in popularity. Sandra Lee offers some great last-minute planning tips this fall for brides and grooms-to-be:

* If renting a reception tent, create a romantic environment by purchasing sheering fabric and 2-inch ribbon from a local discount retailer to drape around the canopy. Create billows of fabric and hang from the ceiling, wrap around poles, and swag in the entryway.

* Whether throwing an indoor or outdoor reception, flowers help set the tone but can quickly add up. A typical flower budget is 15 percent of the overall cost of a wedding. Consider using some of the beautiful and realistic-looking silk flowers available today intermingled with arrangements of fresh flowers to keep the romance high and the costs low. The bride and groom can use the silk flowers in the home for years to come.

* Every bride wants to do something unique at her wedding. Create a dramatic, sweet-smelling entrance for guests by lining a walkway to the reception venue or reception tent with fresh rose petals. Also consider renting a bubble machine, available at retailers such as Wal-Mart, for some added ambiance and fun.

* Renting both table settings and white linen tablecloths can get expensive. Instead, consider purchasing clear glass plates from a discount retailer. Stack the salad plate on top of the dinner plate and place a large leaf between the two for a very pretty place setting. Buying plates is often less expensive than renting and the bride and groom can keep them for the years (and dinner parties) ahead.

* Remember to keep centerpieces either low enough or high enough so guests can see each other from across the table. A simple cake pedestal adorned with sugared fruits and a candle makes a beautiful and an inexpensive centerpiece. Add to the sugary sparkle by placing candles in votive candle holders to illuminate the centerpieces from underneath. Remember to place approximately half an inch of water in each candle holder or glass for easy removal of melted wax.

* For more formal wedding receptions, assigning guests to tables is considered proper etiquette but that doesnt mean it has to be stuffy. Purchase large sugar cookies and pipe romantic words like joy, hope, love, and forever on each cookie. Place one cookie in each centerpiece to replace traditional numbered tables and have your place cards direct your guests to these romantically identified tables.

* Wedding favors that double as place cards can be made by purchasing sugar cookies from a local bakery that are iced in white. Pipe each guests names on the cookies in colored icing a day or two before the wedding. Place in cellophane bags, tied with a ribbon, and set at each guests place setting so guests know where to sit.

* Handmade keepsakes given out during the wedding reception are an easy and thoughtful way to thank the wedding party. Create beautiful, unique cards for the bridesmaids by purchasing simple white note cards, decorated with the weddings theme colors embellished with different fabrics or small trinkets purchased from a craft department. Write a cherished memory or personal note inside the card, which bridesmaids can keep for the years to come.

* And dont forget the wedding cake, which can be very expensive, depending on the number of guests attending. Consider purchasing a decorated sheet cake from a local bakery in addition to a smaller tiered cake. Then marry them together as one elaborate cake with piping and rose petals. Brides and grooms may find that bakeries like those at a Wal-Mart Supercenter can make unique and cost-conscious tiered wedding cakes that are beautiful as well as delicious. Remember, all cakes are created equal -- flour, sugar, and butter -- so theres no need to spend a fortune on one.

For more information visit Lees Web site, www.semihomemade.com, or the online wedding center available at www.walmart.com which has a bridal registry, cake ordering forms, budget forms, reception planning guides, and more for the bride and groom.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Whether Your Halloween Fun is Homemade or Store-bought, Make This Year the Scariest Ever ARA(ARA) - Halloween is a great time of year to let your imagination run wild. For some, the challenge of putting together a great costume, decorating for a party, or serving child-friendly or grown-up treats is what makes Halloween fun. So whether you head to the store to put together your Halloween festivity, or do it yourself -- from costume, to decorations to food -- here are a few helpful ideas to make this years fun a real scream.

For costumes this Halloween, anything related to movie themes is hot. According to Tom Mautino, assistant manager of Costume World in Pittsburgh, Pa., the adults are favoring costumes inspired by the movie Chicago. "A lot of our adult customers are renting, and buying, gangster costumes for guys and flapper attire for women," said Mautino. He added that other big movies inspiring costumes are Daredevil and Pirates of the Caribbean.

And for the youngsters? "Kids are more into the Hulk and of course SpiderMan is still a big hit," he said. "Storybook characters are always huge. The 60s are back too. And don't forget about Elvis!" He added that another always "in" costume is anything with animal print such as leopard.

But if you dont like the mass-market approach to Halloween costumes, try making your own. Here are a few simple ideas for the grown-ups from Kathleen Brockman, graphic design instructor with The Art Institute of Charlotte.

* Dress in brown head to toe, use eyeliner or shadow to totally blacken one eye, cut a large "P" out of construction paper and pin it to your chest: You're a black-eyed-pea.

* Alternatively, dress in green, pin a small "P" to your chest, use a British accent, and you're an English Pea.

* Wear an evening gown, lots of jewelry, a crown (Burger King crowns are great), use black eyeliner or eye shadow to draw stitches all the way around your neck: You're Marie Antoinette.

* Put a white bag over your body and stuff it with paper, color a big yellow circle on your chest, wear horns and carry a pitchfork: You're a deviled egg.

* Dress in white, wear a Burger King crown, put heart stickers all over your clothes and go to the party as the Queen (or King) of Hearts.

* Wear a white shirt and black pants and a Burger King crown, pin a big black construction paper "check" mark to your chest: You're a Royalty Check.

To set a perfectly spooky mood around your home -- for trick or treaters or a Halloween get-together -- Jack Beduhn, academic director of Interior Design at The Art Institute of California, San Diego, recommends using the common technique of up-lighting around your house to welcome the little ghosts and goblins.

"A simple lighting scheme should only take a few hours to position. Inexpensive, low-voltage spot lighting is available at most hardware stores," said Beduhn. "Adding some simple lighting can add eye-catching glows and eerie shadows around decorations you already have out."

Now that youve got the scary house and costume, its time for a treat. According to Chef Toni L. DOnofrio, of The Art Institute of New York City, this clever Halloween menu uses colors and treats of the season in a more adult way. For example, for starters, Chef DOnofrio has created a pumpkin and caramel soup, lightly sweet and rich. The midcourse salad, says the chef plays off the traditional colors of candy corn, orange, white and yellow. And finally, cocoa braised veal shanks show off the complexity and richness of chocolate without being sweet.

Pumpkin and Caramel Soup

Yield 4 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 clove of garlic chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1-1/4 cups of water

Salt and pepper

Start by sauting with medium heat the onion, garlic and ginger in oil until the onions and garlic are soft. Add in the sugar, water and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and starts to brown (caramelize); add in the heavy cream, pumpkin, and water. Simmer about 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped toasted walnuts.

Candy Corn Colored Salad with Smoked Salmon, Endive and Corn Vinaigrette

Yield 4 servings

To make the vinaigrette:

1/2 cup of corn (off the cob or frozen defrosted)

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme

Salt and pepper

Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to lightly saut the corn, some browning is desirable. Allow the corn mixture to cool. Using a hand blender or food processor, place the corn, water and vinegar together. Puree and slowly add in the oil, tasting along the way to see if it is too acidic (flavor will vary with the corn used). Add oil until balanced. Finish with chopped thyme, salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad

1 pound of cleaned arugula

1 endive, bottom removed, and cut lengthwise into long strips

1/2 pound of sliced smoked salmon

Corn Vinaigrette

Place the smoked salmon on the bottom of the plate, leaving the center of the plate empty. Combine the arugula, endive and vinaigrette in a bowl and place in the center of each plate. Garnish with chives if desired.

Cocoa Dusted Braised Veal Shanks

Yield 4 portions

To make the dusting powder:

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 tablespoon flour

Combine all the ingredients together.

To prepare the dish:

4 veal shanks tied

vegetable oil

1 onion, medium dice

5 cloves of garlic cut into slivers

3/4 pounds of cut carrots or baby carrots

2 12 ounce cans of beef broth

Salt and pepper

Take each veal shank and dust it on both sides with the cocoa dusting powder. Save the excess mixture. Sear each shank in vegetable oil in a saut pan; do not use heat higher than medium or the cocoa will burn. Remove the shanks when seared and place in a roasting pan. Add in more oil if needed and cook the onions, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add in the remaining dusting mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef broth into the pan and stir to combine ingredients. Pour the mixture over the shanks and cover tightly with a lid or foil. Cook at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove shanks and serve with sauce and vegetables.

DOnofrio serves this dish with spaetzle but almost any starch will do.

Recipes courtesy of Chef Toni DOnofrio, The Art Institute of New York City

The Art Institutes system of 29 education institutions is located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. The Art Institutes system of schools has provided career-oriented education programs for 40 years with more than 140,000 graduates. For more information visit The Art Institutes Web site at www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Trick or Treat - Planning the Ultimate Halloween Party ARA(ARA) What better way to celebrate the night of fright than to throw a Halloween party? Whether youre expecting mini-goblins and ghosts or thinking of hosting adult Elviras and Frankensteins, decorations, frightful food and ghoulish activities will set the right tone for a Spook-Fest fit for even the most menacing vampires.

The first step in planning your Halloween bash is to determine the theme. The theme will set the mood, determine the dress attire and influence the food you serve. Planning a movie-themed party is the most versatile and gives your guests the flexibility to dress as their favorite fright flick character. You can even incorporate your movie theme into your decorating. Borrow your friends DVD players and have different Halloween movies playing from the timeless Hollywood horror classics of Alfred Hitchcock to the more modern scares like Scream. James Rocchi, film critic of online DVD rental service Netflix (http://www.netflix.com), suggests his five favorites to show.

* Frankenstein (1931) -- the Karloff classic

* Halloween (1978) -- retro-flavored slasher that launched a thousand imitators

* Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) -- a popular horror film classic

* Them! (1954) -- a giant insect monster movie with 50s camp and timeless scares

* Rosemarys Baby (1968) -- the urban-Satanism nightmare that still chills

For additional decorations, head to your local party store and pick up all your Halloween supplies including cobwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and skeletons and serving supplies like plates, napkins and cups. While youre at the store, pick-up a couple of CDs that you can play while you greet your guests the night of your party. Opt to skip the lights and illuminate your house with slow burning or long lasting candles.

When planning your party menu, consider the costumes your guests might be wearing and what will be easy for the dressed-up to eat and whether you want to prepare the food, have your party catered or have your guests each bring a dish. You can feature frightful hors d oeuvres such as deviled eyeballs -- deviled eggs topped with a slice of black or green olive and a main course of guts and eyeballs (your own famous spaghetti and meatballs). For dessert, serve orange and black themed cakes, cookies, and other sweets.

If youve invited the neighbors, top the night off with an outside werewolf howling or screaming contest. Award the winners with a gift subscription to Netflix so they can host next years Halloween party.

For the Kids

If you are hosting a party for kids or kids will be invited to the adult party, you may want to serve food that they will find fun and provide activities that are age appropriate. Since kids love to dress up, host a costume contest. Have plenty of prizes on hand so every child wins in a different costume category. If your party is on Halloween night, take the kids out to trick-or-treat before the adults settle in for their own party.

Kids love gross Halloween treats. You can turn chicken strips into witchs fingers by adding dagger-like fingernails made of pimientos and for dessert, serve up mud cups: chocolate pudding topped with crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms.

Provide additional entertainment with Halloween movies. For the kids, Rocchi recommends Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; SpongeBob SquarePants: Halloween; and The Worst Witch: A Mean Halloween. Netflix makes getting movies for your party simple. Forgo a last minute dash to the video store, only to find your Halloween favorites already rented. With more than 15,000 titles to choose from, youre sure to find just the right ones to set the Halloween mood.

Courtesy of ARA Content



SIDEBAR:

Looking for more inspiration? Here are some other suggestions from film critic James Rocchi.

Top renting horror movies (of a supernatural bent)

The Others

The Ring

Ghost Ship

The Sixth Sense: Special Edition

What Lies Beneath: Special Edition

The Mummy Returns

Final Destination

Sleepy Hollow

13 Ghosts

The Exorcist, both the original and restored version