FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF OCT. 9, 2000:
I’m so rushed in the morning that all I have time to grab is a granola bar. Do you have any suggestions on preparing quick-but-healthy breakfasts?
When it comes to breakfast, you certainly don’t need to compromise healthfulness for speed, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist. You can easily–and quickly–have both.
Try mixing your favorite cold cereal with yogurt: the combination of a carbohydrate food with a protein food keeps you full a little bit longer. Or, instead of just eating toast, put a piece of cheese on it and pop it in the microwave. Buy frozen, whole-grain waffles, toast them and top them off with yogurt and berries. Or, eat on the run after rolling a scrambled egg and salsa into a tortilla.
"Some people like to drink their breakfast," says Raidl. "They’ll combine yogurt, orange juice and a banana in a blender and mix it for 30 seconds."
How can I tell if the spiders that have moved into my house this fall are aggressive house spiders or something friendlier?
The simplest way to distinguish between an aggressive house–or "hobo"–spider and the harmless funnel-web building spiders it so closely resembles is by its behavior, says Bob Stoltz, University of Idaho extension entomologist. Hobo spiders tend to stay near baseboards, rarely scrambling to higher ground. They run faster than any of the spiders they resemble and, if you accidentally disturb them, they may actually run towards you rather than away from you. (Stoltz suspects they mistake people for shadows in which to hide.)
With their legs outstretched, the very ordinary-looking hobo spiders typically span an inch or an inch-and-a-half. They’re mostly a dark orange-tan, but their abdomens are gray and sport a light chevron. Unlike many other spiders, the legs of the hobos have neither stripes nor rings.
Stoltz positively identifies frozen hobo spiders in his laboratory by examining their underside markings with at least a hand lens. The areas where their legs attach to the rest of their bodies is dark, and the bottom of the first joint of their hind legs bears a small black triangle. (Don’t try this a home–unless you can trap them in a clear container, put a lid on it and stick them in the freezer until they’re immobile.) "You have to get down to minor differences," he says. "If you have a question about what you’ve got, bring the spider in to your extension educator’s office.
While their bites have never proved fatal, hobo spiders have left behind plenty of scars and have even prompted surgery to repair sloughed-away tissue. Most commonly, they encounter their victims after crawling into laundry baskets, onto firewood or into bedding that’s slipped onto the floor. The spider strikes when the victim accidentally squeezes it.
I love wool but it makes my skin itch terribly. What should I look for in buying a wool garment?
Fortunately, wool is so versatile that it can be processed, fabricated and styled to suit even the most sensitive skins, says Sandra Evenson, University of Idaho assistant professor of clothing, textiles and design. Because the cut ends of fibers are typically the culprits in tickling, try lambswool, whose fibers are cut at only one end.
Indeed, high-quality wools–by definition–have fewer cut ends than low-quality wools: their individual fibers are as long and smooth as possible. You can identify a high-quality wool by the Woolmark registered trademark on the label, which certifies that the garment meets the Wool Bureau’s standards of quality. Also look for close weaves and tightly twisted yarns, which you’ll find in gabardines, crepes and worsteds.
Overall, Evenson suggests choosing garments that are styled away from sensitive skin–suit jackets, vests, skirts and trousers–especially if they are lined. If you absolutely must have a wool sweater, select a style that does not cling at the neck, wrist or waist and that can easily be worn with undershirts, camisoles, blouses, dress shirts or turtlenecks.
"One of the most satisfying solutions to the itchy wool problem is fabric that is either double-knit or double-woven, with cotton yarns exposed on the inside next to the skin and wool yarns exposed on the outside," she says. "Garments made of these fabrics are also usually washable–truly the best of both worlds."
[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or e-mail it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]