Blog relocating to new site!

Starting Tuesday April 29 you can find me at MyCentralJersey.com/lsquire

see you there! Laurie

Shopping for...squirrel-proof bird feeder

The expert: John Hadidian, Ph.D., director of urban wildlife for The Humane Society of the United States, primary author of new book, “Wild Neighbors: The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife.”

The product: squirrel-proof bird feeder

What I want: Something aesthetic that works.

I must have: Affordable. And doesn’t hurt the squirrels; we’ve seen some really barbaric homemade devices out there,
What I hate: People who think nothing of trapping and relocating dozens of squirrels every winter because they do not tolerate them at the bird feeder, not realizing that this is a death sentence to an animal that spends the fall storing food to carry it through the lean times.

Savvy shopper: Squirrels can chew their way through both wood and plastic so a feeder made out of these materials has to be protected by either a device that doesn’t allow squirrels to climb onto it (a baffler on a pole) or that protectively surrounds it (with a metal wire cage device). There are also metal feeders that close the access door to seed when an animal as heavy as a squirrel sits on them.

My pick: Custom-made metal cage around an old favorite, the Droll Yankee tube feeder. ($54.99, Sears). Pick up any Duncraft, Droll Yankee or most garden supply catalogues or visit a local wild bird center and you’ll see tons of good ideas about how to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder and co-exist with them peacefully.

Next best thing: Oh sigh….a vacation in a place where squirrels are not to be found—the Bahamas, perhaps. Most wild bird stores sell things for squirrels to eat too and a simple chain with a hook that attaches to an ear of dried corn can provide hours of entertainment as squirrels try fantastic leaps onto this irresistible food source (which also distracts them from your bird feeder!).

as told to Laurie Squire

Shopping for...energy-efficient lightbulbs part II

The expert: Maiara Walsh, who stars as “Meena Paroom” on Disney Channel’s Original Series, Cory in the House. Maiara has been a guest DJ on Radio Disney to promote “green” tips for kids and has made her studio set more eco-friendly.

The product: energy-efficient lightbulbs

What I want: Lightbulbs that will last and provide good lighting.

I must have: Economical and, of course, be environmentally friendly!

What I hate: There’s such a wide variety to choose from now and telling the differences between different brands can be confusing. For some reason I didn’t think fluorescent lightbulbs would be bright enough or give off nice lighting, but I found that it gives my room the exact, if not better, quality of light I want.

Savvy shopper: Have an idea of what kind of wattage you are looking for. Before you go shopping know what room you are going to use these bulbs in so you can gauge the intensity of light you are interested in. CFLs are great because they use 75% less energy than regular lightbulbs and last about 10x longer, they’re safer to operate and you save about $30 per lightbulb over its life.

My pick: General Electric CFL Lightbulbs, 13w (60w equivalent). I bought them at Wal-Mart for $9.88 and they came in a six pack.

Next best thing: I’m pretty sure that my pick was the best deal economically, so if you are looking for more watts then I’d go with the GE CFL Lightbulbs, 26w (100w equivalent) for $15.16 at Wal-Mart (they come in a six pack as well).

Shopping for...energy efficient lightbulbs

The expert: Danny Seo, JCPenney's official Green Living Partner, championing their eco-friendly product designation program called "Simply Green," and host of HGTV's new eco-design show, "Red Hot & Green." Danny just launched the Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo bedding collection and has also partnered with Method Home cleaning products.

The product: energy efficient lightbulbs

What I want: We all know that those funny-looking compact fluorescent lightbulbs are good for the environment since they use around 1/10th the energy and last up to 8X longer.

I must have: Price, brand names I trust; I look at the lumen rating (measurement of illumination), size and shape of bulbs.

What I hate: It's too bad you can't test bulbs in the store to see what the light color is. Even though many of the CFL bulbs look the same, they can each give off totally different color outputs. Some are super bright white (these make a room feel like you're in a hospital ward), others give a nice yellow-y glow and mimic a reading light. Compare the lumens rating on your favorite old-fashioned incandescent bulbs (usually around 1000 lumens) and look for a CFL bulb that's the same color.

Savvy shopper: Buy the value packs of CFL bulbs and try to get them on sale. Use exposed CFL bulbs in little used areas like basements and laundry rooms to save money on electricity. Those yellow-coated CFL outdoor lights are great for summertime use as the yellow coating helps detract insects like mosquitoes from bothering you.

My pick: GE's dimmable CFL bulbs. Even though it doesn't do a very good job dimming (I have yet to find a CFL bulb that dims well), the color output is really fantastic: I have people come over to my house and express surprise that I don't use CFL bulbs in my lamps, but when they peek under the lampshade they're flabbergasted that my bulbs really are CFLs (12 pack of 13w bulbs--60 watt equivalent, $19.76, Wal-Mart).

Next best thing: If you can't find the GE dimmables or if you're stuck with harsh, bright white bulbs that you've already bought, consider swapping out a light-colored lampshade for something darker to help diffuse the light better.

as told to Laurie Squire

Shopping for butter

The expert: Ruth Reichl, Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet and host of Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie, which airs on WNET/Channel 13. This week’s episode: Bovine Rhapsody.

The product: butter. “Why do I love butter so much? I keep thinking about my poor father, whose idea of heaven was a slice of fresh rye bread with cold, sweet butter on top. But he had cholesterol issues and was forced to give up butter for margarine. It seemed like a bad cosmic joke when the pundits discovered that butter was better for you after all. I could have told them that.

What I want: Unsalted. Salt is used as a preservative in butter. It does make it last longer but also changes the flavor.

I must have: High fat because it’s better to bake with. Higher fat content also means that the butter tastes better and melts more evenly. Wrapped in foil—Butter picks up any flavor that it comes in contact with very quickly. I HATE butter that’s been left unopened in the refrigerator. It just tastes disgusting.

Savvy shopper: If you like the taste of salt, buy unsalted butter and sprinkle the salt on yourself. Buy butter in a store with quick turnover. Even the finest, imported handmade butters taste terrible if they’ve been languishing on the shelf. Take it home, wrap whatever you won’t be using in the next day or two in foil and stick it in the freezer. Butter defrosts quickly and you’re better off with frozen butter than off-flavored stuff.

My pick: Plugra, an American butter that has the 82% fat content of European butters. When you open it up the sweet creamy smell just leaps out of the package but you have to buy the more expensive half pound size because the pound size isn’t wrapped in foil and I’ve often found that it has picked up off-flavors (about $3/lb., area supermarkets).

Next best thing: Good old reliable Land o’ Lakes. They’ve stopped wrapping their sweet butter in foil, which is distressing, but it usually turns over so fast that it doesn’t have time to pick up off-flavors (8oz. box, $1.99, area supermarkets).

photo: Andy Ryan

as told to Laurie Squire

Shopping for...alarm clock

The expert: Dan Taylor, morning drive host at 101.1 WCBS-FM. Dan’s been a radio professional literally since he graduated high school. You also hear his voice on many radio and TV commercials across the US and Canada.

The product: alarm clock

What I want: Battery back-up, two alarm settings and large numbers.

I must have: Easy to use; setting an alarm clock shouldn’t be as convoluted as reading the instruction manual for a new digital camera. And an adjustable volume control (I have to wake up Very Early in order to be on the air at 6AM so needless to say I want something that effectively wakes me but not at a BLARING level).

What I hate: Buying online and finding it’s not as described, cheapness so there’s no longevity. You “wind up” looking again in a year.

Savvy shopper: Make sure there’s a return guarantee, read reviews from other buyers. Always have that battery back-up at the ready (meaning loaded with batteries) in case of a power failure. I actually have two alarms, one on the other side of the room (the one by my bed has all the dents in it!).

My pick: Brookstone SmartSet Radio Alarm Clock. It automatically sets correct time and date even after a power outage (there’s also battery back-up). Programmable dual alarms, 20 station presets, adjustable dimmer, snooze bar and nap timer ($59.95, Brookstone shops).

Next best thing: Sony ICF-C492 Clock Radio has extra large numbers, adjustable brightness, is very easy to set, has battery back-up. You can wake up to your favorite station (101.1 WCBS-FM, of course!) or a gentle buzz ($26.94, J&R Music World, NYC and online).

as told to Laurie Squire

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