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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Your week

YOUR HOME

Resolving to cut the clutter in 2011, but you can’t bear parting with your treasures?

Storage by the Box offers an alternative to renting a storage unit. You just order a free box and packing supplies, fill the box with your stuff and ship it by FedEx to the company’s climate-controlled warehouse.

A standard box is 2 feet long, 1 foot wide and 1 foot high, or you can use your own box of any size. Monthly rent is $5 for a standard box or $3 per cubic foot if you use your own box.

Shipping to the storage facility is free for boxes up to 25 pounds and $1 per pound for anything heavier. You pay to have the boxes shipped back to you.

For more information see www.storagebythebox.com.

» Find more home and garden ideas in Sunday’s Today section.

YOUR HEALTH

If one of your resolutions is to eat more fruits and vegetables, it’s more important than ever to wash them thoroughly, given recent reports of illness caused by fresh produce.

Wash everything – even packaged products that say “pre-washed” or “ready to eat” – under cold running water. That includes outer surfaces that won’t be eaten, like melon rinds or the skins of potatos that will be peeled, since contaminants can be transferred when you cut into them. Discard outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage.

Gently rub soft fruits and vegetables for 30 to 60 seconds; use a vegetable brush on firmer items such as apples, cucumbers and carrots. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel to help wipe away lingering germs.

While some people like commercial sprays and washes, there’s no evidence they work better than plain waiter. Avoid detergents, soaps and bleaches, which can seep inside fruits and vegetables.

» Find more health and fitness tips in Tuesday’s Today section.

YOUR FOOD

Before the holidays slip away for another year, use the season’s fresh cranberry crop to make a tangy sauce that’s a perfect partner for pork. For the recipe, see page C5.

» Find more recipes and restaurant news in Wednesday’s Food section.

YOUR FUN

Here’s what’s on the schedule for this week:

On DVD (Tuesday)

“Resident Evil: Afterlife”

“The American”

“Twelve”

“Jersey Shore: Season Two”

On TV

The 33rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors: Merle Haggard meets Oprah Winfrey meets Paul McCartney in the yearly D.C. fete. (Tuesday, 9 p.m., CBS)

“Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On”: The Divine Miss M welcomes 2011 with her Vegas floor show. (Friday, 9 p.m., HBO)

“New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”: Once again ringing in the old (Dick Clark) and the new (Ryan Seacrest). (Friday, 10 p.m., ABC)

“Worst Cooks in America”: Forget “Top Chef,” we’re talking bottom feeders in this new reality series. (Sunday, 9 p.m., Food Network)

On stage

Jim Brickman: Tuesday, INB Performing Arts Center

Alter Bridge: Thursday, Knitting Factory Concert House

Spokane Symphony, Beethoven’s Ninth: Friday, Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox

Theatre Ballet of Spokane, “Ballet and Bubbly”: Friday, Bing Crosby Theater

Around town

Fantasy Cruise to the North Pole: daily through Jan. 2, Coeur d’Alene Resort

First Night Spokane: Friday, downtown Spokane

» Find a full arts and entertainment roundup in the Thursday and Friday Today sections.

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