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Understanding Colors

As a new homeowner or someone looking for a new home project, painting and decorating can be fun but frustrating when trying to decide on the colors and schemes to use. Knowing the basics about colors and using the color wheel can help the process.

Don't Give a Dog a Bone

It is always tempting to throw the dog a bone off your plate, especially during the holidays, but some human foods are not safe for your pets.

Cooking 101: A Glossary

Maybe, like me, you're not that great of a cook, but you want to improve your skills. As you watch cooking shows and read cooking magazines, you may found that some words are unfamiliar. Below are a few cooking terms that might be new to any novice in the kitchen, or they may be a refresher course for the foodie pro.

Healthy Substitutes

Healthier alternatives to tasty but fattening ingredients in foods we eat every day are plentiful. You can make some substitutes to reduce risks for diseases and obesity.

Old Fannin Road Market Open For Winter

Shop locally and fresh at the Old Fannin Road Farmer's Market (307 Old Fannin Road, Brandon) all winter long. The Farmer's Market is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays. It is located between Lakeland Drive and Spillway Road.

Spicy for Good Health

Many spices used to season foods also have medicinal powers. Super spices, similar to super foods, are a group of spices that have higher concentrations of essential nutrients. The following is a list of five super spices that not only enhance foods' flavor but lower some health risks, too. Incorporating these and others into dishes can be simple yet satisfying.

Eat Right

It's hard sticking to health goals when the winter months and holidays roll around. With family gatherings and parties where food, often the unhealthy kind, is everywhere, it's easy to slip up. Though pre-diabetics and diabetics are especially challenged during this time of year, they can still enjoy the festivities by continuing to eat right and exercising.

The Neelys Return to Jackson

Pat and Gina Neely of the popular Food Network TV show, "Down Home With the Neelys," are coming to Lemuria Books to sign their latest cookbook, "The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook: Down-Home Meals for Every Occasion" (Knopf, 2011, $28.95).

Keep Kids Safe in the Water

The American Red Cross says drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14. It is vital to always supervise your children while around or in water. Though swimming is fun and beneficial, it can be dangerous unless you take the proper precautions.

Fixing a Salty, Spicy Mess

Cooking with salt and other seasonings can be dangerous. Too much of certain seasonings can lead to health problems. Using the wrong amounts or eyeballing an amount can lead to over-salted, over-spiced and inedible food.

So Much Tea

My sisters decided to start drinking tea in an attempt to stop drinking soda pop. We realized there were different types and flavors as we shopped for one that would be satisfying. Experimenting with something new doesn't always turn out so great, but finding out the differences and importance of this healthy alternative became a fun research project.

Rochelle Culp

When Rochelle Culp couldn't walk a few miles in a walk for charity in her 20s, she felt it was time for a change. "I struggled to do the walk, but it should have been easy," she says. "I wanted to live a life of joy and be active. I knew if I didn't make a change, my health may affect that."

Andrea Lynn Phillips

Dr. Andrea Lynn Phillips does a lot with a little at her practice, Phillips Medical Services. She and her staff of seven provide medical care to mostly uninsured patients at a discounted price at the Westland Plaza Clinic (909 Ellis Ave., 601-948-8501).

JFP Chick Ball Auction Guide

Shopping never felt so good! The JFP Chick Ball will feature a silent auction on donated items to raise money for the Center for Violence Prevention. A definite highlight of the evening, the silent auction features amazing donations from fellow Mississippians. View our silent auction guide to get a sneak peak of what will be featured 6 p.m to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 9.

Cookin' Up Christmas

The holidays don't necessarily mean you're relegated to spending long hours in the kitchen. Instead, take the time to relax with your family and friends and let a local restaurant do all or some of the cooking—from a cozy get together to Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Many local restaurants offer delicious and festive menus and catering services.

Eat Right for Nutrients

More than half of U.S. adults take dietary supplements, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Some consumers mistakenly think supplements give them a way out of eating healthy, making up for a nutrient-deficient diet. Supplements can't, however, substitute for eating well and having a healthy lifestyle.

Eating for Heart

Heart disease is the number-one killer in the U.S. You can reduce your risk of heart failure and coronary artery disease, which is the blockage of vessels that supply blood to the heart, by maintaining good cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and making healthy eating and exercising part of your lifestyle.

Salad Bowl Diversity

A good salad can go far beyond the traditional iceberg-lettuce blend. You can mix together almost anything you have in your fridge and end up with a treat. Sometimes, however, unhealthy, fatty dressings and toppings can find its way into a bowl. Here are a few ingredients to keep your salad healthy but interesting.

Go Fruity

I can definitely see the appeal of being a fruitarian. Not only are fruit beautiful in color and texture, they taste great and are light and refreshing. They also provide us with nutrients we need to stay healthy and live longer. But why limit yourself to apples and oranges?

Melissa DiFatta

After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, lawyer Melissa DiFatta wanted to revaluate her priorities. Her brother lost his home and, a month later, lost his son. "I decided to change jobs and really make a difference in Mississippi," DiFatta says.