Show will feature local gardener

Information on designing and fitting knit garments, caring for houseplants, and ways to reduce the laundry load will be the featured topics on "Creative Living" 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday and noon on Thursday. (All times are Mountain.)

Connie Crawford, President, CEO and Designer for Fashion Patterns by Coni, will show how to fit and design knit garments and will show sketches of various knit designs. She'll illustrate the various knit fabrics and stretch elements. Crawford is from Hansville, Wash.

Curt Jaynes will show some ways to care for various houseplants as he talks about the advantages and uses of different plants. His business is GardenSource Nursery and Landscaping in Portales.

Laura Dellutri says she can help us reduce the laundry load by 50 percent — and reduce our frustration level at the same time. Her company is Healthy Housekeeper, Inc. in Overland Park, KS.

Information on lean beef meals, making pillow tops using photos and stamps, and making a "fringed flower clicker bag," will be the featured topics on "Creative Living" noon on Tuesday and 2 p.m. on Saturday. (All times are Mountain.)

Patty Waid, director of consumer affairs for the New Mexico Beef Council in Albuquerque, will talk about lean beef meals and explain how beef fits into a healthy diet. She'll talk about the benefits of beef and show different cooking methods for various recipes.

Artist and designer, Carolyn Dahl will demonstrate a quick and easy method for making pillow tops using photos and hand carved stamps to create the designs. She's from Houston.

Patsy Shields, author and designer with Sulky of America, will show how to use unusual items around the house to create useful items that you can decorate with threads and fabrics. The one she will demonstrate is called a "fringed flower clicker bag." She's from Sellersburg, Ind.

Reducing fat in cooked ground beef burgers, meatballs and meatloaf:

The steps below show how you can reduce the fat in pan-broiled ground beef burgers. Simply blot the beef with paper towels. Paper towels made for microwave use are recommended.

1. Remove ground beef from refrigerator and shape into 4-ounce patties (1 /2-inch thick, approxi–mately 4 inches in diameter). Cook immediately.

2. Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot (about 5 minutes). Do not add oil. Place patties into skillet.

3. Cook 10 to 12 minutes for medium doneness or until centers are no longer pink and juices show no pink color. The USDA recommends cooking to at least medium (160° F) doneness. Turn once halfway through cooking.

4. Remove patties to large plate lined with 3 layers of paper towels. Let stand 1 minute. Turn over after 30 seconds.

5. Season as desired and serve.

Blotting can be used with meatballs and meatloaf. The meatballs or meatloaf should be roasted on a rack in a shallow pan so that the fat drips away during cooking. Place cooked meat on a surface lined with several layers of paper towels. The sides and top (if not glazed) may be blotted with paper towels to further reduce fat.

Other fat reducing tips:

• For recipes where rinsing or blotting is not feasible, such as beef stuffed bell peppers, it is best to use 90 percent lean/10 percent fat ground beef.
• If time does not allow for blotting and/or rinsing, remove any excess fat from the skillet as it accumulates by using crumpled white paper towels during browning and before adding other ingredients.

"Creative Living" is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations in the United States, Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico and is distributed by Westlink, Albuquerque.