Cake decorating ahead on show

Information on cake decorating techniques, making various party decorations, and the benefits of consuming fresh and dried figs will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, February and at noon Thursday.

Emily Tatak is the former assistant assistant culinary specialist with Wilton Brands LLC in Woodridge, Ill., and she’s going to share some of the various techniques students learn when they take Course I in a Wilton Cake Decorating class. She will demonstrate some new techniques for cupcakes and small treats.

Kristine Widtfeldt is the former Vice President of Close to My Heart, and she’s going to show how to unleash the party planner in you – and make it easy and fun at the same time. She’ll show how to make invitations, envelopes, cupcake liners, favor tubes and much more. She’s from Midvale, Utah.

Karla Stockli is the CEO for the California Fig Advisory Board in Fresno, Calif. She’s going to talk about the manty nutritious benefits of consuming fresh and dried figs, Ounce for ounce, figs provide a nutritional punch that is hard to match by any other fruit.

Information on furniture refinishing, making edible fruit centerpieces, and showing a software package for preserving your photos as well as your memories will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” at noon Tuesday and at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Furniture refinishing expert Bruce Johnson will show how to create reproductions of original arts and crafts pieces of furniture by using unfinished furniture and staining it yourself. Johnson is the spokesperson for Minwax, which is located in Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Stephanie Duda, the reigning National Watermelon queen and spokesperson for the National Watermelon Assn. will show how to create a vase using a watermelon and how to make a floral arrangement in the vase.

Independent Creative Memories consultant, Debbie Sorensen will show a software package that does more than just preserve your photos – it helps to preserve your memories as well. She’s from Carlsbad.

Chocolate covered figs

4 whole fresh California figs with stems

Fine sea salt; as needed

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Wash and dry figs; dust lightly with salt. Set aside. Measure chocolate chips into microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave for 30 seconds more and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Holding fig by stem, dip in melted chocolate and set on wax paper-lined tray. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let stand until chocolate is set. Serves: 4.

“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, N.M.