As my favorite summer holiday weekend approaches here in the U.S., everyone is thinking about BBQs. There’s lots of good BBQ articles and recipes in the pages of Coverleaf magazines, and I’ll highlight just a few of them this week. The latest issue of FamilyFun has a fun feature on setting up a patriotic July 4 BBQ called Red, White and Barbecue. From the Coconut Chicken Wings to the Fiesta Fajitas with fresh pineapple salsa, these grilling recipes all sound scrumptious!

Look Inside >>  June/July 2009

As the 4th of July approaches I’m sure I’m not the only one pulling out the BBQ and planning some outdoor cooking. One item I’m not used to cooking on the grill is potatoes, but the current issue of Midwest Living has some great ideas about hot to include potatoes in your outdoor BBQ. Hot Potatoes suggests putting smaller taters on skewers or wrapping your potatoes in foil with some other veggies for some delicious Grilled Potato Packets. I think I’m going to give that one a try this weekend.

For more BBQ ideas, check out our own Adrienne’s twitter feed. This week she’s going to be highlighting good recipes and ideas for your holiday weekend festivities! You can follow Adrienne at a4coverleaf.

Look Inside >>  August 2009

This quilting project looks a little ambitious to me but the final product is gorgeous and likely well worth the effort if you’re into sewing or quilting. This month’s issue of American Patchwork magazine features photos and detailed instructions for creating this nine-patch antique quilt.

If you’re a quilter or have ever wanted to be one, you should definitely peruse American Patchwork for ideas and inspiration. I’m sending this article to my mother now, maybe she’ll get the hint and make one of these for me!

Look Inside >>  August 2009

The latest issue of Discover magazine has a fun feature on Twenty Things You Didn’t Know About Movies. This article will be especially meaningful for history buffs, as many of the interesting items are about the early history of film and movie-making. But there’s some modern tidbits, too. For instance, did you know that Apollo 13, Armageddon and Around the World in 80 Days are all in the movie collection NASA keeps on the International Space Station, or that an IMAX projector costs 5 million dollars, weighs as much as a male hippo, and the bulb is so bright that if it was pointed upward it could be seen at the ISS? Now those are some fun facts!

Look Inside >>  June 2009

Fast Company provides an entertaining and fascinating list of who it considers The 100 Most Creative People in Business in their latest issue. I found many creative business people I knew of represented here, like Jonathan Ive (Apple) and Rich Ross (Disney), but also many I’d never heard of like Michelle Ganeless (Comedy Central) and Reed Hastings (NetFlix). Each entry includes a short description of why the person is considered a top creative business person, and I found reading about the people I didn’t know even more fascinating than reading about the ones I did.

Look Inside >>  June 2009

The latest issue of Prevention offers up some smart tips for saving on healthy essentials for your household. Shopping on the Cheap shows you how you can spend less and stay well by putting a little thought into your shopping habits. For instance, the average household can save over $50 per year by buying a water-filter pitcher (and the necessary filters of course) instead of bottled water. This article also offers up several “cheaper but often just as good” solutions for common health-related expenses, like suggesting over-the-counter shoe inserts in place of custom orthotics and a good lumbar pillow instead of an expensive ergonomic chair.

Look Inside >>  July 2009

Here’s the latest entry in our top ten lists of the most frequently clipped articles in Coverleaf. This list covers Coverleaf clippings for the month of May (limited to one clipping per magazine). It can be very interesting to look at what other readers find most compelling in Coverleaf, and our top ten lists are a neat way to discover popular articles and magazines that you may not have been aware of.

For the previous month’s top ten lists click on the Top Ten Most Clipped Articles link on the right sidebar and scroll to the bottom to see the archives.

Top Ten Most Clipped Articles in Coverleaf - May 2009

1. FamilyFun: Make your child a special play place – a custom canopy! Design this special spot however you like – for your little fairy princess or your wild safari explorer – and they’ll be sure to love it. http://familyfun.coverleaf.com/familyfun/20090607?folio=53

2. Wood: Make your own cabinets for your home or shop with just simple woodworking skills, a table saw and a few tools. It’s easy – just follow these simple instructions. http://woodmagazine.coverleaf.com/woodmagazine/200907/?folio=50

3. Prevention: Drop a size in just 4 weeks with this simple training plan. All you need is a good pair of running shoes and this easy to follow workout plan and you’ll be shedding pounds in no time! http://prevention.coverleaf.com/prevention/200907/?folio=84

4. ReadyMade: Hate crowded stores? Don’t want to spend a lot of money? Have a bunch of old t-shirts? Make your own summer casual looks by turning two basic t-shirts into an entirely new outfit! http://www.readymade-digital.com/readymade/20090607/?folio=47

5. Discover:Did you know that for a period around 1916, you could take your cash to Washington D.C. to have it washed, ironed and reissued? Check out these 20 facts about money – from the materials used to make bills to the origins of paper money. http://discover.coverleaf.com/discovermagazine/200904?folio=80

6. Better Homes & Gardens: Four easy recipes from Better Homes & Gardens – from a yummy BLT Salad with Warm Vinaigrette to comforting Chicken and Broccoli Mac & Cheese. These recipes are sure to please all your cravings! http://www.bhg-digital.com/bhg/200906/?folio=188

7. Pregnancy: Capture all your favorite moments in a scrapbook – a digital one! But why are digital scrapbooks better than all that cutting and pasting? It’s inexpensive, it’s fast – and best of all – it’s not messy! http://pregnancy.coverleaf.com/pregnancy/200906?folio=49

8. Family Circle: Use your slow cooker even on the hottest day of the summer – and you’ll be sure to impress all your summer house guests. Try out these recipes for summer fruit compote, molasses baked beans, and country-style BBQ ribs, and leave all the work to your slow cooker. http://www.familycircle-digital.com/familycircle/200906/?folio=224

9. Ladies’ Home Journal: Slim down by filling up on these delicious “diet” foods – lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Maple pecan waffles with bananas for breakfast, guacamole veggie burgers for lunch, shrimp tacos for dinner and apples with peanut butter for a snack – what more could you ask for! http://www.ladieshomejournal-digital.com/ladieshomejournal/200906?folio=120

10. Sporting News Today: Check out Sporting News Today’s wide receiver rankings, and see the top 20 players in the NFL. Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne are just a few of the names that top the list. http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20090514?folio=23

I confess to not being much of a serious runner, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this article by Marc Bloom in the latest issue of Runner’s World about how he trained with high schoolers to improve his running skills and his 5K time. Getting Up to Speed details Bloom’s experiences when he decided that he wanted to push his 61-year-old body a little faster by training with some high school running teams. He succeeded in his goal of getting his 5K time down below 20 minutes — a good pace at any age!

If you want to reap some of the same benefits that Bloom experienced by training with younger runners and getting the latest techniques from their coaches, that’s no problem as this article lays out all the things he did to improve his running. From doing longer, more intense pre-run stretching to running smarter intervals, Bloom chronicles what worked for him in this inspiring article. Just click on the image below to read Getting Up to Speed for free!

Look Inside >>  July 2009

The latest issue of Pregnancy has an interesting article about broadening your baby’s taste for different foods at a very early age. Give Your Baby a Taste of the World suggests that by varying the ingredients in the smooshed-up baby food you feed your infant, you can successfully expand their taste and food options. For anyone with a picky little eater like my 6-year-old, you’ll know how important this can be.

This article will show you what moms around the world feed their babies, and how you can help shape their palate at an early age. The latest research suggest that children develop many of their life-long eating habits before the age of two!

Look Inside >>  July/August 2009

If you’ve been considering getting one of those new, nifty little netbooks, there’s an article in the latest issue of eWeek that you should definitely check out. Ten Things You Should Know About Netbooks covers ten facts that you should be aware of if you’re thinking about buying. There’s a couple of convincing reasons to consider holding off on that netbook purchase today, if you care about things like a bigger screen (Acer is coming out with a 11.6 inch screen version soon) or a complete package that includes Internet access (AT&T will be rolling that out this summer).

eWeek is one of newest additions to Coverleaf and it always provides a fresh and timely look at technology issues. Just click on the image below to read Ten Things You Should Know About Netbooks for free.

Look Inside >>  June 1, 2009