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At first, neighbors weren't so sure they wanted a Grocery Outlet store in their Madrona neighborhood. It smacked of cheap; they thought they wanted something more upscale.

Francetastic celebration!

THE essence of all that is French - from fashion to lifestyle, and from shopping to gourmet - will be celebrated during a week-long programme next month. The French Week 2007, to be held under the patronage of the Economic Development Board from May 2 to 8, is organised by the Bahraini-French Business Club in co-ordination with the French Embassy. The various activities and events will be held across Bahrain in shopping malls, major supermarkets, restaurants and hotels.

"Bahrain should embrace itself for the deliciously seductive French art de vivre as the festival will present a unique blend of shopping delights, fine gourmet, the best of art and culture and the latest fashion trends and designs," said organisers.

Boosting corporate do-gooding

I'm happy to report that corporate philanthropy is a growing trend for businesses everywhere, not just with huge corporations, but also small local businesses.

For example Starbucks, Accenture, Procter & Gamble, Pfizer and Toyota Motor all have routine practices of lending out top executives to work for nonprofit organizations -- often at no charge -- for as long as three years. They call this practice "volunteerism on steroids."

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Homemade Pet Food

The nationwide pet food recall began more than two weeks ago and has since expanded to many of the major brands lining store shelves. The scare has caused some owners to take matters into their own hands."Since the recalls we've been going to the butcher shop to grind up some meat to feed our dog. We've been giving the cats tuna fish instead of canned cat food," says Rockford Pet Owner Vickie Fitchie.If you're even more ambitious than that, there are recipes all over the internet that show how to mix up a balanced pet meal. It's very difficult to do it right and one local veterinarian warns some online recipes should not be trusted."I would be suspicious of any website that's selling a product, selling the supplements that you need to put into the diet. I would also be suspicious if there's not some credentials involved with this website," says Mulford Animal Hospital Veterinarian Gary Salisbury.Dr.

Take a walk down the Red Carpet

I was in the mood to try something different. Maybe that's how I ended up at Red Carpet Restaurant on Avenue L and Main Street. I approached a front door framed by large windows and two trees. Beside the door, a chalkboard announced the day's meal: Blackened pork chops buerre rouge.

Red Carpet Restaurant is different from other Lubbock eateries because its owner, Chef Carlos, prepares only one meal each day. Customers enter, sit down and after browsing the salad bar, are brought the meal of the day. When I entered the restaurant, I was not fully aware of this procedure, but the staff promptly welcomed me and gave instructions. I seated myself in a booth along the wall and observed my surroundings: I like the looks of Red Carpet Restaurant, but I was rather taken aback by the amount of smoke in the room (I gather it was smoke from the kitchen).

During the Beaux Arts Wine Festival, take a look at one of Boise's ...

Take the spiral staircase down the blue neon wine tower at Red Feather Lounge and the temperature drops about 20 degrees. Brick walls, a few tables and chairs fill the small room, which is an antechamber to the big attraction: the wine cellar. With more than 1,000 selections available, it's a cellar of staggering depth. To get the finer points on starting a cellar — and, OK, to dream a little bit — we turned to two Downtown wine devotees: Dave Krick, of Bitter Creek, Red Feather Lounge, Reef and Front Door; and Andrae Bopp, chef and owner of Andrae's Restaurant. The two have teamed up and now boast one of the largest and deepest wine cellars in the area.The wine selection is formidable."When you combine my cellar with what Dave has over here, it filled in holes and offered more depth," Bopp said.

Fab Gift Guide: Engagement Present for The Happy Couple

Welcome to the third installment of FabSugar's Engagment Gift Guide. This guide is centered around getting the happy couple a suitable engagement gift. A great engagement present can vary from anything the couple has registered for such as: candlesticks, a bowl, or ice bucket, to something more personal such as: a compilation of love songs, a gourmet cooking class or even a few great romantic movies! Here are some creative and thoughtful ideas for the Mr. and Mrs. to-be in three different price ranges.

These ultra chic Leaf Trays by Michael Aram, range in price from $27.50-$75.