Curry complements seared scallops, tart apples and sweet dried cranberries while toasted almonds add crunch in this quick fall dinner salad. Serve with toasted whole-wheat baguette and a glass of sauvignon blanc.

6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot

3/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup apple cider

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 pound dry sea scallops, (see Shopping Tip), tough muscle removed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 cups mixed salad greens

1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, diced

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and curry powder and cook, stirring, until the shallot is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add cider and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in 2 teaspoons oil and vinegar. Reserve 1/4 cup dressing in a small bowl. Wipe out the pan.
2. Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan and heat over medium-high. Add the scallops and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add salad greens, apple, cranberries and almonds to the large bowl; toss to coat. Top with the scallops and drizzle with the reserved 1/4 cup dressing.

Serves 4                            Time: 25 min.

Permanent Marker

Guess what? It is called "permanent" marker for a reason, so depending on how new and how deep the stains are, you may not be able to remove them completely. The method here will get you as far as you can go anyhow.

• For your carpet stain removal agent, use either rubbing alcohol or a non-oily hair spray. Apply a small amount to a clean white cloth, and dab at the stain. Use another dry cloth to blot between applications. Although it is tempting, DO NOT apply directly to area!
• Apply the solution and blot it up several times. Then rinse with clean water and blot that up. Dry the area thoroughly.
• Now to deal with what's left (if you couldn't get it all out). If the stain isn't too deep in the carpet, you may be able to snip away the stained edges with small scissors or with a razor blade or exacto knife. You can use tweezers to pull out severely stained fibers.
• If you try the latter, you may want to remove clean carpet strands from another, hidden area in the room, then glue them into the stained area. Leave a heavy object on the spot for several days before walking on it.

Spring

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

Anne Bradstreet

"Indoors or out, no one relaxes

in March that month of wind and taxes

the wind will presently disappear

the taxes last us all the year."

Odgden Nash

Robin Williams.