Outdoor BBQ's and evenings on the patio are so much more enchanting with the soft glow of candle light.

Avoid the mess of dripping candle wax with Afterglow.  These bottle wicks turn your favourite beverage bottle - wine anyone? - in to candles.  Simply fill the bottle with lamp oil, unravel the wick and place it in the oil, put in the cork-coloured topper and voila - candle light.

Add on the Afterglow Globe to protect the wick and keep the flame burning when there is a breeze.

Sit back, relax and enjoy.

We found the Afterglow products at The Gardening Circle in Fort Langley.

A big, fresh salad is the perfect meal on these hot summer days but those thick, creamy salad dressings can quickly turn your healthy meal into the equivalent caloric intake of a juicy cheeseburger.

We've discovered Bolthouse salad dressings.  With the base ingredient being yogurt, they have almost half the calories per tablespoon as the leading creamy salad dressings.  Better still, we think they are more flavourful!

Bolthouse has eight creamy salad dressing flavours including Casear Parmigiano, 1000 Island and Classic Ranch as well as four olive oil vinaigrettes.  These tangy dressings have a rich, creamy flavour and texture that will tantalize your tastebuds.

You can pick up Bolthouse dressings in the prepared salad cooler section of your local grocery store.

Put a stamp on your next Sunday brunch. 

There is no need to head out to a restaurant.  You can create a fabulously impressive spread right in your own kitchen with French Toast.  Simply stamp your baguette, pop it in the toaster and suddenly your dining a la Paris. 

Your friends a family will be amazed at your culinary creation.

Pick up your piece of Paris at Paper Moon in Fort Langley.

Many a time we have taken this salad to a backyard BBQ or family gathering and it never fails that several people ask for the recipe.  This Mango Orzo Salad is a breeze to make and will feed an army.  So for all you Stimulistas who have been asking, here's the recipe:

• one package orzo (prepared as per package instructions)
• 1 large package craisins
• 3/4 of a bunch of green onions, chopped
• 7 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 diced mangoes
• 1 cup parsley, chopped

DRESSING (shake well)

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, chill, serve & enjoy.

We've found it!  Arrowleaf Cellars Pinot Gris is by far the crispest, tangiest and tastiest white wine we savored in quite a while.  Now we here at Stimuli don't profess to be great wine connoisseurs, we simply follow our taste buds.  The folks at Arrowleaf Cellars describe this wine as a well-balanced, full-bodied wine with hints of apple, pear, melon and delicate floral aromas.

Located in Lake Country, BC (that's in the Okanagan), Joe & Margrit Zuppiger and their son Manuel opened the doors of Arrowleaf Cellars in 2003.  An interesting 'twist' is that your bottle of wine will come with a screwcap.  Why?  The Zuppigers believe that the screwcap is the best closure for wines, period.  Unlike the traditional cork, a screwcap maintains the freshness of your wine.  We like them because their is no fiddling with corkscrews.  Simply twist, pour and savour.

Visit www.arrowleafcellars.com to check out all the available varieties.  A bonus for us Fraser Valley folks is that Arrowleaf is a VQA wine that is carried at The Wine Emporium in Langley.  Visit www.wine-emporium.com for directions and contact info.

Cheers!

P.S.  Check out the Fabulous Black Book area on www.stimulimag.ca to post comments and rate your favourite local businesses.