Marinate Your Meals in Mere Moments

The Minute Marinizer marinates and tenderizes food naturally in three minutes so you can prepare healthier meals in shorter time.

Meat, poultry, fish and vegetables are tenderized without the addition of chemicals and retain the marinade to stay moist even if cooked in a microwave.

The machine, which has a marinating bowl and see-through dome, uses a vacuum process to draw air from the food, making space for the marinade.

Vegetables, for example, do not discolor or lose crispness, as they tend to do when marinated several hours in vinaigrette or herbs, oil and garlic.

With the marinizer, you can use less oil and substitute water, wine or vinegars so the fat will be reduced, but the food will still be flavorful.

Both bowl and dome are dishwasher safe.

Minute Marinizer (suggested retail, $179.95) is available nationwide in department and specialty stores. A 32-page recipe book is included.

In Southern California, the Minute Marinizer is sold at Broadway and Pavillions stores. Or you can buy it through Chef’s Catalogue ((800) 338-3232) or Spiegel ((800) 345-4500).

If you can’t find it, call Upscale Products Inc.--in California, (800) 273-1250; outside the state, (818) 597-8183.

Color Your Kids Good Pet Owners

Did the kids get a puppy or a kitten for Christmas? If so, you’re probably trying to teach your children how to care for their domestic pets.

A helpful aid might be the color-it-yourself Pet Pals Code poster. The by 30-inch poster lists “10 commandments” of responsible pet ownership, among them: “Pet pals are living creatures, not toys”; “Pet pals homes must be cleaned regularly” and “Pet pals should never be frightened or abused.”

Surrounding the 10 rules are drawings of 28 domestic pets that children can color with the 10 felt-tipped pens included. Each poster is accompanied by a Directory of the Animals, which identifies each animal and, where applicable, gives its Latin name.

Pet Pals Code posters ($9.95, plus $3 shipping and handling) are printed on recycled high-gloss paper and are available from Bear Valley Productions International, 570 Higuera St., Suite 17, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 93401; (805) 545-9199. Five percent of the net profits go to animal protection organizations.

The Key to Avoiding Parking Tickets

It’s easy to forget how much time you have on a parking meter, but not with the Parking Timer Key Chain.

This black metal device, which could save you parking fines, has a 15-hour capacity and can be set for hours or minutes. A reset button turns it off when you wish. It will sound an alarm to alert you that you have 10 minutes remaining on the meter, then five minutes and again when the time has expired. A battery is included.

The Parking Timer Key Chain ($4.95, plus $2 shipping and handling) can be purchased from the Pine Cone, Department LA-192, Blake Building, P.O. Box 1378, Gilroy, Calif. 95021; (408) 842-4797. Allow three to four weeks for delivery.