Goal Planning and You!  I'm sure we all look back at things we have spent money on and kicked ourselves for it, why not share and give each other a heads up!  I think we all need to start gearing up for next year, come out of the gates with a bang! 

• We are in the last quarter of 2009, have you made any goals yet for 2010? 
• Since the market changed, what types of advertising do you feel worked best for you that you will continue doing next year and what will you drop from your ad budget? 
• Also, with all new legislation coming about to help rev up the market, what do you hope comes about and what would you like to see gone? 

So after all is said and done, how do you feel the market has changed in your area over the past year?  Better or worse?  Around the Jersey Shore, I'm noticing several higher priced homes going short sale or into foreclosure because unfortunately, first time buyer tax credit wasn't enough to help anyone in the upper price ranges and the mortgage modification has a cutoff too low to help anyone affected by the economy that held higher paying jobs.  A few have actually said they feel discriminated against because they made too much money in salary, yet paid more in taxes and felt they should have been helped as well. 

I do hope that the buyer tax credit is expanded and extended to all who want to buy homes, revving up some of the toughest part of the markets!

Jane's Beef Burgundy Meatloaf

• 2-½ pounds meatloaf meat
• 1 pkg beefy onion soup mix (set aside ½ tsp for topping)
• 3 slices potato bread ripped to small pieces
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• salt & pepper

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 package frozen onions & peppers
• Sweet roasted peppers diced
• 2 small porcini mushrooms diced (strong flavor, so don't need too much!)
• ½ cup burgundy wine
• ¼ cup catsup

Heat a skillet and heat 1 tbsp olive oil add veggies & garlic for 5 minutes until softened.  Let stand 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Combine all of the above ingredients and mush together.  Form 4 loaves on a broiler pan or meatloaf pan and cook at 350 until center reads 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. In a small dish or cup, mix together 2 tbsp burgundy wine, ½ tsp onion soup mix and 3 tbsp catsup and set aside to brush over meatloaf as its cooking. 

BEEF BURGUNDY STEW

Quantities really depend on how much you want to make - I used 1/5 pound of meet and mostly eyeballed my ingredients to taste.  It's very easy to make and the recipe usually changes every time I make it, but this is the basic!

• Heat olive oil in a step pot
• Brown Beef (beef for stew dredged in floured w/pepper & cayenne)
• Dice potatoes (I used red potatoes, diced into 1.5 inch cubes)
• Brown potatoes w/peppers & onions & sweet roasted peppers (and porcini mushrooms if desired)
• Add burgundy to taste - just keep the bottle handy, start out with ¾ cup and add more as needed
• 1 pkg Beefy onion soup mix
• Let it all thicken and add beef broth and water as needed
• Add chopped carrots and green beans

If you want to bring this to an Autumn open house, just put it in a crock pot and plug in to keep warm!  Bring disposable hot cups & plastic soup spoons!

DELICIOUS!  Great for the family on cold nights!  ;)

http://www.dphotojournal.com/category/free-download/page/1/

Ingredients:

· 2 large heads Romaine lettuce

· 4 tbsp egg substitute

· 1 large garlic clove, peeled, sliced in half

· 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

· 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

· 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

· 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

· 3 slices whole wheat crusty French bread cut into 1 inch cubes

· 1 tbsp garlic olive oil

Method:

To make garlic olive oil, place garlic clove halves in 1/4 cup olive oil and set aside while you prepare your salad and croutons. Cut romaine lettuce lengthwise through the center of the rib and then into 1 1/2 inch pieces. With wire whisk, mix together the egg substitute, garlic olive oil less 1 tablespoon, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. In medium size skillet, on medium high heat, add the 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil. Add the cubed bread and toss until cubes are crisp. To the prepared romaine pieces, add the dressing mixture and toss. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss together with fresh hot crusty croutons

A healthy one!

Obviously, this salad will be extra good if you have freshly cooked corn and beans on hand. But if you don't, just use the canned beans and frozen corn (we used white corn here).

1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
1/2 cup chopped green onions or shallots
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded)
3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chile peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Why not serve coffee cake & coffee at your next open house?  A great brunch!

APPLE COFFEE CAKE

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 medium Cortland or other baking apple, peeled and sliced

1 Set the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with or pie pan a 4-cup capacity.

2 Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3 In a bowl, combine 1/2 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.

4 In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating until just combined.

5 Spread half the batter in the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.

6 Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.