From my favorite magazine, here are the last three recipes they had for all those inspired Greek cooks out there! With Thanksgiving coming up, these should give a nice change of pace before and after the turkey day!
Avgolemono (Egg and Lemon Soup)
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 6
6 cups vegetable stock
½ cup uncooked white rice
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 eggs
juice of 2 lemons
Bring stock to a boil in a large soup pot. Add rice, salt, and pepper and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add parsley. In a small bowl, beat eggs with the lemon juice. Stir a ladle of hot broth into the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture into the pot. Stir vigorously until slightly thickened, and remove from heat. Serve hot or chill and reheat for future use.
Protein Twist: Add cooked, cubed chicken or turkey breast along with the parsley. You may also substitute chicken stock for the vegetable stock if you would like.
1 pound frozen phyllo dough, thawed according to package instructions
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup butter, melted
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
On a flat surface, roll out phyllo dough and cover with wax paper and a damp towel.
Sauté spinach, scallions, and garlic in olive oil until tender. Cool slightly and drain oil from pan.
In a large bowl, mix cheeses, egg, dill, and pepper. Add cooked spinach mixture to cheese mixture and blend thoroughly.
Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan. Spread 6 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of the pan, using a pastry brush to brush each layer with butter. Spoon the spinach filling over the phyllo layers, and cover with 6 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet. Score the top 3 sheets with a sharp knife. Bake 40 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes then cut into squares and serve warm.
Appetizer Twist: For cocktail parties, use this recipe to make 60 small triangle portions. Cut phyllo dough into 3 x 11 inch strips. Using a pastry brush, brush one strip of phyllo with melted butter, keeping remaining strips covered with a towel. Place 1-2 teaspoons of cooled filling on one end of the strip. Fold into a triangle as if folding a flag. Continue folding triangle to end of strip. Brush outside of triangle with butter. Repeat with remaining strips. Lay triangles seam side down, at least an inch apart, on a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Serve hot.
14 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup brandy
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups ground almonds
2 ¼ cups toasted bread crumbs
cinnamon for sprinkling
whipped cream for garnish
Syrup:
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 cup brandy
juice of 1 lemon
Beat eggs using mixer, then add sugar and mix to combine. Mix baking powder with brandy and vanilla, and add to egg mixture. Mix half the almonds with the bread crumbs. Add a little at a time to the other mixture.
Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Pour mixture into dish and top with the rest of the almonds. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Boil the sugar and water until reduced to half. Remove from heat and stir in brandy and lemon.
When cake is done, remove from oven and cut vertical slits into cake approximately 2 inches apart. Then cut diagonal slits. Pour syrup over cake and let cool completely. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
On December 1, 2009, the extension for the First Time Home Buyer credit and the expansion to count some current home owners will take effect! This is generally good news, especially if you have first time home buyers that just can't get closed before the original deadline of Nov. 30th.
Below is a NAR brief detailing the changes between the Jan. 1-Nov. 30th bill and the one going from Dec. 1-Apr. 30th for anyone wanting a handy detailing of the differences!
It's the beginning of the month, and just wanted to remind everyone on ways to keep track of the local schedule in Amarillo, and other areas.
First, Amarillo Globe News has a little calendar story on their Local News page. This lists events for the next few days, along with a link on how to put your upcoming event up in the paper!
A new site I was just told about - www.HelloAmarillo.com. It covers a lot more than just current events, like local attractions, white and yellow pages, and a lot more!
Of course, Amarillo Civic Center - which hosts many of the bigger events in town - is always a great place to keep tabs on what's coming in.
For those local movie buffs out there, Fandango.com not only shows you the current movie schedules on most of the local theaters, but it also lets you buy tickets! Very nice!
What are you favorite ways to keep up with events in your town? Feel free to comment!
Here are some easy, yet smaller projects that can increase a home's appeal in a time of high energy costs and an extraordinary focus on being green. Of course make sure you market the home with these positive, new features.
Replace regular light bulbs in permanent fixtures with compact fluorescent light bulbs
Install low-flow showerheads
Install an ENERGY STAR qualified, programmable thermostat
Close the damper on the fireplace.
Add insulation to an attic.
Seal basement rim joists. This is along the top of the basement wall where the cement or block comes in contact with the wood frame.
Insulate water heater tanks for energy savings.
Repair water leaks in tubs, showers and sinks.
Savvy buyers will ask what utility costs are or to see actual bills, especially in older homes, and be impressed at measures taken to reduce those costs.
For more ideas on buying or selling a home check out:
One of my magazines that I find worth it to make time to read just came out with some very yummy Greek dishes, which could provide a nice addition to anyone's cook book. Below, I've included two of them.
1 pound soft Kasseri cheese (may substitute mozzarella) 3 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons brandy juice of ½ lemon baguette, sliced
Cut cheese into 6 wedges and arrange in star shape in shallow heatproof serving dish. Brush with melted butter. Broil on high 4 to 6 inches from heat until cheese bubbles, 5 or 6 minutes. Remove from oven. Pour brandy over cheese and ignite immediately in front of guests. Extinguish by sprinkling with lemon juice. Serve with sliced baguette.
Horiatiki (Greek Salad)
Prep Time: 20 Minutes Servings: 6
4 large tomatoes, cut into wedges ½ large cucumber, cut into half moons ½ red onion, sliced into rings 24 kalamata olives 6 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place all vegetables and cheese in a large salad bowl. Make dressing by adding remaining ingredients to a lidded container. Place lid on container and shake to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
With all the uncertainty in the national housing market, some buyers are still hesitant to purchase a home.
While the reaction may be understandable, it's not necessarily recommended in the Amarillo, TX area market.
Sitting on the sidelines and waiting for prices to fall is not necessarily a wise decision. If you've got good credit, a plan to stay in the new home for a few years and your dream house in your sights, go for it!
If you're renting right now, there's a really good chance your mortgage won't be much more than your rent. If you choose to rent you will not receive a tax break, and if you stay a few years, you'll see your home start to appreciate as well.
A home mortgage is one of the very best uses of credit. Interest rates remain at low levels, which means lower monthly mortgage payments. As rates drop, those who qualify will find it even less expensive to buy the home of their dreams. Lock in a low rate today and you'll reap the benefits of living the American dream of being a homeowner.
1 Improper pricing 2 Not Providing Easy Access 3 Bad Housekeeping 4 Failure to Make Repairs 5 Poor Showing Techniques 6 Relying on Traditional Methods 7 Making Emotional Decisions 8 Not Understanding the Market 9 Unqualified Prospects 10 Choosing the Wrong Agent ________________________________________
When conversing with real estate agents, you will often find that when they talk to you about buying real estate, they will refer to your purchase as a "home." Yet if you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a "house." There is a reason for this. Buying real estate is often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation.
You need to think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. If you do not consciously make this decision, you can inadvertently create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.
The first step in getting your home ready to sell is to not make the top 10 mistakes other people have made.
Here I venture back into the wild world of green posting!
This time, I'm talking about www.EnergyStar.gov, our lovely blue star logo that tells us that we're saving energy AND money when we make purchases!
However, as I discovered as I explored the site for this post, there's a lot MORE out there than just the logo when it comes to what this website of Energy Star's does. Their site shows you what rebates are available in your area, give you a simple form to do something of a self-energy audit (Along with ways to contact a professional), and even helps you find an energy efficient builder in your state! And that's just with a few clicks of exploration!
There's a lot more to be had on this website, a definite site to keep in mind as you or your clients seek out ways to save cash!
In this busy world, it's sometimes hard to keep track of all the events going on our own home towns. Well, for Amarillo, I've found several helpful websites to help keep me up to date.
First, Amarillo Globe News has a little calendar story on their Local News page. This list events for the next few days, along with a link on how to put your upcoming event up in the paper!
Another helpful site is Eventful.com, though they tend to have a lot of ‘TBA' events that are spelled out in the notes. This site also has lots of musicians that come through town that hit only restaurants/bars, so you might find a new up and coming artist that perks your interest! Eventful.com works for many other areas as well.
Of course, Amarillo Civic Center - which hosts many of the bigger events in town - is always a great place to keep tabs on what's coming in.
One last site (but certainly not the last one out there) is When.com has a wide showing of different types of events in the Amarillo (or other) areas.
What are you favorite ways to keep up with events in your town? Feel free to comment!
Going green is a force that's coming on stronger and stronger. More and more people want to take green alternatives where they can, because it IS our planet. It'd be nice for it to be around for a few years, right?
I'm going to start showcasing different websites that can help guide you to a more green way of living. First, we're going to start off with the US Department of Energy website: http://www.energy.gov/. Right on the home page, they have ‘Energy Saving Tips' with easy and inexpensive ways to watch your energy consumption and thereby become more green - I love it when two birds are in line with one stone, don't you?
From there, you can explore the site for more energy saving tricks for your home and cars, what tax breaks you can get, and what more technology is on the horizon. There's also SO much more on the DoE's website, so check it out!
Connie Taylor and the Connie Taylor Team specialize in Amarillo real estate, the Amarillo subdivisions of The Canyons, The Colonies, The Greenways, City View and Woodlands, Canyon and Potter/Randall County. Connie Taylor wants to help you with your Amarillo real estate transaction, including single-family homes, multi-family homes, condos, townhomes, income properties, investment properties, vacant land and selling your current property. Find out how to become a Keller Williams agent with the #1 real estate office in Amarillo.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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