Recipe: Christine's Salty Toffee

From Christine Schlittenhart's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:
1 c. brown sugar
2 sticks real butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
6 oz. package of sliced almonds
Saltine crackers

DIRECTIONS:
1. Line a large jelly roll pan (one with sides) with foil.
2. Cover with soda crackers.
3. Boil brown sugar and butter together 3 minutes (start timing when it starts boiling).
4. Pour over crackers.
5. Bake 6 to 7 minutes at 375 degrees.
6. While hot, pour chocolate chips on top. Smooth over, then spread almonds. Let cool, then freeze for several hours.
Break into pieces to serve. Perfect for Gifts Too!

Home Selling Insight

By Fred Eichenhofer, Sierra Pacific Real Estate

Why do some homes sell in days when others take months or don’t sell at all?
 When sellers or their real estate agent overlook any of the important ingredients of a successful sale, a home can linger on the market. Here are 3 reasons why a home doesn't sell quickly:

1. Asking Price is Too High.  When a home first comes on the market, the list price should be at or near the market value so buyers see it as a good value and put in an offer. The first 30 days are crucial! Pricing a house is very important even with low inventory. When buyers do not see the value in the home at the current listing price, or it’s priced far above a reasonable price range for the current market, buyers usually will not look at the house or write an offer.

2. Poor Marketing. Most real estate agents will do nothing more than put the house in the MLS (Listing system). You want an agent that will be aggressive with their marketing especially within the first 30 days. It is amazing how many agents will place a house on our listing system with no photos for days, thereby missing potential buyers that have already viewed the listing (without a photo), drastically losing potential buyers interest.

3. Home is not staged properly. A buyer wants to buy a home they can imagine living in with their family. Get the facts on how to stage your home properly. When buyers walk in the home, they should be able to envision themselves in the house as their new home.
 It is important to hire a Realtor you feel comfortable with, and a Realtor experienced to deal with all of the intricacies of a real estate transaction.
 Many times we see sellers select an agent that said their house would sell at a far higher price than the market would bear, only to sell months later at a price lower than other agents suggested. Be careful not to base your decision solely on an agent that gives you a price range higher than others, or one who will instantly cut their commission…keep in mind the old saying “You get what you pay for”.  There are a lot of expenses a listing agent incurs in order to market your home properly, other agents may not do because of the expense involved.  Lack of marketing to the public is a disadvantage for a seller, as well as initial pricing of a home. Marketing and pricing are very important aspects for a successful sale of a home.

Trick-or-Treat Trail Candids

 

 

Upcoming Christmas Fair in Meadow Vista!

The Meadow Vista Christmas Fair

Saturday, December 1st, 2012
9am - 3pm
@ The Beda Place

990 Meadow Gate Road
Meadow Vista, CA 95722

 FREE to the Public!! Christmas Basket Food Drive, vendors/crafters...alot of great seasonal items, jewelry, unique art, wood works, home decor, vendors like Cookie Lee, Tupperware, etc. , fun crafts for kids! Don't miss out on a chance for a one-of-a-kind gift, or something for yourself!!

IMPORTANT UPDATE 11/30/2012

 

Unfortunately, due to the "ugly" weather we have made the executive decision to postpone the fair until next Saturday, December 8th, 9am-3pm. Our decision was made with the vendors and the public's best interest in mind, we want to give the best experience possible here at The Beda Place.

 

I hope you can understand why we came to this decision and we hope to see you next Saturday, December 8th.

Please call or e-mail if you have any questions.

 

Thanks again to everyone I hope you have a wonderful day.

Amy Ugalde

Meadow Vista Christmas Fair Coordinator

bedaau@yahoo.com

(530) 878-2332

The Beda Place

990 Meadow Gate Road

Meadow Vista, CA 95722

From the Meadow Vista Lions Club

Submitted by Etta Gross, MV Lions Club Secretary

Santa is coming to town! Rudolph has assured the Meadow Vista Lions that he will safely deliver Santa Claus in Meadow Vista at the field next to the Post Office on December 8, 2012.  For Santa's visit to town the area Girl Scouts will be serving up those delicious and nicely decorated cookies they have baked.  The Lions will be serving up coffee and hot chocolate.  The bond fire will be going to help keep everyone warm while they are visiting with Santa.  Should there be unfavorable weather condition look for Santa to be at Placer Hills Auditorium.  The Meadow Vista Lions look forward to seeing everyone at dusk on December 8, 2012!

 Come support your local Meadow Vista Area Lions Club CRAB FEED
 The Lions Crab Feed will be Saturday, February 2, 2013 at Gold Country Fairgrounds (Placer Building) starting at 6 p.m.  Tickets are $35.00 each.  The menu will be salad, bread and CRAB!  No host cocktail start at 6 p.m.  Tickets are available through a Meadow Vista Area Lions member, Meadow Vista True Value Hardware, Meadow Electric, Meadow-Walker Law Group, or Dr. Hensley.  Prize drawings will be done though out the evening, with the music by Runnin 4 Cover (live band).    The sole door prize winner will walk away with $200.   All the proceeds from this event will allow the Meadow Vista Lions to continue with the community projects and events.  Some of our more special projects are The Mother's Day Breakfast, Santa Comes to Town, Easter Egg Hunt, assist financially challenged resident with eye care, school day hot dogs and many other community projects! 

 Do you want to put your expertise to good use in helping your community?  Residents are welcome to visit a Meadow Vista Lions meeting.  There are held on the second and fourth Wednesday night, starting time is 7p.m. at Meadow Vista Grange. PLEASE contact Mark at True Value Hardware about the possibilities of becoming a Meadow Vista Area Lions! 

DIY Tips to Maintain Your Furnace

Submitted by Jeff Spoor, Spoor’s Heating & Air Conditioning

 

Winter is here and while you're well aware of how well your heater is performing, let's talk about how you can keep it running in top shape. First of all, if you do not feel capable of handling any of the following steps on your own, hire a heating and air conditioning professional. 
Preventative  - Keep it Clean!
Like all appliances and home machinery, you want to keep your furnace clean.  A build up of dirt and dust can mean a breakdown the efficiency of your heating system.  Nowadays, who can afford to waste anything, let alone fuel?  These steps apply whether you are doing gas furnace maintenance, oil or electric furnace.

 There are three areas you want to pay attention to when it comes to furnace maintenance.  They are the furnace filters, the blower and the motor.
Maintenance - Filters!
This is a critical step in furnace maintenance, but how often you clean or replace your furnace filters will depend on a few factors.   Hold a dirty filter up to a burning light bulb.  If you can see a clear outline of the bulb, your filter is still good.  When it gets to the point you can't see the bulb, it’s time for a new one.  If you have pets, or are a smoker, you'll need to change the furnace filter more often. 
 Changing the filter may not seem important but when your furnace's blower motor burns out because your clogged filter restricted too much air flow you’ll find that a new motor is going to cost you a lot more than a filter.

Maintenance - Blower & Motor:
Clean the blower assembly.  Check to make sure the belt isn't loose or damaged. Assuming your furnace doesn't have a sealed blower motor, put a few drops of oil in the motor.  Now the blower motor is running smoothly and efficiently, and your heating system should keep you warm this winter.

 A few furnace tips worth noting. Your heating and air conditioning vents are there for a reason.  Neither your return air vents nor your supply registers should be obstructed by furniture or anything else.  Air needs to circulate through them freely.  And that includes filters that are used at the vent.  Are they trapping lots of junk?  They're likely trapping lots of air too. If you absolutely must use thick filters of any sort, have the static pressure tested at both the return and supply vents to make sure you're getting the required minimum airflow for your furnace.    

 Does your furnace room double as a storage closet?  Bad idea.  No kind of flammable material should be stored anywhere near your furnace or water heater.  And speaking of your furnace room.  Did you know that your furnace and water heater need a lot of combustion air?  Unless your furnace has a fresh air vent installed and piped to the exterior of your house--and no, that does NOT mean your chimney--you need to have a vented furnace room.

Meadow Vista Troop 6 Scouts Give Back

 For more than fifty years Troop 6 of Meadow Vista has been helping many area boys mature into young men through various activities and countless hours of community service. The next major community service project is the pickup and recycling of Christmas Trees, this upcoming January. More information will be delivered to Meadow Vista residents through the Mail in December.  Please watch for it.

 In recent years Troop 6 has served as Color Guard for the Pioneer Day Parade, Colfax July 4th Parades, served many Mothers and Grandmothers at the annual Mother Day Breakfast,  helped clean their meeting place and supported the Lions Club Christmas adventure when Santa arrives in our town. 

 “I really enjoyed giving the Mom’s flowers and seating families at the Mothers Day Breakfast,” said David Hunt, 15 year old Star Rank Scout. “You get a good feeling giving back to the community.”
 Scouting is exciting, fun and rewarding. Everyone knows the Boy Scout Motto “Be Prepared” but through various activities a scout also learns to be, “Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.”  Scouts learn these values through activities such as, camping, hiking, backpacking, compass navigation, overnight trips to Alcatraz Island, USS Hornet and Pampanito Museums, plus exposure to Science, Crafts, Trades and Business merit badges to mention a few.

 “The very best part of being in Scouts is the serenity of the woods when we camp together as a group,” said Jeffrey Holt, Life Scout currently working on an Eagle project for the fire department.  “Thanks to Scouting I have learned more skills than would have in any other setting such as Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness Survival, to mention my two favorites.”

 As a Scout progresses through various ranks, he shoots to earn the highest and most respected possible leadership rank of “Eagle,” the pinnacle award in Scouting. To achieve this rank, the Scout demonstrates his learned leadership skills and completes a major community service project.  To date our Scouts have provide thousands of hours to the community.  Eagle Projects you may have seen include the large Meadow Vista Park and Pool shade structures, Equestrian Trail picnic tables, Placer and Sierra Hills Nature area planter beds and irrigation systems, Placer Hills School and Methodist Church Signs, and expansion of address markers for residents to ensure that emergency services promptly  find locations, to name a few.

 If you are a young man ages 11 through 17 and being part of Scouting is interesting to you, we welcome you to join us on Tuesdays’ at Faith Lutheran Church (Combie Road, Meadow Vista), 7:00pm – 8:30 pm.   For more information please call 878-3798 or to support BSA Troop 6 write care of P.O. Box 754, Meadow Vista, CA 95722.  Thank you for the ongoing continuing support.