Happy Martin Luther King Day! Many people consider this day a call to service, and there are so different many ways you can help your community, from lending a hand to a neighbor to donating food. Take a moment to think about how you make a difference in someone’s life today; even a small act of kindness can have a big effect. Help us make our community a better place!

Everyone here wishes you a Happy New Year! New Year’s is one of the best times to reflect on all the good things that have happened this year and make plans for the next. We hope that you are able to achieve all of your resolutions! If one of your resolutions is to be more environmentally friendly, remember that annual maintenance of your HVAC system will keep it running as efficiently as possible. And here is some New Year’s trivia to start your day: the first Time Square New Year’s Eve ball was dropped in 1907 after fireworks were banned in New York City. Today’s ball weighs nearly 12 thousand pounds and is 12 feet in diameter!

Merry Christmas everybody! Santa is delivering presents tonight and we hope you get everything you want under the Christmas tree. The holidays are all about spending time with your friends and family, we hope you have a great day full of love and laughter. To help make your Christmas as happy as it can be, here is a recipe for Whole Wheat Ginger Snaps:

Whole Wheat Ginger Snaps

“Spicy and chewy Ginger Snaps made with all whole wheat flour. Yummy!!”

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup molasses

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 cup white sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until smooth. Mix in the eggs, and then the molasses. Combine the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, heaping the measures if you like a lot of spice. Stir the dry ingredients into the molasses mixture just until blended.
3. Roll the dough into small balls, and dip the top of each ball into the remaining white sugar. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are cracked. Bake longer for crispy cookies, less time for chewy cookies. Cool on wire racks.

For more details, visit allrecipes.com.

And if you haven’t done so yet, remember schedule the annual maintenance of your heating system. Maintenance will cut down on future repairs and keep your system working as efficiently as possible, saving you a lot of money in the long run. Don’t be left out in the cold this winter!

Happy Hanukkah to all of our Jewish friends! We hope you have an amazing Festival of Lights and enjoy spending time with your friends and family. The holidays are a great time to be thankful for all of the good things in life, and we thank you for helping our business prosper.  Since of one the traditions of Hanukkah is great food, here is a recipe for Potato Pancakes:

Potato Pancakes

“Keep this one in your recipe file because it ‘s perfect and simple Grated potatoes, a bit of onion, an egg, and enough flour to hold this masterpiece together. Shape into patties and fry to a crusty, brown crispness.”

INGREDIENTS:

4 large potatoes

1 yellow onion

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

ground black pepper to taste

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

1. Finely grate potatoes with onion into a large bowl. Drain off any excess liquid.
2. Mix in egg, salt, and black pepper. Add enough flour to make mixture thick, about 2 to 4 tablespoons all together.
3. Turn oven to low, about 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
4. Heat 1/4 inch oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Drop two or three 1/4 cup mounds into hot oil, and flatten to make 1/2 inch thick pancakes. Fry, turning once, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel lined plates to drain, and keep warm in low oven until serving time. Repeat until all potato mixture is used.

For more details, visit allrecipes.com.