Tasty Tuesday 12.27.11

4-Pepper Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns, divided
1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole green peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon caper liquid
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch sugar

Directions
Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom. Scoop the yolks into a medium mixing bowl and lay the whites aside. Place all of the peppercorns, except 1/2 teaspoon of the pink peppercorns, into a spice grinder and process until ground well. Add the ground peppers, caper liquid, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and sugar to the egg yolks and using a fork, stir to thoroughly combine. Place the mixture into a zip-top plastic bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners. Pipe the mixture into each of the white halves. Coarsely grind the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pink peppercorns and use to garnish the top of each egg.

Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Tasty Tuesday: Gingerbread Cookies

Directions
This recipe has been in my family for a long time. The smell will send friends and family running for the warmth of the kitchen. A note about good cookie baking: Halfway through, I always rotate the tray in the oven so the cookies bake evenly on all sides. This recipe is no exception.

Ingredients
The foundation:
1 1/2 sticks lightly salted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 orange, zested

The dry ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup additional for rolling, if needed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground dry ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

The wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 lemon, juiced
Easy Orange Frosting, recipe follows


In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, add the butter, sugar and orange zest and beat until smooth, 5 to 8 minutes.


Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, dry ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk to blend. Set aside.


In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and lemon juice.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


When the butter and sugar are integrated, lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and when blended, remove the bowl from the machine. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press the first half of the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half. This step will make it easier to finish rolling out the dough when it has chilled. It will also mean you only have half of the dough getting warm as you roll it.


Lightly flour a flat surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the first half of the dough about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter(s) and cut the shapes, making as few scraps as possible. Use a metal spatula to gently transfer them, cookie by cookie, (the cookies should be similar size) to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet. A note about crowding the tray(s): these particular cookies can spread a little. Leave room between the cookies. Better to use 3 baking sheets with fewer cookies than to crowd them on 2 trays. Bake until brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.


Got scraps? Form the scraps into a ball, press it flat and chill in the refrigerator. These cookies may be a little more "tough" because the dough will have been worked a little more than the others.


Why not have a little frosting on your gingerbread?

Easy Orange Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur
1/4 teaspoon light corn syrup
In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients and whisk together to combine. If too thick in consistency, add a touch more orange juice or water to thin out.


Use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting between 2 of the gingerbread cookies. Press the 2 cookies halves gently together.


The Variation:

I love springerle, the German anise-flavored cookies, for the delicate molds (and carved rolling pins) used to make them. I have made this recipe with springerle molds with stunning results. The kind of cookies that make people marvel at how great they look before they eat a half a plate of them! Simply dust the decorative molds (or rolling pin) with flour, shaking lightly to remove any excess. Roll the dough very thin (between 1/2 and 1/4-inch thick). Press or roll the dough into the molds and trace the shapes with a sharp knife to extract the cookies. Arrange them on a greased baking sheet (with some space between them) and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Not using molds? Scoop the batter in teaspoons and roll them into balls. Press the balls onto a greased baking sheet or press with the tines of a fork to make ridges. Bake until brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes.


These cookies are so beautiful, they can stand alone. Or...make gingerbread sandwiches using the above frosting as the filling...

Tasty Tuesday: Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, small dice
3 ribs celery, small dice
Kosher salt
1 pound spicy sausage, casing removed, broken into bite-size chunks
3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely diced
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
10 sage leaves, finely chopped
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped
10 cups stale cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups dried cranberries
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and celery and saute over to medium heat. Season with salt and cook until the vegetables start to become soft and are very aromatic. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage begins to brown. Stir in the garlic and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, sage and rosemary and cook for another minute, then remove from heat.


In a large bowl mix together the cornbread, cranberries, and the sausage mixture. Add chicken stock and knead with your hands until the bread is very moist, actually wet. Taste to check for seasoning and season with salt, if needed and transfer to an ovenproof dish.


Bake the stuffing until it is hot all the way through and is crusty on top, about 30 to 35 minutes. MMMMM...stuffing!

Motivational Monday 11.21.11

Without inspiration, the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks. -Johann Gottfried von Herder

Tasty Tuesday 11.15.11

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.

Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.

Methodist Children’s Hospital Holiday Toy Donation Drive

This holiday season The Park at Walker’s Ranch is teaming up with our sister communities and Methodist Children’s Hospital to help give their sick children a brighter holiday. We would love & appreciate having your help in achieving this goal.

We will be collecting and donating items from the wish list we received from Methodist Hospital. If you are able to help you can drop off these items to our office starting Nov. 7th – Dec. 3rd.

In order to follow the hospital’s request, we are asking that you please not gift wrap the items. We are so excited to be able to help put a smile on the children’s faces when we drop these gifts off, and really appreciate anything that you can do. If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office at 210-764-0404.

Please consider the following when making a toy donation:
1) New and/or gently used toys are welcomed!
2) To be safe for our toddlers and infants, toys should not
include small pieces that can cause choking.
3) Stuffed animals must be new, and in their original
package due to infection control concerns.

SCHOOL AGE (5 – 12 Yrs Old)

• Board Games (Sorry; Connect 4; Yahtzee;Trouble; Monopoly; Guess Who; Skipbo)
• Matchbox Cars
• Magna Doodles
• Etch-a-sketch
• Arts & Crafts Kits (Jewelry Making; Paints;Sand Art; Stickers; Ceramic, etc.)
• Books
• View Masters
• Hand-held Electronic Games (Tetris;20 Questions; Hangman, etc.)
• Mr. Potato Head
• Remote Control Cars
• Puzzles
• Brain Teasers

INFANTS (0 -1 Yrs Old)
• Blankets
• Bibs
• Onesies

We thank you all for your support in this worthy cause!

The Park at Walker’s Ranch
B.R.I.D.G.E. Team
www.cwsbridge.com

Motivational Monday

We hope everyone is having a great Monday! Here is a little quote to make your week a little brighter!

"Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third."
- Marge Piercy

Drum roll please....

Hip-Hip-Hooray!
Drum roll please…

We want to announce the winner of our Second Chance drawing for a Motorola Xoom Tablet. Congratulations to Eliane! We want to thank everyone who participated in the CEL Survey this year. It is your opinion and your voice that helps make your community a great place to call home!

Tasty Tuesday 11/1/11: Game Day Chili

Ingredients
6 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 cup beer (recommended: Budweiser)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (24-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (24-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
Lime wedges, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Shredded Cheddar, for garnish
Sliced scallions, for garnish

Directions
In large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until lightly crisp, stirring occasionally. Once the bacon is browned, add the garlic, onions, bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder, oregano, and smoked paprika and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender and seasonings are aromatic. Add the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Once beef is broken up and beginning to brown, add the pork. Break up with wooden spoon like the beef, and brown, until no longer pink, roughly 4 minutes. Stir in the beer and beans. Toss together, then add the crushed and diced tomatoes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer the chili to serving bowls and garnish with lime wedges, sour cream, shredded cheese, and sliced scallions.

Motivational Monday 10.31.11

“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

-Winston Churchill

Tasty Tuesday 10.25.11

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 pound) chicken cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups crushed corn flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Add chicken and coat with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up 12 hours.

Mix corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and thyme together. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the corn flake-Parmesan mixture, pressing to help it adhere.

Place on the wire rack-fitted sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp.

Motivational Monday 10.24.11

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

- Gandhi

Motivational Monday 10.10.11

“It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.”

- Dalai Lama

Tasty Tuesday 10.04.11- Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients
Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Tasty Tuesday 9.27.11

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons peanut oil
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint small, sweet mixed peppers, quartered, or 2 mixed bell peppers, cut into 1-inch strips
6 scallions, whites cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and thinly sliced vertically into thin strips
8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
Serving suggestion, cooked brown rice
Chopped peanuts for sprinkling, optional

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice and cornstarch; set aside.

Meanwhile, coat the chicken with 2 teaspoons oil and heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes. Transfer the partially-cooked chicken to a plate. Reserve the pan.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan; add the peppers, scallion whites, and snow peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken; whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over rice and sprinkle with the scallion greens and peanuts, if using.

Motivational Monday 9.26.11

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”

-Henry Ford

Weekend Movie Releases 9.16.11

Drive
Driver is a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can't help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene, a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard. After a heist intended to pay off Standard's protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals. But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk - that they're coming straight for Irene and her son - Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense.

I Don't Know How She Does It
Kate Reddy devotes her days to her job with a Boston-based financial management firm. At night she goes home to her adoring, recently-downsized architect husband Richard and their two young children. It's a non-stop balancing act, the same one that Kate's acerbic best friend and fellow working mother Allison performs on a daily basis, and that Kate's super-brainy, child-phobic young junior associate Momo fully intends to avoid. When Kate gets handed a major new account that will require frequent trips to New York, Richard also wins the new job he's been hoping for -- and both will be spreading themselves even thinner. Complicating matters is Kate's charming new business associate Jack Abelhammer, who begins to prove an unexpected source of temptation.

Straw Dogs
David and Amy Sumner, a Hollywood screenwriter and his actress wife, return to her small hometown in the deep South to prepare the family home for sale after her father's death. Once there, tensions build in their marriage and old conflicts re-emerge with the locals, including Amy's ex-boyfriend Charlie, leading to a violent confrontation.

Tasty Tuesday 8.30.11

Graham Cracker S'mores Cookies

2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup (white) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows, plus 1/4 cup for adding on top (as directed below)
2 regular sized Hershey bars, each piece printed with "Hershey" cut in half
2 packages graham crackers- broken in to squares (1/2 of a full graham cracker sheet)


Directions
* Preheat oven to 375*F
* Break graham crackers in half, so they are squares. Lay crackers next to each other, in a single layer on a baking sheet (the size of your baking sheet will determine exactly how many crackers you need).
* Bake graham crackers in pre-heated oven for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
* Cream the butter and sugars together in the bowl of an electric mixer.
* Add egg and vanilla.
* In a separate bowl stir flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Then add to butter mixture and mix until just combined.
* Fold in chocolate chips and 1 cup marshmallows.
* Use a large cookie scoop to scoop dough on to graham crackers (on baking sheet).
* Bake for 5 minutes. Then remove pan from oven and press about 2 pieces of chocolate and 2-3 marshmallows in to each cookie.
* Bake for 5-7 minutes more.
* Cool completely, then cut cookies in to squares (where the graham crackers meet).

Motivational Monday

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit. -Aristotle

Tasty Tuesday: BLT Pasta Salad

Try out this delicious side at your next BBQ!

Ingredients
12 ounces corkscrew-shaped pasta
1/2 cup milk
12 ounces lean bacon
3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion greens
5 heads Bibb lettuce, quartered, or 5 cups chopped romaine hearts
Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper. Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.

Weekend Movie Releases 7.22.11

Captain America: The First Avenger
Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull.

Friends With Benefits
Dylan and Jamie think it's going to be easy to add the simple act of sex to their friendship, despite what Hollywood romantic comedies would have them believe. They soon discover however that getting physical really does always lead to complications.

Stuff the Bus!

The Park at Walker’s Ranch is teaming up with SA Youth in their “Stuff the Bus” campaign! The campaign benefits San Antonio students in need, and we would greatly
appreciate your help in making a positive impact on these deserving children.
We will be accepting donations of school supplies in the clubhouse from
July 15th – August 5th.

Items needed include:

• Glue Sticks
• Spiral Notebooks
• Crayons
• Washable Markers
• Red Pencils
• Colored Pencils
• Bottles of White Glue
• Yellow Highlighters
• Loose-Leaf Notebook Paper (Wide-Ruled)
• Rulers (cm / in) non-collapsible
• Containers for School Supplies
• Mesh Backpacks
• Calculators
• Binders
• Erasers
• #2 Pencils & Mechanical Pencils
• Protractors
• Graph Paper
• Markers
• Construction Paper
• Folders
• Dictionaries

This list is only a sample of items – it could go on! If you have any questions,
please feel free to call us at 210.764.0404.

We thank you all for your support in this worthy cause!

The Park at Walker’s Ranch
B.R.I.D.G.E. Team
www.cwsbridge.com

Tasty Tuesday 07.19.11

POT ROAST

Ingredients
1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 1/2 teaspoons House seasoning, recipe follows
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup Chardonnay

Directions
Sprinkle roast on all sides with house seasoning. Using a skillet over high heat, sear roast until brown in oil. Place roast in a slow cooker, and layer onions, bay leaves, crushed bouillon cubes, garlic, and cream of mushroom soup. Add the Chardonnay and cover with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Cook on the low setting for 8 hours.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months

Tasty Tuesday 6.21.11

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients
Canola spray
4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed well
1/2 cup green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 slices good quality bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 1/4 cups Cheddar, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sour cream

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a small casserole dish by spraying with canola spray.

Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork. Place in the microwave and cook on medium, turning once, until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.

Cut off the top third of the cooked potatoes. Scoop out the insides and place into a medium bowl. Add the green onions and mash together. Add the garlic, bacon, 1 cups cheese, salt, pepper and sour cream. Mix together well.

Nestle the hollowed out potatoes in the prepared dish. Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Place the potatoes into the oven and cook, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Last Chance Drawing Winner

Hip-Hip-Hooray!
Drum roll please…
We want to announce the winner of our Last Chance Drawing of $300 off July rent.
Congratulations to James and Helen! Thank you all who participated, we had a great turn out!

Motivational Monday 6/20/11

“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.”

- Jacob M. Braude

SUMMER LUAU Friday, June 17th

Customize a free digital invite

This weeks winner.....drum roll please....

Only 7 days left to get entered to win $300 off of your July 2011 rent and the last weekly drawing. You will not want to miss out this week! With summer already here this weeks winner is Lindsey she has won a new patio set to enjoy on her patio. Thank you who have participated. All residents must be enrolled no later than June 20, 2011. Effective June 20th we will no loger be accepting checks for rent payments.

Save the date for our Summer Luau!

Save the date and pencil us in for our Summer Luau... Friday, June 17th from 5:30 - 7:30 at the clubhouse pool. We will have Live Entertainment, Ice Cream Bar provided by Marble Slab, Beer& Wine, Games & Prizes, Food & Drinks, and DJ Fernando keeping the party hopping. Don't miss out. We will be giving away 3 prizes for money off your rent. Grand Prize is $300 off your rent! Can't wait to see you all there!

1st and 2nd Weekly Winners!

Drum roll please…

We want to announce the winners of our 1st and 2nd weekly drawings. Congratulaions Monica who will be receiving upgraded goose neck faucets for her kitchen and bathroom areas. Also, Congratulations Jessica and Jennifer, they have won a free accent wall/or painted room with the color of their choice from our color wheel. We hope you enjoy this unique touch to your home. Thank you all who participated. We still have two more weeks left enroll and be entered into the weekly drawing and the last chance drawing of $300 off your July Rent! All residents must be enrolled no later than June 20, 2011. Effective June 20th we will no loger be accepting checks for rent payments.

Free Continental Breakfast! Come Join Us!

Have you signed up for Variable Recurring Payments yet?
If not, please...
Join us for a Continental Breakfast

Saturday, June 4, 2011
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
at the Clubhouse

Bring your banking information to enroll in Variable Recurring Payments. We will be available to assist with your enrollment. When you enroll you will be entered into the drawing to win $300 off your rent. Grand Prize Winner will be announced June 17, 2011.

*ALL RESIDENTS MUST BE ENROLLED BY JUNE 19, 2011.*
*EFFECTIVE JUNE 20, 2011 WE WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTING CHECKS FOR RENT PAYMENT.*

Dont forget to join us for a Brew and a Slice!

Attention all residents who have not enrolled in Variable Recurring Payments! Don't forget to join us tomorrow night in the Clubhouse from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for a Brew and a Slice! When you enroll at the party tomorrow night you will be entered in to the drawing of $300 off rent TWICE! Don't miss out! Hope to see you there!

Tasty Tuesday 5.24.11

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients
1 (3 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups buttermilk
Salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Toss the chicken, buttermilk and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate, 1 hour.

Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360.

Mix the flour, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Remove the dark meat from the buttermilk, shake off the excess and roll in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour, place in the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes (adjust the heat as needed). Drain on paper towels.

Reheat the oil to 360 degrees F. Repeat with the chicken breasts and wings, frying for about 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

iResident Party!

Make a free invitation card

Motivational Monday 5.23.11

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” - Aristotle

Grand Prize Winner!

Hip-Hip-Hooray!
Drum roll please…
We want to announce the winner of our Grand Prize drawing of $300 off June rent.
Congratulations to Matt and Sarah! Thank you all who participated, we had a great turn out! For those of you who missed out stay tuned for some exciting news tomorrow.

Tasty Tuesday: Buff Dip

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie Chicken completly shredded
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Frank's red hot sauce ( recipe says Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Mix in Frank's RedHot, mozzarella cheese, and ranch dressing. Stir in chicken until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture evenly into a deep 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until mixture is heated through. Stir well and enjoy! P.S. We love dipping carrot sticks and red bell pepper chunks into this dip, but we've also dunked baked tortilla chips into it and used it as a sandwich spread!

Motivational Monday!

If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.
St. Clement of Alexandra

Variable Recurring Payments

"Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, I don't care if I never get back, Let me root, root, root for the home team, If they don't win it's a shame. For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out, At the old ball game." Congratulations to Mary and Eric, You get to root for the San Antonio Missions on May 21, 2011 at 7:05 PM. Thank you for signing up for Variable Recurring Payments we hope you enjoy the game!






Today marks the last semi weekly drawing, lucky #13 and it's a Mystery Prize. Set up Variable Recurring Payments between today and May 15th, 2011 and you will have a chance for $300 off rent and a chance at the Mystery Prize. Winner for the $300 off rent will be announced May 18, 2011. Don't be left out on all the excitement!

Not sure on the "how to's" of setting up your Variable Recurring Payments? Call or stop by the office and we will walk you through the set up. We can also answer any questions you may have, it's quick, easy and there is a chance to win. E-mail us once you're set up is complete so we can enter you in to the drawings. Good Luck!

Tasty Tuesday 5.10.11- Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients
3 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 cups cold, cooked rice
6 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish, optional
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions
Beat eggs with a whisk in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat very little oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and make an omelette using half the beaten eggs. Turn out onto a plate to cool (do not fold omelette). Repeat process with remaining beaten eggs. Place 1 omelette on top of the other, fold and coarsely chop. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss chicken strips with the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over high heat in large frying pan or wok and stir-fry the prepared chicken strips until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion has softened. Add 2 tablespoons more vegetable oil and when hot, stir in the cooked rice and green onions, tossing and mixing thoroughly until very hot. Sprinkle with soy sauce and mix evenly. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cooked egg. If desired, garnish with additional sliced green onions.

Only 7 days left!

Attention Park at Walker's Ranch,

We have exciting news about our 11th Semiweekly winner. We want to congratulate Beth, she has won $$$ off her rent! Thank you for signing up for Variable Recurring Payments. Today starts the 12th Semiweekly Drawing. You only have 7 days left to enroll! Prizes will keep getting better and better in every drawing. Sign in to your resident portal TODAY and sign up for Variable Recurring Payments. Send us an e-mail once you are complete so we can enter you in to the 2 drawings. This Semiweekly drawing is 2 tickets to see the San Antonio Missions take on the Frisco Roughriders! What a great way to take in America’s Past time especially with a firework display to follow! The winner will be announced on Friday! So make sure you don’t miss out and sign up this week!

Motivational Monday 05.09.11

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

10th Semiweekly Winner! Only 9 days left...don't miss out!

Attention Park at Walker's Ranch,

We have exciting news about our 10th Semiweekly winner. We want to congratulate Lorena, she has won a free accent wall with the color of her choice from our color wheel. We hope you enjoy this unique touch to your home. Thank you for signing up for Variable Recurring Payments. Today starts the 11th Semiweekly Drawing. You only have 9 days left to enroll! Prizes will keep getting better and better in every drawing. Sign in to your resident portal TODAY and sign up for Variable Recurring Payments. Send us an e-mail once you are complete so we can enter you in to the 2 drawings. This Semiweekly drawing is weekend mystery!! The winner will be announced on Monday! So make sure you don’t miss out and sign up this weekend!

9th Semiweekly Winner!!!!

Attention Park at Walker's Ranch,

We have exciting news about our 9th Semiweekly winner. We want to congratulate Jennifer and Jason for winning a gift card for a really delicious dinner. Thank you for signing up for Variable Recurring Payments. We hope you enjoy a yummy treat. Today starts the 10th Semiweekly Drawing; sign in to your resident portal and sign up for Variable Recurring Payments. Send us an e-mail once you are complete so we can enter you in to the 2 drawings. This Semiweekly drawing is a unique touch to your home!! The winner will be announced on Friday! So make sure you don’t miss out and sign up this week!


Sincerely,

Your Team The Park at Walker's Ranch

8th Semiweekly Winner!

Attention Park at Walker's Ranch,

We have exciting news about our 8th Semiweekly winner. We want to congratulate Cheryl and James who will be receiving upgraded goose neck faucets for their kitchen and bathroom areas. Thank you for signing up for Variable Recurring Payments. We hope you enjoy a unique touch to your home!
Today starts the 9th Semiweekly Drawing; sign in to your resident portal and sign up for Variable Recurring Payments. Send us an e-mail once you are complete so we can enter you in to the 2 drawings. This Semiweekly drawing is a mystery surprise! The winner will be announced on Monday! So make sure you don’t miss out and sign up this weekend!


Sincerely,

Your Team The Park at Walker's Ranch

Tasty Tuesday 4.26.11

Chicken Fingers With Curried Ketchup

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch-wide strips
3/4 cup ketchup
Juice of 1 lime

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a rack on a baking sheet and mist with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon curry powder, the cumin and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl. Mix the panko with 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in another bowl.

Dip the chicken strips in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, then coat with the panko. Place the chicken on the rack and mist all over with cooking spray. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Mix the ketchup, lime juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in a small bowl.

Motivational Monday 4.25.11

"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude." – Oprah Winfrey

Wacky Wednesday 4.20.11

Which TV personality, most famous for creating and hosting his show that was on air for over 30 years, was also an ordained minister?

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off May 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday: Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients
1 pint small strawberries, hulled and halved
A few sprigs fresh mint
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
6 cups spring or still mineral water
12 lemons, juiced

Directions
Add the berries and mint to a glass pitcher and muddle with a wooden spoon.


In a large pot add the sugar, to taste, and 2/3 cup of water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the strawberries.


Stir in the lemon juice and fill the pitcher with the remaining water. Chill or pour over ice and serve.

Motivational Monday

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland

4th Semiweekly Winner

Good Afternoon,

WE HAVE A WINNER FOR THE 4th SEMIWEEKLY DRAWING! We want to give a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Melissa. She won a 3 carwashes at the $5 Car Wash America Express, perfect to use with all this pollen outside. Way to go, Melissa!

You still have a chance to win, all you have to do is sign up for Variable Recurring payments and e-mail the office once your done. Today begins the 5th semiweekly drawing and if you enjoy a little mystery I will recommend not missing out on the weekend mystery prize! Set up your Variable Recurring Payment between now and Sunday 04/18/2011 and you will be entered in the Grand drawing for $300 off 1 month's rent and have a chance to win our exciting prize!


Thank you to all who attended our Variable Recurring Cocktail Hour. We hope to continue the fun and see more residents attending. For Wednesday's party Gary is our winner for $50 off rent and our Thursday winner is Chris who also gets $50 off rent. Congratulations! Please remember the $300 won't be announced until May! Get your payments set up and good luck to all!

Your Team,




The Park at Walker's Ranch

Weekend Movie Releases for 4.15.11

Rio
Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, and enjoys a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he's the last of his kind, but when they learn about another macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu's female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. Blu escapes, aided by the street smart Jewel and a group of wisecracking and smooth-talking city birds. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.

Scream 4
Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill and her Aunt Kate. Unfortunately Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger.

The Conspirator
In the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt, owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth, and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks.

Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken, a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal. Aiken realizes his client may be innocent and that she is being used as bait and hostage in order to capture the only conspirator to have escaped a massive manhunt, her own son, John. As the nation turns against her, Surratt is forced to rely on Aiken to uncover the truth and save her life.

Wacky Wednesday: Fiesta Trivia

When was the first Battle of Flowers Parade?

What is the meaning behind having a Cascarones cracked on your head?

Who plans and directs the Battle of Flowers Parade?



***All 3 must be correct to win***

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off April 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Margarita

Chocolate Margarita

Ingredients
To rim the glasses:
Chocolate syrup
Finely chopped Mexican or bittersweet chocolate*

Margarita:
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup (8 ounces) tequila
1/2 cup (4 ounces) chocolate liqueur (recommended: Godiva)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup orange liqueur
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Ice
*Can be found in Hispanic or gourmet stores

Directions
To rim the glasses: Put the syrup and chopped chocolate into 2 small dishes. Moisten the rims of 4 margarita or martini glasses with the chocolate syrup. Dip them in the Mexican chocolate until coated. Set aside.

Margarita: Combine all of the ingredients, except ice, in a pitcher. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a shaker full of ice. Shake and pour into the prepared glasses. Serve cold.

Semiweekly winners circle!

WE HAVE A WINNER FOR THE 3rd SEMIWEEKLY DRAWING! We want to give a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Jaime and Alejandra. They have won a gift card to the Alamo Draft House Cinema, perfect to use on a date night. Way to go, Jaime and Alejandra!

You still have a chance to win, all you have to do is sign up for Variable Recurring payments and e-mail the office once your done. Today begins the 4th semiweekly drawing and if all the pollen outside is cramping your style and messing up your ride, you don't want to miss out on this drawing! Set up your Variable Recurring Payment between now and Thursday 04/14/2011 and you will be entered in the Grand drawing for $300 off 1 month's rent and have a chance to win our exciting semiweekly prize!

Your Team,

The Park at Walker's Ranch

Motivational Monday 4.11.11

"It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come." - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

2nd semiweekly winner!

WE HAVE A WINNER FOR THE 2ND SEMIWEEKLY DRAWING!!!!! We want to give a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Patrick. He has won 2 tickets to the "Valero Texas Open" at the gorgeous JW Marriot Resort. Way to go, Patrick!

Today begins the 3rd semiweekly drawing and it's a mystery prize! Set up your Variable Recurring Payment between now and Sunday 04/10/11 and you will be entered in the drawing for $300 off 1 month's rent and have a chance to win our exciting mystery prize!

Your Team,

The Park at Walker's Ranch

Wacky Wednesday 04.06.11

How many reeds are on a US quarter, dime, and half dollar?

***All 3 must be correct to win***

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off April 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday: Spicy Sausage Meatloaf Patties with Italian Barbecue Sauce

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped and divided
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
Salt and pepper, for seasoning, plus coarse black pepper for finishing sauce
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 pound bulk hot sausage
3/4 pound ground sweet sausage
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs, 3 generous handfuls, Italian or plain
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
1/8 pound pancetta, 4 slices, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Splash red wine
1/2 cup beef stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, saute the red pepper, half the onions, celery and carrots together, 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper then remove to a plate to cool.

Mix ground beef and sausages with egg, bread crumbs, cheese, and cooled vegetables. Form 4 large oval shaped patties no more than 1 1/4 inches thick then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Place in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake 17 to 18 minutes, until cooked through.

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO to the pan and the pancetta. Let the pancetta crisp up a bit and render fat, then add onions and garlic and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan. Stir in the beef stock and tomatoes and season sauce heavily with coarse black pepper. Add Worcestershire and hot sauce and reduce heat to warm.

Serve meatloaves with Italian barbecue sauce on top.

Enjoy!

Our First Winner!

Thank you all who signed up this weekend! Everyone who has enrolled in recurring payments has been entered in to the grand drawing of $300 off your rent. Remember the winner for the Grand Drawing will be announced on May 18th!
Our first semiweekly winner is Adam & Caroline!Congratulations! They have won 2 tickets to Oyster bake. Our next winner will be announced on Friday, April 8th. Anyone who enrolls between Monday, April 4 and Thursday, April 7th will be entered to win. For all those golf enthusiast out there this is one drawing you will not want to miss!

Motivational Monday 4.4.11

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” - Mark Twain

Weekend Movie Releases 4.1.11

Hop
E.B. is the teenage son of the Easter Bunny, and on the eve of taking over the family business, he leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. Once there, he encounters Fred, an unemployed slacker with his own lofty goals. Feigning injury, E.B. persuades Fred to take him in, and Fred finds himself living with the world's worst houseguest. Back on Easter Island, a power-hungry chick who has lived in the shadows for far too long has been plotting a coup to take over one of the biggest jobs in the world. Now that E.B.'s gone, he's got his chance. As E.B. discovers who he really wants to be and who he's meant to become, everything will lead him and Fred in an epic showdown to try and save Easter.

Source Code
When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack.

Insidious
Shortly after moving, a family discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to discover that it was not their house that was haunted.

We hope every one has a wonderful weekend! -PWR

Wacky Wednesday: 03.30.2011

1. What team was in the Final Four 7 times in 9 years from 1986 to 1994?

2. The 1996 Final Four accounted for 7 players drafted into the NBA that year. Kentucky, Syracuse, Mississippi State and what other school made up the Final Four? This school was later stripped of its Final Four berth due to a violation of NCAA rules regulations?

3.Who holds the record for most points scored in one tournament in the 20th Century?


***All 3 must be correct to win***

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off April 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday: Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck

Ingredients
2 ears fresh corn, husks removed
4 or 5 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 small onion (about 3 ounces), peeled, trimmed and quartered
1 small jalapeno pepper, trimmed and seeded
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
1 pasilla chile pepper, soaked in water
2 large ripe tomatoes (1 pound), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 quarts chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
2 corn tortillas, cut into strips and baked to crispness
1 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Using a large knife, carefully scrape the kernels off the corn cobs and set aside, reserving the cobs.

Using a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or a large knife, coarsely chop the garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper and corn kernels. Reserve.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sear the chicken until just browned on both sides. Add the tortilla squares, and cook over low heat until they are slightly crisp. Stir in the chopped vegetable mixture and pasilla pepper and simmer just until the vegetables are coated with the oil. Do not brown.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and 2 teaspoons of the cumin and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes to maximize the flavor. Slowly pour in the stock and cook over low heat until the soup is reduced by 1/3 and the chicken breast is cooked through.

Remove the chicken breast and set aside. When cool enough to handle, slice chicken into very thin strips. Meanwhile, puree the soup, in batches, in a blender* or food processor until smooth. At this point, the soup can be passed through the fine strainer if desired.

Ladle the soup into soup bowls and garnish with tortillas, avocados, chicken, cheese, and cilantro.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Motivational Monday 3.28.11

"Change is the law of life. Those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy

Wacky Wednesday 3.23.11

What is the only US state whose name has one syllable?

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off April 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken in Mustard

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1/4 pound white button mushrooms, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock, plus more if needed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sour cream
Super Buttered Noodles, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse and dry the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs on both sides, working in batches if needed. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the Dutch oven and cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms have softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and flour and cook, stirring, to remove the raw flour flavor, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tarragon. Turn up the heat and deglaze the pan with the white wine, allowing to bubble for a minute or two. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven. Add enough chicken stock to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken. Cover, place in the oven, and braise for 45 minutes, removing the lid halfway through.

When finished, remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set aside. Add the mustard and sour cream and whisk to blend well. Return the chicken to the pan and allow the flavors to meld before serving, about 5 minutes. Serve over Super Buttered Noodles.

Super Buttered Noodles:
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pound egg noodles
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot filled with boiling water, dissolve the bouillon cubes and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander and then nestle the colander into the pot so some of the pasta water goes into the pot as the pasta continues to drain. Remove the colander and stir the butter and sour cream into the pot until the butter melts. Add the parsley and the noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine well. Pour into a serving bowl and serve.

SUBJECT: Answering Service Restored

Dear Residents,

Good news! It appears the company that provides our automated answering service has successfully restored function to their servers. This means you may resume normal practices for reaching our office for all routine issues and after-hours emergency requests by calling our main number: (210) 764.0404.

The number we provided yesterday was for temporary use only until the servers were restored. We want to ensure your calls are properly addressed, so please use our main number moving forward.

Thank you again for your patience, and we hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend!

The Park at Walker's Ranch Team

IMPORTANT: EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Dear Residents,

The company which provides our automated answering service appears to be experiencing some difficulties with its servers this evening. This is causing all incoming calls into our office to receive a busy signal after the initial four rings with no options to leave a message. It is unclear at this time when the issue will be resolved. Until resolution can be reach, we will be providing you with a temporary phone number to dial in case of an after-hours emergency. Please restrict all phone calls to this number for only true emergencies - these are defined as follows: Fire, Flood, Broken Pipes, Loss of Electricity; Broken Entry Doors; No Water; No Heat (below 50 degrees); No A/C (over 80 degrees); Sparking Appliances; If Your Unit Only Has 1 Toilet And It Is Not Functioning; Garage Won't Open (either by remote use or manual use and you are unable to leave in your vehicle); Lock-Out (and you're unable to gain entry through your garage); OR any situations that present an immediate danger to persons or property. Please note we will only respond to emergency requests.

The number is: (210) 560-4338

Please dial our office number (210.764.0404) during normal business hours this weekend (Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.). Someone will be available to answer your calls during this time. For all other emergencies, please dial 911.

For all other routine issues or non-emergency service requests, please e-mail us at walkersranch@cwsapartments.com. We will respond to your message during normal business hours the following day.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this temporary issue may cause, and we thank you for your understanding and patience. We will notify you as soon as the problem is resolved.

Thank you,

The Park at Walker's Ranch Team

Wacky Wednesday 03.16.11

1. Where was St. Patrick born?

2. Who kidnapped Maewyn Succat?

3. What is cured by kissing The Blarney Stone?

***All 3 must be correct to win***

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off April 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday 3.15.11

Tangy Barbecue Chicken

Directions
Simmer 1 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons each molasses and brown sugar, 1 tablespoon each dried mustard and soy sauce, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup water, and kosher salt and pepper to taste until thickened, about 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to medium-high on one side. Season 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves with salt and pepper. Grill over direct heat until golden and crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 cup of the sauce. Place on the cooler side of the grill; cover and cook, basting once, until the meat is glazed and reaches 165, 25 to 30 minutes.

Motivational Monday

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.
- Abraham Lincoln

Weekend Movie Releases 3.11.11

Battle: Los Angeles
For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world -- Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.

Mars Needs Moms
Take out the trash, eat your broccoli - who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo finds out just how much he needs his mom when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young. Milo embarks on a quest to save his mom - a wild adventure that involves stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader. With the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble and a rebel Martian girl called Ki, Milo just might find his way back to his mom - in more ways than one.

Red Riding Hood
A Gothic imagining of the classic fairy tale in which a young woman is confronted by a werewolf, this time with a teenage love triangle at its center.

Wacky Wednesday 3.09.11

Who played the live-action model for Walt Disney's animated character Tinker Bell in the animated feature film Peter Pan?

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off April 2011 rent. Good luck!

Motivational Monday 3.07.11

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. - Mary Anne Radmacher

Weekend Movie Releases 3.4.11

The Adjustment Bureau
On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas - a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself - the men of The Adjustment Bureau - who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path... or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.

Beastly
Kyle Kingson has it all - looks, intelligence, wealth and opportunity - and a wicked cruel streak. Prone to mocking and humiliating "aggressively unattractive" classmates, he zeroes in on Goth classmate Kendra, inviting her to the school's extravagant environmental bash. Kendra accepts, and, true to form, Kyle blows her off in a particularly savage fashion. She retaliates by casting a spell that physically transforms him into everything he despises. Enraged by his horrible and unrecognizable appearance he confronts Kendra and learns that the only solution to the curse is to find someone that will love him as he is - a task he considers impossible. Repulsed by his appearance, Kyle's callous father banishes him to Brooklyn with a sympathetic housekeeper and blind tutor. As Kyle ponders how to overcome the curse and get his old life back, he chances upon a drug addict in the act of killing a threatening dealer. Seizing the opportunity, Kyle promises the addict freedom and safety for his daughter, Lindy if she will consent to live in Kyle's Brooklyn home. Thus begins Kyle's journey to discover true love in this hyper-modern retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story.

Rango
Rango is a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet facing a major identity crisis. After all, how high can you aim when your whole purpose in life is to blend in? When Rango accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt -- a lawless outpost populated by the desert's most wily and whimsical creatures -- the less-than-courageous lizard suddenly finds he stands out. Welcomed as the last hope the town has been waiting for, new Sheriff Rango is forced to play his new role to the hilt... until he starts to become the hero he once only pretended to be.

Take Me Home Tonight
Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old confounds family and friends by taking a part-time job behind the counter of a video store at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. But Matt's silent protest against maturity comes to a screeching halt once his unrequited high school crush, Tori Frederking, walks into the store. When she invites him to an epic, end-of-summer party, Matt thinks he finally might have a chance with the girl of his dreams. With his cynical twin sister Wendy and best friend Barry, Matt embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime evening. From stealing a car to a marriage proposal to an indescribable, no-holds-barred dance-off, these friends share experiences that will change the course of their lives on one unforgettable night in the Go-Go '80s.

Wacky Wednesday

In 1948, what newspaper displayed the classic headline mistake 'Dewey Defeats Truman'?

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off April 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday 03.01.11

Pan Fried Tilapia

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

Directions
Heat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a shallow baking dish combine flour, seafood seasoning, salt and pepper. Add the tilapia and lightly coat each side.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess seasoned flour and place in the skillet. Brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place tilapia on a baking sheet that is lined with a paper grocery bag or paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Turn down the heat to the pan the tilapia was cooked to low and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic, lemon juice and parsley and saute for 2 minutes. Place the fillets on serving plates or a platter, top with the sauce and serve.

Motivational Monday 2.28.11

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. -Thomas Edison

Weekend Movie Releases 2.25.11

Drive Angry 3D
Milton, a hardened felon has broken out of hell for one last chance at redemption. Intent on stopping a vicious cult who murdered his daughter, he has three days to stop them before they sacrifice her baby beneath a full moon. He's joined by Piper - a young, sexy waitress who liberates her ex-boyfriend's cherry-red muscle car in order to help Milton. Now, the two of them are hot on the trail of the deadly leader of the cult, Jonah King, who believes it is his destiny to use the baby to unleash hell on earth. But the bloodthirsty cult is the least of Milton's problems. The police are after him too. And worse, an enigmatic killer known only as "The Accountant" - who has been sent by the Devil to retrieve Milton and deliver him back to hell. With wicked cunning and hypnotic savagery, the Accountant will relentlessly pursue Milton at high speed across the country until his mission is accomplished. Fueled by high octane and pure rage, Milton must use his anger to go beyond all human limits to avenge his daughter's murder, before his last chance at redemption is revoked.

Hall Pass
Rick and Fred are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives take a bold approach to revitalizing their marriages: granting them a "hall pass," one week of freedom to do whatever they want... no questions asked. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn't long before they discover that their expectations of the single life--and themselves--are completely, and hilariously, out of sync with reality.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never: The Director's Fan Cut
Director Jon Chu's 3D fan cut is an exclusive, one-week limited release with 40 minutes of new Bieber footage! As he began the editing process several months ago, and upon realizing the significant amount of great footage he had obtained, Chu began to develop with the studio an idea for a second, and more fan centric, edition of the movie. While promoting the film's initial release, he spent dozens of hours on Twitter and Facebook engaging with fans to learn more about what they were most anxious to see. Some scenes contained in the new cut include: more of Justin's friends and hometown life, new songs and performances, and special footage shot at fan premieres across the country.

Wacky Wednesday 2.23.11

Before The Tonight Show, Jay Leno made a guest appearance on what TV series?

Be the first to e-mail the correct answer to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com and receive $25.00 off March 2011 rent. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets (1/4 inch thick; 3/4 to 1 pound total)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices Black Forest ham
8 slices smoked mozzarella
1 baguette
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 bunch watercress or arugula, tough stems removed

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and evenly space the chicken cutlets in the center. Brush the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil, rotating the baking sheet as needed so the chicken cooks evenly, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to broil until cooked through, 2 to 3 more minutes.


Remove the baking sheet from the oven and top each piece of chicken with 1 slice ham and 2 slices mozzarella. Broil until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil.


Meanwhile, cut the baguette crosswise into 4 equal pieces, then split open. Spread the bottom halves with butter and the top halves with mustard. Toss the watercress with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sandwich the chicken and watercress between the baguette halves.

Motivational Monday 1.21.11

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
-Malcolm Forbes

Wacky Wednesday 2.16.11

How did the idea for the microwave oven come about and who was the person to discover this idea?

Be the first to e-mail the correct answers to walkersranch@cwsapartments.com, and receive $25.00 off March 2011 rent. Good luck!


We now have a winner Thank you for all participants!

Tasty Tuesday 2.15.11

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Directions
Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.

Refer friends and family

This free greeting card personalized with Smilebox

Wacky Wednesday 2.9.11

Be the first to email us (walkersranch@cwsapartments.com) the correct answer to the day's trivia question and you'll win $25.00 toward your next month's rent!

What year did Hallmark make its first Valentine's Day card?

Tasty Tuesday: Pot Roast

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 3 hr 20 min
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the House Seasoning, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Rub seasoning into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.

Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add water. Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

*Cook's Note: If the gravy is not thick enough, remove the meat from the pan and pour the gravy into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring constantly.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients and store in an air tight container for up to 6 months.

Motivational Monday

The power of imagination makes us infinite.
-John Muir

Office Closed

Due to the winter weather conditions, The Park at Walker's Ranch will be closed today February 4, 2011. We will re open on Saturday February 5, 2011. For apartment information please check out our website at www.parkatwalkersranch.com. We hope everyone has a safe and happy snow day!


Your Team The Park at Walker's Ranch

Wacky Wednesday Trivia

Hi everyone! We hope that everyone is staying bundle up and warm. Here is a little trivia to spice up your Wednesday!

Be the first to email us (walkersranch@cwsapartments.com) the correct answer to the day's trivia question and you'll win $25.00 toward your next month's rent!

How did Phil the groundhog get his name and what is his full name?

Dragon's Breath Chili

Dragon's Breath Chili

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons bacon grease, or canola oil
2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
2 jalapenos, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
1 head garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 pound boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 pounds ground beef, coarse grind
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons hot paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup tomato paste
12 ounces lager beer
1 cup chicken stock
2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, with juice
2 (15.5-ounce) cans kidney beans, with juice

Saltine crackers, for garnish
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Cheddar

Directions
In large stock pot over high heat, add butter and bacon grease. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles and onion and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add chuck and brown. Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 to10 minutes. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in beer and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours. Serve in bowls and garnish with Saltine crackers, green onions and shredded Cheddar.

Motivational Monday 1.31.11

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

- Winston Churchill

Tasty Tuesday: Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Basil and Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or red skin baby potatoes
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 Italian mild green pepper, cubanelle, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse salt and pepper
2 cups shredded Parmesan, available in tubs near deli -- make sure to get shredded cheese, not grated
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice -- chiffonade

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness of fingerlings -- thin, small fingerlings may also be left hole, larger potatoes should be quartered to speed cooking process. If you are using small red potatoes, halve or quarter them in the same way.

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!

While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.

While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes, peppers and onions.

Motivational Monday

We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Time Warner Repair Project

Dear Residents:

Time Warner Cable will be conducting a repair project to their cable lines in order to improve service to the surrounding area. This work will require digging 2 large squares of the parking lot space between Bld. 9 and Bld.12. They anticipate having minimal impact on the open space parking in this area, aiming to only affect the spaces between those two buildings along the fence line. However, should they not be able to achieve their desired results within the proposed scope of work, they may have to dig a wider space and therefore possibly impact a larger parking area than originally anticipated. I have communicated with Time Warner to please do everything they can to ensure our residents are only minimally affected by their project, and that it be completed as swiftly as possible.

The Time Warner project will begin on Monday, January 17, 2011 and they plan to finish by Friday, January 21, 2011. They will then have an asphalt & sealcoat company come out on Monday, January 24, 2011 to complete repair to the parking lot surface.

Work will begin each scheduled day at 9:00 a.m. and stop at 5:00 p.m. This project will be weather-sensitive, so we will make sure to communicate any adjustments to the schedule should changes occur.

Though we don’t anticipate parking in carports & garages to be affected, we remind you to please ensure you do not block any other garages, carports, exists or vehicles during this temporary project. We will not be held responsible for any vehicles requiring towing in order to complete the project or vehicles parked in an unauthorized location. Vehicles towed will be at owner’s expense.

We understand this project may be a temporary inconvenience, but Time Warner Cable has assured us this is the only way they can successfully complete the needed repair. We thank you in advance for your efforts and patience during this process. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 210.764.0404.

Sincerely,



Leslie White
Community Director

Tasty Tuesday : Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese

2002 Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi (see Note)
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Note: To make ahead, put the macaroni and cheese in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Put the tomatoes and bread crumbs on top and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.

Motivational Monday 1.10.11

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Weekend Movie Releases for 1.07.11

Country Strong
Soon after a rising young singer-songwriter gets involved with a fallen, emotionally unstable country star, the pair embarks on a career resurrection tour helmed by her husband/manager and featuring a beauty-queen-turned-singer. Between concerts, romantic entanglements and old demons threaten to derail them all.
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester, Marshall Chapman

Season of the Witch
A medieval knight undertakes a mission pitting him against a devious witch and making him the last hope for the world against an ancient and dark force. His faith broken by years of battle as a crusader, Behmen returns to central Europe to find his homeland decimated by the Black Plague. While searching for food and supplies at the Palace at Marburg, Behmen and his trusted companion, Felson are apprehended and ordered by the dying Cardinal to deliver a young peasant girl - believed to be the witch responsible for the Plague - to a remote abbey where her powers can be destroyed. Behmen agrees to the assignment but only if the peasant girl is granted a fair trial. As he and five others set off on this dangerous journey, they realize with mounting dread that the cunning girl is no ordinary human, and that their mission will pit them against an evil that even in these dark times they never could have imagined.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Foy, Ulrich Thomsen

Wacky Wednesday : 01/05/2011

Be the first to email us (walkersranch@cwsapartments.com) the correct answer to the day's trivia question and you'll win $25.00 toward your next month's rent!

This 1936 movie, based on a story by H. G. Wells, rewrote history for the next century, predicting a world war in 1940 (they were off by a year), a plague called the 'wandering sickness' in 1966 (it didn't happen) and a new world order, based in Basra, Iraq, in 1970 (also didn't happen). What film is this?

Slow-Cooker Brisket Sandwiches

Slow-Cooker Brisket Sandwiches

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 5-to-6-pound first-cut or flat-cut brisket, cut into 3 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 12-ounce bottle stout beer
4 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
2 brioche or other rolls, split open and toasted
Coleslaw, for serving

Directions
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, adding the garlic in the last 2 minutes. Transfer the meat and garlic to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Pour the beer into the skillet and simmer 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits from the pan; add the beer mixture to the slow cooker.

Nestle the celery around the meat and add the brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, bay leaves and paprika. Stir, then cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 6 hours. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice.

Serve on brioche halves with coleslaw; drizzle with the cooking liquid.