Tag Archives: holiday

How to Host a Quarantined Easter

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Easter is a time of the year that brings the whole family together. It is fun with egg hunts, kid-friendly activities, and quality time with loved ones. However, with the pandemic at hand, this is going to be a very different Easter than usual. Churches are closer, social gatherings are dwindling, and home lockdowns are going into full effect. So how do you celebrate this time with others when you are forced to stay at home by yourself?

Sunday Service

If you go to church on Easter Sunday, consider that plan to be canceled. However, many services are still live-streaming or creating pre-recorded sessions. You can now enjoy your Sunday Easter Service in the comfort of your own home.

Family Time

These new times demand innovative gathering solutions. Many families are staying connected through Facetime, Zoom, and other virtual calling apps like HouseParty. You can facilitate these plans with your own family for Easter. Make something unique where you can have a family game night or an activity to partake in while video chatting. This activity is a great way to have family time still, even when you cannot all be together.

Easter Dinner

Just because your friends and family cannot join you, does not mean you cannot dine like a king or queen. You can still have some of your favorite holiday, traditional meals this season. You may need to have your groceries delivered, yet a half ham or turkey will go great with other mini Easter dishes as well. Simply create your own mini feast for the ones in your home. If you live alone, still enjoy your dinner yourself!

It can be challenging to celebrate a holiday alone or without your typical holiday plans. However, do not hope in this uncertain time. The holiday is still here, and it is an opportunity to celebrate it in a new way. Make sure you still enjoy this day by making it special. It can be hard to get everyone excited in the house for the new, changed celebration, yet the opportunity to enjoy the day is still there! Do not lose sight of the holiday.

St. Patrick’s Day in Arizona with the Rising Concern of Coronavirus

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St. Patrick’s Day is a global holiday celebrated in remembrance of an Irish patron saint who ministered during the fifth century. Every year on March 17th, the world takes part in festivities, parades, and social gatherings to celebrate this holiday. However, this year may be different than most years. We are closely monitoring and taking precautions to prevent the outbreak of the Coronavirus or COVID-19. This virus has the potential to become a pandemic disease and quickly spread throughout the world.

Arizona

Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona is advising people to stay home and avoid large social gatherings this St. Patrick’s Day. The term social distancing is being used quite frequently. Many areas around the world, including the United States, are shutting down large social gathering events, bars, restaurants, gyms, and stores.

Symptoms

The disease signs and symptoms may start off resembling a severe cold. You may notice a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, and even difficulty breathing.

Prevention

It is highly advised to avoid gatherings over ten people to prevent the spread of this disease. While we cannot make certain how severe this virus pandemic may be, it can be prevented by simply engaging in proper hygiene. Your first and best approach to prevent the spread or contraction of the virus is to wash your hands regularly.

Current Stats

The United States death toll is currently sitting at 85 people. More than 4,660 cases have been confirmed to date (3/17/2020 @ 9:00am/MST). The population at the greatest risk is our elders. Therefore, please take cognitive measures to avoid the spread of this respiratory illness.

Be Safe

While the death toll is currently low, this is no small matter to dismiss. It is always better to stay safe than sorry. There are several confirmed cases that have emerged here in Arizona.

St. Patricks’ Day Celebrations

Staying in this holiday may be your best move to help prevent the spread of the disease.

At Fulton Homes, we want nothing more than the health and safety of all our communities; therefore, we encourage you to be precautious and use the authorized safety measures.

Lake House Activities for Spring Break

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Throughout the United States, there are many highly desired homes. From mountainside living to high loft city apartments to a beautiful lake house oasis, we all have our fantasy home. If you grew up with a lake on your property, you probably have many fond memories of it. However, if this is your first lake house, you do not want to be missing out on the fun! There is plenty to do with your lake this spring break. Here are the top three must-dos for any lake house owner:

Boating

If you have a lake, you need to be on it! There are hundreds of different styles of boats to get for your home. Depending on the size of the lake and your community regulation, find the boat right for you. You can get powerboats like bay boats, cruisers, or deck boats, or you can get smaller options like kayaks or canoes. Depending on your swimming level, you may want to invest in some lifejackets as well.

Fishing

Fishing is also a great way to facilitate your lake. Make sure you invest in everything you need. Get your rod, extra line and hooks, bobbers, and bait. You may also want to pack some needle nose pliers and a small first aid kit for the day. Fishing is a great hobby to help relax and pass the time. Just do not forget to bring the sunscreen!

Swimming

Nothing feels more authentic and true to nature as swimming. Swimming is a timeless pastime that is great for all ages! Simply set up some lake activities and purchase some floating devices. Swimming in the lake is a great way to get the most out of your lake house.

If you are blessed with a home on a lake, make sure you use the many advantages associated with it. This exterior privilege is excellent for hosting guests and making great memories. All landscapes have different advantages, do not miss the opportunity of yours.

St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Smoothie

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Green beer, green cocktails, and green iced doughnuts are staples on St. Patrick’s Day, but if you want to get your green on and not wreck your healthy intentions, we have got you covered with a fantastic Shamrock Smoothie. Blend up this ultra-green smoothie to put some pep in your step first thing in the morning or sip on this after an exercise session.

Our amazing Shamrock Smoothie is made with melon, kiwi, lime juice, and mint. This smoothie is perfect for a light breakfast drink, an anytime pick-me-up drink, or a refreshing glass during the festivities. If you made with the optional protein powder, it is a great way to get some additional protein into your daily diet, not to mention the other vitamins and minerals!

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium, fresh-ripe kiwi fruit (peeled and sliced, or frozen)
  • 2 cups cantaloupe melon (cubed, fresh or frozen, but chilled)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh or concentrate lime juice
  • 1 ounce of protein powder, preferably unflavored (optional)
  • Garnish with mint sprigs or spiraled kiwi peeling

Directions:

  1. Place the cubed cantaloupe, sliced kiwi, and lime juice in your blender, processor, or handheld mixer. 
  2. Make sure you give it a good whirl and then add the optional protein powder. 
  3. Again, give it another good spin until mixed. 
  4. For a smoother mixture, blend just a bit longer. 
  5. Divide the smoothie between two glasses and garnish with mint or the spiraled kiwi peeling for a fresh, tasty look.
  6. Do not forget that you can freeze leftovers for the next day.
  7. Enjoy! 

As always, please let us know how your Shamrock Smoothie turned out for St. Patrick’s Day, and enjoy the holiday!

Holiday Meals for the Entire Family

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The holidays are full of memorable events, but nothing brings a family together like food. Sitting down with your loved ones and sharing a meal brings a sense of togetherness and evokes feelings of thankfulness and comfort. It provides the assurance that the people who have gathered with you are full and happy.

Today, cooking a holiday meal that can be eaten by the entire family can be a difficult task. Beliefs, preferences, and allergies can make catering to everyone’s needs frustrating and nearly impossible. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives out there that can be used to make holiday dishes available to almost everyone at your table this year.

Plant-based cooking not only ensures that vegetarians and vegans in your family can enjoy your meal, but it also eliminates dairy, making it okay for anyone who is lactose-intolerant. Plus, it eliminates any type of meat which may be avoided due to someone’s religious beliefs.

While drinks are just as important at the dinner table as the food, you can make sure everyone is catered to this year with an easy to make vegan eggnog.

Vegan Eggnog

Ingredients: 

  • 24 ounces silken tofu (crumbled) 
  • 2 cups of soy milk
  • 2/3 cup turbinado sugar 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 cup water (cold) 
  • 1 cup rum
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
  • 20 ice cubes 
  • Nutmeg for garnishing

Instructions: 

  • Place the tofu, soy milk, sugar, and salt in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the water, rum, and vanilla extract.
  • You will want to keep the mixture refrigerated until it is ready to be served.
  • When you are ready to serve the eggnog, blend the mix with the ice cubes until frothed 
  • Enjoy! 

A hearty vegan Shepherd’s pie is an excellent way to ensure all your guests are able to enjoy a warm and filling entree this holiday season.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients: 

  • 4 Potatoes 
  • 2 tbsp vegan margarine 
  • ¼ cup unsweetened soy milk 
  • Salt and pepper (to taste) 
  • One onion 
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
  • 1 ½ cups vegan ground beef substitute 
  • 1 ¼ cups vegan gravy 
  • ½ cup green peas 
  • ½ cup of corn 
  • ½ tsp garlic powder 
  • Dash of cayenne pepper 

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 F 
  • Dice potatoes and chop onions
  • Boil or microwave potatoes until soft 
  • Drain potatoes and mash with vegan margarine and soy milk 
  • Add salt and pepper to add taste 
  • Saute the chopped onions in the vegetable oil 
  • Combine the onions, beef substitute, vegan gravy, peas, corn, garlic powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl and pour into a pie pan 
  • Spread the mashed potatoes over your vegetable mixture 
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes 
  • Enjoy! 

The holidays are full of wonderful sweets, so give vegan gingerbread cookies a try this holiday season to ensure everyone satiates their sweet tooth.

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup of vegan margarine 
  • 1 cup of sugar 
  • Egg Replacer for one egg 
  • 1 cup molasses 
  • Two TBSP apple cider vinegar 
  • 5 cups flour 
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 TBSP ginger 
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 1 tsp cloves 
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Instructions:

  • Beat the margarine and sugar together in a large bowl 
  • Add the egg replace, molasses, and apple cider vinegar to the mixture 
  • In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. 
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl of wet ingredients and combine well 
  • Let the dough refrigerate for at least two hours to become firm 
  • Preheat the oven to 375 F 
  • Either roll out your dough and cut it into holiday shapes with cookie cutters or form it into ½ inch balls 
  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper 
  • Place your cookies on the sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes until done 
  • Enjoy! 

The holidays bring a lot of different people from separate walks of life together. Plant-based options make sure that you are prepared to cater to anyone this holiday season. Feel free to leave a comment below with your favorite go-to holiday dish and make sure to subscribe!

Food for a Good New Year

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Bowl of Noodles with ChopsticksAlmost every country and culture focuses on special foods to bring good luck as the New Year starts. In the United States, a favorite southern staple is black-eyed peas due to their abundance, made into a dish known as Hoppin’ John.

Long noodles are a common choice in Asian countries and cultures, representing a long life. It is important not to cut or break the noodles to ensure the longest life possible.

MP900405246Fish is a popular choice in China since the Chinese word for fish resembles the word for abundance. Note that the fish should be served whole – head and tail included – to make sure the year is a good one from beginning to end.

Leafy greens such as kale, mustard and collard greens are consumed in Europe because they resemble paper money. The story is the more you eat the more cash will come to be in the next year. Lentils are eaten in Italy and Hungary because their shape and green color resembles money. They also get plumper when you add water, signifying growing wealthier.

MP900382807In Turkey, pomegranates are consumed for good luck. Prosperity comes from the many round seeds, the red color stands for life and they also represent good health.

Other round fruits such as oranges or grapes are often eaten at the start of the new year, with the tradition of consuming either twelve of them for the twelve months of the year. In the Philippines you need to eat thirteen fruits for good luck. Cakes – particularly those that are round or shaped like rings are also a common good luck food – sometimes with a coin baked into the cake to give luck to one recipient during the coming year.

Whatever tradition you follow, here at Fulton Homes we hope you have a happy and healthy 2015!

 

Specializing in Leftovers

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DSC_0132Holidays are all about abundance – particularly with food. But often having more than enough means days of leftovers after the event is over. What can you do to distract the family from one more turkey sandwich? Here are a few suggestions to make leftovers part of the celebration rather than a burden to get through.

Freeze for later: Although your family may currently be sated on holiday fare, a few months from now an encore meal or variation of the original may be welcomed. Consider freezing some of the turkey sliced, along with a couple of scoops of dressing and a side of cranberry sauce. Later you can turn these three items into scrumptious sandwiches. Use sturdy bread such as a crusty roll or a French baguette. Lightly spread both sides with mayonnaise and layer the turkey and about a half-inch of dressing on the bottom half, topping with a light layer of cranberry sauce. This sandwich is an award-winning combination for a national sandwich shop that you can recreate for a cold-weather treat.

Reinvent a tradition: Turn that extra turkey, vegetables and mashed potatoes into a variation of shepherd’s pie. Mix chopped turkey, any leftover veggies – adding some if needed – and top with the leftover mashed potatoes in an open casserole. Bake to warm and broil the last few minutes to brown the top. Serve it with the leftover gravy.

Treat your guests: Pre-plan to share your leftovers with visitors. If you purchase a selection of different sizes of disposable plastic containers, you can mix up an additional holiday meal for your guests who don’t tend to cook at home. Walking away with another meal ready to heat and eat can be a real blessing to those with limited time, resources or inclination to cook for themselves. And for you and your immediate family, the leftovers will be gone by the end of the day.

If you think of leftovers as an opportunity to be creative and try new approaches, you can turn something that’s a challenge into a bonus that benefits everyone after the holidays are over.

 

Traditional Holiday Foods

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002Every family has its holiday favorites. Some go for traditional turkey and dressing, or choose fancy with a standing rib roast or honey baked ham. But whether you always serve that infamous green bean casserole or change side dishes every year, food is an important part of every holiday.

Even more important, the preparation and serving of holiday family dinners may contain traditions you are less aware of, but which are just as important for everyone. It pays to look at those unspoken traditions to make sure that they serve your family well.

How are you passing your traditions along to the next generation? Now everyone loves Aunt Francis’s dinner rolls and Uncle Bob’s turkey gravy, but are the kids getting a chance to help bake and make these family favorites? By including some of the younger members of the family in the preparations, you help ensure that future generations will enjoy the same tastes that delight them now long after the instigators are gone.

You may also find that the standard recipes no longer serve your family as well. Old-style heavier meals may be too much for today’s diet and nutrition goals. While the holidays are certainly a time to indulge a bit, how about adding some lighter fare so that people can balance their enjoyment with some attention to good eating habits. For example, you could replace the cheese and cracker appetizers with vegetables and a tasty yogurt dip, letting people fill up while leaving the calorie-intense foods for dessert.

Holiday food traditions are for enjoying and sharing with others. Remember to plan ways to pass those traditions along with each generation, along with making changes that suit your family’s needs and the overall shifts in how we’re eating now. And above all, enjoy the process of preparing and indulging in your family’s traditional holiday feasts.

 

Setting up a Holiday Tablescape

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Legacy Models 068How would you decorate this dining space for the holidays? Here are a few suggestions.

Choose one or two colors, a neutral, and one metallic hue: In this room, silver seems like a natural choice thanks to the chandeliers and grey tones. Silver can link everything together. For the same reason, white or ivory would complement the space. From there you could do the traditional red and green colors, or jump into something more daring like purple or even hot pink and lime green. This room can handle the brighter colors, so take advantage of that to add drama to your tablescape.

Don’t stop at the table: In this room, the trees by the wall would benefit from some mini-lights and small ornaments. Think about adding some special touches to the chandeliers. (For more ideas on that, see our last blog.) The buffet could be a source for additional decorations that complement whatever you choose to do to the table. You could even change out the throw pillows on the two sofas for some that suit your holiday look. Once again the grey palette opens up a world of possibilities.

Keep your centerpiece low or set between chairs: You want to make sure everyone at the table can see everyone else, so plan a centerpiece that allows that. This long rectangular table gives you the opportunity to create a landscape of flowers, greens, ornaments, candles and other accessories. By using the buffet to hold serving dishes you have more room for decorations on the table itself.

Consider the chairs: These contemporary chairs with neutral grey upholstery provide the perfect space for a final holiday touch. It’s easy to tie some wide ribbon around the chair backs with a nice bow at the back of each one. Costco offers great prices on wire-edged holiday ribbon in two and three-inch widths. Choose one that works well for your holiday plan, and you will have plenty to use throughout your home.

Your final touch? Add the food – tables always look better with something to eat nearby!

 

Decorating lighting fixtures for the Holidays

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Legacy Models 069With lush lighting fixtures such as these two from the O’Connor model at Legacy, it’s tempting to make them part of the season by adding a holiday touch. Here are a few suggestions to make these lights reflect the holidays.

Holiday greens: Look for a garland that matches the style of your holiday decorations. You could choose real greens such as the red cedar garland available at Trader Joe’s this time of year, or just pick up some of their two-color holly. Use fishing line or ribbons to attach it under the lights of the chandeliers above.  For the photo below, drape the greens along the cross-beams above the lights.

Legacy Models 073Ribbons: You could tie some lovely red, green, gold or blue ribbons around the shades on the chandelier above to create an understated but festive touch. To contribute a bit more drama, tie a few to the loops under the lights and let them hang down to the table, maybe even puddling on the table itself or stopping just above your centerpiece to connect your lighting to your holiday tablescape. Ribbon loops could run across the crosspieces of the more contemporary light fixture below also.

LED lights. Add lights to your lighting with some of the new battery-powered LED lights in white, colors or even multicolored options. Hide the battery pack within some greenery and let the mini-lights swirl and drape around the structure of each chandelier.

Ornaments: One simple but effective approach would be to choose some favorite ornaments and hang them from the supports of each chandelier. Once again this addition is understated but would pull your lighting into the season. Why not bring the holiday to your home’s lighting, allowing it to shine with the rest of your home.