WHY wait until the New Year and WHY spend money to join a gym
when you have FREE workouts with a Personal Trainer at Harbor Cove???
See you TONIGHT 12/11/2014 from 6:30pm-7:30pm!!
Get Fit for FREE- Rest Day!
December 5, 2014 by
Happy Rest Day!
See you next Tuesday 12/9/2014
6:30pm-7:30pm
Try These Rustic Apple Tart Recipes This Weekend
December 2, 2014 by
Instead of making your tried-and-true apple pie recipe for your next fall gathering, you may want to get a bit creative and experiment with an elegant apple tart instead. Although this dessert looks fancy, there are a number of different ways to cater it to all different levels of baking expertise. Here are three tasty tarts to try this weekend.
French Apple Tart [foodnetwork.com]
Nothing compares to the art of French baking, and this gorgeous apple tart is proof of just that. Ina Garten tops her usual light, fluffy pastry crust with a layer of Granny Smith apples and bakes it to perfection to create a simple tart with a truly unique flavor.
Rustic Apple Tart [foodandwine.com]
If you want to create a tasty tart but don’t have much patience when it comes to baking, this is the tart for you. The crust is perfectly flaky and doesn’t require hours of chilling like many pie crusts do, and the layer of apricot preserves creates an unexpected flavor to complement the apples.
Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce [epicurious.com]
Although many tarts are light and simple, this recipe uses warm caramel and a sturdy pie crust to create a more dense, filling dessert. Browning the apples in the oven also gives it a caramelized flavor that is ideal for fall.
Fete the Fall Season With These Sweet Apple Recipes
November 4, 2014 by
Give your tried-and-true apple pie recipe a rest and experiment with some new apple recipes this fall season. These three creative culinary ideas offer just as much sweet apple flavor as a traditional pie, but they come in a variety of different forms to last you all season long.
Caramel Apple Cupcakes [southernliving.com]
Caramel apples are delicious, but they’re not exactly practical to bring to social gatherings. This adorable cupcake recipe combines the classic combination of caramel and apples in a handheld form, and they’re topped with toasted pecans and miniature crab apples to give them an extra special appearance.
Mile-High Apple Pie [marthastewart.com]
Most baking enthusiasts are loyal to one apple pie recipe, but this one might just give your usual recipe a run for its money. The deep-dish crust makes the pie incredibly dense, and best of all, it tastes even better the next day.
Apple Squares [allrecipes.com]
All of the flavors of apple pie are packed into conveniently cake-like squares in this simple recipe. Apples and nuts make each bar taste hearty and rustic, while the vanilla and cinnamon will fill your home with a mouthwatering aroma while they’re baking. Slice them into oversized portions and pack them in the kids’ lunches, eat them for breakfast, or serve them as a dessert at your next holiday party.
Hosting a Party? Check Out This Handy Food and Drink Calculator!
October 7, 2014 by
It seems that every time you host a party, you never prepare the right amount of food and beverages. From the time that you overshot the buffet and had leftovers for months to the last minute drink run at your last shindig, something just doesn’t add up.
Luckily, this handy food and beverage calculator from Real Simple will help you to calculate exactly how many refreshments to make for your party size. Simply enter the number of guests that you’re expecting and whether or not their children are also invited and the online tool will do all of the food and beverage planning for you.
The calculator’s results detail how many bottles of wine, cases of beer, and even ice to purchase. It also details cheese by the pound, hors d’oeuvres by the piece and a number of other food options. Take the results with you to the grocery store and you can be sure that you’re getting exactly the right amount of everything for your party.
Party Food and Beverage Calculator [Real Simple]
Free Personal Training Session
October 2, 2014 by
Harbor Cove has a free session every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30pm-7:30pm with a personal trainer for our residents! Come join in and get fit!
How to Design Your Own Fresh Flower Arrangement at Home
September 4, 2014 by
Flowers brighten up any room and give it that sleek, interior designer look. Not only do they look great, a blossoming flower arrangement will make your room smell wonderful, too. Here are a few professional tips for making an attractive floral arrangement at home.
- Gather your supplies. Use a vase or even an old jar as the base for your arrangement and be sure to have sharp scissors or shears on hand. You’ll also need a variety of flowers, which depend on your personal tastes.
- Add some foliage. To create a space-filler for your arrangement, add some lush green foliage. Cut it so that the sides are shorter and the middle is taller to create dimension, but be sure to leave room for the flowers.
- Place large flowers throughout. Next, add larger faced flowers like roses or peonies. Cut some stems longer and other stems shorter, then scatter them throughout the arrangement.
- Disperse wispy accents. Weave vines, smaller ferns, or even delicate flowers throughout the rest of the arrangement to create texture. Let some shoot outward from the sides for a multidimensional look.
- Make final adjustments. Once all of your flowers are in place, be sure to arrange them a bit more. Stand back and admire your handiwork to see which flowers need to be moved, and don’t worry if there are a few imperfections; that gives your arrangement character!
How to Create Perfect Floral Arrangements [Sunset]
Elegant, Exquisite, Easy Floral Arrangements [Real Simple]
Flower Arranging 101 [Martha Stewart]
Channel Your Inner Interior Designer With These Helpful Tips
August 5, 2014 by
Whether you're working with the blank canvas of a new apartment or an outdated space that’s simply not functional, decorating your home is always intimidating. It may seem crazy, but by adhering to just two simple tips from professional designers, you can make your home look and feel a whole lot fresher. Here are two interior design rules that you should know.
- Make every room work for your needs. It seems simple enough, but many people get so caught up in the details that they forget about the function of the room itself. Is it an office? Make the desk the focal point, then worry about the wall hangings later. Are you decorating your living room? Get rid of that old chair that you don’t have room for, because it’s only taking up space. Focus on the things that you use every day, and the things that are pretty to look at will fall into place later.
- Maximize the lighting. Even if your apartment came with built-in light fixtures, don’t feel like you’re limited to the cold feel of overhead lighting. Add a few lamps with softening shades here and there to create a more flattering lighting effect, and always play up the windows to bring in as much natural light as possible. You’ll be amazed at the difference good lighting can make!
6 Basic Interior Design Rules [Suite]
The 3 Principles of Interior Design [HGTV]
The 7 Rules of Interior Design [Zillow Blog]
5 Rookie Mistakes You’ll Never Make Again [Apartment Therapy]
How to Keep Your Fridge Squeaky Clean—and Smelling Fresh!
July 8, 2014 by
From spills and splashes to food that's less than fresh, your fridge is subjected to a lot of grit and grime during its lifetime. It's no surprise, then, that cleaning a refrigerator can be a Herculean task—but it doesn't have to be! The easiest way to clean a fridge is to break down the task into smaller chores performed more frequently. Here are a few tips:
1) Wipe down spills as they occur. Use a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water to wipe up spills before they have a chance to harden and "set" on the shelf. (Prevent sticky situations by giving jam and syrup jars a good wipe-down before parking them back in the fridge.) Wipe down the outside and top of the fridge with the same vinegar solution.
2) Pick one day a week, like the night before trash day, to go through your fridge and toss expired items and produce that's seen better days. Keep leftovers identifiable by labeling them with their date and contents.
3) For a fridge that smells clean and fresh, soak a cotton ball in vanilla extract and place it in the back of the fridge. You could also go the traditional route with a box of opened baking soda.
4) If the shelves and drawers are especially grimy, remove them for a bath in warm, soapy water. A toothbrush is the perfect tool to use for removing dried food and spills from creases and crevices in the fridge.
Caring for the Kitchen Workhorse [Martha Stewart]
Speed-Clean Your Refrigerator [Real Simple]
How To Clean & Organize a Refrigerator [Apartment Therapy]
Clean and Deodorize Your Refrigerator [RD]
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