Real Estate Information

Carol's Kitchen--Great Tasting Healthy Recipes

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

by DeTray Group

Spiced Pork With Bourbon Reduction Sauce

I got this out of the Cooking Light magazine, dated April 2006.

Substitute chicken broth for bourbon, if you prefer. Serve with Couscous or rice.

SAUCE:

1/4 cup bourbon

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup low-sodium soy cause

3 TBS. cider vinegar

1-1/2 tsp. bottled minced garlic

1/2 tsp. black pepper

PORK:

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp. salt

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed

Cooking spray

1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup (About 11 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

2. To prepare pork, combine chili powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt, stirring well; rub evenly over pork. Cut pork crosswise into 12 slices.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan, cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 pork slices and 2 TBS sauce).

277 calories, 4 grams of fat and 0.5 grams of fiber = "6" points.

I cooked the pork loin out on the grill instead of the stove. It was wonderful. A definite "Keeper".

cooking lite recipes main course

Recognizing a Stroke

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

by DeTray Group

Posted by: Carol Showalter

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters....S.T.R.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously...Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics)...she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die...they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke .

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE..
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this:

Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue...If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

I will continue to forward this every time it comes around!

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters....S.T.R.

Stroke Prevention Signs of a Stroke S

Selling in a Buyer's Market

Sunday, January 13, 2008

by DeTray Group

POSTED BY:

Bob De Tray

The Real Estate market in the metro Kansas City area is following national trends. It is truly a buyer's market--unlike any I have seen in my career. ( I started selling in 1976). So most seller's would ask "why, if I don't have to sell, would I want to list my home for sale in such an atmosphere?"

Kansas City metro prices consistently increased until the last 20 months. They then began to level off and then drop somewhat. If you've lived in your home for several years, you've enjoyed solid appreciation. If you are moving up, you can take full advantage of the soft market in the more expensive homes. Remember, the buyer pool grows smaller as the homes get more expensive. with fewer buyers out there, sellers in higher price ranges, including builders of new homes are increasingly anxious to move their houses. Many builders are carrying large inventories and are very happy to work some great deals right now. We are seeing some HUGE price reductions. If you jump in now, you can make a great deal on the buying side. And if you condition, showcase and price your home right, it will sell without losing on the selling side. You couldn't do this in the hot seller's market of the last 10 years. What profit you made on your sale was more than eaten up by inflated prices on more expensive and brand new homes.

Real estate tips Tips Buying tips Ho

Party Nibble

Monday, December 17, 2007

by DeTray Group

I haven't tried this recipe yet but it looks so good that I wanted to share it with you. It's from weight watchers.

Cheese and bacon mini quiches

Ingredients

1 spray cooking spray
36 wonton wrappers, 3 ½ inch squares
1 small onion finely chopped
1 cup fat fee egg substitute
1 ½ cups fat free evaporated milk
½ cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices cooked crisp turkey bacon, crumbled

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 36 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray

Gently press 1 wonton wrapper into each muffin cup allowing ends to extend above cups. Spray edges of wrappers with cooking spray; set aside

In a small skillet, stir fry onion over medium high heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg substitute, milk and cheese. Stir in bacon and onion until well combined. Fill each wonton wrapper with about 1 tablespoon of filling mixture.

Bake until quiche mixture is set and edges of wrappers are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Yields 2 quiche per serving.

POINTS Value 3

Holiday snacks quiche party fare

Getting shapely after Sixty

Friday, December 14, 2007

by DeTray Group

Posted by Lenora De Tray

I've decided it's time to get in shape or catch the next ship out. So I've started a daily workout at the Platte County YMCA with my good friend Carol. I've found out that I'm a lot more motivated to stick with it if I have Carol at my side. So far, we are having a great time with a whole group of women. And we've decided that yes, we can be slinky and sexy after sixty.

We walk for an hour on the indoor track and then we do water aerobics.

Yesterday we started a Zumba class. Zumba is a slow version of Salsa. This is fantastic fun. When you've finished, you know you've had a great workout. You will really "glow."

Our new Platte County Y is just fantastic. There is so much going on there constantly. If you want to check it out, go to our links and you'll find the web site.

Fitness Health Working Out

Great Mortgage Rates--Great Home Buys.

Friday, December 14, 2007

by DeTray Group

Posted by Bob De Tray

Rates for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage are 6.125% today. Speculation is that the FED won't be dropping rates soon and that we may see rates increase in the short term.

The KC housing market remains sluggish. And there are plenty of very good buys out there right now.

Historically, 2007 included, January is a great month in Real Estate. Lots of inventory will come off the shelves. With less to choose from, buyers wont be as able to make the deals that they can right now. There are lots of sellers who would be happy to put a deal together today rather than run the risk of more months on the market. This is the first true buyer's market I've seen in the last 20 years. So get going.

real estate mortgage rates interest r

Holiday Treats from a Weight Watcher

Friday, December 14, 2007

by DeTray Group

Posted by Lenora De Tray

Here is a great sounding chocolate cake recipe from Weight Watchers. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks great.

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 16
Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 42 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This moist, delicious chocolate cake is a sure to be a hit at the holidays or any time of year.

Ingredients

1 sprays cooking spray
2 Tbsp light butter
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup unpacked brown sugar
3/4 cup packaged shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
5 large egg white(s)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
18 1/2 oz German chocolate cake mix, 1 package

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9- x 13-inch nonstick baking pan with cooking spray.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter with water. Stir in brown sugar until smooth; pour evenly into baking pan. Sprinkle coconut and pecans evenly over melted sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat egg whites for 30 seconds. Beat in buttermilk, sour cream and applesauce. Add cake mix and beat on low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Beat for an additional 2 minutes; pour into pan.
Bake for 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack. Cut into 16 pieces and serve.

Mortgage Rate Drop

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

by DeTray Group

Submited by: Bob De tray

Word from the financial community is that we can expect a drop in mortgage rates in the next day or two. Rumor has it that the rate will be around 6% for a 30 year fixed mortgage. We'll keep you posted.

Carols Kitchen--great tasting healthy recipes

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

by DeTray Group

A lady at my swim class gave this to me. She had gotten it at her Weight Watcher meeting.

Dissolve 1 package of sugar free orange jello in 2/3 cups boiling water. Pour into a blender and ad 1 package of Fat-free cream cheese sliced into thirds. Pulse until smooth. Add 1-1/2 cups of Fat-free cottage cheese, 1/2 cup at a time. Pulse until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and fold in 6-8 oz. of Fat-free cool whip. Spread into an 8X 8" pan. Chill until set.

Yield: 9 servings at "2" points per serving.

I can't stand cottage geese but this was not bad. I suppose you could make it with any flavor of jello. The next time I make it, I think I will put it in a fluted champagne glass.

Seller's Tips Session 4

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

by DeTray Group

Submitted by: Ask Reggie

Reggie: "What more can I do to help my home sell quickly and at a good price?"

Did you know the best chance for selling your property is within the first seven weeks?

It's true.

Studies show that the longer a property stays on the market, the less the seller will net upon the sale. It is very important to price your property at a competitive market value at the signing of your listing contract. The market is so competitive that even over-pricing by a few thousand dollars could mean that your house will not sell.

An Overpriced Home:
· Minimizes offers
· Lowers agents response
· Limits qualified buyers
· Lowers showings
· Lowers prospects
· Limits financing
· Wastes advertising dollars
· Nets less for the seller

Real estate Seller tips Real Estate T