Indy Home Marketing Newsletter

December 2011 Newsletter

Volume 5, Number 12

Click HERE to use your internet browser to read and view the web version of this newsletter.


		As 2011 comes to a close, we want to take this opportunity to wish our clients, friends, and associates all the joys of the holiday season... and to express our sincere wishes to all for a happy and prosperous New Year!


	Six Tips to Lower Your Energy Costs this Winter If you're looking for ways reduce your household expenses, lower- ing your energy usage is the per- place to start! Hopefully, you're already "buttoned-up" the exterior
	of your home and readied it for the nasty weather to come. However, there are also lots of things you can do inside your home to save energy. While most of the tips are inexpensive and easily performed, they can result... Continued


	RECIPE OF THE MONTH	Vegetable Tarte Tatin This beautiful side dish is a little out of the ordinary, but sure to be a hit at Christmas dinner. Courtesy of: The Food Network

INGREDIENTS:

•	3/4 cup sugar	•	All-purpose flour, for dusting
•	4 cloves garlic, halved	•	1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
•	1 tablespoon small fresh sage leaves
•	1 8.5-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
•	3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•	1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
•	2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
•	1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
•	6 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1 cup)
•	Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
•	2 medium sweet potatoes and 2 medium Yukon potatoes,
	peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss both kinds of pota-
toes, the parsnips, onion, garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and
1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Spread in a single layer on
a baking sheet; bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Let
cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons water and the sugar in a
skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, swirling
the pan, until amber, about 7 minutes. Remove from the
heat and stir in the vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and
pepper. Pour the caramel into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking
dish and spread with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the sage
and oregano on top.

Arrange the roasted potatoes and parsnips in a single snug
layer on top of the caramel. Scatter the onion and garlic
over the roasted vegetables; sprinkle evenly with
the mozzarella.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 9
by 13-inch rectangle. Pierce the pastry all over with a fork,
then lay it on top of the mozzarella, folding the edges
under to fit, if necessary. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce
the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue
baking until the dough is cooked through, 15 to
20 more minutes.

Let the tart cool 10 minutes in the baking dish, then care-
fully invert it onto a cutting board. Replace any vegetables
that stick to the dish, if necessary.

Six Tips to Reduce Energy Costs... (continued)

in big energy cost savings this winter season, as well as help
in the fight against global warming

Temper the temperature. Turning your thermostat down just
5 degrees can cut energy bills (and pollution) by 10 percent,
so keep your home at 70 degrees or less in winter, and 60
degrees or less while you sleep. If you don't already have a
programmable thermostat, invest in one. Chilly? Put on a
sweater or add an extra blanket to your bed.

Seal your ducts. Homes with forced-air heating systems can
lose up to 40 percent of their heat if duct joints are poorly
sealed. You'll probably want to get a qualified contractor to do
this one, but it can have big benefits. While you're at it, insu-
late ducts in unheated areas like crawl spaces to further in-
crease energy cost savings.

Run a tight ship. Check around electrical switches and outlets,
interior window and door trim, and other places where cold air
can infiltrate your home. By Calking around trim and placing in-
expensive foam pads (available from most home improvement
stores) behind switch and outlet covers, you can significantly
reduce cold air infiltration and save on energy costs. Also, don't
forget to close your fireplace damper to avoid losing warm in-
terior air through your flue.

Watch your windows. Since a large percentage of heat loss
occurs through windows, installing thick curtains and drapes
can help keep you toasty. Open them during the day to allow
warming sunlight to enter, then close them at night to keep
the heat inside. If you live in an older home, you may want to
consider sealing some or all windows with an insulating shrink
film (like 3M's window insulator material) that stops cold drafts
and prevents frosty windows. It's available from most hardware
stores and requires only scissors and a hair dryer to apply.

Fan the heat around. Running your ceiling fan clockwise, at
a slow speed, recirculates warmer air that accumulates at the
ceiling, reducing energy consumption by up to 10 percent. Also,
consider a humidifier to add moisture to your home during the
winter months. It will help you feel more comfortable at a low-
er temperature, and reduce damage to furnishings and other
home items caused by excessively dry (furnace heated) air.

Add a Blanket. Heating water is another big energy hog year-
round. A simple insulating blanket to improve the efficiency of
your water heater costs only about $20 and is readily available
at most hardware stores. Another way to save energy is to
wash your laundry in cold water whenever possible. Since each
load uses about 40 gallons of water, this small step can make
a big difference: One household can eliminate more than a
thousand pounds of greenhouse gas emissions in a year just
by choosing to wash their cloths in cold water. Return to Top