Tailgating food!

With the football season coming up and the regular baseball season coming to a close we’re surrounded by tailgating parties. I have to say when it comes to tailgating, I love to be grilling. I love the taste of a grilled burger or a grilled hot dog. What’s your favorite tailgating food? Vote on our poll and let us know!

Labor Day Menus!

I cannot tell you how excited I am about Labor Day Weekend! It’s this weekend! Personally I think it’s the fact that it’s a  three-day weekend and it’s the last “hoorah” of the summer. I really enjoying inviting a couple of friends over to my apartment at Alexan Solmar. We’ll spend the day at the pool for a part of the day, then we’ll come inside and prepare our Labor Day dinner.

I know that Labor Day isn’t a large holiday, but I love to cook and it’s always better when I get to cook with my friends and neighbors. My Labor Days are kind of like a pot luck but we choose to cook everything in my apartment together.  We usually come up with a menu beforehand and we’ll each bring something to make the meal for the night. Here’s our menu for this weekend! What are you doing for Labor Day?

Appetizer
Baked Caprese Salad

Entree
Southwest Turkey Burgers

Dessert
Cranberry Granita

Photo by The_Smiths

Being Prepared for the Weather

Ft. Lauderdale is closing in on hurricane season and us Floridians need to be prepared.  The weather can get pretty crazy here and if we’re not properly prepared it wouldn’t be pretty. That’s the beauty of Florida isn’t it though? With a great location and mostly great weather comes the bad spurts. Remember these few tips on being prepared for the weather!

• Do as your told- If you’re told to evacuate your area during bad weather, please do as your told and evacuate as soon as you can.
• Create a Plan- If you aren’t told to evacuate you still need to prepare. Where are you supposed to go in case the weather gets foul? Do you have a central area to go to? Follow up on those questions
• Supply Kit- Make a kit of supplies; first aid, food, blankets, water… full list

Keep an eye out on the weather and be prepared always!

Photo by alpoma

Searching…

When it comes to search engines I’m an avid user of Google.com. I don’t know what it is but I always go to it, I’m loyal. It’s not out of habit it’s because Google is dependable. I know there are different search engines out there like Bing (the newest addition) and Yahoo (old favorite for some).  So what do you use? Is it Google, Yahoo or Bing for you? Vote on our poll and let us know what you  use! Comment below if you don’t see your search engine listed.

Photo by Tiger Pixel

5 ways to Beat that Summer Heat!

We all know it can get pretty hot outside, especially because of the fact that we live in Florida. We wake up to the warm weather and come home to an afternoon shower. Sometimes I feel as if I cannot bear another hot day but then I think about coming home to apartment and I’m relaxed. Why? I’ve take some measures in order to make my apartment a bit cooler. How else am I going to fight off this heat? I could always go to Alexan Solmar’s pool and take a dip into the pool but some days I’d rather stay inside. Here’s how I do it!

1. Sunlight- While waking up to the rising sun is beautiful, the sun’s heat can make your apartment really warm. Leaving your blinds and curtains open causes your apartment to heat up. This will cause your AC to constantly run. What does that mean? A higher bill…so turn your blinds in some and cool your space down.
2. Turning off those Gadgets- If you have everything on and running in your apartment, it’s going to get hot. Why? When you run an electronic it’s going to give off some heat. And like my mother always says, it all adds up.
3. Textures- You know how you get a cozy feeling when you add throw blankets to your apartment? It also adds a warm feeling, which makes you feel hot. Try putting those blankets away and cool down your mind.
4. Lights- The brighter your apartment is, the warmer it is. Turn off those lights during the day and keep it to a minimum while you’re home.
5. Fans- A fan will always help the heat in your apartment. I use an upright fan in my aparmtent, it was definitely worth the investment.

What do you do to keep your apartment cool in this Florida heat?

Photo by ka_tate

Should you pre-rinse your dishes?

Experts from a Yahoo article say it’s not necessary to pre-rinse your dishes before they go into the dishwasher. They say it’s actually a waste of time, energy, water and money. When I first read this, I was definitely skeptical. A point was brought up in the article that made sense and changed my mind completely. They say that heavily soiled dishes are used in “wash tests” not dishes that are pre-rinsed. This makes sense why would they test their dishwashers on clean dishes? Ofcourse they’d test the worst case scenario! Here are some great facts about not pre-rinsing your dishes if you’re still doubtful.

• Your dishes aren’t any cleaner if you pre-rinse- Dishwashers have progressed greatly in the past few years. You won’t improve your wash performance by pre-rinsing.
• Complete waste of Time, energy, water and money- Your dishwasher will use up to 5 gallons of water to wash an entire load of dishes. While washing dishes by hand you can use up to 27 gallons.
• Pre-rinsing your dishes can do more harm than good- You detergents are meant to attack the food and grime left on plates. If it’s been pre-rinsed then some may harm your glassware leaving your glass cloudy of small scratches.

As mentioned in our previous blog post, Go Green with your Kitchen in 5 easy Steps, Alexan Solmar is proud of their appliances, including our dishwashers.

Photo by Transguyjay

Which Room is your Favorite?

At Alexan Solmar we want you to love every part of your apartment but we know you have a favorite. Personally I love the living room, it’s a place where I know I can relax in front of the television, either by myself or with friends.  I enjoy reading on my couch with the patio door open and just relaxing.

So which room is your favorite? Is it the kitchen, living room, bedroom, or your patio? Yes, your patio is a room. Vote on our blog and let us know which room is your favorite! Comment below if you have another favorite like the den, or another room!

Go Green with Your Kitchen in 5 Easy Steps!

Lots of people say it’s difficult to Go Green, that it entails way too many complex details. But it doesn’t. It’s easy, one step at a time you can GO GREEN. Let’s start with your kitchen!

If you haven’t started, the kitchen would be a good start. Wouldn’t it? Many people spend lots of time in their kitchens, I spend tons of time in my kitchen. I cook, clean, entertain and relax in my kitchen. I know it sounds crazy but my family has always been surrounded by the kitchen, and so am I. Here are 5 great tips about Going Green with your Kitchen.

1. Your Dishwasher- Alexan Solmar is proud of their appliances. It is “greener” than older dishwashers. Use your dishwasher and use it well! Dishwashers made since 1994 get dishes cleaner and use less water (if your dishwasher is full).
2. Fridge Thermometer- Buy a fridge thermometer (about $10) and keep your fridge’s temperature between 36F and 38F. For the Freezer, 0F and 5F.
3. Bottled Water- Get rid of it. Buy a re-usable water bottle and drink up on that, over and over. Your pocket will thank you and so will the Earth!
4. Your Sponge- Give it a second life. Toss it in a small pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. It sterilizes the sponge and its easy!
5. Lightbulbs- Replace your kitchen lightbulb with a Compact Fluorescent.

Grilling out for Memorial Day!

Memorial Day is upon us and this holiday is the start of the SUMMER! Who doesn’t love it, everyone will be grilling, out at the pool and celebrating with friends. Here’s a great recipe for Grilled BBQ Potato Skins!!! You can bring them to any gathering you’re going to be at, they’ll be perfect for Memorial Day!

Grilled BBQ Potato Skins

Ingredients

Directions

*3 russet potatoes scrubbed * 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled * 2 tablespoons butter, melted * 1 clove garlic, minced * 3/4 cup Cheddar * 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, warm * 1/2 pound pulled pork * Sour cream, for topping * 2 tablespoons snipped chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake potatoes on middle rack until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Bake 4 strips of bacon on a small sheet pan in the oven for 15 minutes. Crumble bacon when it’s cooled. Preheat grill to medium heat. Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise, and spoon out the flesh, leaving a half inch shell. Melt the butter in saucepan and add minced garlic. Brush potatoes with the butter and garlic mixture. Flip over and butter the bottoms. Place potatoes on grill and cook until crisp, about 4 to 4 1/2 minutes on each side and remove from grill. Divide the cheese, barbecue sauce and pulled pork among the potatoes. Top potato skins with sour cream, crumbled bacon and chives for garnish.

Let’s Keep it Clean!!

Here at Alexan Solmar we try our best for you. We want your apartment to feel like home, it should because…it is! When you’re at home, we know you want to relax in a clean environment. We need your help though. Help keep Alexan Solmar clean, it’s your home and your home always looks best when it’s clean! Thanks for everything guys, you’re great residents!

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

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