Summer Recipe: Nutella Mousse

 

Courtesy of Thewickednoodle.com

Nutella Mousse is easy to make & there are many experimental possibilities.  Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon instant coffee granules
• ½ cup Nutella
• Whipped cream & chocolate shavings – optional

 

Directions:

1. Combine heavy cream & coffee granules in medium bowl.
2. Stir until dissolved, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in Nutella.
4. Mix on medium, scraping sides and bottom of bowl until stiff peaks form.

(Will also firm up when chilled.)

1. Divide into 4 serving dishes and chill for at least 4 hours.
2. Top with whipped cream just before serving.  Can also top with chocolate shavings.

Enjoy!

Susan Bird
Andrew G. Gordon, Inc.
Insurance & Risk Management

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An Avocado Dip that Eats like a Salad

Image via Wikipedia

This Dip is sure to be a big hit all summer long.  It is very hearty and there is no mayonnaise in it that goes bad in the heat!  It is simple to make and can be embellished with more or less of what you like best.  A colorful addition to any table.

• 1 Can of Black Beans – or 1 Can of Black Olives, chopped
• 1 Can of Shoepeg White Corn
• 2 Avocados – diced
• Onion – chopped (more or less as desired)
• 1 or 2 Tomatoes – chopped
• Add Lemon Juice
• Mix and serve with crackers, scoopable chips, or bread

 

Sue Renfrew
A. G. Gordon, Inc.
Insurance & Risk Management

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Summer Recipe: Orange Glazed Salmon

Courtesy of Foodnetwork.com

There appears to be a new social happening spreading across the country for people who like to cook.  “Dinner clubs” are sprouting everywhere for those of us who like to get together, try new recipes, and enjoy a meal with friends.  Whether you gather and actually cook the entire meal, each person brings a dish and recipe, or members take turns hosting the full dinner event; the rules and customs of the dinner clubs are informal and are created by the members.

If this is something that interests you, memberships can grow through mutual friends, church groups, posting notices in gourmet grocery stores, cookware stores, or the cookbook section of bookstores.

A recipe to enjoy yourself or perhaps to be tried at your first “dinner club” meeting is below:

Orange-Glazed Salmon:

• 3 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning (salt free)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
•  boneless, skinless salmon fillets (6 oz. each)
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• ¼ cup Seville orange marmalade
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• Lime wedges

1. Combine Cajun seasoning, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.  Rub over all surfaces of fillets.
2. Saute fillets in oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.  Turn and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.
3. Blend marmalade and lime juice; swirl in skillet until melted.  Carefully turn fish to glaze on all sides.  The salmon is done when it begins to flake when tested with a fork.
4. Serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Donna Bellavance
A. G. Gordon, Inc.
Insurance & Risk Management

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Spring Risks & Safety Tips

Picture from http://www.bambooandtikis.com

With spring right around the corner and outdoor activities on the rise, it is important that homeowners be aware of the potential for backyard accidents to occur.  Keeping in mind the millions of people that are injured annually in household mishaps, below is a list of recommendations pertaining to equipment utilized daily by all of us. Keep these tips in mind when enjoying the warmer weather:

1. Ladders:  Whether cleaning the gutters or doing some painting touch-ups, make sure the ladder base is not too close to the supporting object; the ladder’s stability will be compromised.  Most ladder injuries occur from overreaching or standing on a rung that’s too high, so if it’s out of reach, reposition the ladder and try again. 
2. Grills: Although it seems unlikely that anything unpleasant could come from a device that gives us hot dogs, remember that a grill is a fire hazard that should be kept at least 3 feet from the house. Smokey the Bear, a fire and woodland damage consultant for A. G. Gordon, would also suggest that you NEVER leave your grill unattended. 
3. Lawn Mowers:  Before you begin the time-honored battle of nature vs. machine known to most as “mowing the lawn”, take a walk around your yard and clear any debris. Lawn ornaments deep in the recesses of unkempt grass are a lot less cute when they are ejected from a lawnmower at dangerous speeds. Some other good practices include: shutting the lawnmower off when reaching down anywhere near the ground and keeping children away while mowing.
4. Playground Sets:  Monitor children at all times.  Make sure equipment is not too high for their ages.  The rule of thumb: no higher than 6 feet for ages under 5, 8 feet for school age children.
5.  Trampolines:  Do not let the trampoline become overcrowded. Trampolines have weight limits, and any activity where one has to avoid the flying bodies of others is generally a hazardous environment for kids. Somersaults and tricks should be discouraged, especially with other children on the trampoline. 

1. Pools:  If you have a gate, make sure it’s locked when the pool isn’t in use.  NEVER let young kids go in the pool unattended. 
2. Pets (not equipment, but still important):  Watch out for dangers from the pesticides and fertilizers used in yards and gardens as well as being poisoned by eating certain plants, such as oleander, azaleas, and lilies.

 

Enjoy the great weather and be safe!

Donna B.

G. Gordon, Inc.
Insurance & Risk Management

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Caramel Apple Dip Recipe

Image via Wikipedia

Core and slice approximately 4 lbs of granny smith apples.  Soak these for 2 hours in cold water with lemon juice.

Drain and layer the apples around  the edges of a platter.  In the middle of the apples, empty a tub of whipped cream cheese.  On top of the cream cheese, empty a tub of T Marzetti’s caramel dip (which has been microwaved to be soft and spreadable).  Cover the caramel with chopped walnuts (and chocolate chips if desired).

Donna B, Andrew G. Gordon, Inc. Insurance & Risk Management

We hope you enjoy this delicious fall recipe, and for insurance information and competitive quotes, visit the A.G. Gordon website.

Adding Fuel to the Fire

Image via Wikipedia

 

Did you know that the #1 cause of house fires is COOKING? With the transition into the fall, which inevitably means grilling less and cooking more, we think a kitchen fire awareness post is due. After all, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, two holidays notorious for their food. The National Fire Protection Association provides the following information for dealing with cooking fires; use them to make sure you cook without too warm a welcome from your kitchen. 

Microwave Fire:  Keep the door closed!  And unplug it. Be sure to have it serviced before you use it again. (Personal experience has taught me to watch anything cooked in the microwave.  Overcooked microwave popcorn can fill your home with an acrid smoke that is impossible to breathe in). 

Oven Fire:  Again, KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED and turn off the heat. If the fire doesn’t go out immediately, call the Fire Department! 

Grease Fire:  Nothing smells better on a Sunday morning than bacon cooking and coffee perking, but the potential for a grease fire is high.  The best way to handle a grease fire is to carefully slide a lid over the pan.  Turn off the burner, DON’T MOVE THE PAN, and keep the lid on until the pan cools completely. (Baking soda can also be used to suffocate the fire.) NEVER put water on a grease fire – water causes the grease to splatter and the fire to spread.  

This all having been said, here’s a tasty recipe for your next brunch or cookout: 

Cut Italian Sausages (mild or hot, whichever you prefer) into 1” pieces.  Put the sausage pieces into a one gallon ziplock bag, along with green pepper and onion slices.  Drizzle generously with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and let sit for an hour or two. When ready to cook, put the mixture in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the sausage pieces are cooked through.  Delicious! 

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Fall Recipe- Chicken Broccoli & Ziti

Image via Wikipedia

 

A great fall recipe. You can even freeze it and send it with your college students back to their dorms. They’ll be eating something halfway decent 

Ingredients:
1 lb box of ziti (no lines)
2 bunches of broccoli (or a large, frozen bag)
2 lbs of chicken tenders (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 qt of heavy cream (or 2 jars of Paul Newman’s Alfredo Sauce)
2 cups of grated romano cheese
3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
flour
garlic powder
olive oil
black pepper & salt
very large bowl, baking pan
aluminum foil 

1. Boil water for ziti in a large pot
2. Boil water for broccoli; add garlic powder
3. Add oil to a large frying pan (enough to cover the chicken)
4. On a plate, mix flour, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder 
5. Roll the chicken in the mixture and then fry both sides lightly in the pan
6. Mix cooked ziti, broccoli, chicken, Paul Newman’s alfredo sauce, mozzarella,  and romano cheese together in a large bowl. Mix well. If you use heavy cream, pour on top after contents are in baking pan.
7. Transfer the mix into a baking pan and cover with foil.
8. Bake 30 mins, remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.

As an insurance company, we encourage safety in the kitchen tackling any kind of cooking project. Here are some quick tips: 

1. Don’t leave food cooking unattended. This is the #1 cause of kitchen mishaps.
2. Never use water to put out a grease fire; it can splash the grease and spread the fire. Use the lid of a pan or a dry chemical fire extinguisher to safety put out the fire. Note: a fire extinguisher will ruin the food.
3. If an oven fire starts, close the oven door and turn it off. Always call the fire department, even if the oven fire seems to have gone out.
4. Turn pot and pan handles to the center of the stove. This will prevent accidental spills and is a great young child safety tip.
5. Keep napkins, dish towels, etc. away from cooking areas in the kitchen.
6. If a fire starts in a microwave, CLOSE THE DOOR and unplug the microwave. The fire will lose oxygen and burn out.
7. Cool all burns with cool water. Know the difference between first, second, and third degree burns.

For more insurance information and relevant resources, visit the A. G. Gordon, Inc. Website.
  

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Moving Into Fall

Some Things to keep in mind moving into fall. At A. G. Gordon, Inc. we wish everyone a peaceful and safe seasonal transition.

Grill Safety:  With Summer winding down, everyone is trying to get in as many cookouts as possible before the weather gets cooler.  Be sure to check your propane tank to be sure you have enough to last – nothing more frustrating than to run ‘out of gas’ in the middle of a meal!  Also be sure to watch children around the grill – smaller kids don’t understand the danger of burning themselves. 

It’s Back to School time!  Be sure to be on the lookout for kids waiting for the school bus.  And most importantly – be aware that school buses make frequent stops!  Be sure to stop not only behind the school bus, but also in front of it.  Kids will be entering and exiting – let’s keep them safe!

Summer is over and what a wonderful one it has been.  With Fall in the air, now is the time to do those all important home checkups.  Have you had your furnace cleaned for the upcoming heating season?  Covered the Air Conditioner unit?  Checked the roof and windows to be sure all are secure?  Winterized the lawn mower?  Covered the pool? Click here for our Homeowner’s Checklist to complete.

Moving into Fall, it’s been easy to forget some of the important things like health checkups, etc.  Before the colder weather comes, why not schedule an appointment for a physical?  How about a dental checkup?  And why not schedule time with your physician for those all-important flu shots?  Then relax and enjoy all the upcoming holidays!

Sandi Cornell
Ratings Expert, A. G. Gordon, Inc.

And for more insurance information, resources, and to get a quote, visit our website, www.agordon.com.

Summer Recipe

Image via Wikipedia

 

Summer is a time for grilling and sharing good stories, good times, and of course good barbeque recipes. One of my favorites is this Steak Rub recipe.
The name of this recipe is WILD WILLY’S NUMBER ONEDERFUL RUB, though I honestly don’t know where the name originated from! Odd name aside, rest assured that nothing less than “onderful” will emerge from your grill should you choose to try it.  

Ingredients:  

¾ cup ground paprika
¼ cup ground black pepper
¼ cup salt
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper  

Mix the spices thoroughly in a bowl. Store in a sealed container.
Use as a rub for meat before grilling ( about 2T per pound of steak) Makes 2 cups.
Hint: You can buy all of these spices inexpensively at most discount stores (Ocean State Job Lot, etc.)
Some experimenting I’ve done with this rub:  

Grill shrimp on a skewer, coated with lime juice, then steak rub.
Coat hamburger patties with this rub.
Grill swordfish with a coat of this rub.
In the winter, I’ve been known to sneak a bit in the Meatloaf.  

And of course as an insurance company, we prefer everyone have a safe grilling experience; here are some tips:  

Always use caution when grilling. Never leave grills unattended. Do not store LP gas tanks indoors. Never use gas grills above the first floor or place  close to your house, the gas is heavier than air and can combust if accumulated. Never pour charcoal fluid directly on flames or on briquettes. Follow these steps to make sure the only thing that gets cooked is the food.  

~Bill Cordaro, Commercial Accounts Manager, A.G. Gordon, Inc.  

And for more relevant insurance information and resources, visit us at our website or get a quote from us now!  

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