Friday, November 30, 2012

Decking The Deck And The Halls!


It is great to see that some of our residents are already getting into the spirit of the holidays by putting up lights and decorations on their patios! Decorating inside your apartment and out is encouraged, so feel free to put up your lights, colored garland, artificial wreaths, etc. Please be careful not to damage the exterior of the building by hammering in nails or drilling holes. A Holiday Balcony Decorating Contest will be judged later in December and a cash prize will be awarded to the best display.

Please remember that due to their fire hazard live and real trees and wreaths are prohibited in your apartment, on your patio or balcony, and on the doors in the hallways. We appreciate your help in keeping our community both festive and safe this holiday season!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Cyber Monday And Package Delivery

For the deal-savvy shopper who didn't get their fill yesterday during Black Friday, or for those who would rather do their shopping online, Cyber Monday is a great opportunity. In just two days retailers will offer special deals for their online customers.

Cyber Monday shopping is a very different experience than Black Friday. There's no lines and you can do your shopping in your pajamas sipping hot cocoa. Heck, you can shop and get your laundry done at the same time! With a few simple clicks you can place your order and have it delivered to your home.

There are some websites that gather the deals from many retailers to make your shopping online even easier. Check out http://www.cybermonday2012.com/ or http://www.cybermonday.com/.

As the holiday season ramps up we see an increase of packages coming in for our residents. Everyone also gets much busier. The office staff is happy to help out by delivering packages to your apartment. If you receive a notice that a package has been dropped off at the office and you would like it delivered to your apartment simply give us a call, email, or use the Ask The Office form on our website to request that your package be delivered to your apartment.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Giving Thanks

We hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! On this Friday, as we recuperate from overdosing on turkey, we would like to share with you the things that the staff at Eagle Ridge gave thanks for this Thanksgiving. Plus, check out the recipe below for an idea about how to use your Thanksgiving leftovers!

The staff at Eagle Ridge was asked what they are most thankful for this year and this is what they had to say:
Ginny: Family, friends, good health and great people to live and work with.
Coty: Reality TV.
Gary: His golf cart - to get maintenance requests done a lot faster.
Bob: Gary - he has been teaching me a lot!
Samantha: Christopher and all of my loving family.
Christopher: Being able to share my life with Samantha.
George: Another day - count each one as a blessing.
Scott: Continued good health.
Cindy: Family.
David: His awesome mom.
Ashley: My whole Family and the great relationships we have.
Jessie: Great family.
Danielle: My wonderful boyfriend Tim.
Tim: My beautiful girlfriend Danielle.

If you're wondering what to do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers in your fridge, there's a lot of recipe suggestions at allrecipes.com. One that we liked was a recipe for Turkey Pot Pie.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Original recipe makes 2 9-inch pot pies
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 cups frozen green beans
1 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/3 cups milk
4 cups cubed cooked turkey meat - light and dark meat mixed
4 (9 inch)unbaked pie crusts

Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. Place the peas and carrots, green beans, and celery into a saucepan; cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-low heat until the celery is tender, about 8 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander set in the sink, and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup of flour, salt, black pepper, celery seed, onion powder, and Italian seasoning; slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat; stir the cooked vegetables and turkey meat into the filling until well combined.

4. Fit 2 pie crusts into the bottom of 2 9-inch pie dishes. Spoon half the filling into each pie crust, then top each pie with another crust. Pinch and roll the top and bottom crusts together at the edge of each pie to seal, and cut several small slits into the top of the pies with a sharp knife to release steam.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until the crusts are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. If the crusts are browning too quickly, cover the pies with aluminum foil after about 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
PREP 30 mins.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Be Dazzled By The Holidazzle


Once again it’s time to bundle up and head to the free Target Holidazzle parade! The parade starts Friday, November 23, and can be viewed every Thursday through Sunday night until Sunday, December 23, all at 6:30PM.

Take in the bright lights of illuminated floats, enjoy music, see celebrity Grand Marshals and Santa in his sleigh. The parade first began in 1992. Every year since then the parade has marched down Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis during the holiday season, drawing over 300,000 spectators. Check out more information on the Holidazzle Parade at their website.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Black Friday Hotspots


There's always a bit of a buzz about what deals can be found on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when many businesses begin their holiday shopping season with big discounts for a limited time. Eagle Ridge is near quite a few businesses that will be featuring Black Friday deals, should you feel adventurous enough to venture out.

If you need a little help planning your Black Friday shopping, visit blackfriday.com, which posts the  advertisement flyers from most major retailers.

Check out the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes and other nearby retailers such as Best Buy for Black Friday deals nearby.



Monday, November 19, 2012

Check Out The Maple Grove Library


As the winter months approach the Maple Grove Library makes a great place to go to get out of your apartment.

The Maple Grove Library is one of the busiest in the Hennepin County system with more than 114,000 books, CDs, and DVDs. Internet access is available on nearly 70 computers with building-wide wireless access. Meeting rooms, reading porch and study areas are available for groups and individuals.

The Hennepin County Library system serves more than one million residents of Hennepin County,  ncluding Maple Grove. The 41-library system offers more than five million books, CDs and DVDs, materials in more than 40 languages, and 1,600 public computers.

To reach the Maple Grove library, call (612) 543-6450. Visit www.hclib.org for details on the Maple Grove facility as well as all the libraries in the Hennepin County system.

Go get a great book to read and bring it to the clubhouse and snuggle up by the fireplace with cookies and hot cocoa or coffee!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Thanksgiving Day Meals Or Take-out At Local Restaurants

Does preparing for Thanksgiving exhaust you? Leave the work and clean-up to someone else this year, check out our list of places near Eagle Ridge to get a great Thanksgiving meal.

Here’s a list of some places in Maple Grove that will be serving up a hearty feast with all the fixings on Thanksgiving Day Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012.
1. The Lookout Bar and Grill
· Buffet
· 763-424-4365. Walk-in only as available
· What's on the menu: Ham, turkey, broasted chicken, salad bar, desserts and more.
· Cost: $13.95
· Hours: Serving starts at 10:00AM

2. Highlander Restaurant at Rush Creek Golf Course
· Buffet
· Phone: 763-494-0400 x1, Reservations accepted
· What’s on the menu: Several turkey options, sirloin, ham, several vegetable salad options plus plenty of dessert options. Check out a full menu here.

3. Old Country Buffet
· Buffet
· Phone: 764-494-6606
· What’s on the menu: All the traditional holiday staples, including ham and turkey along with side dishes and desserts.
· Cost: Adults and Kids: $10.99
· Hours: 11:00AM to 8:30PM

4. Osseo/Maple Grove American Legion
· Meal
· Phone: 763-425-4858 #2. Call ahead.
· What's on the menu: Turkey, potatoes, dressing, pies,
· Cost: $8 per person
· Hours: Noon to 5:00PM

5. The Claddagh Irish Pub
· Buffet
· Phone: 763-773-7400, Reservations accepted
· What’s on the menu: Carved Turkey with all the trimmings & cranberry sauce, salad bar with all the trimmings and specialty salads, variety of dessert and much more.
· Cost: Adults $22.95, Kids $9.95
· Hours: 11:00PM – 7:00PM

6. Buca di Beppo
· Meal, Carry Out
· Phone: 763.494.3466, Reservations accepted
· What's on the menu: traditional turkey feast with garlic mashed potatoes, cranberries, Italian sausage stuffing and more.
· Cost: $45-$90 depending on meal size for dine in. Carry out $135-$250, orders must be placed and confirmed by Nov. 19, 2012.