Looking outside, it's hard to believe the 4th of July is upon us, but it is! Landing on a Monday means you can spend all weekend celebrating our nation's independence.
Start on Saturday at Indianola's Strawberry Festival at Indianola Church from 11 to 4 p.m. At the corner of Midway and Division you'll strawberry shortcake, strawberry scones, strawberry muffins, strawberry smoothies, and you might even find fresh strawberries!
On Sunday Poulsbo will be holding its annual 3rd of July celebration from noon to 11 p.m. There will food and fun all day long, topped off by a fantastic fireworks display at 10:15. Always a crowd pleaser.
There's several Kitsap celebrations on the 4th, and you can find them at the events calendar at the Kitsap Sun. As for me, I'll be on the beach in Indianola with my family and neighborhood friends as we revel in our good fortune.
(For this post I tried to find a picture with both a flag and a cookie but failed. But have I mentioned my wild blackberry pie fetish?)
Your home is the perfect place to express yourself. Grecian columns in the bathroom? Go for it. Pepto-Bismol pink exterior? Why not.
But some of us see our house not just as a home, but as an investment as well. We want to see the money we spend fixing/remodeling adding to the house's value, especially if we plan to sell within the next few years.
If you're one of those people who wants to maximize the return on your remodeling dollars, try this web site from Remodeling Magazine called Cost vs. Value. You'll find easy-to-understand graphs, like the one above, and specific information about what pays for itself, what doesn't, and what percentage of cost you can expect to recoup.
You can also see trends. For instance, exterior curb appeal is gaining over kitchen face lifts as the most common type of remodel. In that vein, currently popular are new entry and garage doors. Both pack a bang for (relatively) few bucks.
Maybe you're thinking of selling and don't know how to best apply your resources. If you'd like to discuss ideas about your home, what needs to be taken care of and what isn't worth the time or money, give me a call. Together we can make your house a home anyone would be proud to own.
It's supposed to be 77 and sunny this Sunday in Indianola, and I couldn't image a better way to spend it than on the beach. From 1:00 to 4:00 I'll be on Seaview Ave hoping to meet you and, of course, offer you a cookie. Check it out.
It didn't take long for me to notice how often I mention cookies on my blog. During the 17 years I owned an espresso bar (see my first post), I baked/sold/consumed more cookies that I could count, but I still haven't lost my love for those tasty treats.
After years baking I've devised what I think is the best recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, which can easily morph into oatmeal chocolate chip walnut, or oatmeal coconut butterscotch, depending on your inclination. I thought it was time to share.
Mary's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Mix
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Stir in
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Mix together than add
2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups regular oatmeal
1 tsp baking pwdr
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Stir in
2 cups raisins or choc chips or whatever
Bake
at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes
Share and Enjoy!
Looking outside, it's hard to believe the 4th of July is upon us, but it is! Landing on a Monday means you can spend all weekend celebrating our nation's independence. 
