Marys Community Corner

The US banking system is in the doldrums. You think WE are living in fear? The banks have made error upon error in their attempt to show record profits, attract investor’s, and expand operations. As a result, small business owners are finding it near impossible to find credit, homeowner’s are in a position of losing their homes or unable to refinance even when they have solid credit, and credit card holder’s are finding their accounts closed or reduced. All of this as a result of a banking industry trying to tighten its belt after over indulging at an “all you can eat” buffet. So, what do we do as consumer’s to find our way during this challenging time? Small banks, community based banks, and credit unions have been less affected by the credit crisis than the larger institutions. It doesn’t mean there has been NO exposure to the lending crisis, but smaller banks have generally shied away from complex mortgage-linked investments and subprime home loans. Credit unions are similar in thei...

Yesterday I was cleaning the fridge and found some celery from a party we had a few weeks ago... and I didnt want to throw it away but knew we wouldnt eat it all... (We have a massive bag of carrots...Costco... I still don't know what to do with) SO.... Ingredients 2 cups chopped celery, divided (I used about twice the amount called for here) 2 cups chopped carrots, divided 4 tablespoons butter 2 cups onions, diced 3 tablespoons flour 6 cups hot vegetable broth, divided Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup heavy cream Directions In a small saucepan add 1 cup celery, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and reserve cooked vegetables. In a large saucepan, over medium high heat, melt butter. Add onions and saute until clear. Whisking, add flour, cook 2 minutes making sure flour does not brown. Add 5 cups vegetable broth and continue to whisk until mixture boils, making sure to reach the bottom of the pan. Add uncooked 1 cup cel...

3 tbsp. butter 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill or 3/4 tsp. dill weed 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp. salt 1 med. sized green onion, thinly sliced 1 lb. fresh salmon fillets Lemon slices for garnish About 30 minutes before serving heat 10 inch skillet over medium-low heat; heat first 5 ingredients until butter melts. If fillets are large, cut into serving-sized pieces. Add salmon to butter mixture; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes until salmon flakes easily, basting salmon occasionally with butter in skillet. Arrange salmon with its sauce in warm deep platter. Garnish optional. Makes 4 main dish servings, about 155 calories each. I added this sauce over it: Ingredients: 3 tbsps lemon juice (can use more lemon juice... I love lemons.. meyers.. and used more) . 1/2 c low fat mayonnaise . 1-2 tbsp fresh dill (or use 1 tsp dried dill, or to taste.. I used this and always grind it up to enhance flavor) . 1 tsp grated lemon rind . 1/2 c nonfat 1/2 and 1/2 (use buttermilk if you wa...

This is a huge favorite in our home 3 lb stewing steak 2 tbsp (1 oz) beef dripping (fat from roasted meat) (olive oil works if you don't have this) 1 lb (450g) onions, chopped 14 oz can of peeled tomatoes 1 level tsp curry powder 2 level tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider) 2 level tbsp apricot jam 1/2 cup water 1 beef bouillon cube crumbled 1 level tsp salt plenty of black pepper 1 bayleaf 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F . 2. Cut the beef into neat 1 in. (2.5cm) cubes. Melt the dripping in a large frying pan or dutch oven, add the beef and fry for 3-4 minutes to brown on all sides. 3. Stir in the onions and fry for about 1 minute, turning them in the fat. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring until well blended. 4. Turn into a 2 1/2 pt heatproof casserole, cover with a lid or foil and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. 5. Taste and check seasoning. Remove the bayleaf. serves 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 bone-in chicken breast halves 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 small red onions, cut into quarters 4 Cloves Garlic-pressed 1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves DIRECTIONS Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the black pepper, paprika and flour in a small bowl. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, lemon juice and oregano and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover the skillet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Uncover the skillet and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are...

You can probably accomplish financial goals by focusing on one specific priority each month. This calendar of ideas will stimulate your thinking about dollars-and-cents objectives. January Now is a good time to establish a budget for the year. There are many tools on the internet to help. Here is a template. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010233421033.aspx . Just click download and away you go. Use last years expenses and income as a starting point, then make any reasonable adjustments to maintain a standard to can stick to for the year. Also, pay off any holiday season credit card bills as soon as the charges show up on your monthly statement. If spring and summer arrive and you're still paying interest on last year's gifts, then the cost of those items will continue to rise. February Consider getting tax related documents ready ahead of time to avoid a last-minute rush. Make sure that you have receieved all necessary paperwork from your employer and your finan...

Many people who are interested in growing their assets in the marketplace but are concerned about putting their money into companies that don't have their moral or ethical values concerning. Over the course of the past decade (longer for some), the industry has started to respond to these investor's concerns. At Stockton Financial we have always kept the individual concerns of our clients at the top of our priorities. We are not a one size fits all financial planning company. As a result we have relied on many different professional tools to anazlye the Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) many of our clients maintain. Many people do not realize that Dow Jones established and has maintained an index to help advisors. http://www.sustainability-indexes.com/default.html . At Stockton Financial this is a tool that is used frequently to assess both individual stock investors', as well as mutual fund investors' portfolios. Another great tool for individual investors is a sit...