11.19.2021
What Thermostat Should I Buy?
If you’re trying to think of a great gift idea for your family or the “Techie” in your life, a new smart thermostat has many more useful features than traditional thermostats. Plus, they can save you significant money on your energy bills when programmed properly, which is easier than ever to do. However, before you head to the big box home store and purchase any willy nilly digital thermostat that’s all marketing and no substance, be sure to watch this video with Matthew’s tips on buying thermostats. If you have questions about thermostats or any other comfort needs, we’re always here to help. Please contact us to discuss thermostat options ideal for your HVAC system.
11.15.2021
Four Tips for Making the Perfect Charcuterie Board
Whether you’re serving your charcuterie as a snack between meals, the main course for a date night, or an appetizer to guests before dinner, charcuterie boards are truly the Swiss army knife of the food world. Perfect for any occasion! By following a few pointers, you can make your charcuterie board a real crowd pleaser. Keep in mind these are just guidelines, as there are no rules when it comes to charcuterie. Make it your own and serve what you and your family love. Tip 1: Find the Right Mix of Meats Use a variety of cured meats like pepperoni, salami and prosciutto, all of which are familiar to your guests. But don’t be shy about adding more exotic meats like coppa (cured pork shoulder), serrano (Spanish ham), spec (smoked prosciutto), and mocetta (cured beef tenderloin). Choose about 3 or 4 meats for your board. Rather than buying pre-sliced meat which can be on the thicker side, have your deli slice it thin. It will be easier to present (rolled, folded, etc) on your board, and easier for your guests to pick up each slice. Tip 2: Choose Your Cheeses Cheese comes in so many delicious flavors and textures. Choose […]
11.04.2021
Holtkamps Win HVAC Industry Award for Excellence
Holtkamp Heating & Air is the proud recipient of the 2021 Building a Higher Standard Award from American Standard. This prestigious honor is given to only 4 top dealers around the country who are setting new standards of excellence in the heating and air industry. This video tells the story behind the business and how we blend our love of heating and air conditioning with the love of our community. To celebrate this honor, American Standard also treated the entire company to a spectacular meal at Frankie’s Steakhouse. We are thankful to be recognized by American Standard for our dedication to delivering world-class comfort to our residential and commercial customers for 26 years. To receive such an honor simply takes the cake! If you need HVAC services for your home or business and would like to experience our award winning service first-hand, please contact us today.
10.11.2021
Quick & Easy Steak Marinade
Whether it’s a special occasion or you’re entertaining guests, sometimes a grilled steak is the perfect choice. But how can you take your steak from ordinary to extraordinary? This simple steak marinade is packed full of flavor to help your steaks have that extra little something that will have your friends and family raving from the very first bite. Plus, you probably have all these ingredients in your pantry already! Also, our Holtkamp House Wine pairs perfectly with grilled steaks. If you’d like to make a donation to the Holtkamp Family Foundation and enjoy this fine Napa Valley Cabernet with your next steak dinner, contact us. Ingredients 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce 1/2 cup Soy Sauce 1/4 cup Olive Oil (Recipe can easily be doubled or more if you’re entertaining a large group) Directions Place steaks in baking dish or pan. Combine all ingredients and pour over steaks. Cover with cling wrap and leave steaks in marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. Alternatively, place all steaks and marinade in zipper lock bag and make sure marinade is evenly distributed. Turn steaks every 15-20 minutes while marinading to ensure even coverage. Remove steaks from marinade and place on […]
09.22.2021
5 Fall Home Heating Tips
Happy First Day of Fall! Eleanor has 5 tips to keep it from being a ruff winter. 1) Change your filter every 60-90 days, or every 30 days if you have pets. A clogged filter makes your system work overtime, driving up energy bills. 2) Make sure you aren’t covering your home’s air vents and returns with furniture, rugs and drapes. Proper air flow prevents hot and cold spots in your home. 3) Take a walk around your home’s interior and exterior, looking for leaks and gaps around doors and windows that could be sealed or fixed. Don’t let the air you’re paying to heat escape your home! 4) Speaking of air escaping, when’s the last time your ductwork was inspected? According to the Department of Energy, an average of 30% of all heated and cooled area escapes into attics, crawlspaces and basements due to leaky ductwork. Yikes! Heating these spaces is literally throwing money away. 5) You wouldn’t let your car go a year without maintenance, and you shouldn’t let your HVAC system do the same. A Fall Tune-up is the easiest way to keep it in tip-top shape and avoid major repairs when temperatures plummet. Plus, you can […]
08.23.2021
Which HVAC Filter Should You Buy?
Ever find yourself in a home improvement store facing rows of HVAC filters and confused by all the options? Are you tempted to splurge on some of the fancy, thick, pleated filters that cost a pretty penny and make all sorts of health-related promises? It can be overwhelming when trying to make the best decision for your HVAC system and your indoor comfort. In this helpful video, Matthew Holtkamp will tell you exactly which filters to buy and which ones to avoid. Members of our Comfort Club enjoy fresh filters at every visit. If you’d like to get the twice annual maintenance your system needs, along with great discounts and VIP scheduling, please call 770-271-7511 to explore the benefits of Comfort Club membership.
08.17.2021
Holtkamp Raffle to Raise Funds for Special Kneads & Treats Bakery
We are pleased to announce a “SuiteStakes” community raffle to help support Special Kneads & Treats bakery in Lawrenceville. Through our Holtkamp Family Foundation, Matthew and Suzanne Holtkamp are helping the bakery raise funds to pay off their building. This achievement will free up funds and allow the bakery to bring many of the 225+ adults with special needs off their waiting list and into the bakery as paid employees doing meaningful work. The grand prize for the raffle is a VIP Atlanta Gladiators Experience in the Holtkamp’s private suite at Gas South Arena. Other prizes for the raffle are tied to several organizations the Holtkamps support throughout the community, including tickets to Aurora Theatre, art classes at the Hudgens Center, a gift certificate to the bakery and more. Tickets for the raffle are only $10, and the Holtkamps hope to raise $10,000 by August 31st. “We are longtime supporters of Special Kneads bakery and whole-heartedly support their impactful and loving mission,” said Suzanne Holtkamp. “We thought this raffle would be a fun and effective way to raise awareness about the bakery while giving individuals a chance to win some amazing prizes. When our community comes together and supports a […]
08.10.2021
Fall Gardening Tips for Georgia Homeowners
There’s nothing like those few sunny warm days after a cold bleak winter to turn even the most hardened city dweller to thoughts of gardening. My friends are often surprised to hear that I vastly prefer fall vegetable gardening in Georgia to either spring or summer. Why? Let me count the ways… Fewer bugs Less watering Weeds grow more slowly No sunburned ears No sweating through your bermudas (shorts, that is!) Fall vegetable gardening loses its terror when you realize that all food crops can be classified as either warm/hot weather or cool/cold weather. Whereas tomatoes, squash, corn, beans, and melons all flourish in the bright sunny days of summer, there are just as many vegetables who need cooler weather to grow and sweeten. These cool weather crops include lettuce, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kale, spinach, and leeks. As well, many types of onions and garlics are sown in the fall for harvest in the spring; other vegetables can be grown to maturity into the fall and left to overwinter in the ground such as carrots, turnips, and rutabagas leaving you to enjoy the harvest all winter long. Planning is the Key Read all seed packages carefully and pick varieties […]
07.26.2021
Mike Rowe: How We’ve Set Up the Workforce for Failure
As the owner of a company dedicated to hard work and superior customer service, Matthew Holtkamp first got his start over 35 years ago at technical college in Iowa. Knowing this education gave him a solid foundation of skills that eventually led to him owning his own company, Matthew has always worked hard to give back to the next generation and provide them with a hand up as they get started on their own careers. Whether serving on the Board of Trustees at Gwinnett Technical College, providing scholarships to students going through the HVAC program, or hiring apprentices onto his team of HVAC professionals, he’s consistently worked to help shape the local workforce of tomorrow. Many economic and educational factors, including Covid and the resulting labor shortages, are highlighting some very problematic trends in employment and education. They’ve become disconnected in ways that aren’t leading to positive long-term outcomes for young students faced with making important decisions about their professional and financial future. Please listen to this insightful video as Mike Rowe breaks down what he’s learned from “Dirty Jobs” and the impact that taking pride out of hard work has had on our workforce and how it inevitably crippled […]
06.22.2021
The Best Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins Recipe
It’s blueberry season, and we have the very best blueberry muffin recipe that you’ve ever tasted. The secret ingredient is buttermilk, making these muffins moist, rich and tasty. And since the local blueberry farms have just opened for summer picking, now is the perfect time to bring the kids and pick a bucket of blueberries to make these muffins. Don’t have time to pick your own? Try to pick up some beautiful blueberries at the store. This time of year, the price is very nice! A couple of tips on picking blueberries: Bluer is better, but if they are lightly purple, that’s ok. Unlike strawberries, blueberries will continue to ripen after being picked. Bigger is better. The bigger the berry, the more water content inside. They’ll be sweeter and will have that satisfying “burst” when you bite into your muffin! Give them the tug test. If they come off the bush very easily, they’re nice and ripe. If they don’t want to let go, move on to the next berry. Blueberries freeze beautifully, so go ahead and pick a bunch to save for the offseason. They freeze best in a ziploc freezer bag, without being washed. If you don’t plan […]
