Archive for the ‘Smart Living’ Category
05.13.2017
A Touching Tribute to a Holtkamp Customer who Loved Roses
Last year I shared some tips on heirloom roses for your garden, noting they are less trouble, less maintenance, vigorous growers, produce beautiful hued blooms and come in plentiful shapes, sizes, fragrances, and hues. We included this article as part of our monthly eNewsletter (sign up here!), and I was touched to get a beautiful response from Holtkamp Heating & Air customer Harvey Flamholtz. Harvey’s late wife, Cathy, was a rose lover with two basic premises: 1. If they don’t have a fragrance, they might as well be plastic. 2. I’m not going to spend all my time pampering them. If they’re so fragile that they die, they die. Since her passing, Harvey admits their back yard has become somewhat overgrown, since most of what Cathy planted were climbers and he didn’t have the knowledge or inclination to prune them. An Invitation Despite their “wilder” condition, Harvey knew I would be delighted by the dozens of roses and other plant species throughout their back yard, and I happily accepted his invitation for a visit. Cathy’s hard work definitely didn’t disappoint! At every turn, there were new colors, new shapes and new scents of heirloom and other roses. Cathy became a big fan of the David Austin roses, which are […]
03.23.2017
Suzanne’s Top 6 Spring Cleaning Tips
Well, if you’ve spent any time outside you know Spring has definitely sprung. In fact, everything seemed to be blooming over a month ago! I love this time of year, as the warmer weather and the natural beauty outside always motivates me to get my spring cleaning into gear to beautify the inside of my home. While the typical spring cleaning tasks of mopping, dusting and decluttering are on all of our to-do lists, here are 6 lesser known areas that are well worth addressing while you’re wearing your rubber gloves! Tip 1: Wash out your Washing Machine If you have an energy efficient front loading washing machine, you may occasionally notice a sour odor on your clothes. This is a prime indicator that you have mold, soap scum or other gunk building up inside your washing machine. Take an old rag or paper towels dipped in white distilled vinegar and give the inside of your machine and all around the glass door a good cleaning. Be sure to get deep into the folds of the rubber gasket or seal, which is the primary problem with foul smells. If it’s particularly bad, you can spray inside the washing machine with vinegar and let it sit […]
01.31.2017
Smart Living: Placing the Spotlight on American Companies
With 2017 now under way, it’s hard to believe that we are beginning our 22nd year in business as an HVAC company here in beautiful Gwinnett County. You may have seen our billboards around with the tagline “Superior Service. American Quality.” Many of you already know that Matthew and I are huge proponents of locally grown businesses; we can identify with the stomach-turning risk and faith it takes to start something from scratch! We have been blessed so many times over by this wonderful community. In 2017, we’d like to bring our spotlight (as small as it may be!) to some genuine American businesses we consider to similarly have “Superior Service and American Quality.” We will regularly feature companies, some here in Gwinnett and others across the country, whose products we find intriguing, smart and sometimes just downright delicious! We hope you enjoy these spotlights and would love to hear your feedback as we continue our “Smart Living” blog posts. Spotlight #1: American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning We carefully chose to partner with the American Standard brand of HVAC equipment for our customers in areas from Suwanee to Norcross, Duluth, Buford, Lawrenceville and beyond. Why choose this HVAC equipment over other heating […]
01.16.2017
Comfort Food 101: Southern Style Mac & Cheese Recipe
This cooler time of year requires hearty, satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals. What better way to warm up than a delicious plate of comfort food? From Grandma Holtkamp’s Pot Roast with a Twist to my Baked Spinach Dip, comfort food often features family recipes passed down from previous generations or shared amongst friends. A family friend shared their grandmother’s delicious recipe for Southern Style Macaroni & Cheese. You’ll find many different ways to make mac & cheese, quite possibly the ultimate comfort food, but this super simple recipe features elbow macaroni with sharp cheddar cheese and a fluffy egg custard with a crispy, browned top. They’ve enjoyed this recipe in their family for years, and I hope you’ll enjoy it too! Southern Style Macaroni & Cheese Ingredients: 16oz Box of Mueller’s elbow pasta 16oz New York Sharp Cheddar Cheese (freshly grated is best) 2 Eggs 1 1/2 cups milk Salt and Pepper Dash (or two!) of Hot Sauce (Holtkamp Heatwave hot sauce, or your favorite) Butter Steps: Bring pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt. Add box of pasta – stir to separate and boil for 7-8 minutes. Drain pasta and add to the grated cheese. Mix and add salt and pepper and put in […]
11.18.2016
4 Dishwasher Tips to Save Money & Energy
With the holidays and all the fun gatherings with family and friends right around the corner, your dishwasher is likely about to get a serious workout. At our house, we typically entertain all year round. The ladies from church are usually aghast when I quickly scrape the plates into the garbage and put the un-rinsed plates right into the dishwasher, even with food debris. Why am I worry-free about leaving this on the plates? Here’s why, along with three other tips from Energy Star that will save you time, energy and money all year long! 4 Dishwashing Tips from Our Home to Yours 1. Don’t Wash by Hand, Use a Dishwasher. Did you know washing dishes by hand uses more energy than a dishwasher? Using the dishwasher instead can save you up to 5000 gallons of water annually and tons of time. In fact, you’ll save 230 hours per year, which is almost 10 days! 2. Scrape Your Dirty Dishes Instead of Rinsing. Rinsing off your dirty dishes can use up to 20 gallons of water before the dishes are even loaded. Save yourself some effort, and let your dishwasher do its job—by sticking to a simple scrape into the trash or garbage […]
09.30.2016
Suzanne’s Best Bloody Mary Recipe
I’ve always enjoyed the relaxing mindset of brunch, and with temperatures beginning to fall it’s the perfect meal to enjoy outside on the porch. If you want to kick your brunch game up a notch, my refreshing Best Bloody Mary recipe is sure to pair perfectly with whatever your serving. One you’ve made a flavorful bloody mary from scratch with this simple “dump and blend” recipe, you’ll never go back to the bottled bloody mary mix ever again! Ingredients 3 cups tomato juice 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 1 1⁄2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder 3⁄4 teaspoon Holtkamp hot sauce (or more if you like it hot!) 3⁄4 teaspoon celery salt 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1⁄3 cup pickle juice (optional) 1oz vodka, per cocktail (optional) Directions Combine tomato juice, lemon & lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pickle juice, and hot sauce in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to an air tight, nonreactive container and add celery salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. To serve, fill tall glasses or mason jars with ice and add vodka. Fill with […]
08.12.2016
Choosing Modern Light Bulbs 101: CFL or LED
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since we built our “new old house”. When we embarked upon the task of building a home which looked old but was the model of energy efficiency, we knew we would have several challenges blending the home’s greek revival architecture with the comforts of the 21st century. One area Matthew and I spent countless hours “discussing” was the lighting. I wanted fixtures which looked at home in the space; he wanted the newest technology which meant ‘compact fluorescent’ light bulbs. The lighting gods must have smiled on me because after hours of research, I located manufacturers of “gasolier lighting” that would accommodate a normal size light bulb. Now Matthew needed to show me that CFLs weren’t going to turn my antebellum home into a painful shopping mall fluorescent fiasco. After several trial runs choosing bulbs, we were able to outfit the entire home with CFLs and in our estimation, it has saved us many hundreds of dollars in electricity, not to mention the fact that most of the original bulbs are still alive and kicking. The choices back in 2006 are laughable compared to what is available ten years later. Take a walk with me down […]
06.14.2016
11 Plants & Herbs That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes
Did you know that Metro Atlanta region ranks as the worst in the U.S. for mosquitoes, according to the Orkin pest control company? As we head into peak mosquito season here in Gwinnett County, I came across this fantastic list of 11 different plants and herbs from Natural Living Ideas you can plant in pots for your deck or directly in your garden as a natural way of keeping these pests from buzzing around your back yard! Enjoy these 11 Plants & Herbs That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes 1. Citronella Chances are, you’ve heard of this one before- it’s one of the most common ingredients in most mosquito repellents. Strange enough though, many people don’t even know that citronella is actually a plant! Citronella is a beautiful perennial clumping grass that emits a strong aroma. That aroma masks other scents, and keeps mosquitoes from being attracted to things located around it. The citronella plant has a much stronger aroma than other mosquito repellents that contain citronella, so it is a great choice. Citronella is very easy to grow, and can get to be a very tall 5 or 6 feet high! You can grow citronella in pots and place it around a porch or […]
05.24.2016
7 Simple Tips for Growing Perfect Peonies
If there’s one beloved flower in my garden, it’s my peonies. Their unique beauty, large flowers and delicate fragrance are treasured every year, and make great gifts for friends in homes or condos without gardens. Here’s some good news whether you’ve got a green thumb or not: Peonies can be very easy to grow, and once they’re established they can thrive for 100+ years in your garden! Using some quick tips and recommendations based on my experience and a few more from a helpful gardeners.com article, you’ll be growing beautiful, trouble-free peonies in no time. 7 Quick Tips on Growing Peonies 1) Peonies thrive almost anywhere in the country. Many varieties can even survive a zone 2 winter (that’s a low of -50 degrees F, which we should thankfully never encounter!). 2) Peonies prefer a sunnier location with well-drained soil. Good air circulation around the plant is also important. 3) For a warmer climate like ours in Metro Atlanta, peonies will be more robust and their blooms will last longer if the plants receive at least some shade during the hottest part of the day. 4) Plant your peonies in ways that will set them up for success: simply plant them at the same level they are in the growing […]
04.29.2016
Suzanne's Tips on Edible Borders in Gardens
I was out in my kitchen garden a few weeks ago to visit my floribunda hybrid rose trees which are pruned into a ball shape on the top. I have a love/hate relationship with them. (They’re nothing like my carefree heirloom roses! See my previous blog.) For the second year in a row, two of the four trees didn’t survive the winter and seeing how I have a geometric garden, I sighed as I realized, that yes, I was going to be digging up rose trees again. Beneath these four rose trees, I had planted strawberry plants to fill out each section of the raised bed. The strawberries were totally thriving, but even the surviving rose trees were already exhibiting black spot and would definitely be sprayed this year with fungicide. This left me with the dilemma of not wanting edible plants underneath a tree which could be sprayed with chemicals. Yes, the strawberries would need to be moved. I looked around the garden and realized they would be perfect as a border to my flowers! This is a great example of how edible landscaping can be brought into your garden. An Idea is Born: Creating Edible Borders in your […]
