New Salvation Army Store

Have you seen the new Salvation Army Store on Ballsford Road, behind Walmart?

We watched it go up and now it's been open for a couple of months and apparently well shopped.
Last week,
we took a box of dishes to donate and I just had to check it out to see what was drawing the crowds.
Don't miss it~ looks like a department store and even has shopping carts. Very organized and very clean.

You can never get out without finding at least one treasure, right?

I found the sweetest little wheel made pottery creamer complete with top in mint condition. At $3, I couldn't resist as would be perfect to heat and serve maple syrup. That was my excuse but for sure, was the last thing I need. I also bought a "conversation piece." I'll have you over to talk about it. Totally useless to me, but I liked it.

Toys, bikes, everything under the sun~ some of the furniture looked new. It was fun to look around ~ my New Years Resolution is to make lots of donations.
Check it out.

Reversing the Aging Process

Are you watching The Doctors Show on TV?

I TIVO their show as don't want to miss an episode. They talk about new technology and how we can learn about things going on within our bodies before we are aware.

I find most episodes to be totally fascinating. They had an entire show on

"Reversing The Aging Process."

That was for me~

One little bit of the overwhelming information was the benefits of spices.
They talked about the multi benefit's of cinnamon, rosemary and all spices.
What great information~Reversing damage already done, yes, they say it is possible.

They recommend lots of stuff ~plain yogurt with cinnamon each day.

One of the doctors went on and on about cinnamon.

"Throw the mayo away...use cinnamon."

"Exercise until you sweat at least ONCE A MONTH."

OK...that's my style..once a month.

They informed us that a gathering of weight around the waist could be a fatty liver...UGH.

I must have one, do you?

My good times are definitely saved around my waist.

Time to try to reverse all of that I thought.

Yesterday I decided to make my favorite sandwich for lunch...I LOVE banana sandwiches...made with peanut butter OR mayo.

Now, you KNOW that can't be good for someone with high cholesterol and B/P, right?

With the show information fresh in my mind, I substituted a generous sprinkling of cinnamon for mayo. WOW..it was totally delicious.

Wonder what else would explode with unexpected flavor i f we left out the no-no mayo and put in cinnamon. Potato Salad? hummmm...I don't think so.. Carrot and Raisin Salad? hummmm that might work. What else? Fried egg sandwich?

In the South Beach Diet book, they do substitute cinnamon for salt on tomatoes and that is a WOW taste, I know.

Why do we fall back on our old reliable stuff, like mayo and salt?

I'm going to try to take better care of myself.

Think it is too late?Probably not.
Two days of putting cinnamon on everything instead of salt is working.

For sure, it has totally taken away my desire for sweets.

Walking right by the cakes...and cookies...NOT tempted. Not at all.

Police Car in Virginia Oaks Last Night

Prince Willam Police responded to report of a truck parked with back open at a residence where owner wasn't home. Thank goodness, it was all ok as was a relative of homeowner and was identified by neighbors.

The Policeman was happy to see many homeowners outside checking the situation out. It's so nice to have a community of concerned people looking out for our neighbors. He told all of us to "Call anytime."

Christmas Lights in Virginia Oaks

Have you driven around to see all the Christmas decorations and lights this year?
They are beautiful~ The team of Judges did an excellent job of selecting houses for special recognition.
It's nice to live in a neighborhood that is visited by near-by communities to see what we have done.
DON'T miss the lights. Two of the top awards are on Sedona Drive this year.

Did anyone see who got 1st Place?

Vickie told me they were going to have more categories and some new signs for next year.

Remember in the years past, we awarded read prizes (gift certificates)? Maybe we all can help make our community even better.
HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS.

Minute Clinic at CVS ~

Just across from our community,
you will find the CVS Pharmacy has a "Minute Clinic".

If you haven't yet had your
flu shot you might want to drop in and get that. They have the pneumonia shot as well. The pneumonia shot is done every FIVE YEARS. Flu is an annual immunization.

There is a long list of simple stuff the Physician's Assistant there can do for us, but to me, nothing is more important to have than preventive FLU SHOT. FREE for Medicare folks.

Eden Nails ~ New Nail Shop in Gainesville Square

Eden Nails has a sign over the door ~ 20% Discount ~ which the owner told me will be indefinitely with the economy down.

My regular tech has become very popular and hard to get in when I need her, so I driften into Eden.

Was delighted to find two very good techs there and thought I would share this with you.

Both LeeVa and Julie have done my nails and am

happy to say, they are very good. I enjoy pretty nails....and look at this...probably the only snow we are likely to see this Christmas

is the snowflake on my nail to cover a bruise under the nail. Was the tech's idea and I like it, don't you?

Less than a mile from home, a great find.

Orange Date Nut Cake

I made this cake yesterday and it is WONDERFUL~

GERMAN ORANGE DATE NUT CAKE

2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 1/2 oz. pitted dates, chopped
4 1/2 oz. walnuts, chopped
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar (1 c. for cake, 1 c. for topping)
2 eggs1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk1 tsp. vanilla
Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir several tablespoons into the chopped dates and nuts. Cream the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir baking soda into the buttermilk and add the creamed mixture alternately with the flour mixture. Add vanilla, dates, nuts, orange rind and mix well. Pour into pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil together remaining 1 cup sugar and juice from oranges.
Cook until it will make a sugar coating on cake.

Saigon Crepes in Gainesville Square

New to Gainesville is a very small Vietnamese resturant located in Gainesville Square.

Vietnamese dishes are our favorite of all Asian foods. It has been very hard to find a really good one after enjoyed the real thing in Houston. Yesterday, dropped in for lunch and were really surprised.

Where is Gainesville Square?
It is located down 29 where the new Rite Aid Drugstore and Bank of America are located. Behind them are 4 new restaurants. Among them you will find a tiny shotgun style Vietnamese delight....The name over the door is Saigon Crepes.

Ford ordered from the Rice Noodle Soups (PhO)...He selected the well done flank steak which was nice...and I ordered my favorite...
Vermicelli topped with grilled lemongrass chicken.

We were really happy as it is the real thing!

The vermicelli is a rice noodle which is wonderful. It is served with a dipping sauce and do ask for the mild sauce. The sauce is so, so good.
We also tried a Spring Roll and it was the real thing.
We really were happy to find them so close as we really enjoyed our experience.

Soup was $7.50
Spring Roll $3.75
Vermicelli with lemongrass chicken $7.50

Looked like Mom and Pop were in the kitchen cooking and daughter serving. We definately will be a reqular there. Let me know if you like it too.
June

Foreclosure on Presidents Landing

Sharon Newton called to say she has the details of this beautiful house just on the market today and sadly is a

foreclosure.

Only $508,900

Sits on a flat lot, not on golf course which makes it nice for children.

Call Sharon for details

703 298-7858

New Pizza Margherita Gets Thumbs Up

New in our Shopping Mall near the World Market is an interesting new Pizza Shop called Pizza Margherita.

We ordered from the Del Forno Classsico (Brick Oven Pizza) Menu
to try the Pizza Milano. YUM~ We thought we were back in Milano, Italy.
Thin crust topped with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula and fresh parmigiana ~baked in their brick oven. A delightful experience if you enjoy classic Italian foods.

Can't wait to try their Pizza Margherita which was originated to represent the colors of the Italian Flag....
Red, Green and White. Bet it's good too.
The plaza was crowded and the Restaurant/Take Out was doing a brisk business.
We certainly understand why.

Interest Rates Down Today

Have you checked into the current Home Mortgage Rates with your lender today?

Looks like 4.5 % are available for 30 year fixed if you buy one point.

4.78 % if you don't want to pay for a point.

Fixed Interest Rate under 5% sounds good doesn't it?

Of course,

have to ask for all other cost/charges that we have to pay with a re-fi before you jump.

Time to see assess our own positions while the interest rates are lower than when? Been a long time.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Rice Remedy Revealed

Seems the Stone Heat story was circulated and I in turn received another remedy for aches and pains. This one came from a Physical Therapist.

Of course, we are talking about dealing with issues that have been diagnosed and treated by a Doctor. We are talking about persistent arthritis pain of joints that seems to ache worse in cold weather. We can't guess what is causing new pains that come along... AND early diagnosis is critical for anything. If the Doctor says it's ok and heat will help....

Try making a Rice Bag by filling a sock with rice. Heat by putting in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and carefully applying to joint pain. Everyone that substitutes the stone or rice bag for the ol' heating pad seems to get
much more relief, I am told.
Let me know.
June

Happiness is Having Decorations on the Lawn

As we enter the Holidays, more and more decorations lace here and there throughout the community. These houses reflect happiness and joy....

......while others sadly stand

bare .....

with only "for sale" signs to grace the lawns. The prices ...whew!

$358, 000 List Price for this Cottage Home (shown above)

7822 Virginia Oaks Drive $400,000

~New Years Eve Celebration~

A Memorable Evening with your

Closest Friends

and Neighbors

Where? Virginia Oaks Golf Club

When? Wednesday Dec 31st 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Tickets on Sale Now

Reservations required before Dec 24th

Contact Club Social Director

for

more information and to make reservations.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another fun thing to do~

New Years Day Brunch

Where? Clubhouse

When? 11:00 am thrusday January 1st

11:00

Reservations required

Contact Club Social Director

Gas Line Ruptured in Heritage Hunt

If you saw all the blue lights flashing and Police Cars on Highway 29 at the main entrance to Heritage Hunt, they were there to redirect traffic from entering that entrance due to a ruptured gas line in Heritage Hunt.
Seems it was an "external" gas line break discovered yesterday afternoon.
No further information on this.

Ruth's Chris Special Sweet Potato Casserole

Have preferred sweet potatos with steaks for a long time and at Ruth's Chris, there is no better~ It is totally out of this world~ A friend sent me their recipe.

Guess what will grace our Christmas Table?

Ruth's Chris Special Sweet Potato Casserole
YUMMMMMMMMMMMY

Ruth’s Chris Special Sweet Potato Casserole

(Shared with love from Golda)

Topping

1 C. brown sugar

1/3 C. plain flour'

1 C. chopped pecans

4 TBS. butter, melted

Combine all in small mixing bowl until crumbly. Set aside.

Sweet Potato Mixture

3 C. cooked mashed sweet potatoes

1 C. white sugar

½ teas. salt

1 teas. vanilla

2 eggs, well beaten

½ C. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat a medium sized casserole with nonstick spray.

Combine ingredients in the order listed.

Beat thoroughly with hand mixer to increase fluffiness.

Pour into prepared dish.

Sprinkle with Topping mixture.

Bake 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Deeelicious! Caution – this is NOT a Weight Watchers recipe!

Latest Virginia Oaks House For Sale.

14361 PRESIDENTS LANDING WAY, GAINESVILLE, VA 20155
List Price: $533,900

~ How To Know If You're A Senior ~

It's when we've reached the age where Happy Hour is a nap.

Christmas Party 08

On December 7th we celebrated our fourth Christmas Party at Anne's home, which has become a much anticipated tradition each year.

The ambiance was an experience we wish for all this Christmas Season. What a lovely time.

We enjoyed a variety of cheeses from our new Wegmans which were the hit of the evening as all were delicious and interesting.

For our International Cheese Board, we selected:

Wensley Date with Cranberries

BB Stilton Date and Orange

Le Marechal

Emi Cave aged Gruyere

Emi Winzer Kase

Sticky Toffee Cheese from England

Cypress Grove Chevre with Purple Haze (this is a very soft cheese with herbs)

We also had Baked Brie dressed with Blackberry Jam and fresh Blackberries.

Another hit was a cream cheese topped with a recipe I would love to have.

From the dinning room we enjoyed sliced Chateaubriand. a side of Horseradish sauce~ A beautiful Ham and assortment of mustards~which both were the centerpieces of the evening. There were baskets of Costco Rolls which were sliced for finger sandwiches. A dish of veggies plus a chafing dish of meatballs. We tried the Wegmans Fruit Cake which we wouldn't recommend, however, the Costco Tray of Cookies were DELICIOUS.

Dirty Santa was a hoot!
Tom Hawkins was MC and a good time was had by all.

Actually the gifts were pretty darn good this year, which kept the fun going. Many wanted the "Hand Clapper" ...don't remember where it ended up.

There was a ceramic pot that Mike kept trying to give away ...but no takers.. have a feeling it's going to turn up somewhere as a "prize." Maybe for the worst chili of the evening for our Chilli Tasting Evening in Feburary.

HERE IT IS...
Recipe for Chateaubriand

3-4 lb. beef (eye of round is good)
We used beef tenderloin, however, the eye of round slices better)
Meat tenderizer
Seasoned Salt

Sprinkle meat generously with seasoned salt and tenderizer. Wrap in Saran Wrap and refridgerate overnight. The next day, bring to room temperature. Place in a roasting pan and bake at 325 degrees 25 minutes per pound. Baste often with the following sauce.

SAUCE:
1/4 c. water ```````````````2 (3 oz) cans mushrooms in butter
3/4 c. beef consomme` ````1/4 c. parsley and chives, minces
1/2 c. Dry Vermouth ``````3 tsp. lemon juice
4 oz. butter
Add all together in saucepan and bring to simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors and use to baste often~
The recipe came from an Air Force Wife ~ and I've been recieving raves for 34 years with this one. ENJOY !

A little business meeting was held and our year was filled with each month being requested, reserving October for the Traditional Halloween Party, leaving space for the other two couples who were not able to attend.

What a lovely, lovely, lively, warm and wonderful group of friends we are to each other.

We are so thankful for our FABULOUS FIFTIES and SENIORS GROUP!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR

FROM THE SENIORS OF VIRGINIA OAKS.

Stone Heat

WOW~ Want relief from tight muscles or arthritis pain?
The secret is out...

Stone Heat AND at home ...the idea was from "The Doctors" TV show when they had a demo of the benefits of Stone Heat.

The treatments are done at a Spa and are expensive and time consuming. Then, on the show, they gave away a secret...
At the very end of the demo, the therapist simple stated "You can do these at home with a stone from your garden...just heat a nice smooth flat stone in your small oven."

Having a tight muscle pain in my hip, this caught my attention.
WHY NOT??
GREAT IDEA!!!

There are many smooth flat stones around the garden and I selected a flat one, the size of a saucer and about half inch thick with mostly smooth sides. Cleaned it and put it in the toaster oven to heat through which took no time...
Then, being very careful to use care as with any object from the oven, transferred to a hand towel to absorb the excess heat and carefully applied to the painful aching muscle and hip while on the computer.

The results were amazing. The stone apparently sends heat deeper into an area than a heating pad. It's been 3 days and the pain has not returned.

Let us know if you try it . Naturally, be very careful as the stone can get really hot.

Merry Christmas Party

The Seniors and Fabulous Fifties are cerebrating their FORTH year together with our Annual Christmas Gathering. Our party this year is co-sponsored by the Community who appreciate the Senior contribution.

We wish all.....

Merry Christmas

and

A FABULOUS 2009!