How to Prep Your Home Before You Go Away for Vacation

Is it just us or is Texas miserable in the summer? We want to go on vacation and get out of the heat! But your home needs to be prepped before you go on vacation, especially if it’s for longer than a few days. There’s so much to do between planning the trip and packing that we put together a checklist. You can print it out to go step by step over how to prep your appliances, home and security before you leave. 

Outline: 

Prepping Your House

Security Set Up

Take It Easy When You Get Back 

Prepping Your House

- You want to start by making sure that your home is prepped if you’re going away for more than 3 or 4 days. 

- Whether it’s winter or summer, start by putting your water heater on vacation mode. 

- Turn off the valves that lead to your dishwasher, washing machine and sink. It can’t leak if the valves are off! 

- Unplug what doesn’t need to be on. 

TVs, computers, game systems, sound systems, etc. These don’t need to be plugged in if there’s no one home to use them, right? And why rack up the electric bill if you aren’t using it? 

- Take a moment before you leave to check your smoke detectors. This way, if the worst happens your neighbors will hear. Or if you have newer models, the fire department and your security company will be alerted. 

- Run a  half cup of vinegar through your garbage disposal to make sure you don’t come back to a rank miasma. 

- On that note, empty out your fridge and cabinets of anything that is set to expire while you’re gone. You don’t have to throw it out, just make sure to eat it or give it away. You can also see if any of the foods could be made into freezer stable foods if you aren’t keen to give away food. 

- Set your thermostat to a more neutral set of temperatures. Maybe 80s if its summer or 50s if it’s winter. Again, this saves you money, while still keeping your home at temps that won’t destroy furniture or other elements of your home. 

Setting Up Security 

- Engage a friend or neighbor to come and stay over a few hours a day, park their car in your driveway, water the plants, feed your pets, etc. 

- Call your home security and tell them you’re going out of town and if you have anyone that’s coming to check on the house. 

- If you don’t have anyone to check on your house, make sure to call and delay your mail and your newspaper. Piles of newspapers, mail and packages are a clear sign that no one has been home for a while. 

- Another way to avoid that is to park your car in the garage while you’re gone. Or if you’ve transformed your garage into a  shop or a bedroom, you can park your car at a storage lot for the duration. 

- Set up an ‘at home’ routine with your lights. With the benefit of smart tech, you can schedule your lights at different times to mimic your usual routine. It could look something like this at night.

Kitchen: Come on 7 and go for 30 minutes 

Dining room: Lights turn on at 7:25 and go for 1 hour

Living room: Lights turn on at 8:30 and run for 1 hour. 

Bedroom: Lights turn on at 9:30 and then run for 1 hour. 

- If you want to get really clever you could even create multiple routines for different days. 

- One last night on security. Make sure that all of your windows are closed and latched, even the upstairs ones. Keys to your doors definitely shouldn’t be somewhere obvious like under the doormat or on a  windowsill. Make sure that your garage is locked as well.

Take It Easy When You Get Back 

- You’re going away on vacation, the last thing you want to worry about when you get back is cleaning. The simplest answer then is either to schedule a top to bottom cleaning. Alternatively, do one yourself before you leave if you don’t want someone going all over while you’re gone. 

- Take out all of the trash. Kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, office. Get rid of it. Coming back to your house after a vacation and finding squatter rodents is not someone anyone wants. 

- Do your laundry, especially if it’s summer. Coming home to find that you have get right into the humdrum of doing laundry is the worst. And if you do it beforehand you can…

- Plan clothes ahead of time. We don’t mean for your vacation. We know you’re already daydreaming about that.Studies have shown it can take a least a week for most people to get back into things after being gone for more than a few days.  So we’re suggesting that you lay out a week’s worth of clothes for when you get back. This way you can keep yourself focused on getting back into the routine, without feeling overwhelmed. 

- Now that you have your house prepped and secure, you can go on your vacation!

Go and enjoy, and tell us what you get up to while you’re out of town. You can do that, or ask any questions you might have on our Facebook page. 

If you want to download the checklist, here you go.  

And if the worst happens while you’re gone and some of your appliances start acting up, you can always call us at ((214) 599-0055), or go to our webpage to set up an appointment.

Creole Bread Pudding Souffle

This week we needed something sweet to round out the month. Let’s face it, June has been a long month. Creole Bread Pudding Souffle was just what the doctor ordered.  You can make it for an event or you can save it all for yourself. We certainly did. 

Ingredients 

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs

2 cups whipping or heavy cream

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

⅛ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ cup raisins (optional) 

12 slices French bread (1-inch thick) 

1 Tbsp butter

1 ½ tsp sugar

6 large eggs, separated

½ cup sugar

½ cup powdered sugar, sifted 

Whiskey Sauce 

The night before, slice your bread and lay it out on a baking sheet in your oven. Don't turn the oven on, don't cover the bread. You want to give the bread time to become a little stale so that it absorbs the mixture without disintegrating into it. 

Using an electric mixer, beat your 1/2 cup of butter at medium speed. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar beating well. The sugar should be fully incorporated before you begin to add the eggs one at a time. Once the eggs are fully beaten in, add cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins (if desired.) Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by 2 pan, preferably a clear casserole dish. 

Remove your bread from the oven, and transfer the slices to mixture, laying them flat; let them stand for 10 minutes. Flip the slices over and let them sit for another 10 minutes.  During this time, set your oven to 350*F to preheat. 

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place into a larger shallow pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 1 inch. Transfer the entire thing to the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the baked bread mixture into a large bowl and set to the side. Reserve the remainder for something else. (We think it's an easy breakfast if you reheat it, or  a quick  dessert if you throw on any remaining whiskey sauce.) 

Grease a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish with 1 Tbsp butter; coat the sides and bottom with 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and set it to the side. 

Combine egg yolks with  1/2 cup sugar in the top of a double boiler; place over simmering water and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 4 minutes or until the mixture thickens. (You can do this section by hand if you want to, but your wrists will hurt after.) Add the yolk mixture to the bread that you reserved and beat at medium speed until smooth.  Set aside, and take the time to preheat your oven up to 375*F. 

Beat your egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, beating until stiff peaks form; fold the egg whites into a bread mixture. Pour this into your prepared souffle dish. Bake the entire thing for 40 minutes at 375*F. 

Serve warm with whiskey sauce. 

Whiskey Sauce

1 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream

⅛ tsp ground  cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter

1 ½ cornstarch 

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp bourbon 

Combine sugar, whipping cream, cinnamon, and butter into a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring often. In a separate dish, combine the cornstarch and water, then pour into the cream mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Keep it at a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon. Serve warm. 

Be careful while making the whiskey sauce as melted sugar is ridiculously hot and burns like mad if you manage to get it on you.

NOTES 

When talking about egg whites, 'foaminess'  and 'stiff peaks' what are we talking about?  Foamy egg whites should be slightly opaque, mostly made of liquid but with some bubbles. Stiff peaks on the other hand are when you can pull your whisk out of the mixture and have it form a little mountain top, that doesn't fall over once you fully remove the whisk.  Still confused? Check out this page from The Spruce. 

Bourbon can be bought in small bottles from your local liquor store if you don't want to buy a large bottle just for one recipe. 

Let us know what you thought of the recipe over on our Facebook page, we would love to hear from you.  Or show us pictures, that would be awesome too! You can also leave a comment if you have any questions about the recipe, ideas for future recipes or questions that you have about your appliances at home. 

On that note, if you are having issues with your appliances, and Youtube hasn't been helpful (let's face it, they're not often) you can call us at (). Or you can set up an appointment and we'll have one of our technicians come out to help you. 

Credit for this photo goes to Louisiana Cookin’

Outdoor Kitchens: 7 Reasons You Want One Today

Every year we hear people talking about why they should get an outdoor kitchen, but so few people do. They talk and talk, but they never seem to decide to take the plunge, even though they're so useful!  We've put together 7 reasons you absolutely should put 'get an outdoor kitchen' on your to-do list for the summer. 

It will cut down your utility bills  

 This is a big one for many of us. If you've been with us for a while, you've seen that we like to help you save money when we can. An outdoor kitchen is a great way to do it, that not many people consider. 

Think about it,  if you're spending more time outside, your AC doesn't have to be cranked to max to keep your house cool. 

To really make the most of this you can install an awning, fan, or lots of green plants in your outdoor kitchen. All of these will help bring the temperature down on a hot Texas day.  If you can manage all three, say with an awning, a mobile fan, and then screens of green plants, you'll have created a small oasis for yourself. We all know that summers in Texas are unbearable, so why have everyone crammed into one or two rooms when you want to be together if you can spread out instead? 

They're great for entertaining

An outdoor kitchen is the perfect spot for entertaining. People can move around, talk with the cook, get drinks, and wander all without having to move from room to room. Where the food is, people gather and we love to socialize when we do. An outdoor kitchen doesn't have to be just a grill though, you can make it an entire oasis by bringing out lighting, furniture, patio heaters and more. What you can create in your outdoor kitchen is only limited by your imagination. 

An outdoor kitchen increases your home's value.

An outdoor kitchen is an investment in your home, and by comparison to most other outdoor projects, sees the most return on that investment.  

Additionally, most outdoor kitchen appliances and grills are stainless steel. They are easy to clean and built to withstand tough outdoor conditions, and the trend to be timeless (at least so far.) All of these add up to a long term investment that isn't going to go out of style or appear 'dated' if you decide to sell your home. 

Credit for the images goes to Country Living and Max Kim Bee

 Cooking becomes so much easier

- Most outdoor kitchens include everything you have inside, with an ice maker,  refrigerator,  side burners, and most importantly, the counter space. This means that you don't have to prep inside and move it outside, forgetting things you need and having to make multiple trips. Instead, everything you need is right there and you can get on with what you want to make. 

-When you cook inside, certain smells tend to linger. They'll seep into the walls and you'll be dealing with them for days, even if your vent hood is going full blast while you're cooking. Fish and deep-frying are two well-known culprits. With an outdoor kitchen, that's not the case. The air isn't restricted the same way it is inside, so the smells won't linger for any longer than it takes to clean the area. 

-No matter how hot things get, neither smoke nor heat will linger. This means that you're not overheating while cooking, or trying to air out the kitchen while also worrying about the food cooking properly. 

It gives you more room to spread out

Why build on an entirely new room with walls and a roof if you have a patio? As we said above with one or two tweaks you can make it into a small oasis, a kitchen, and a space to entertain guests on all sorts of occasions. Once you bring in the furniture you can expand the uses for it even further. With an awning or a solid roof added, you can even use it during rainy days. 

 Foods you cook are Healthier and Tastier

When you're cooking on the grill your foods, be they meat, vegetable or grain, tend to retain more of their flavor. They are also having the fat drip out of them, instead of sitting in it were it to be cooked in a  pan, which means that the end product is healthier too! 

You save money on eating out

When you have a  private dining area where you can enjoy the breeze, delicious healthy food, and the company of friends and family, without having to deal with other people's friends and family, why would you dine out? Every time you use your outdoor kitchen, you're keeping money in your wallet and building memories and bonds built around food. 

So, have we changed your mind? Are you considering turning your neglected patio into an outdoor kitchen? Let us know over at our Facebook page or in the comments. Even if you completely disagree, tell us that too! 

Whether you have an outdoor kitchen or not, we can still help with your appliances. All you need to do is place a call at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our website to set up an appointment and we'd be happy to help.  All of our clients matter to us, from Dallas to McKinney, and want to help keep your homes running.

Remodeling Your Kitchen Guide : Part 3 The DIY Timeline

Welcome back to our Kitchen Renovation series! If you missed parts one (creating the game plan)  and two (inspiration, features and layout) , not to worry! You can find them here and here. Don’t worry, we can wait. 

All caught up? Let’s get on with this month’s topic then, The DIY timeline. If you’re the type to get your hands dirty and want to see the project done just right, this post is for you.  There’s more to the process than just budgeting and figuring out what you want to do with what you have. Our next step is to plan it out. From experience we can say you DEFINITELY don’t want to try a full kitchen overhaul in one weekend, by yourself or even just with a friend or two. It takes some serious time to get it done right… unless of course this is what you do for a living. If so, have at it! (And tell us how you managed it? Because we are in awe.) 

You’ll want to start by looking at what time of year works best. Most people choose to do projects in the beginning of the year rather than the end because of the holidays. You don’t have to do it that way though if that’s your slow season at work. Maybe you’re like our blogger and cannot handle the heat of summer. All of that needs to be taken into account first. From there, think about kids and pets if you have either. If this is a large project, how will you keep them out of  the area?  Would doing it over school break of some type work?  

Grab a drink and your calendar and look at what works best for you and your life. When is there an open time that you can work around. Of course, this is also going to vary on just how large a project you’re doing. Figure out if you can do it in stages, or if you would rather get it all done in one long week (assuming that’s possible.) 

Once you have your time blocked out, celebrate! You’ve started the DIY process!

Six months before the start date 

Take this time to research what local regulations are and what permits you’ll need. Some communities will require that you pass a test before you take on large scale renovation projects. Get a binder and make a list of all the permits and what not. As you get each of them, put it in here. Keep this binder with you all the time, because everything is going to go into it. 

This is also the point when you should be looking through your inspiration board and choosing specifics. Are you replacing your appliances? Nail down the specific brand and who you’re buying it from. Are you painting and tiling? Figure out the exact color names and how much tile you’ll need. That sort of thing.

4 months before the start date

Grab your pencils and draw an accurate floor plan of your kitchen. (You can learn how to make one here with this great site.) Or you can hire a professional to make one for you. Make copies and stick it into your  project binder. 

Make a list of all of the things you need to either buy or rent, one project at a time, including all the tools, equipment and quantities of materials. 

Once you’ve done that, head over to your favorite store and make a detailed budget. Include things  like food and dining out if you’ll be doing more of that during the course of the project. 

Get all of your permits, and triple  check that they are in order. 

3 Months before the start date 

Source the materials and projects you’ll need, and place an order. Most shops will let you place orders in advance.

2 Months before the start date

Find a place that is both secure and temperature controlled where you can store all the tools and materials that won’t fit into your home. Make two lists. One that you save digitally, and one that goes into your binder. We suggest taking photos as well.

One week before the start date. 

Take all of your ‘before’ pictures.  We suggest doing two sets. One with everything in the kitchen and then once you’ve cleared out everything. Which of course means, you need to clear the room of everything. 

Arrange for pickup and disposal of both old appliances and materials, anything that you’re getting rid of needs to be done so safely. 

Make yourself a mini kitchen in another room including  a microwave, a mini fridge and either an electric kettle or a coffee maker. If you can’t do dishes in this room, stock up on paper plates and plastic utensils as well. 

Shield any connecting rooms, the floor and the air vents with protective covers.  Painters tape is your friend doing all of this. 

Go over your list of projects and make sure that everything you need is purchased and you know where it is. Also ensure that the projects are in order of how they need to be done if getting one done necessitates another being done already. (Such as getting the new cabinet in before you can put in the new sink and plumbing.) 

Check one last time that all of your permits are in order. (We all know of horror stories of wanting to do a project only to find out at the last minute that some permit or another is wrong or missing.) 

Go Day!

Work one project at a time and take pictures after you finish each step.  (Keep going, you can do it!) 

Take breaks and stay hydrated. It’s easy to get overheated and flustered and that’s never any good for you or your team.

When you’ve finished up

Make sure the kitchen has been cleaned thoroughly, including the air vents. Even with the best taping, it’s better to check. 

Go through the process of making sure that all of the work you’ve done is up to code, and has passed all inspections that are needed for local regulations. 

Scan the warranties and instruction manuals for your materials and products into something like Evernote or OneNote, for easier finding later.  (And less mess in the kitchen!)

Go through your binder one last time to make sure that all of your bills have been paid. Make sure to also compare your actual expenses to your original estimated budget. Did you do well? Cheer! Did you go over? It’s ok, chalk it up as a learning experience for the next time you do something like this. 

Take a bunch of ‘after’ photos and bask in the beauty of your new kitchen! You did it! 

If you’ve gotten this far, congrats! We hope that you enjoyed learning about this process with us. Next month we’ll be taking a look at the process of finding someone to redo your kitchen for you. 

If you have any questions, let us know over on our Facebook page. We love hearing from all of you and would love to know what questions you have about your home and appliances. 

Don’t forget that if your appliances are giving you any trouble, we’re only a phone call away.((214) 599-0055 ) Our clients in Richardson and the surrounding areas mean the world to us, and if phones aren’t your thing, you can also make an appointment on our website. 

Try Eggs Creole for Sunday Brunch

Welcome back everyone! With summer just around the corner, we wanted foods that make us think of lazy summer mornings. We went digging through our family recipe books and found this week’s recipe for Eggs Creole. 

Ingredients

3 ¾ cups water

¾ cups  regular grits, uncooked

1 cup diced smoked sausage - ¼ inch pieces

¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp butter

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, beaten

1 Tbsp milk

¾ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil

Poached Eggs

Creole Sauce

Instructions

-Bring your  water to a boil in a large saucepan; then gradually stir in grits and return to a boil. 

-Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until done. (Where done here means: the grits are soft and tender, and ‘feel’ different when you stir a spoon through them. ) 

-Remove the pot from the heat; stir in sausage, Cheddar, butter and salt. Spoon into a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan, pressing firmly and smoothing the surface. Cover and chill for 24 hours. 

-Turn grits out onto wax paper. Cut out 12 (2 ½ inch) rounds with a biscuit cutter, reserving remaining grits for other uses. 

-Sprinkle the rounds with flour, a light dusting, not a thick coat. 

-Combine egg and milk; dip rounds into egg mixture and dredge in breadcrumbs. 

-Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch into a large, heavy skillet. Fry the grits rounds in hot oil over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. -Place 2 rounds on each plate; top each with a poached egg and Creole sauce. Serve immediately. 

Poached eggs 

Not sure how to poach an egg? Here’s how the process works. 

-Start by checking how fresh your eggs are. The fresher they are, the better they will hold together. You can see how to do this over at The Kitchn. 

-Next up, grab a pot with tall straight sides, and fill it with 3 inches of water. 

-Set your water to boil and add a mild vinegar to the water, for example rice wine. It won’t flavor the egg, but it does help it to stick together. 

-Wait until you see tiny bubbles at the bottom of your pot,but not a full roiling boil. Now reduce the heat low enough that you’ll keep that simmer going. 

-Now crack your egg into a bowl or a ladle and slip it gently into the water. 

-Leave it in the water for 2 minutes if you want the yolk to be still runny, or 3 minutes for a firmer yolk. Timing is crucial, so a timer on your phone or stove would be helpful. 

-Using a slotted spoon remove the egg from the water and set it to the side. 

-Repeat the process with the remaining eggs. 

Creole Sauce

1 medium onion, cut into thin strips

1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips

2 stalks celery, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic minced

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp butter 

2 tsp paprika 

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup tomato juice

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1- 1 ½ Tbsp hot sauce

1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch

½ cup water

Cook the onion, pepper, celery, garlic and the bay leaf in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in paprika, tomatoes, tomato juice, Worcestershire, and the hot sauce; simmer for 5 minutes or until moisture is reduced by one-fourth. 

Combine the cornstarch and water, whisking rapidly. Stir into sauce and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve warm. 

Notes 

If you don’t have any Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs on hand, you can make your own. 

This video from Alton Brown over at the Food Network is our favorite way of doing it. (And not just because he’s amusing to watch!) 

What do you think about this week’s recipe? Let us know over at our Facebook page, we’re eager to know what you think. Or if you have any suggestions for themes or recipes you want us to check out, let us know in the comments! We’re always interested in hearing from you. 

Don’t forget, if you have any problems with your appliances, you can always give us a call ((214) 599-0055) or set up an appointment with one of our technicians.  We care about our clients in Garland and the surrounding areas, and if you need assistance with your appliances, we want to help.