Seasonal changes definitely take place in Northern California! And along with that comes certain maintenance chores that are specific to the weather. Here are some great tips to keep your living and outdoor space in tip-top shape all year long.

Get to mowing. Did you know that you should mow your leaves instead of raking them during the winter? The cut-up leaves will fall among your grass blades and help nourish the lawn during the cooler months.

Spring is the best time to fertilize your lawn so it keeps looking great throughout the summer months.

Keeping it clean. Remember to replace and clean filters in your home once a month!  You’ll also need to check and clean your dryer vent, air conditioner and ceiling fans.

Safety first. Change smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries twice a year (a good rule of thumb – replace the batteries when the time changes in the fall and the spring). Inspect your fire extinguisher at the same time to make sure it’s working properly.

Tree-trimming time. Late winter is the ideal time to prune your trees and shrubs. Your plants have lain dormant and prepared for spring growth. A trimming will encourage their bloom.

Flip the switch. Make sure your ceiling fan blades are reversed during the cold months to help circulate hot air into a room. And here’s more great news – you’ll save money with this helpful tip due to increased energy efficiency. Flip the switch back in the warmer months to ensure the circulation of cool air.

Chim – Chimney. Now’s the time to have a professional chimney sweep clean out your fireplace. Getting rid of soot buildup during the cold months is more than just a matter of cleanliness. A deep clean of the chimney might prevent fire.

No gutter trouble. Clean your gutters so that leaves and debris don’t result in a clog! You’ll also want to clean your drain pipes and position them to drain away from your home. Put this on your schedule every spring and fall.

Another purpose for curtains. They’re not just for shade! Layer your window décor to make your home even warmer during the winter. Cotton flannel or curtains made of insulation material will do the trick.

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This weekend brings plenty to do in the Bay Area. See all that you can explore near home in the coming days.

It’s all about cars this weekend in San Jose! The Silicon Valley International Auto Show is happening this Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Click here to learn more.

It’s all about music this weekend in Pleasanton! The Vintage Brass Quintet brings masterful horn playing to the Pleasanton Public Library on Sunday, January 11 at 2PM. For more info, go here.

Volunteer at one of the biggest events of the year this weekend in San Jose! The annual pruning of the roses is taking place at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden. Hundreds of volunteers are needed to prune the 3,500 rose bushes, and everyone is invited to help! Come out this Saturday, January 10 from 8:30AM to 12PM. Learn more here.

The Kingston Trio is hitting the stage this weekend in Livermore! The American folk music ensemble’s tight harmonies, smooth vocals and classic sounds will have you singing along this Saturday, January 10 at the Bankhead Theater at 8PM. For tickets, click here.

It’s time to create this weekend in Pleasanton! The Lawrence Hall of Science Inventor’s Workshop: “Wobble Bots” is happening this Saturday, January 10 at 1:30PM. This workshop for grades 3-5 presents a hands-on experience in electrical engineering. Click here for more info. 

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What better way to welcome the new year than with a sweet recipe that everyone will love—and one that pairs well with champagne!

Rum Balls

Served chilled, these balls are formed when a batch of brownies is broken into bits, flavored with dark rum, and rolled.

YIELD: MAKES 4 DOZEN

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil, cooking spray
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed of light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt
• 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of dark rum
• Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture and fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake about 10 minutes, until top is shiny and a cake tester, inserted into center, comes out with some crumbs attached. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, pour in rum and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.

4. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sanding sugar to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours, until cold. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Have a happy New Year!

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This yummy recipe is sure to make your Christmas morning even better! Enjoy!

Mascarpone-Stuffed French Toast with Salted Caramel-Banana Sauce

Makes:

6 servings

Prep:

20 mins

Chill:

2 hrs to 24 hrs

Bake:

1 hr at 375°F

Ingredients 

12 slices of Texas toast

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

½ cup of mascarpone cheese

½ cup of chopped pecans or macadamia nuts, toasted

2 tablespoons of  packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of salt

6 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups of milk

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 serving of salted caramel-banana sauce (recipe below)

Directions

1. Arrange half of the bread slices in a single layer in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Spread cheese mixture evenly over bread in baking dish. Top with the remaining bread slices to make six stacks.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and salt. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread stacks, covering all of the tops. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Arrange bread stacks in the prepared pan. Bake about 1 hour or until golden, turning stacks every 15 minutes. Serve warm with salted caramel-banana sauce.

Salted Caramel-Banana Sauce

Ingredients 

¾ cup of packed brown sugar

½ cup of whipping cream

½ cup of butter

2 tablespoons of light-color corn syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla

½ teaspoon of sea salt

1 banana

Directions

1. In a heavy medium saucepan stir together brown sugar, whipping cream, butter and light-color corn syrup. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally; reduce heat to medium. Boil gently for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and sea salt. Pour into a small bowl. Cool to room temperature. If desired, cover and chill for up to 24 hours. (If chilled, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.) Stir in banana, thinly sliced.

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Get out and about and enjoy some holiday festivities this weekend in the Bay Area!

Grab some great reads and yummy treats with Santa this weekend in San Jose! Celebrate the season at a Winter Holiday Party this Saturday at the Bascom Branch Library from 11AM to 1PM. Make a craft, receive a free book and snap a pic with jolly Old St. Nick. For more info, click here.

Sugar plums will dance through your head this weekend in Livermore! Experience the music of Tchaikovsky and the magic and wonderment of The Nutcracker, this Sunday at the Bankhead Theater at 2PM. Get tickets here.

Santa Claus is making his way to Dublin this weekend! Enjoy a scrumptious pancake breakfast and take photos with Santa at the Shannon Community Center from 8:30AM to 12PM. Register here.

Hey, superstars – groove to the tunes of a legendary band this weekend in Pleasanton! CLOSE TO YOU: A Christmas Tribute to The Carpenters is happening this Sunday, December 14 at 2PM. For tickets, click here.

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The holiday season is officially here, NorCal! Come out for these festive events happening on Saturday and Sunday in the Bay Area.

See downtown San Jose turned into a whimsical holiday fantasy this weekend! Christmas in the Park at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez is an annual event featuring glittering lights, a 60-foot-tall Community Giving Tree, musical and animated exhibits, winter wonderland of lights and entertainment – now through January 1, 2015. For more info, click here. 

Lights, lights and more lights this weekend in San Jose! Festival of Lights is happening this Saturday, December 6 at Evergreen Village Square from 2PM to 5PM. Head over for holiday entertainment, cultural performances, photos with Santa and face painting. Click here to learn more. 

Sip, sip, hooray! Enjoy an assortment of tea, delectable treats and Santa this weekend in Dublin! Holiday Tea is taking place this Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 at the Sunday School Barn. Seating is available between 11AM and 2PM. Make reservations here.

A snow day is coming to downtown Livermore this weekend! The Lizzie Fountain will be transformed into a snowy winter wonderland for your little ones during Home for the Holidays, this Saturday from 10AM to 4PM. Get the details here.

Parades are definitely one of the best parts of the holiday season. Come out for the annual Hometown Holiday Parade in Pleasanton this weekend! Be a part of this festive community-based event this Saturday, December 6, starting at 5PM. Get more info here.

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Here’s a cute and crafty way to get your kids involved with your Thanksgiving festivities!

Turkey Bowl 

Age: preschool and up

Time: 3 hours, plus overnight

Type of activity: holiday arts and crafts

This turkey will look great as a centerpiece on your Thanksgiving table! Fill it with fruit, napkins or other items for your guests.

Materials:

·         Plastic bowl

·         Mixing bowl

·         Vaseline® or petroleum jelly

·         Lots of Newspaper

·         Scissors

·         Brown tempera paint

·         Paintbrush

·         Orange, yellow, red, black and brown construction paper

Directions:

First you’re going to make the papier-mâché bowl.

1.       This project is messy, so place newspaper over your entire work area.

2.       Cut more newspaper into 1-inch wide strips. You’ll need at least 50 strips for this project.

3.       To make the paste, combine an even amount of flour and water in the mixing bowl until it becomes the consistency of pancake batter. Start with one cup of each and add more if necessary.

4.       Cover the outside of the plastic bowl with Vaseline®. This will make it easier to remove the mold from the bowl.

5.       One at a time, dip a strip of newspaper into the mixture and lay it smoothly over the bowl. Keep adding strips until the bowl is completely covered with one layer of newspaper. To give the bowl more strength, add the first layer in a horizontal pattern, then add a second layer in a vertical pattern. Add a third layer of newspaper strips in a horizontal pattern.

6.       Place the bowl on top of a layer of newspaper in a cool, dry place. Let the bowl sit for several hours. You may even want to let it sit it overnight.

7.       When the bowl is completely dry, gently pull the newspaper mold away from the bowl.

Now it’s time to make the turkey.

8.       Paint the bowl brown and set it aside to dry.

9.       Draw and cut out all the shapes you’ll need from the construction paper.

·         1 brown circle 4 inches in diameter for the turkey’s head

·         10 rocket-shaped tail feathers about 8″ x 1″ in yellow, red and orange paper

·         1 small yellow triangle for the beak

·         2 tiny black circles for eyes

10.   Now, you’ll make the turkey’s wings. To do this, trace your child’s hands on a sheet of brown construction paper and cut out the shapes.

11.   Make sure the bowl is dry before you glue the construction paper parts to the turkey’s base. First, glue the tail feathers in a fan shape along the inside edge of the back of the bowl (the feathers should be pointing up).

12.   Next, glue one of your child’s handprints to each side of the turkey to make its wings.

13.   Glue the turkey’s beak and eyes in place on its head.

14.   Glue the turkey’s head to the top edge of the front of the bowl.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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The life you’ve always envisioned awaits you at Ivy Lane in Pleasanton! This new neighborhood reflects the small-town comfort and charming city allure of this classic community, which was recently named #4 on 24/7 Wall St.’s list of America’s 50 Best Cities to Live In.

Pleasanton also makes education a top priority. Both of our high schools rank among the top 2% of US News & World Report’s Best High Schools in America.

We embrace a higher standard of living. Pleasanton was ranked as #3 in Highest Earning Cities in America. Money Magazine named the city one of the 50 Best Places to Live in the Nation, and the data analysis site, NerdWallet, declared Pleasanton as one of the Top Twenty Cities in Northern California.

With the arrival of Ivy Lane, fresh opportunities to live in Pleasanton are now available.

These thoughtfully designed single-family residences feature modern conveniences and innovative amenities. Offering  up to approximately 2,656 square feet of living space, with up to 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and a bonus room, these excellent homes include everything you desire in an officially outstanding community.

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It’s cooling down in the Bay Area! Get out with you family this Saturday and Sunday for fun events near you.

It’s time to lace up your skates! Come out for Downtown Ice this weekend in San Jose and twirl and glide on the ice rink beneath beautiful palm trees. For more info, click here. 

Games, games and more games this weekend in Dublin! International Games Day is happening this Saturday at the Dublin Family Library, and you’ll have the chance to drop in and experience exotic and brand-new board and card games from 11AM to 1PM. No registration is required. To learn more, click here. 

This event is perfect for book aficionados. Get ready to meet Bay Area authors this weekend in San Jose! Mingle with more than 20 writers and hear the inspiration behind their books from 1PM to 5PM at Kings Library this Sunday. Click here for more info. 

Grammy-award winners are hitting the stage this weekend in Livermore! The Manhattan Transfer, one of the most popular vocal groups of all time, is coming to the Bankhead Theater this Sunday, November 16 at 7PM. For tickets, go here.

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This warm, gooey and yummy treat is sure to get everyone in your family excited about Halloween!

Vanilla Coffee Roasted Pumpkin Seed Snack Clusters…Dipped in Chocolate. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: 25-35 pumpkin seed clusters

Ingredients

3 cups raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried

1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds minus the shells)

1 cup pistachios

2 tablespoons ground or whole flax seeds

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2-4 tablespoons fresh coffee grounds

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon all-spice

6 ounces semi-sweet, or dark chocolate, melted (use milk chocolate if you prefer)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Spread the raw pumpkin seeds (not the pepitas) on a greased baking sheet. Roast the pumpkin seeds for 15 minutes to dry them out. Remove from the oven. Leave on            the pan.

3. To the pan with the pumpkin seeds, add the pepitas, pistachios, flax, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, coffee grounds (2 tablespoons), salt, cinnamon, nutmeg      and all-spice. Toss well, making sure all the seeds are evenly coated. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times during cooking until the pumpkin seeds are golden          in color. Remove from the oven and using the back of a rubber spatula push the seeds into an even layer about 1/2 inch thick. Allow the seeds to cool completely. As           they cool they will harden. Break up into clusters.

4. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or on the stove. Carefully dip the clusters into the melted chocolate. Place on the prepared              baking sheet and if desired sprinkle with coffee grounds and sea salt. Repeat with the remaining clusters.

5. Place the pan in the fridge for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is hardened. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, or in the fridge, for up to two weeks.

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