July 4, 2009

1. The meeting was called to order at 10 AM by President MaryLynn Webster.
2. The minutes from the 2008 meeting were read by Secretary Patty Farmer and approved.
3. The Financial Statement was reviewed by President Webster
   1. It was noted that one cottage from 2007 has not paid dues.
   2. Two cottages from 2008 have not paid dues.
   3. Discussion pursed on how to handle collecting back dues and strategies were suggested for collecting from those delinquent cottages.
   4. Motion was made to approve the financial statement with noted discrepancy in the date by Joanne Koch.
4. Road Ownership Committee Report was presented by Joanne Koch. Joanne stated that based on research of tax records by Joanne’s personal attorney that Monty & Cheri Brenner do own Lake and Ben Streets.
5. Old Business
   • • • Roads: A discussion pursued regarding the condition of the roads. It was noted that it was time to add new loads of gravel and grade the roads. There was acknowledgement to Mr. Kasten for filling in the holes and bumps in the road during the winter months.
       • A motion was made and approved to obtain the necessary truck loads of gravel for grading and maintenance of Lake and Ben Streets. It was decided that President Webster with assistance of Bob Sherwood would take care of contacting and retaining same service used in prior years.
       • Speeders: Discussion regarding on-going problem with speeders. Ideas and suggestions were tossed around on how to enforce 5 MPH speed limit. It was decided that all would continue to be vigilant in communicating and enforcing 5 MPH speed limit to renters, owners’ children & grand children, workers, etc.
       • Stairs to beach: Stairs were treated by Ward Webster in 2008. Mr. Jim Tucker noted need for replacing lag bolt on steps and volunteered to do the job.
       • Beach Maintenance: It was noted that all beach toys, chairs, floats, etc. must be removed from bottom of stairs to the beach at the end of each summer season. All remaining will be disposed of after Labor Day.
       • Labor Day Party: Liga Greenfield and Carol Rice were thanked for their organization of the successful CBPA community party over ’08 Labor Day weekend. It was decided to have a party every other year and it was noted that the extra paper products were in the Webster cottage.

1. New Business
   • • • Ben Street issue regarding shared creek, drainage and road issues was brought up by Marilyn Shanahan. A discussion pursued .Following much discussion a motion was made for the issues to be resolved by the parties (Richard Cardamon, Marilyn Shanahan, MaryLu Maloney and Monty Brenner) involved rather than being further discussed at the meeting.
       • A motion to raise annual dues to $40/$60 was made. After a brief discussion a vote was taken and the motion was denied.
       • A motion was made and approved that donation by CBPA in honor of Jim Shanahan will be to charity of Marilyn Shanahan’s choice.  President Webster noted that a sympathy card had been sent from CBPA.
       • Need for updated membership roster was brought up. Contact information for all in attendance was taken and President Webster will prepare an updated roster and mail it out along with the meeting minutes.
       • Joanne Koch and Paula Newbold agreed to produce and have available zip drives containing the minutes of all past association meeting minutes for those members who would like a copy.
       • A motion to elect officers for the 2009-2011 term was brought to the floor. Since there were no prior nominees, volunteers were sought.  Jean Vanier volunteered to be President with an interest in creating a CBPA website to enhance communication among cottage owners/CBPA members. Cheri Brenner volunteered to be Secretary/Treasurer and noted this was the first time a Catt family member had been on the board. A vote was taken and the nominations were approved.
       • Cheri Brenner informed those in attendance that Casco County Township now has a property review board which will review property disputes. She also noted that Casco Township is conducting a new survey to ensure realistic property values.
       • Bob Sherwood made a motion to engage a lawn maintenance company (Roland Ruby) two times per season to clean out the tall grass and weeds between the mail boxes and Blue Star Hwy. Deborah Sylvester stated that she’d like to view the area prior to agreeing.  Joanne Koch said that she would contact Rolan Ruby. Marilyn Shanahan agreed to contact Mr. Nick Ferra, who owns the property, to get his permission.

1. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:20 AM.
   • • • At the end of the meeting Cheri Brenner passed out the water bills and announced that the rates would be raised from the current $135 annual to $210 in 2010.

Respectably submitted by

Patty Webster Farmer, Secretary

www.cedarbluffparkassociation.org make sure you check out the new Cedar Bluff Park website.

“Incorporating healthy, flavorful side dishes is key when you’re serving copious amounts of barbecued meat,” says Chef Steven M. Simpson, Culinary Director at The International Culinary School at  The Art Institute of Michigan. “What I like to do is take an old favorite like coleslaw that’s typically drenched in a mayonnaise dressing and modify it to create a light, refreshing alternative.” For example, Simpson makes an Asian-inspired coleslaw with several kinds of Chinese cabbages, oranges, carrots and red onion with a light dressing of orange juice, ginger and a dash of canola oil.

He also advises keeping different types of oils and vinegars on tap to make vinaigrettes, which serve as a good substitute for the heavier cream and mayonnaise dressings typically found in pasta and potato salads.

Another tip is to experiment with salad greens. “You can liven up a humdrum salad by switching out your standard iceberg or romaine lettuce with chicory, dandelion greens, Belgian endive, Bibb lettuce, watercress or arugula,” Simpson says. “Not only are these darker greens more flavorful, but they also tend to be much higher in vitamins and minerals.”

An advocate for homegrown foods and spices, Simpson utilizes herbs and various vegetables like lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and chili peppers from his own backyard. “When planting a garden, choose foods that you eat frequently and enjoy because if all goes well, you’ll have an abundance of them.”

If gardening isn’t your cup of tea, then Simpson suggests buying produce and meats from your local farmers market, as it’s the next best thing.

Grilling fresh meats and produce isn’t just for special occasions. According to the Propane Education & Research Council, 63 percent of parents say that barbecuing or grilling outdoors is the most fun way for a family to eat dinner together during the summer months. And facilitating family bonding isn’t the only benefit. Cooking on a grill can help food retain nutritional value if cooked properly.

Simpson cooks almost everything on the grill — potatoes, summer squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, greens, salmon and eggplant, just to name a few. “Aside from oil, salt and pepper, I don’t do too much to the foods I grill. It’s a flavorful and simple way to preserve the integrity of the organic products, whether bought or homegrown,” he says.

“The beauty of eating in the summertime is that there is so much variety to choose from. My best advice is to keep it simple, refreshing and light, and enjoy the natural flavors of the food just as they are,” he adds.

To see what else is “cooking” at The Art Institutes system of schools check out www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Asian Coleslaw
Recipe courtesy of chef Steven M. Simpson, culinary director at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Michigan

Yields 6 cups
Serving Size 3/4 cup
8 Servings

Ingredients:

2 cups Napa cabbage,shredded
2 cups bok choy, baby bok choy, Savoy or other cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/4 cup red onion, julienned
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Rice vinegar (unseasoned) to taste
1/4 cup canola, sunflower or soybean oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
12-15 orange, grapefruit or tangerine segments (can substitute canned mandarin oranges)

Preparation:

1. Combine cabbages, carrot, red pepper and red onion into a large mixing bowl and toss together.
2. In a separate bowl whisk orange juice, canola and sesame oils together. This is a broken vinaigrette so it will need to be whisked immediately prior to dressing the coleslaw.  
3. Add salt and pepper to dressing and taste. If you would like a more tart dressing you can add rice vinegar to adjust the acidity.
4. Combine 2/3 of the dressing with the slaw mixture. You just want to coat the cabbage; it will release some moisture as it sits. If needed, add the remaining dressing.
5. Check the seasoning again and transfer the coleslaw to the serving dish.
6. Garnish with the citrus segments and toasted sesame seeds.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

“This season provides so many little, inexpensive opportunities to treat ourselves,” says Marco Casol, chief executive officer and president of specialty dessert ingredient manufacturer PreGel AMERICA. “Indulgence doesn’t have to be about spending a lot of money — it can just as easily involve having a new or memorable experience with friends or family.”

Here are five affordable ways to treat yourself this summer — during an afternoon with friends, a family outing, or even a first date — all for less than $10 per person.

A Little Italian Vacation
If a trip to Italy is out of the question, stop by your local gelato shop to be momentarily transported to another place by the frozen dessert’s fresh, intense flavor. Italians consider gelato part of everyday life — partly because of its nutritional value (it’s made with natural ingredients and contains fewer calories and less fat than other frozen desserts) and partly because it’s frequently enjoyed with friends and family in the comfortable, inviting atmosphere of the neighborhood gelateria.

“In Italy, eating gelato is as much about the pleasure of the company you’re in and where you are as it is about enjoying its delicious taste,” says Casol. It’s because of that taste and experience, that many Italians eat gelato in place of lunch or dinner in addition to an afternoon or evening treat.

Visit www.whygelato.com to find a gelato shop in your area.

Monopolize on Fun
It’s no surprise that the promise of fame and fortune made Monopoly an instant favorite when the game debuted at the height of the Great Depression – and that fantasy certainly hasn’t lost its appeal in today’s economy. Pack a picnic and take your next trip on the Reading Railroad to a local park, where you can add a bit of fresh air and sunshine to your list of assets.

Check out your local parks and recreation department’s Web site for parks near you.

Dog Days of Summer
You’re not the only one who likes to get outside and play when the weather’s nice. A trip to the dog park provides a great opportunity for you to meet fellow dog lovers while your pooch gets some exercise. In addition, some cities even have Fido-friendly dog bars where you can grab a drink and hang out with your two-legged friends while your four-legged pal plays with his canine buddies.

For dog-friendly spots in your city, go to www.dogster.com.

Fore …
Few things say summer fun like a round of miniature golf, so revisit your youth by rounding up a few of your closest friends to see who’s more skilled at navigating their ball through windmills and waterfalls. If you’d prefer to show off your long game, take the competition to the driving range to decide once and for all who owns the longest-drive and closest-to-the-pin bragging rights.

Go to www.golflink.com for a list of miniature golf courses and driving ranges in your area.

Sample the Local Flavor
It’s a gloomy summer afternoon and you can’t quite stomach the idea of spending another day channel surfing on the couch. Why not gather up a group and sample something new during a tour of an area brewpub or winery? You’ll be doing your part to stimulate the local economy and just might find a new favorite to show off at your next backyard barbecue — just remember to bring a designated driver.

Check out www.beer100.com/brewpubguide.com for breweries near you.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

On the left you will see some links. One of them says “Profile”. This is where you can go and edit your profile, just like MySpace, minus the potential liabilities. For instance, you can upload a profile picture. Don’t be shy, try it out! Just make sure your picture has been sized down to 450 x 450 and is at 72 dpi resolution. Sounds a little scary, but it’s pretty easy with your digital camera program. Go to your gallery and upload it. Then you can check the option to use it as your main picture.

From the gallery link, you can also upload up to 10 photos you would like to share. Just be sure they are no bigger than 450 wide at 72 resolution. If you don’t get it, just ask a teenager to help you!

Want to share a good recipe or drink mix? Hit the link on the left that says posts, write your wisdom in the new window that comes up, then on the right, check the Category that says “Bodacious Bar-Be-QueQ!”. If you want to recommend some crazy cell phone plan or something, check the category “Helpful Hints”.

Your writings may not show up right away. They have to be approved by the Prez first. We’ll have to train her to log in a little more herself to take care of this stuff.

Be good little boys and girls, and maybe we can add some messaging and other fun stuff to this website in the near future.

Have a great summer everyone, and don’t spend too much of it sitting in front of a computer!

Vidalia onions are the original sweet onion. They are only grown in a small region in southeast Georgia and are only available in the spring and summer. Forget about the strong flavor of red and white onions that often leave odors in the kitchen for days. The sweet, mild taste of Vidalia onions makes them a great addition to any summer recipe.

“Vidalias have always been one of my favorite additions to warm-weather recipes,” says “Top Chef” season five contestant Spike Mendelsohn. “Then, when my sister married a Vidalia native, I got to go down for their engagement party and see first-hand how much care the farmers put into their crop.”

“When my family and I were thinking of what type of restaurant to open, we kept coming back to our favorite meals. Burgers, shakes, fries and Vidalia onion rings! What’s better?” says Mendelsohn, who is executive chef and owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C.  He shares a favorite family Vidalia recipe from his brother-in-law:

Cliff’s Homegrown Vidalia Onion Petals

Ingredients for the onion petals:
4 Vidalia onions, cut into quarters
4 cups batter (recipe follows)
Canola oil for deep-frying
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients for the onion petal batter:
(This can be made one day in advance.)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch black pepper
Pinch ground cayenne
1 cup beer
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:
To prepare the onion petal batter, sift 2 cups flour, salt, paprika, brown sugar, Old Bay seasoning, cumin, black pepper and cayenne into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the beer, buttermilk and egg. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients, and whisk to prevent lumps. Refrigerate until needed. Line a metal tray with paper towels.

Heat about 3 inches oil in a large skillet until it reaches 350 F on a candy thermometer. To prepare the onion petals, toss the onions in a bowl with 1 cup flour, coating them well, and shake off the excess. Pour the batter into another bowl, and dip in the petals to coat well. Slowly add the petals one by one into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Cook until golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the petals, and drain them on the paper towels. Season the petals with salt and pepper while still hot. Serve immediately.

“I suggest serving these with a homemade basic mayonnaise or a horseradish mayonnaise for a bit of zip,” says Mendelsohn. “These onions are also great in soups, salads, sandwiches, salsas, sauces — the list goes on and on. Just be sure not to miss them as the growing season is short.”

Share your own pleasant memory of cooking with Vidalia onions and your favorite family recipe with the famous sweet treat and you could win some cash. Enter the Vidalia Onion Committee’s “Sweet Times with Vidalias Recipe Contest” from May 1 to Aug. 14. To enter, visit www.VidaliaOnion.org or join the fan page on www.facebook.com. Entries must be submitted online along with a memory or short story about cooking with Vidalia onions.

“Dealing with biting and stinging insects is one of summer’s bummers,” says Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg, editor of Wilderness Medicine magazine and the author of eight books on outdoor safety. “At best, a bite is annoying and a sting painful. At worst, they can be life-threatening if the person that was bitten or stung has an allergic reaction.”

Repellents can help ward off insects, but even the most powerful are not foolproof if you miss a patch of skin. A summer mosquito bite or bee sting is almost inevitable and can be annoying to adult sufferers and traumatizing to the youngest members of the family.

Van Tilburg offers some tips to help ensure insect bites and stings don’t take a bite out of your summer fun:

* Wash the bite or sting with soap and water. Keep an eye out for infection. If the bite or sting becomes increasingly red or painful, swells or oozes pus, or if the red spot is bigger than a nickel, have a doctor look at it.

* Apply an anti-itch treatment designed specifically for insect bites and stings. Oral antihistamines may help, but also carry the risk of making one drowsy, so stick with a topical remedy. Avoid those that rely on benzocaine or lidocaine, both of which simply mask the itch and need to be constantly reapplied since the relief is short lived. Instead, opt for a benzocaine-free product like AfterBite.

The adult version counteracts the bite with ammonia and the children’s version (AfterBite Kids) gently eliminates the pain and swelling with a baking soda-based cream. Both formulations work to soothe the bite — providing fast, long-term relief — and help moisturize the skin. AfterBite contains mineral oil and the kids’ version comes with Vitamin E, aloe vera and tea tree oil — all ingredients that are effective skin softeners. Tea tree oil also kills bacteria, which is an important benefit if a child’s insect bite or sting has become infected through over scratching. If you don’t have a remedy on hand, apply ice or cold to relieve the pain and swelling.

* In case of a sting, remove the stinger and venom sac as quickly as possible. The venom sac will continue to pump venom into the skin, even if you’ve already removed the rest of the insect. If you don’t have extra strength AfterBite Outdoor (which contains baking soda, tea tree oil and ammonia) available, make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the affected area for bee stings. For wasps, try vinegar, lemon juice or another acidic substance that may help neutralize the pain-causing toxin.

* Bee, hornet or wasp stings (and some ant bites) can lead to anaphylactic shock, a serious life-threatening allergic reaction. Symptoms include hives, wheezing, dizziness, tightness in the chest, a rapid heart beat and a drop in blood pressure. Anaphylactic shock requires immediate treatment with epinephrine and antihistamines. If someone in your family has a known bee allergy, be sure to keep an epinephrine auto-injector — prescribed by your doctor — on hand. Seek medical assistance as soon as possible.

* Bugs aren’t the only stinging creatures to be cautious about during summer months. If your family romps at the beach, beware of jellyfish stings. Some types of jellyfish deliver stings that are merely painful, while a handful can actually give a life-threatening sting. Use AfterBite or vinegar to neutralize jellyfish venom.
“Bites and stings are a reality of summer, but with a little preparedness and proper treatment, they don’t have to be a big bummer,” Van Tilburg says.

To learn more about treating summer insect bites and stings, visit www.tendercorp.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

1. Some barbecue fanatics spend days marinating their brisket before a barbecue. Who has time to make a potato salad on top of that? Provide the main course, and ask each guest to bring their favorite side dish with them. You’ll get a great variety of dishes, and even your pickier guests will be guaranteed to find one item they will love.

2. Keep your outdoor decor simple and unfussy. Tea light candles provide instant glamour to any evening party, and are extremely versatile design elements. Some varieties float and can be placed in the pool, while others are perfect for luminaria. To make your own, fill simple white or brown paper bags with enough sand to keep them from overturning in the wind and place one tea candle inside. These can be lovely when used to line a deck or walkway. And for those who are concerned about keeping pesky bugs at bay: Look for candles that include citronella oil, an effective ingredient that naturally repels insects.

3. Set up a few outdoor games to keep your guests entertained. Games like “Capture the Flag,” bean bag toss and Frisbee require very little setup, and get guests to interact with people outside of their own group or family. Kits can be ordered online, or built from materials you have around the house.

4. No one likes to rush around looking for matching bowls and lids when it’s time for guests to take leftovers home. Inexpensive wax-lined paper cartons (bought at craft stores) allow guests to transport food home without the hassle of returning your expensive food storage containers afterward — something everyone will appreciate. If you have extra time before the party starts, these containers can also be customized by adding each guest’s name and the date of your party.

5. Stains left by barbecue sauce, grass and dirt are some of the toughest to remove, and they are all, unfortunately, par for the course at outdoor gatherings. Luckily, hosts and hostesses can turn to an expert this summer for stain advice: Clorox’s Summer Stain Hotline (877) STAIN-411, hosted by stain scientist Harold Baker (a.k.a. “Dr. Laundry”), will be available 24/7 throughout the season. Consumers simply dial up the hotline, choose from a selection of the season’s toughest stain dilemmas, and are guided through the proper course of treatment. Or, consumers can submit stain questions to Dr. Laundry directly by visiting his online blog, www.drlaundryblog.com. So once the party’s over, “dial up” the heat against stains, and get to planning your next summer soiree.

Courtesy of ARAcontent