Sponsor your Local Business – The Simple Skillet

Many years ago in another lifetime when my children were very young as a busy mom I would plan our meals for the coming week on index cards going through many cookbooks and spending a "good" time with them and generating shopping lists on the back. At the end of the week I would file them and start all over again. Over the years our meal choices changed when we became vegetarian and my database of recipes didn't work so well anymore. I am glad to discover that I don't have to start all over again because now there is The Simple Skillet a much better system; it is computerized and customized.

Chris Louie had a vision to help other busy people with the planning of healthy and balanced meals and thanks to that vision The Simple Skillet was created. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the daily chores, activities and the running around which leaves you little time to plan and cook a meal I have a solution for you. Join the Simple Skillet meal planning service for less than a dollar a day and forget the drive-thru of the fast food restaurant for your next dinner.

The Simple Skillet is a web based company located in Gilroy, California. Chris Louie launched her company and website last year and already it has grown quite a bit both in numbers and members.

The Simple Skillet is a site that plans healthy meals and offers helpful information from nutritional facts to grocery shopping lists.

Membership benefits include

• a balanced and nutritious meal plan. Members receive six dinner and side dish recipes with dessert or beverage.

• Automated grocery list which saves time; forget the multiple trips to the grocery store

• Customizable menus which are easy to make

• helping the Simple Skillet with their fundraising efforts (more on that later)

• you never have to worry about what to cook for dinner.

Chris and her staff have made it easy for busy families to get together for a healthy family dinner.

The Simple Skillet is now sponsoring a fundraiser for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Subscribers will receive a 15% discount of the annual subscription price ($48.00) and the Second Harvest Food Bank will receive 20% of the cost of the subscription. Enter code “secondharvest” when subscribing to the Simple Skillet online in order to get the discount. You can also donate money to the Second Harvest Food Bank on her site.

Chris now offers a free 30 day trial to her meal planning service.

For more information on her company and benefits contact Chris or visit the Simple Skillet website.

Morgan Hill Centennial Recreation Center has outgrown their fitness facility after three years and is expanding.

The Centennial Recreation Center on 171 W. Edmundson Ave, in Morgan Hill started the expansion project this week and expects completion by April 2010. This beautiful environmentally green facility has outgrown the fitness facility as is evident at peak hours. During the summer months the facility is packed all hours of the day and the parking lot is full all the time because of all the many activities offered in the direct area.

Thanks to the residents of Morgan Hill who voted to fund the local redevelopment agency in the 1990s the city now has a wonderful parks and recreation program. The Centennial Recreation Center, (also called CRC), Aquatic center and dog park are a direct result of their forward thinking.

Morgan Hill has improved a number of park and recreation facilities, such as the aquatic center and soccer complex adjacent to it; the dog and skate board park both across the street of the CRC. The only problem I see with the expansion project is that the parking problem will only get worse.

As a resident of Gilroy I couldn't imagine why the city of Morgan Hill needed another recreation facility with indoor pool when they had a beautiful and expensive state of the art aquatic center on the east side of town. Little did I know at the time how important this facility is for not only the residents of Morgan Hill but surrounding communities such as Gilroy and San Martin who are benefiting too. For years I wanted to belong to a fitness facility but every time I showed up at my local gym to sign up I turned home without a membership. It just didn't feel right for me. When I toured the CRC a few days before opening day in October 2006 I felt at home right away and signed up as a member. I had some concerns that it would be too far away for me to regularly work out but it is not. As a matter of fact I run into acquaintances from Gilroy all the time.

The facility opened at a cost of almost $28 million. It is roughly 52,000 square feet and with the new construction they are adding about 2000 square feet to the fitness facility which will add more cardiovascular machines and enlarge the free weight area. Currently the center has some 3000 members. It is operated by a unique partnership between the City of Morgan Hill and the YMCA of Santa Clara County.

Visit the city's website for a sneak peak at drawings of the expansion.

The facility is bright and clean and spacious. When you enter the building from either the parking lot or the W. Edmundson side you step into a large lobby, which is the center of the community dividing it into the fitness center on one side and the Kids Zone, Senior Center, Teen Center on the other side. The staff is wonderful and offer personal training, classes such as Zumba, Kickboxing, Yoga including classes for beginners, boot camp, spin classes, Pilates, and more. It also offers classes for seniors and families. The Fitlinxx computer system keeps track of my fitness goals and keeps me motivated. The large gym hosts a number of leagues but also has open gym and is my daughter's favorite place for a game of volleyball. The center also hosts health and wellness fairs

The Morgan Hill CRC now has its own Facebook fan page.

Housing Crisis Investigation - And YOU thought you had problems in the current real estate market - guess again!

Just about everyone has been affected by the sluggish economy and the problems in the real estate market.

Take for instance this very well-known person, as a matter of fact he is considered the spill of the economic recovery or chaos depending on how you look at it, who is also a victim of the economic and housing mess we find ourselves in.

I just saw a funny video clip on the Agent Inner Circle on the problems of the housing market which I wanted to share with you if you hadn't seen it already.

It is a clip from The Daily Show

Anja Kerstens

Eagle Ridge Realty

Oktoberfest at Eagle Ridge Golf Course Community

A few dedicated Eagle Ridge women are organizing the second Oktoberfest at Eagle Ridge which is sponsored by the Eagle Ridge Home Owners Association. This evening of fun and fine food will take place on September 4, 2009 at the Eagle Ridge Golf Clubhouse on Club Drive. There will be a "No Host" bar, German food, German beer and dancing with The Internationals. The cost is $55 per person but Eagle Ridge residents will get a $10 discount since the Home Owners Association is sponsoring the evening. You can make arrangements by contacting the Home Owners Association of Eagle Ridge at 408-846-9735.

The Eagle Ridge Home Owners Association sponsors several events a year. The Social Committee also organizes the annual New Year's Eve Party, and earlier this year a Casino Night

Eagle Ridge residents get together regularly for organized events such as Bunko evenings, book club, gourmet dinner club, walks, tennis, golf, etc. I would say that we have a pretty nice community here in the foothills of Gilroy. One can get involved as much or as little as one wants.

Anja K. Kertens

Eagle Ridge Realty and Signature Homes and Estates