Marian Gregor ~ Ann Arbor area Real Estate ~

Seeing a significant need for further training, Keller Williams in Ann Arbor, MI recently hosted an advanced short sale class. Course facilitator, Barbara Horan brought the program from the foreclosure capitol of Temecula CA.

The course objective was to educate local Realtors on facilitating successful short sales. Attendees were required to attend lectures, collaborate in problem solving scenarios and pass multiple exams (with score requirements above 90%) to be designated a Certified Short Sale Specialist.

A community outreach program has been implemented with the main goal of assisting homeowners to stay in their homes through loan modification programs. If that is not a feasible action the specialist offers additional assistance with a short sale program. This action is much preferred over a homeowner suffering through foreclosure and ruined credit.

Looking for an Ice Place to Visit?

Just 15 min. from Ann Arbor, check out the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular!

Plymouth, Michigan, hosts the oldest and largest ice festival.  This year's event, the 27th annual, will have over 100  statues  carved from single blocks of ice, plus lots that are carved from 5 to even 100 blocks!  This is a real competition with professional artists from around the world. Participating as well are teams from  many schools. The pictures here are from a previous festival in Plymouth.

The sculptures can be viewed 24 hours a day in the downtown area, mostly at Kellog Park in the very center of downtown, but also in the parking deck  and the "Gathering" area across the streets and in front of most of the shops.

Plymouth itself is a delightful town to visit or live in.  It features a real downtown with many quaint shops and over 24 restaurants.  2000 census data indicates that Plymouth has just under 9,000 residents.  33% of the households have an income of over $75,000, 41% of residents have a college degree.  The surrounding township  is rural/suburban.



More information on Plymouth can be found  here.


Maybe I will see you there!

Chelsea, Michigan, enjoys much sophistication due to the cosmopolitinism of nearby Ann Arbor, yet the city maintains the intimacy of a small town. Chelsea's Home Town Holidays is a prime example of its small town atmosphere with a bit of sophistication.

This year was the 21st annual celebration. Most of the local merchants work with the city's non-profits to produce events and decorations throughout town. For example, The Garden Mill donated hundreds of votive candles which the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts placed in recycled, plastic milk bottles to make luminaries. They lined both sides of Main Street for about a mile.

Through the three days of the festival, there was story telling, Gingerbread houses on display at various stores, a live nativity scene with a real camel, a presentation of "The Nutcracker" by the Youth Dance Theater, cookie decorating, many musical entertainments, art and craft activities for kids and adults, holiday art show, visits with Santa, and many more events.

My favorite event is the Parade of Lights. Local residents, businesses, and churches drive old cars or pull wagons down main street, each vehicle festooned in Christmas lights. The schools band plays carols; and local residents dressed in Christmas costumes march by throwing candy.

Afterwards, everyone heads to the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory for the "After-Parade Party and Community Sing" or explores the many quaint shops and art galleries that stay open late (and provide refreshments). I look forward to the 22nd annual Home Town Holidays. I plan on driving my pony and his cart in the Parade of Lights!

Could it be possible? Can someone actually roast a turkey quickly?

Wouldn't it be wonderful to not have to get up at 6 am to start the bird that would be carved to feed guests for a 2 pm dinner? Could you actually roast a turkey in half the time? Would it be just as good? I just had to find out.

I first started on this quest about 5 years ago. After many failed attempts I came across the perfect method. The answer is YES!

Creative Commons Attribution http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_gnuce/

Not only could I roast the bird in less than half the time, but the white meat was Moist, not dry and tasteless like in most of the birds I have sampled. Amazing. I had found the holy grail of holiday meals.

• So what is the secret? First, you'll need a few kitchen items
• An accurate meat thermometer
• Metal (not glass) roasting pan- an aluminum foil pan works too
• *****Here's the Recipe Set the oven to 500 degrees (this isn't a typo). This browns the skin to a nice Golden brown and seals in the juices.

Once the oven has heated up-place the bird in the middle of the oven, breast side up. Don't cover the bird. Also don't add herbs or spices as they will disintegrate! Roast for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 450 degrees. Roast the Bird for the rest of the time at this temperature. How long will it take?

The total roast time will be just under 50% of what it normally takes. I did a 22 lb. turkey last week for my office thanksgiving dinner using this recipe.

Normally, it takes 6 hours of total cooking time. A ‘22 lber' was done in less than 3 hours. It was actually 2 hours, 45 minutes! You'll find that in using this method your bird will have surprisingly moist, flavorful white meat as well as perfectly cooked dark meat.

Be sure to use the meat thermometer in the last ½ hour of cooking time. Push it into the thigh, being careful to not touch a bone, as that would give an incorrect reading. Ignore the ‘pop up' timer as it is inaccurate at this temperature.

It should read about 185 degrees. Or cut into the thigh, if the juices run Clear then it's done. What about stuffing? It's best to cook the stuffing separately in a casserole dish.

What about gravy? If you want to make gravy, simply add ½-1 cup of water to the roasting pan while the bird is cooking. DO NOT add water to a hot glass pan Unless the water is also hot. (You really don't want to crack a glass pan with cool water!) For No Lumps- just stir the thickener (flour and cold water) in a small dish, until it's 'lump free' then pour that into the turkey juices and continue to stir while it cooks a bit. Need even More Gravy? Add 1/2 can of chicken broth or stretch it with a jar of turkey gravy.

**Didn't believe me and you overcooked the bird? Save it by slicing it soon, since it continues to cook even after it's taken out of the oven. Pour a little warm chicken broth over the meat. That would help to make it more moist)

Several excellent cider mills operate within the county of Washtenaw in Michigan, which itself is renowned for its many cider mills. One of them was named as one of the top ten cider mills in the country by Fine Living Magazine.

This mill, the centerpiece of Alber's Orchards and Cider Mill, was established by John Alber in 1890 and owned by the Alber family until Mike and Therese Bossary (from Ann Arbor) purchased the orchards and mill.

The Bossarys upgraded the operation to meet modern sanitary requirements, but the original mill still does the work of pressing apples. Saturdays and Sundays, you can watch the mill in operation. The apple blends are choice as the Bossarys grow over 35 traditional and 65 heirloom varieties. Every week the blend is differently delicious and the many varieties of apples are available for purchase as the growing season dictates. Therese will advise you on the best use of each variety and she provides taste samples! Of course, fresh baked donuts are available to enjoy with your cider.

• ***Northern Spy apples*** (considered the best baking apple by chefs) are still available
• While at the mill, you can walk through the corn maze or enjoy a ride in a horse drawn carriage to the pumpkin patch where there are many varieties of squash.
• The property is the site of many special events, as the orchards and pavilion, the rustic mill and barns, and the gorgeous rolling hillsides make for a romantic setting for marriages or birthday parties.
• Hours? T-F from 12 to 6, Sat. 9 to 6, and Sun. 10 to 6 is
• Where? 13011 Bethel Church Road, Manchester. The property lies between Pleasant Lake and the quaint village of Manchester.
• The drive there is scenic from any direction.
• But hurry out there. The press shuts down after Thanksgiving, but wait, there's more.....
• Hard cider ? Mike, an authority on the process, begins the production of the spirits. Feel free to ask Mike when the hard cider will be available.

I really enjoy the unpasteurized sweet cider and put up several gallons in the freezer to get me and my husband through the winter. As an added bonus, the jugs of frozen cider make great gifts for our family and friends in the far north (Marquette) where apple trees just don't do well. But they bring us lots of wild blueberries.

If you buy extra cider to put in the freezer, remember to first pour off a tall glass and enjoy it. This provides expansion space and prevents the jug from splitting. The extra glass of cider now is your reward for being so farsighted. Recap the jug. Put it in the freezer. Sit back and sip your cider between bites of donut. Ahhh. Perfect end to a delightful afternoon.