October 5, 2009
I just had to share this recipe with you for Chimichangas. I've made them 3 different times for guests and got raves every time. Enjoy!
Chimichangas
Ingredients:
¼ Cup Oil
8 Tbsp Flour
1 Medium Onion, diced
5 Large Stewed Tomatoes, chopped
2 Lb. Chuck Roast
2 Cups Beef Stock
8 Medium Anaheim Chiles, diced (canned or roasted)
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1-2 Cups Water
Salt and Pepper, to taste
8-10 Large Flour Tortillas
Oil for frying
Cheese Grated
Tomato Diced
Scallions Diced
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Green Chiles (canned or frozen) Drained
Directions:
•1.Brown chuck roast on all sides in a Dutch oven. Add enough water to almost cover the meat. Cover pot and cook meat an hour to an hour and a half. Remove from pot and cool (can be made the day ahead).
•2.In a large pan, heat oil and brown the flour. Add onion and cook for a few minutes. Add stewed tomatoes.
•3.Cut meat into small pieces. Add meat to the onion and tomato mixture.
•4.Add 2 cups of beef broth (I use the broth from cooking the meat). Heat over medium, stirring frequently.
•5.Add diced chiles, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Heat on high, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until mixture is thickened. Add ½ Cup of water at a time, if needed.
•6.Mix soup, water and drained chiles in a pan and heat through.
•7.Heat oil for frying.
•8.Turn on oven to 250 degrees.
•9.Heat tortillas to soften them. This can be done by putting 2-3 tortillas in the microwave at a time for about 20 seconds.
•10.Put ½ cup of mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Wrap like a burrito.
•11.Fry 2-3 at a time. This won't take long - 2-4 minutes each. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a warm oven. Repeat for all tortillas.
•12.To serve: Put some sauce on the plate. Place one chimichanga in the middle. Sprinkle with tomato, cheese and scallions.
Makes 8-10 Chimichangas
October 1, 2009
Real Estate Term: VA Loan
Definition: A loan made to qualified veterans to purchase real property where in the event of default the Department of Veteran's Affairs guarantees the lender repayment.
The VA loan was designed to offer long-term financing to American veterans or their surviving spouses (provided they do not remarry). The basic intention of the VA direct home loan program is to supply home financing to eligible veterans in areas where private financing is not generally available and to help veterans purchase properties with no down payment. Eligible areas are designated by the VA as housing credit shortage areas and are generally rural areas and small cities and towns not near metropolitan or commuting areas of large cities.
The VA loan allows veterans 100% financing without private mortgage insurance or 20% second mortgage. A VA funding fee of 0 to 3.3% of the loan amount is paid to the VA and is allowed to be financed. In a purchase, veterans may borrow up to 100% of the sales price or reasonable value of the home, whichever is less. Since there is no monthly PMI more of the mortgage payment goes directly towards qualifying for the loan amount, allowing for larger loans with the same payment. In a refinance, veterans may borrow up to 90% of reasonable value, where allowed by state laws.
VA loans allow veterans to qualify for loans amounts larger than traditional Fannie Mae / conforming loans. VA will insure a mortgage where the monthly payment of the loan is up to 41% of the gross monthly income vs. 28% for a conforming loan assuming the veteran has no monthly bills.
The maximum VA loan guarantee varies by county. As of January 1, 2009, the maximum VA loan amount with no down payment is $1,094,25.00. VA also allows the seller to pay all of the veteran's closing cost as long as the cost do not exceed 4% of the sales price of the home.
Today's Saying: God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"
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September 30, 2009
Silver City has a thriving art community with many galleries in and around downtown. Here is a partial list of the artists in our area. Please feel free to add to my list!
Teresa Ali-Olivas' art is sometimes real and sometimes unreal-whatever happens, happens (Que serra serra). 537-3470. Media: clay, oil, watercolor, mixed media. Sites: A.I.R. Coffee Café and Gallery, Silver Spirit Gallery (SVA), T. Ali Studio.
Louis Baum's paints move from darkness (our shadow side) to the Light (our higher side). He sees life in the context of a spiritual journey of growth and enlightenment. 537-3975. Media: Oil, tempera, sculpture. Sites: AIR Coffee Café and Gallery, JW Gallery, Silver Spirit Gallery (SVA).
Libby Beck works in many media but prefers sculpting in clay or mixed media and Native American beadwork. Paintings range from realistic horses to impressionistic mythological creatures. 575-534-0569. Crystal Rainbow Design & Studio. Media: beadwork, oil, watercolor, colored pencils, clay, mixed media. Sites: A.I.R. Coffee Café and Gallery, Silver Spirit Gallery (SVA).
Jean-Robert P. Beffort's graphic art world is inhabited with text/image collage, mixed-media assemblage sculpture, and recycled objects d'art with mosaics of colored glass, mirrors, marbles, and bottles. 575-534-8256. (a)sp "A" ce: Studio/Gallery. aspace.studiogallery@gmail.com, aspacestudiogallery.com.
Harry Benjamin has devoted his life to art. His work is diverse. Benjamin's paintings are in oil and the high desert landscape is, by his work, obviously important to him. But the landscape is never the only element to his paintings. There is a message there, but that is for the viewer to find and decipher.
The pottery is as diverse as the rest of the man's life. He creates sculptural forms that invite touch; angels and effigies that are both mysterious and comforting; bowls and plates inspired by, but very different from, the Mimbres culture that has been such an influence; and pots that are painted with scenes from the landscape that he loves.
Most recently, Benjamin has begun working with digital photography. His images are of familiar places and things, but through the use of a computer, he manipulates them until they become ghostly images that take on their own lives and meanings. The photos are then integrated into his paintings. This is exciting new work by an ever-evolving artist.
Visit What's a Pot Shop and chat with the artist on historic Yankie Street in downtown Silver City.
Jean Chandanais Bohlender paints life in the Southwest, her life and story as honestly and beautifully as she can. 520-845-2540. Media: oil, watercolor, mixed media. Sites: Seedboat Gallery, Chiricahua Gallery, Rodeo, NM.
David Brink photographs in black and white because the medium both captures the essence of a scene and demands a more intimate involvement of the viewer. His preferred subjects are landscapes and cityscapes. 534-9488. Media: photography. Sites: A.I.R. Coffee Café and Gallery, , Silver Spirit Gallery.
Luanne Brooten draws and paints New Mexico scenery, buildings, plants, and animals. Recycled fabrics, wood, etc. are the basis for shopping bags, throws, boxes and more creations. 388-1260. Media: watercolor, pen & ink, fabric, acrylic mixed. Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery, Creations and Adornments, Soda Shoppe, Matiz Salon
Steve Brooten believes everything is in the details: how lines, shapes, light and color come together. It takes an artist to make a photographic work of art. 388-1260. Medium: photography. Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery,
Bonnie Burleson 575-474-6319. Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery.
Suzi Calhoun will delight you with her bright colored pottery; whimsical gargoyles and hand knit gifts for all for everyday use. 388-3350. Media pottery, knitting. Sites: Art and Conversation, Yada Yada Yarn
Victoria Chick uses gesture and shape in bold color contrasts to express the human condition using animals as subjects. 533-4680. Media: acrylics, monoprint, drypoint. Sites: JW Art Gallery, Last Day in Paradise.
Kevin Cook 575-538-4001. Medium: jewelry. Sites: Royal Scepter Gems & Minerals.
Jean McLaughlin Cowie, inspired by nature and rich color, creates stunning representational landscape and abstract contemporary quilted wall hangings. Fabrics, many hand-painted, are combined to develop perspective, dimension and textural detail. 575-937-5843. Media: fabric, quilting. Sites: Common Thread, Chiricahua Gallery, Rodeo, NM
Lois DeLong Paints landscapes, people and still life, often using imagery of the Southwest as her subjects. The style is primarily realistic with a touch of impressionism. 388-4759. Media: oil, watercolor. Sites: First Savings Bank, Gila Regional Medical Center, Hearst Church, Running Horse Gallery, Silver Spirit (SVA and GCAG), Lois DeLong Studio.
Jan Fell Sites: Copperquail.
Lois Duffy has a delightful and fascinating view of the cosmos that subtly combines the seen and unseen, the real and surreal. All await you at the Lois Duffy Gallery. 575-313-9631. Medium: acrylic. Site: Lois Duffy Art.
Lanora Elmer is a self-taught artist who has been creating works of art since childhood. Her current work is centered on copper, western design wall hangings and mixed media. 575-535-4200. Media: acrylic,copper, leather. Sites: Creations and Adornments, Running Horse Gallery, A & L Feed, Annie's on the Corner.
Gerald Gordon studied at Virginia Commonwealth University, majoring in painting and printmaking. He draws and paints but the jewels he turns into wearable sculptures are his delight. 575-574-8840. Media: natural gemstones, silver, mixed paintings and drawings. Site: Silver Spirit Gallery.
Mary A. Gravelle's boldly colorful southwest landscape paintings vibrate with energy creating a sense of movement within the viewer's experience. 575-956-7315. Media: acrylic, oil, mixed media. www.marysfineart.com.
Roy Harris 575-654-0340. Sites: JW Art Gallery.
Terese Higgins' creates with stones, sterling silver and Austrian crystal. Jewelry of the best quality is a trademark of Therese. 538-3971. Medium: jewelry. Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery, Silver City Trading Company and Antique Mall.
Sandy Hopper's creative energy flows through the glowing vibrant colors of dye on silk. Using the luminosity and texture of silk she creates contemporary art. 575-744-4958. Medium: silk/oil. Site: Common Thread. Studio: Grasshopper Silk Studio.
Henri (etta) Hovarter 575-534-9562
Barbara Kejr loves New Mexico, where she finds unlimited inspiration for her paintings. She uses oil and watercolor to capture the beauty of the Southwest. 538-8216. Media: oil, watercolor. Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery, Hearst Church, First Savings Bank, Gila Regional Medical Center.
Jeff and Debbie Kuhns create functional and sculptural stoneware pottery for over 25 years-- pieces for cooking and serving food as well as large decorative pieces. 534-9389. Medium: clay Silver Spirit Gallery, Kuhns Studio and Gallery.
Tatiana Kurakin & Jim Druffel 575-399-4426. Medium: Furniture. Site: Tatiana Maria Gallery.
Phoebe Lawrence "loses herself" in clay. Her work reflects grace and joy in the creative process, focusing on form, unique glaze combinations and surface texture. 534-0180. Medium: clay. Sites: Blue Dome Gallery, Copper Quail Gallery, Creations and Adornments, Elemental Arts Gallery, Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver Spirit Gallery (SVA).
Diana Ingalls Leyba's mixed media paintings and sculptures are personal imagery interwoven with surface texture and symbolism. 388-5725. Media: acrylic, mixed media. Sites: Leyba and Ingalls Arts, Diana's Studio.
Ellie Martinson 575-546-9839.
Lee McCune (Muck-Q-N) describes his art as "seeking the eternal in the transitory-watching the flicker in the flow". 538-0465. Media: photography, sculpture, acrylic, oil, mixed media. Sites" Javalena, Silver Spirit Gallery (SVA), Art Tickles Studio.
Judith Meyer 575-388-1790
Valerie Milner creates fine gourd masks and vessels-original interpretations of indigenous designs. Valerie paints highly color saturated oils on canvas of regional scenes. 590-7554. Media: gourds, oil. Site: Elemental Arts
Barbara Jorgen Nance is painter and sculptor with an extensive background in commercial illustration and cartooning in Los Angeles. She continues to tell stories through art from her desert studio. 534-0530. Media: stone, wood steel and paint. Sites: Blue Dome Gallery, Stonewalker Studio.
Michael P. O'Connor's oil paintings offer a realistic and intimate connection to the natural world of Southwestern New Mexico by focusing on the interplay of light and nature. 575-535-4455. Medium: oil. Site: Casitas de Gila Guesthouse and Gallery.
Becky O'Connor creates jewelry in Southwestern and classic designs using carefully chosen combinations of vermeil, sterling, turquoise and other semi-precious stones. 575-535-4455. Medium: jewelry. Site: Casitas de Gila Guesthouse and Gallery.
James Palmer is a traditional representational sculptor whose fine limited edition bronzes feature equine and figurative subjects. 388-3277. Medium: clay to bronze sculpture. Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery. www.jimpalmerbronze.com
George N. Plant's photographic work results in remarkable images of people of any age, living their lives, at work or play and of the world around them. 575-313-6005. Medium: photography-black and white or color. Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery (SVA). Website: George Plant Photography
Diane Reed, a silversmith with some Native American training, does original and custom designs on site at her Gallery, Creations and Adornments. 535-4269. Medium: sterling silver and gemstones. Sites: Creations and Adornments, Silver Spirit Gallery, Doc Campbell's Trading Post.
Karen Rossman's inner vision is revealed through her need to express her deep and abiding love of the natural world.388-9661. Media: silver art jewelry, fused glass, gourds. Sites: Running Horse Gallery, A Bead or Two.
Arlene & Eric Sarkele 575-538-9761.
Joanne Schuchardt , a retired nurse, now enjoys her first love-ART. The beauty found in nature during many years of travel is now reflected in her paintings. 505 896-6839. Medium: Sites: Silver Spirit Gallery.
Sharon Scotti is a "not for profit" fundraiser for the high school library book fund. Earrings and agate pendants start at $3.00 each. 534-4464. Site: Street Vendors Permit.
Chris Selmer, a landscape photographer and photo lab owner for 20 years has expanded her repertoire to include jewelry and mixed media pieces. 388-8057. Media: photography, watercolor, copper, jewelry. Sites: Creations and Adornments, Running Horse Gallery, Silver Spirit Gallery ( SVA),
Rita Sherwood ‘s art takes may forms but her passion has always been watercolor. She has studied and taught this medium for the last 45 years. 388-2410. Medium: watercolor, mixed media (found art). Sites: Silver City Trading Co., Silver Spirit Gallery.
Jean Juszczyk Siebenthal's landscapes, seascapes and portraits have a presence and an energy that raise color and form to a level of authentic dramatic intensity. 388-4050. Media: oil, watercolor. Sites: Cienega Spa and Gallery, the Marketplace, Silver Spirit Gallery (SVA).
John Wachholz photographs wildlife in their natural environment and in each portrait, he seeks to tell their stories and to deepen understanding of their lives. 388-2616. Medium: photography. Sites: Photo Decor studio, call for appointment.
Nancy Wachholz's watercolor portraits attempt to capture a moment of simplicity and honesty in people's faces and reveal a glimmer of who we all are. 388-2616. Medium: watercolor. Sites: Home studio, call for appointment.
Joseph Wade Jr. is a painter and printmaker. His subjects include landscapes, still life and abstracts. 537-0300. Media: acrylic, oil, printmaking. Sites: JW Art Gallery, Silver Spirit Gallery. (SVA)
Susan Wahle works with both landscape and fantasy. The constant changes of the Southwestern landscape provide inspiration. 536-9382. Media: acrylic, mixed media.
September 29, 2009
Real Estate Term: Topographical Map
Definition: A map that shows the physical features such as the slope and contour of a parcel of real estate or an area of land.
Discussion: A ‘topo' map can be very useful when buying a larger parcel or a remote parcel. You can determine where to put the house, the road, etc.
They are very important to outdoorsmen who are hiking or hunting. My husband, who is on "Search and Rescue", uses them to grid off areas, plan routes, etc.
Of course, using a product like Google Earth is tremendously helpful for all sorts of outdoor activities.
Today's Saying: Failure is the tuition you pay for success.
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September 28, 2009
Dedicated in 1983, Gila Regional Medical Center is one of the most modern health care facilities in New Mexico. As the largest hospital in a 100-mile radius, they are southwest New Mexico's medical hub and provide a wide range of services and medical specialties to the people of Grant, Luna, Hidalgo and Catron counties. Gila Regional licensed for 68 beds and 12 basinets.
Grant County-owned Gila Regional Medical Center is a non-profit, JCAHO Accredited hospital where more than 700 of your friends and neighbors work. We're proudly developing a reputation as "the friendliest hospital in New Mexico," an attitude which reflects the warm, diverse community which they serve.
An open center courtyard offers a fresh breath of air any time of the year. Hallways are brightly lit. Comfortable waiting rooms are decorated with art on loan from Silver City's active art community.
Gila Regional Medical Center and their staff of more than 600 are dedicated to the health of Grant, Luna, Hidalgo and Catron counties. Services include:
For more information, check them out at: http://www.grmc.org/index.shtml
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I am a Full Time Realtor who has worked in the Silver City Market for 9 Years and has closed on over 145 contracts. My past Project Management training assists me in reaching my customer's goals.
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