Christine Banks | Canyon Springs Homeowner

BANKS

CANYON SPRINGS

Featured Listings

Vol. 4 Issue 3

SOLD

Look Up!

864 Hansen Greens | San Antonio | 78260 4 Beds | 5 Baths | 3,975 SQFT Offered at $589,000 | Represented Buyer

YEAR OF THE DRONE

SOLD

10 Champions Mark | San Antonio | 78258 37,374 SQFT Offered at $129,900 | Represented Buyer

25% CASH BACK commission rebate with a sale and purchase in the same year. Discounts and rebates available for all NEISD, NISD and Judson ISD affiliates.

StoneOakLiving.com

Christine Banks

Big on Beauty The Art of the Bonsai

CRS, SRS, RSPS

RE/MAX Preferred Realtors

Direct 210.570.9530 Cell 830.279.8678 caldrete@remax.net Upgrade or Downsize? Luxury & Upscale Seller Representation for More Than 25 Years. Call me today!

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (480)460-0996 • DLPmarketing.com

Roaring Fork’s

Huckleberry Cheesecake

Chi-Town Goes Green St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago

Exclusively Presented By

Christine Banks & Stone Oak Living

TRAVEL TIME

THE ZEN OF

BONSAI F

St. Patrick’s Day Chicago, IL

Source: ChooseChicago.com

B

DRONES 101

y now we’ve all heard the story of a drone doing a flyby of someone’s home, peering down at the backyard, and taking pics of someone outside. Talk about invasion of privacy! But seriously, could that really happen? Turns out, if you’ve got some dough, all you need to do is log onto the Apple Store and select one of the drones for sale. Of course, most people looking for a drone are looking for new tech and robotics gadgets, not looking for spy technology.

The word bonsai in Japanese means “plant in a tray.” Though they appear to be dwarf trees, bonsai trees are not actually dwarf specimens at all, but trees that require meticulous care and

Also know as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), drones are beginning to go mainstream. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, drone sales are expected to jump from 2.5 million drones in 2016 to 7 million by 2020.

Before long, drone capabilities will be at your doorstop. But there’s a lot more cool stuff you can do with a drone than just spying on your neighbors.

Categorized under toys or games at most locations, drones are being marketed to kids and full-grown gamers and film junkies alike. What’s for sale? One of the less expensive drones online is the National Geographic Quadcopter Drone, at an affordable $49.99. Including more high-tech features is the Parrot Mini Drone Airborne Cargo, retailing at $99.95. With a mini camera on board to take aerial pics, this drone can be controlled with a one-finger swipe of your phone. On the other end of the price spectrum is the DJI Phantom 4 Camera Drone, retailing at $1,200. This drone is for the athlete or film-director-wannabe who can get aerial shots of him or herself biking, skiing, or acting out a movie script. With obstacle avoidance technology, this drone will dodge tree branches and telephone poles and can fly as much as several miles away. It even has the capability to turn itself around and head back home if the signal is lost. And it’s all controlled with an iPad or iPhone.

If you’re thinking about trying out this newest technology, you have many price options.

Drones can be purchased at Amazon, Wal-Mart, and many other retailers. Just remember, it’s not cool to invade someone’s privacy. Also, there are many codes and regulations in place on how high and how far you can fly your drone. Read up on all the dos and don’ts at FAA.gov/uas/ … and happy flying!

LIFEWISE

delicate pruning, cutting, clamping, defoliation, and stunting so that they remain small in stature. Bonsai trees can actually be any type of tree but to inherit its “old” look it is often taken from seeds of certain specimens or even as a graft from another bonsai tree.

And bonsai are always grown in trays, usually shallow. Because of the intense time and care it takes to perfect the bonsai tree, it is an act that requires patience and provides a time of meditation for the gardener or artist.

There are several types of traditional bonsai trees. The formal upright tree boasts a straight trunk with a tapering top. The informal upright bonsai exhibits slight curves. Slanting bonsai come out of the soil at an angle. The forest style includes many trees to appear as a tiny wooded wonderland.

Becoming a true bonsai expert takes years of study and practice.

But there’s no reason you can’t give it a try. A bonsai tree may be just the thing to transform your backyard oasis or a meditative space within your home. Today’s kits, which come with the proper soil, specimen seeds, and precise watering instructions, make growing your own bonsai plant easier than ever. Or pre-grown bonsai trees make great gifts for loved ones and can be purchased at florists or online at shops. Bonsai trees may indeed be small, but sharing their joy is sure to put a big smile on your face.

Huckleberry Cheesecake INGREDIENTS Crust

FLAVORFUL

Celebrate Irish culture and tradition throughout Chicago this spring. From raucous pub crawls to lively parades and family-friendly festivals, there is no doubt about it: There’s nothing quite like St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. All through March, it’s a holiday when the Irish taverns are packed, jovial crowds jam the city streets and the Chicago River sparkles brilliant shades of emerald green.

Locals and visitors alike go green across town in celebration of Irish culture and tradition. See the city’s famous skyline join in the spirit as the skyscrapers illuminate with color too.

Between the neighborhood festivities, downtown river boat tours and Celtic performances — and of course the highlight of the holiday, the Loop parade and river dyeing ceremony — there is no shortage of ways to celebrate.

or some of us, the movie The Karate Kid was the first time we learned of the art of the bonsai tree. Watching Mr. Miyagi and “Daniel san” learn about concentration and discipline while tending to the baby trees revealed a Zen gardening world many of us knew little about. But, of course, bonsai trees are nothing new.

In fact, these little works of art have been around for thousands of years, tracing their roots to ancient China and Japan. These countries have celebrated bonsai trees in literary and visual works of art throughout recorded time, often serving as a status of wealth and social standing. There’s even a bonsai tree, known as the Sandai Shogun no Matsu, which has been cared for by Japanese emperors throughout time and is said to be 500 years old! Hard to believe that some us can’t even keep a common houseplant alive for more than a few months.

4 c Graham cracker crumbs 16 oz Unsalted butter, melted 3 tbsp Sugar

Filling 5 lb 5 c 4 c 8

Cream cheese Sour cream Granulated sugar Eggs

8 oz 4 tbsp 1 ¼ c 2 tsp

Egg yolks Vanilla extract Heavy cream Huckleberry purée

DIRECTIONS Crust

In a small bowl, combine graham crackers, butter and sugar. Press ¼ cup of mixture in each spring form pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool and reserve.

Filling

In a mixer, beat sour cream, cream cheese and sugar for 30 seconds on low, then turn up to medium. In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream and whisk together. On medium speed, slowly add egg mixture to mixer. Scrape after half mixture is poured. Continue adding the rest of the egg mixture. Once it’s all incorporated, pour 6 ounces of mixture into a spring form pan. Drizzle Huckleberry puree into the cheesecake mixture and swirl it with a skewer. Wrap outside of each pan with aluminum foil. Pour hot water into spring form pans until its filled half way up. Place spring form pans into a preheated oven at 250 degrees and bake for one hour.

Then crack the door open for one minute and turn off oven. Close oven and let stand in oven for one more hour. Cool and refrigerate. Yields 2 cheesecakes.

480.947.0795 | RoaringFork.com

TRAVEL TIME

THE ZEN OF

BONSAI F

St. Patrick’s Day Chicago, IL

Source: ChooseChicago.com

B

DRONES 101

y now we’ve all heard the story of a drone doing a flyby of someone’s home, peering down at the backyard, and taking pics of someone outside. Talk about invasion of privacy! But seriously, could that really happen? Turns out, if you’ve got some dough, all you need to do is log onto the Apple Store and select one of the drones for sale. Of course, most people looking for a drone are looking for new tech and robotics gadgets, not looking for spy technology.

The word bonsai in Japanese means “plant in a tray.” Though they appear to be dwarf trees, bonsai trees are not actually dwarf specimens at all, but trees that require meticulous care and

Also know as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), drones are beginning to go mainstream. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, drone sales are expected to jump from 2.5 million drones in 2016 to 7 million by 2020.

Before long, drone capabilities will be at your doorstop. But there’s a lot more cool stuff you can do with a drone than just spying on your neighbors.

Categorized under toys or games at most locations, drones are being marketed to kids and full-grown gamers and film junkies alike. What’s for sale? One of the less expensive drones online is the National Geographic Quadcopter Drone, at an affordable $49.99. Including more high-tech features is the Parrot Mini Drone Airborne Cargo, retailing at $99.95. With a mini camera on board to take aerial pics, this drone can be controlled with a one-finger swipe of your phone. On the other end of the price spectrum is the DJI Phantom 4 Camera Drone, retailing at $1,200. This drone is for the athlete or film-director-wannabe who can get aerial shots of him or herself biking, skiing, or acting out a movie script. With obstacle avoidance technology, this drone will dodge tree branches and telephone poles and can fly as much as several miles away. It even has the capability to turn itself around and head back home if the signal is lost. And it’s all controlled with an iPad or iPhone.

If you’re thinking about trying out this newest technology, you have many price options.

Drones can be purchased at Amazon, Wal-Mart, and many other retailers. Just remember, it’s not cool to invade someone’s privacy. Also, there are many codes and regulations in place on how high and how far you can fly your drone. Read up on all the dos and don’ts at FAA.gov/uas/ … and happy flying!

LIFEWISE

delicate pruning, cutting, clamping, defoliation, and stunting so that they remain small in stature. Bonsai trees can actually be any type of tree but to inherit its “old” look it is often taken from seeds of certain specimens or even as a graft from another bonsai tree.

And bonsai are always grown in trays, usually shallow. Because of the intense time and care it takes to perfect the bonsai tree, it is an act that requires patience and provides a time of meditation for the gardener or artist.

There are several types of traditional bonsai trees. The formal upright tree boasts a straight trunk with a tapering top. The informal upright bonsai exhibits slight curves. Slanting bonsai come out of the soil at an angle. The forest style includes many trees to appear as a tiny wooded wonderland.

Becoming a true bonsai expert takes years of study and practice.

But there’s no reason you can’t give it a try. A bonsai tree may be just the thing to transform your backyard oasis or a meditative space within your home. Today’s kits, which come with the proper soil, specimen seeds, and precise watering instructions, make growing your own bonsai plant easier than ever. Or pre-grown bonsai trees make great gifts for loved ones and can be purchased at florists or online at shops. Bonsai trees may indeed be small, but sharing their joy is sure to put a big smile on your face.

Huckleberry Cheesecake INGREDIENTS Crust

FLAVORFUL

Celebrate Irish culture and tradition throughout Chicago this spring. From raucous pub crawls to lively parades and family-friendly festivals, there is no doubt about it: There’s nothing quite like St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. All through March, it’s a holiday when the Irish taverns are packed, jovial crowds jam the city streets and the Chicago River sparkles brilliant shades of emerald green.

Locals and visitors alike go green across town in celebration of Irish culture and tradition. See the city’s famous skyline join in the spirit as the skyscrapers illuminate with color too.

Between the neighborhood festivities, downtown river boat tours and Celtic performances — and of course the highlight of the holiday, the Loop parade and river dyeing ceremony — there is no shortage of ways to celebrate.

or some of us, the movie The Karate Kid was the first time we learned of the art of the bonsai tree. Watching Mr. Miyagi and “Daniel san” learn about concentration and discipline while tending to the baby trees revealed a Zen gardening world many of us knew little about. But, of course, bonsai trees are nothing new.

In fact, these little works of art have been around for thousands of years, tracing their roots to ancient China and Japan. These countries have celebrated bonsai trees in literary and visual works of art throughout recorded time, often serving as a status of wealth and social standing. There’s even a bonsai tree, known as the Sandai Shogun no Matsu, which has been cared for by Japanese emperors throughout time and is said to be 500 years old! Hard to believe that some us can’t even keep a common houseplant alive for more than a few months.

4 c Graham cracker crumbs 16 oz Unsalted butter, melted 3 tbsp Sugar

Filling 5 lb 5 c 4 c 8

Cream cheese Sour cream Granulated sugar Eggs

8 oz 4 tbsp 1 ¼ c 2 tsp

Egg yolks Vanilla extract Heavy cream Huckleberry purée

DIRECTIONS Crust

In a small bowl, combine graham crackers, butter and sugar. Press ¼ cup of mixture in each spring form pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool and reserve.

Filling

In a mixer, beat sour cream, cream cheese and sugar for 30 seconds on low, then turn up to medium. In a separate container, combine vanilla, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream and whisk together. On medium speed, slowly add egg mixture to mixer. Scrape after half mixture is poured. Continue adding the rest of the egg mixture. Once it’s all incorporated, pour 6 ounces of mixture into a spring form pan. Drizzle Huckleberry puree into the cheesecake mixture and swirl it with a skewer. Wrap outside of each pan with aluminum foil. Pour hot water into spring form pans until its filled half way up. Place spring form pans into a preheated oven at 250 degrees and bake for one hour.

Then crack the door open for one minute and turn off oven. Close oven and let stand in oven for one more hour. Cool and refrigerate. Yields 2 cheesecakes.

480.947.0795 | RoaringFork.com

BANKS

CANYON SPRINGS

Featured Listings

Vol. 4 Issue 3

SOLD

Look Up!

864 Hansen Greens | San Antonio | 78260 4 Beds | 5 Baths | 3,975 SQFT Offered at $589,000 | Represented Buyer

YEAR OF THE DRONE

SOLD

10 Champions Mark | San Antonio | 78258 37,374 SQFT Offered at $129,900 | Represented Buyer

25% CASH BACK commission rebate with a sale and purchase in the same year. Discounts and rebates available for all NEISD, NISD and Judson ISD affiliates.

StoneOakLiving.com

Christine Banks

Big on Beauty The Art of the Bonsai

CRS, SRS, RSPS

RE/MAX Preferred Realtors

Direct 210.570.9530 Cell 830.279.8678 caldrete@remax.net Upgrade or Downsize? Luxury & Upscale Seller Representation for More Than 25 Years. Call me today!

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (480)460-0996 • DLPmarketing.com

Roaring Fork’s

Huckleberry Cheesecake

Chi-Town Goes Green St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago

Exclusively Presented By

Christine Banks & Stone Oak Living