Diego Jaramillo | Texas Homeowner

TexasHomeowner

JARA

Vol. 5 Issue 9

Halloween

It’s Not Just for Kids

Pumpkin Spice... and Everything Nice

New England Fall Foliage Tours

Roasted Beet Sandwich GoodNes If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (877)660-0996 • DLPmarketing.com

TIME FOR TRAVEL

to see the location of the notorious Salem witch trials, and Sleepy Hollow, New York, to try to get a glimpse of the famed Headless Horseman).

Fall Foliage Tours

That’s a Latte

PUMPKIN SPICE! S

ure, the temperatures are cooling, the leaves are transitioning to a pleasing gold, and the stores are debuting their Halloween costume selections, but how do we really know autumn has arrived? That’s right – it’s officially pumpkin spice season!

New England is famous for its gorgeous fall foliage, as billions of leaves change from green to a kaleidoscope of colors. People from all over the world visit the New England Region to get a close up look at the absolute beauty the Fall brings. The most popular (and the easiest!) way to see all of the hidden gems is on a guided Fall Foliage Tour. There are several tours available for a variety of adventurers. One of the most popular tours is Tauck Tours, “Grand New England”. Tauck has been leading Fall Foliage tours for more than nine decades. The tour provides and in-depth portrait of the region, from Revolutionary War sites in Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts, to a weather lesson atop New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, to a full-on lobster experience in Portland, Maine.

Source: Tauck.com

Ever since Starbucks introduced their auspicious Pumpkin Spice Latte – PSL to the cool kids – in 2003, America has brewed up a renewed love affair with fall.

The psychology behind the tantalizing trend is simple: the aromas and flavors remind us of childhood and coming home for the holidays; of walking into the house to be greeted by the smell of pumpkin pie and other baked goods; all comingling with the comforting sounds of family and friends. Once Starbucks got the pumpkin – er, ball – rolling, it didn’t take other manufacturers and their marketing teams long to seek the advantage of this trigger in consumers who yearn to return to a cozier time.

Ironically, most pumpkin spice-themed products don’t actually include real pumpkin. What we have come to identify as that unmistakable aroma is typically a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, dried ginger, allspice or clove.

Some companies have also created synthetic blends to replicate the scent or flavor. Add sugar or the scent of melted butter to the pumpkin spices and it can be downright addictive!

If you take out the sugar, there are potential health benefits from real pumpkin such as vitamin A and fiber, plus spices all come from plants – a perk for vegetarians and vegans. This distinctive combination of spices has actually been around for millennia in cultures around the world, but the Western world has taken those childhood-evoking memories to a whole new level.

Companies have jumped on the seasonal pumpkin spice train with products that range from coffee creamers, protein bars and yogurt to less obvious items such as cough drops and lip balm. Even established brands like Cheerios and M&Ms are carving out their own pumpkinshaped niche with seasonal flavors.

Is there a line we won’t cross? Perhaps pumpkin spice-scented deodorant or pumpkin-flavored sushi? Only time will tell, but after 15 years this autumnal fad appears to have serious staying power. So if you’re ready to embrace the fall season, throw on a sweater and go take a walk in the cooler weather, crunch some leaves – and be sure to stop and smell the pumpkin spice!

LIFEWISE

R

emember when Halloween meant making homemade costumes for the kids, carving a jack-o-lantern, and collecting some candy? Today’s Halloween is anything but simple! As more and more grown-ups get in on the scary scene, this horrifying holiday lasts way more than a day or two.

Our modern take on Halloween lasts a good month or more. And haunting happenings have popped up everywhere. It’s probably no surprise then that Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday of the year, after Christmas. Teens are driving this trend and young adults ages 18 to 24 are likely to attend a Halloween party or haunted house this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). We bet you’ve noticed some of the following frightful trends in your town.

You know that scary old house downtown? Leave it to Americans to turn an eyesore into a moneymaking machine. Towns across our country are using abandoned buildings as once-month-a-year haunted houses. Filled with ghoulish props and professional actors, these local scream scenes are a great bet for teens and grown-ups alike. (You may want to leave the little ones behind!) Terrifying travel destinations are also trending. Older adults are booking travel to scary hot spots around the country (think Salem, Massachusetts,

FLAVORFUL

New England

For those who aren’t ready to tour the country for screams and ghost sightings, numerous costume shops pop up in empty storefronts. Here you can find anything from the latest musthave costume to the creepiest props for your yard to scare away all your trick-or-treaters. The average Halloween shopper spends some $77 each Halloween, so this is big business! Costumes alone can be pretty costly—from inflatable dinosaurs to family-themed licensed costumes from the latest hit movie. And for those who are really looking to wow at a Halloween party this year, consider renting that over-the-top Chewbacca costume (it’s half the price to rent rather than buy).

But hosting a Halloween party for you and your friends may be the most ghoulish trend of all. Of course, to really scare them you’ll need a few things. May we suggest a fog machine, a few robotic ghosts that talk and move (glowing red eyes optional), and faux tombstones and coffins for the yard. Oh, and don’t forget a pumpkin or two, too! Happy haunting!

Roasted Beet Veggie Sandwich INGREDIENTS 3 1 2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/2 cup 1 1/2 tbsp

Small golden beets Hothouse cucumber Canola oil Salt Lowfat Greek yogurt Chopped fresh mint

1 1 tsp 1/8 tsp 1/8 tsp 3 1/2 cup

Clove of garlic, chopped Fresh lemon juice Salt Ground black pepper Multi-grain pitas, cut in half Baby spinach

DIRECTIONS Place beets on large piece of foil. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt. Wrap tightly in foil; place on baking sheet. Bake at 400° F for 40 to 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Let cool for 20 minutes; peel and slice into ¼-inch-thick slices.

Grate enough cucumber to end up with ¼ cup; squeeze out liquid between paper towels. Place grated cucumber in medium bowl. Add yogurt, mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix well.

Slice remaining cucumber on a diagonal into eighteen ¼-inch-thick slices. Spread about 1 ½ tablespoons tzatziki inside each pita half; layer cucumber slices, beet slices and spinach inside each pita half. Serve immediately.

GoodNes.com

TIME FOR TRAVEL

to see the location of the notorious Salem witch trials, and Sleepy Hollow, New York, to try to get a glimpse of the famed Headless Horseman).

Fall Foliage Tours

That’s a Latte

PUMPKIN SPICE! S

ure, the temperatures are cooling, the leaves are transitioning to a pleasing gold, and the stores are debuting their Halloween costume selections, but how do we really know autumn has arrived? That’s right – it’s officially pumpkin spice season!

New England is famous for its gorgeous fall foliage, as billions of leaves change from green to a kaleidoscope of colors. People from all over the world visit the New England Region to get a close up look at the absolute beauty the Fall brings. The most popular (and the easiest!) way to see all of the hidden gems is on a guided Fall Foliage Tour. There are several tours available for a variety of adventurers. One of the most popular tours is Tauck Tours, “Grand New England”. Tauck has been leading Fall Foliage tours for more than nine decades. The tour provides and in-depth portrait of the region, from Revolutionary War sites in Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts, to a weather lesson atop New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, to a full-on lobster experience in Portland, Maine.

Source: Tauck.com

Ever since Starbucks introduced their auspicious Pumpkin Spice Latte – PSL to the cool kids – in 2003, America has brewed up a renewed love affair with fall.

The psychology behind the tantalizing trend is simple: the aromas and flavors remind us of childhood and coming home for the holidays; of walking into the house to be greeted by the smell of pumpkin pie and other baked goods; all comingling with the comforting sounds of family and friends. Once Starbucks got the pumpkin – er, ball – rolling, it didn’t take other manufacturers and their marketing teams long to seek the advantage of this trigger in consumers who yearn to return to a cozier time.

Ironically, most pumpkin spice-themed products don’t actually include real pumpkin. What we have come to identify as that unmistakable aroma is typically a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, dried ginger, allspice or clove.

Some companies have also created synthetic blends to replicate the scent or flavor. Add sugar or the scent of melted butter to the pumpkin spices and it can be downright addictive!

If you take out the sugar, there are potential health benefits from real pumpkin such as vitamin A and fiber, plus spices all come from plants – a perk for vegetarians and vegans. This distinctive combination of spices has actually been around for millennia in cultures around the world, but the Western world has taken those childhood-evoking memories to a whole new level.

Companies have jumped on the seasonal pumpkin spice train with products that range from coffee creamers, protein bars and yogurt to less obvious items such as cough drops and lip balm. Even established brands like Cheerios and M&Ms are carving out their own pumpkinshaped niche with seasonal flavors.

Is there a line we won’t cross? Perhaps pumpkin spice-scented deodorant or pumpkin-flavored sushi? Only time will tell, but after 15 years this autumnal fad appears to have serious staying power. So if you’re ready to embrace the fall season, throw on a sweater and go take a walk in the cooler weather, crunch some leaves – and be sure to stop and smell the pumpkin spice!

LIFEWISE

R

emember when Halloween meant making homemade costumes for the kids, carving a jack-o-lantern, and collecting some candy? Today’s Halloween is anything but simple! As more and more grown-ups get in on the scary scene, this horrifying holiday lasts way more than a day or two.

Our modern take on Halloween lasts a good month or more. And haunting happenings have popped up everywhere. It’s probably no surprise then that Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday of the year, after Christmas. Teens are driving this trend and young adults ages 18 to 24 are likely to attend a Halloween party or haunted house this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). We bet you’ve noticed some of the following frightful trends in your town.

You know that scary old house downtown? Leave it to Americans to turn an eyesore into a moneymaking machine. Towns across our country are using abandoned buildings as once-month-a-year haunted houses. Filled with ghoulish props and professional actors, these local scream scenes are a great bet for teens and grown-ups alike. (You may want to leave the little ones behind!) Terrifying travel destinations are also trending. Older adults are booking travel to scary hot spots around the country (think Salem, Massachusetts,

FLAVORFUL

New England

For those who aren’t ready to tour the country for screams and ghost sightings, numerous costume shops pop up in empty storefronts. Here you can find anything from the latest musthave costume to the creepiest props for your yard to scare away all your trick-or-treaters. The average Halloween shopper spends some $77 each Halloween, so this is big business! Costumes alone can be pretty costly—from inflatable dinosaurs to family-themed licensed costumes from the latest hit movie. And for those who are really looking to wow at a Halloween party this year, consider renting that over-the-top Chewbacca costume (it’s half the price to rent rather than buy).

But hosting a Halloween party for you and your friends may be the most ghoulish trend of all. Of course, to really scare them you’ll need a few things. May we suggest a fog machine, a few robotic ghosts that talk and move (glowing red eyes optional), and faux tombstones and coffins for the yard. Oh, and don’t forget a pumpkin or two, too! Happy haunting!

Roasted Beet Veggie Sandwich INGREDIENTS 3 1 2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/2 cup 1 1/2 tbsp

Small golden beets Hothouse cucumber Canola oil Salt Lowfat Greek yogurt Chopped fresh mint

1 1 tsp 1/8 tsp 1/8 tsp 3 1/2 cup

Clove of garlic, chopped Fresh lemon juice Salt Ground black pepper Multi-grain pitas, cut in half Baby spinach

DIRECTIONS Place beets on large piece of foil. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt. Wrap tightly in foil; place on baking sheet. Bake at 400° F for 40 to 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Let cool for 20 minutes; peel and slice into ¼-inch-thick slices.

Grate enough cucumber to end up with ¼ cup; squeeze out liquid between paper towels. Place grated cucumber in medium bowl. Add yogurt, mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper; mix well.

Slice remaining cucumber on a diagonal into eighteen ¼-inch-thick slices. Spread about 1 ½ tablespoons tzatziki inside each pita half; layer cucumber slices, beet slices and spinach inside each pita half. Serve immediately.

GoodNes.com

TexasHomeowner

JARA

Vol. 5 Issue 9

Halloween

It’s Not Just for Kids

Pumpkin Spice... and Everything Nice

New England Fall Foliage Tours

Roasted Beet Sandwich GoodNes If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Produced by DLP Marketing • (877)660-0996 • DLPmarketing.com