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Recipe of
the Month
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New Mexico Green Chile Breakfast
Submitted By: applejedi1
Photo By: DIZRICH
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 6
"A hearty recipe for a style of breakfast burrito found in every eatery, taco stand, and gas station around Santa Fe, made with the famous green chiles from Hatch, New Mexico."
INGREDIENTS:4 potatoes, shredded 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 (8 ounce) container frozen Hatch, New Mexico green chile peppers 1/2 cup chicken broth 12 strips bacon 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon onion powder salt and pepper to taste 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas butter flavored cooking spray 12 extra large eggs, beaten 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese DIRECTIONS:Place the shredded potatoes in a bowl, cover with water, and set aside. Bring the onion, garlic, green chiles, and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce thickens; turn off the heat. Meanwhile, place the strips of bacon on paper towels on a microwave-safe plate, and cook on High until crisp, about 1 minute per strip; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drain the potatoes, and add to the skillet. Spoon hot oil over the potatoes; sprinkle with the onion powder, salt, and pepper. Flip the potatoes occasionally, but let them fry until crispy bits form and the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Place the tortillas between two damp paper towels. Microwave on High until warm, about 30 seconds. Spray a separate skillet with butter flavored cooking spray and cook the eggs over medium heat, whisking them continuously until the eggs are completely set; turn off the heat. Lay a tortilla flat in front of you. Place some potatoes, scrambled egg, and a strip of bacon on the lower third, leaving about an inch of room from the bottom, and about 1-1/2 inches on the left and right clear for folding the burrito. Spoon on a little of the green chile sauce, and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Fold the left and right edges into the middle about 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Take the bottom edge closest to you with the stuffing and pick it up, pulling it OVER the filling, while keeping the sides in place until that edge now touches the tortilla about 7/8 of the way up to the top edge. Check to see that the sides are still tucked well. If they aren't slide them in a bit now that you have the filling covered. Finish by tucking the bottom flap that you pulled over the filling UNDER the filling a bit to seal it, then continue rolling the burrito up to the top edge, forming a tight cylinder. Let it rest seam-side down, and it will stay nice and tight. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Special thanks to, |
Plumbing
Fun Facts
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Plumbing isn't always serious - in fact, there's a whole bunch of fun things to learn about plumbing if you do a little digging. It is, after all, the occupation of Mario and Luigi (Nintendo's Mario Brothers).
Here are some plumbing facts we found interesting:
Famous and often controversial rockstar Ozzy Osbourne was a plumber's apprentice before getting into the music industry.
The word "plumber" dates all the way back to the Roman Empire. In Rome, pipes were originally made from lead, which is "plumbum" in Latin. People who worked with lead were called Plumbarius, which was eventually shortened to the word we use today.
At 140 degrees, it takes five seconds for water to burn skin. At 160 degrees, it takes only half of a second.
Home hot water systems should be set to no hotter than 120 degrees per plumbing code.
In Japan, some urinals have voice-activated flushing mechanisms. The urinals respond to several commands, including "fire."
The term "plumbers" was a popular name given to the covert White House Special Investigations Unit established during the presidency of Richard Nixon in response to the leaked "Pentagon Papers" documents. Their job was to plug intelligence leaks in the U.S. Government relating to the Vietnam War; hence the term "plumbers".
Sir John Harington is credited with inventing the flushable toilet in 1596, hence the American nickname for it, "the john."
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Electrical
Fun facts
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| Ben Franklin didn't discover electricity but he did prove that lightning is a form of electrical energy.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, electricity consumption will increase by 51 percent from 2002 to 2025.
The first power plant owned by Thomas Edison opened in New York City in 1882.
The first central power plant ? Pearl Street Station in lower Manhattan, built by Thomas Edison began generating electricity on September 4, 1882. Pearl Street had one generator and it produced power for 800 electric light bulbs. Within 14 months, Pearl Street Station had 508 subscribers and 12,732 bulbs. Since the first power plant lit up 800 light bulbs in 1882, the electric utility industry has grown to generate over 2.5 million gigawatt-hours annually, the equivalent of lighting 4.8 billion 60-watt light bulbs for a year.
The size of a typical American home has increased from 1100 to 1800 square feet over the past ten years.
If you scuffed your feet long enough without touching anything, you would build up so many electrons that your finger would explode! But this is nothing to worry about, unless you have carpeting.
The electrons travel through your bloodstream and collect in your finger, where they form a spark that leaps to your friend's filling, then travels down to his feet and back into the carpet, thus completing the circuit.
In the past decade scientists developed the laser, an electronic appliance that emits a beam of light so powerful that it can vaporize a bulldozer 2,000 yards away, yet so precise that doctors can use it to perform delicate operations on the human eyeball, provided they remember too change the power setting from "VAPORIZE BULLDOZER" to "DELICATE."
Electricity travels at the speed of light - more than 186,000 miles per second!
A spark of static electricity can measure up to three thousand (3,000) volts.
A bolt of lightning can measure up to three million (3,000,000) volts - and it lasts less than one second!
Electricity always tries to find the easiest path to the ground.
Electricity can be made from wind, water, the sun and even animal manure.
Burning coal is the most common way electricity is made in the United States.
One power plant can produce enough electricity for 180,000 homes.
Thomas Edison didn't invent the first light bulb - but he did invent one that stayed lit for more than a few seconds.
Thomas Edison invented more than 2,000 new products, including almost everything needed for us to use electricity in our homes: switches, fuses, sockets and meters.
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September 2010
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Dear ,
I hope that all is well with you and your family and that you are enjoying our monthly Newsletter.
Now that school has resumed, many of us have again turned their attention to minor home improvements as we now move towards the holidays. Yes, it really is that time of year again.
For those who don't like unpleasant and / or unplanned plumbing and electrical emergencies (which probably covers just about all of us), now really is an ideal time to evaluate some of those small repairs that you may have been putting off.
In this month's Newsletter, you'll find some great advice on spotting and evaluating various plumbing and electrical problems and potential problems, some of which you can handle yourself.
And if you do need some professional help, don't forget to use the valuable coupons at the end of this Newsletter.
Until next month, thank you for your continued patronage.
Brenda Casey / Owner
Casey's Plumbing Inc
Rooter n Drains
Metro's Best Electric
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The Phantom Flush wastes thousands of gallons of water down the drain!
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Have you ever awoke in the evening to what sounded like one of your toilet's flushing? If you have, you may have noticed an unexpected spike in your water bill too. The phantom flush is actually the toilet tank leaking water into the bowl. Once the water level is down, the faithful fill valve returns the water level to its' normal capacity. This is the sound you are hearing. Often times, the fix can be inexpensive and easy to perform. (See below). The most common culprit to this "phantom flush", is the toilets flapper. If it is worn, you can generally tell just by looking at it. You can find replacement flappers at any home improvement outlet.
Another possibility is that the water level just may be out of adjustment. As you can see above, the overflow tube has a line towards the top of it. This is where the water level should stop filling. If the fill valve is out of adjustment however, the water may continue to rise until it begins to pour into the "overflow tube". When this happens, the toilet will just run and run until corrected and / or adjusted with the float adjustment screw.
These small little annoyances, running toilets, phantom flushes, can become huge annoyances when friends and family begin to arrive for the holidays. So it really is a good idea to deal with them now. And fear not; if you find yourself over your head or just don't want to tackle it, we're there for you!
For any help or questions, please call,
 503-620-9111
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Is your electrical holiday ready?
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 As our days become shorter, our electrical demands increase electrical safety becomes more important than ever. And now, already going into the holiday season, electrical use will soar even more. Many homes twenty years old or older, don't have the electrical capacity of today's electrical demands. If this describes your home, then pay attention to the electrical tips provided by ESFI, below... Do's
- Have a licensed electrician or electrical inspector check your home's electrical wiring and distribution system to reduce the likelihood of electrocutions and fires.
- ESFI recommends having an electrical inspection to diagnose potential hazards if your home is 40 years old or older.
- If you suspect a wiring problem, do not attempt to fix it yourself. Shut off the circuit and have the electrical system checked.
- Every home electrical system should have grounding ability. Many homes built before 1950 lack a ground wire.
- Flickering lights, tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses are indications of possible electrical problems. Arcs, sparks, sizzles, buzzes or an unusual odor in the vicinity of a receptacle, switch or lighting fixture is a sign of an equipment problem.
- Outlets, switches, or cords that feel warm or hot to the touch may indicate an electrical problem.
- All receptacle outlets and switches must have wall plates.
- Have receptacles replaced if plugs do not fit tightly in the receptacle.
- Electrical shocks-even mild ones-are an indication of an electrical hazard and should be checked.
- Use receptacle outlet safety covers to minimize injuries to children.
- Keep children and flammable materials away from space heaters and other heat sources.
- Follow manufacturer's instructions when operating any electrical tool or appliance.
- Limit use of extension cords. Extension cords are intended for temporary use only. Make sure that you do not overload an extension cord.
- Ensure light bulbs are the proper wattage for each lighting fixture.
Don'ts:
Do not overload outlets. This can occur if too many appliances are plugged into the same circuit. Blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers may indicate overloading. - Do not use extension cords with space heaters or air conditioners and make sure your space heater will automatically shut off if tipped over.
Be sure to inspect tools, appliances and extension cords. If you discover worn or exposed wiring, discontinue use immediately to avoid shock and fire hazards.
Anytime is a bad time for electrical emergencies and many can be dangerous. Don't put off or wait until the last minute to deal with potential problems. Play it safe and get them checked out today.
If you are considering any major improvements, panel upgrades etc., call today ans schedule a free home evaluation and estimate.
Call The Best!
503-643-8833
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Drain problems
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As we go into the fall season, drain maintenance becomes more important than ever. There will be flooded basements and clogged rain drains as the rain increases. And because we spend more time indoors, our plumbing system is taxed more.
Clogged drains are probably the number one complaint we receive as the holidays roll in. Many of which could have been avoided with a little common sense and maintenance.
Here are some things you can do to get through the holidays free from clogged drains...
When using your garbage disposal, remember - you can have the greatest most powerful disposal on the market but the material put in it will only drain into the sewage system as well as the drain pipes allow it to. So for garbage disposals...
Run lots of water while slowly depositing materials to be disposed of. Continue to run the water for at least one minute after turn the switch off.
If drains are running free and well, keep them that way by using a safe enzyme that will keep the build up from becoming a problem and end up clogging things up, ie:
Drain Maid
Most of all, use common sense. If you are noticing slow drains anywhere in your house now, take care of soon. The majority of our drain calls come in around the Thanksgiving and Christmas hoildays. Thanksgiving dinner to deal with them? So wouldn't it be be better to deal with them on your schedule, before family and friends begin arriving on Thanksgiving?
If you would like more information or need to schedule a plumber to come out, just call...
503-643-4433
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Money Saving Coupons
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COUPONS NOT GOOD WITH OTHER OFFERS
OR WORK PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED
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A Word From The General Manager
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It's
getting to be a real problem in our world today. Innocent homeowners
call contractors looking to have work performed on their home.
A
service person shows up, and the homeowner doesn't think twice about
letting that person into their home. They presume that person is
honest and coming to help them with their problem. All too often these
seemingly innocent calls turn tragic.
Not
long ago, I read about a Florida woman who was killed by a registered
sex offender who was performing work in her home. In another instance,
a service technician in the Minneapolis area was convicted on several
counts for stealing from customers' homes. In yet another story, an
unsuspecting housewife in Missouri hired a contractor only to have him
call back two weeks later and make lewd remarks over the telephone.
What if this guy had done more than just make telephone calls? You
don't think about this possibly happening until it's too late.
You
and your family deserve to feel comfortable and safe in your own home;
to live life without fear. Women home alone with small children, the
elderly, or the disabled
shouldn't have to be wary of their security when calling a
contractor. As a person who's been in this industry for years, it
sickens me that
this has become an issue... but it has.
Knowing this, we have
made a commitment to you and all of our loyal customers. You will
never have to worry about a person from our company that enters your
home or be concerned about their true intentions. As a service to you,
every single one of our employees is background checked and drug
tested. No criminal or drug addict will ever wear one of our
uniforms. We have one of the most difficult hiring processes around,
and only people of high moral character are given the opportunity to be
employed by us. We then take these hard working people and provide
them with the best technical and communication training offered in the
country. So, you'll know that when one of our people shows up, they're
upstanding citizens who are eager and able to help you with any and all
of your home's needs.
Many
contractors in the home services
business do not bother to practice such stringent policies... But
that's what distinguishes us from the rest. Indeed, recently when
screening applicants to fill an opening we had for a journeyman
plumber, only a very small percentage passed the drug screening. And these people are now
working for someone!?
When
you call Casey's Plumbing, Rooter n Drains or Metro's Best Electric,
you know you're dealing with professionals who care about your personal
safety, the safety of your family, and the well-being and security of
your home. We feel that's the least we can do for you.
Thanks
your continued patronage.
Sincerely,
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