Nov 29 2011

Buying a House at Smith Lake

View of Silverock from the docks.

If you’re in the market for a vacation home, now is a great time to buy. Mortgage rates are near 4%. If you’re looking to take advantage of these rates and purchase a second home, you should consider looking at Smith Lake.

At Silverock Cove, we’re biased of course. We love Smith Lake! Looking out of our office windows, we have great views of the woods and water. It’s fun seeing our friends in the summer and relaxing during lazy days on the lake in the Fall. If you haven’t been to Smith Lake, you need to make a trip to see us.

There are a number of reasons to invest in a lake home at Smith Lake:

  • Smith Lake is the second cleanest lake in the United States–there is no safer place to swim and enjoy recreation on the water.
  • Smith Lake is incredibly convenient. An hour from Birmingham and an hour and a half from Huntsville, you can make an impromptu overnight visit whenever you like. Many of our residents spend Sunday night and drive back home early for work on Monday morning.
  • Smith Lake provides a number of recreation opportunities. Fishing, boating, wakeboarding–there are more than 500 miles of shoreline to explore. And there are great hiking and camping opportunities as well.
  • The amenities at Silverock Cove–with a swimming pool, satellite TV and Internet, valet boat storage and a hiking trail–make lake living irresistible.

If you have any more questions about living at the lake, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at H2 Real Estate at 205-994-6504.

no comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Lake Living, Smith Lake

Nov 21 2011

Make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers…

Add your leftover turkey to a grilled cheese to keep the weekend feast going.

The Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to make the trip to Silverock. After you are done with the big family meal, you can feast on leftovers all weekend as you watch football and enjoy the Fall weather. Does it get any better?

Here are some ideas on how to “repurpose” some of your Thanksgiving staples:

Turkey and Stuffing Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You can’t beat a grilled cheese on chilly day. Add some turkey and stuffing and you’re in for some serious sandwich perfection. Warning, get ready for a nap after eating.

Ingredients:

2 slices, sourdough bread
1 cup leftover turkey meat chopped
1 cup stuffing
1/4 cup cranberry sauce
2 tbsp cream cheese
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 slices red onion
4 tbsp Muenster chesse
1/2 avocado sliced

Lightly spread butter or margarine on the outside of your sourdough bread, also add a small amount of butter to your pan. Mix muenster cheese and stuffing in large chunks and spread on the inside of the bread. Mix the turkey with the cream cheese and cranberry sauce, spread on one side and top with avocado. Cover with other side of bread. Cook in a saute pan over low/medium heat, pressing down with a spatula or place a small plate on top to get the bread cooked evenly. When one side is browned (five minutes or so) flip and cook the other side until browned. Enjoy, and prepare for a blissful food coma.

Warm up this weekend with some Leftover Turkey Soup

Leftover Turkey Soup

Nothing like a heaping bowl of soup to stay warm on a cool afternoon. Try this turkey soup recipe for a post-holiday treat.

Ingredients:

2 quarts chicken broth
1 turkey carcass, all meat removed
1 onion, halved, plus 1 onion, minced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise, plus 1 carrot, minced
1 whole stalk celery, plus 1 more stalk, minced
2 bay leaves
3 cups dark turkey meat
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
3 cups leftover cooked Thanksgiving side vegetables (Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, green beans)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

  • Put chicken broth, turkey, onion halves, carrot halves, 1 celery stalk, and 1 bay leaf in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Finely dice the remaining onion, carrot and celery and reserve.
  • Dice the turkey meat. Make sure meat pieces are no larger than the size of a soup spoon. (If preparing soup the next day, be sure to store leftover turkey meat in an airtight container before placing it in the refrigerator, top with 1 or 2 ladles full of broth to keep meat moist.)
  • Before straining broth, remove large bones and carcass with tongs. Strain the broth through a sieve, covered with wet cheese cloth. Discard the solids. Transfer broth to a bowl set in a bath of ice water, which will cool the broth quickly and help keep it fresher longer. This can be done the night before and stored in the refrigerator until the next day.
  • In a large soup pot, heat garlic cloves in the olive oil. Allow to brown slightly and add minced carrots, celery, and onion. Sweat over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 or 8 minutes.
  • Dice the leftover vegetables (here Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and green beans). Add the chopped sage to the soup pot along with the turkey broth and the remaining bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. When simmering, add Brussels sprouts, green beans and diced turkey meat to the soup. Bring it back up to a simmer. Finally, add the sweet potatoes to the center, and gently push them down. Turn the heat off and cover. Allow to sit and steam for 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Let simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

no comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Lake Food, Southern Cookin'