Russell Investments Economic Update and Tour

You and your guest(s) are invited to attend a Russell Investments Economic Update and tour of their new world headquarters in Seattle.

The tour will take place on Tuesday March 22, 2011 from 7:30 am to 9:30 am. Continental breakfast will be served. The agenda will include an economic update, an overview of Russell Investments and a tour of their new headquarters and trading floor.

Russell's new facilities feature cutting edge architecture that incorporates advanced designs in work spaces.

Space is limited.

Please RSVP as soon as possible by contacting Candy at candy@candyjlee.com. We will send a formal invitation containing additional details and instructions for those that are interested in attending. We hope you can make it!

If you are not able to attend this event, save the date for our late afternoon wine tasting on June 9th.

2010 Favorite Recipes

We shared some excellent recipes over the course of the year and I combined them into one booklet for your enjoyment.

December 2010 – Root Vegetable Gratin with Gruyere

November 2010 – Grilled Pork Chops with Apple Pomegranate Sauce

October 2010 – Curry Salmon Patties with Mango Salsa

September 2010 – Veal Stuffed Kohlrabies (Toltott Kalarbe)

August 2010 – Fig, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Appetizer

July 2010 – Grilled Bratwurst with Bing Cherry Sauce, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes & Arugula Salad

June 2010 – Blackened Halibut with Remoulade

April 2010 – Salmon 21 with Pressed Cucumbers and Sauce Verte

March 2010 – Salmon with Ginger, Black Pepper and Celery Puree

February 2010 – Salt Crusted Lamb

Click here for the booklet.

Arbor Eden 2011

One of our favorite events of the year is the Arboretum Foundations Northwest Flower & Garden Show Preview gala. We enjoy a fabulous evening of delicious food, fine wines, live music, and silent auctions, and the opportunity to view the beautiful display gardens at the Flower Show the day before it opens to the public.

The 25 display gardens are amazing and we usually share the pictures with family and friends. Unfortunately, this year we forgot to put the battery in the camera. Here is a picture of the display garden which honors the 50^th anniversary of the Seattle Japanese Garden in the Arboretum.

Tom Douglas’ Crab Cakes with Green Cocktail Sauce

Dungeness crab season runs from September to June with the best crab mid winter. There is still time to enjoy this signature recipe if you do so quickly. Rocke and I like to steam a couple of fresh crabs and enjoy them with steamed artichokes butter and hollandaise sauce. We use the left over crabs to make our crab cakes. You make them one day and cook them the next which makes them great to make on Sunday for a special Monday night dinner.

Click here for the recipe.

Estate Tax is Your Choice in 2010

It hard to if one could be lucky to die in 2010, but for those heirs to large estates it was definitely a mixed blessing. During 2010 there was no federal estate tax. The new tax bill allows you the option of paying estate tax if you choose to. Why would you do so?

Click here to find out.

$5 Gas – No Problem

Last week they installed our new gas station in our garage. The all electric Nissan Leaf is scheduled for delivery by the end of March. Rocke figured out he pays about $200 a month to commute to work in his Toyota Pick-up and it will only cost about $12 a month in electricity for the Leaf. With the spike in oil prices the new orders for the Leaf is sky rocketing.

2011-2012 Legacy Planning Opportunities

An opportunity to gift up to ten million to by-pass future estate tax is an incredible opportunity for those with estates in excess of one million dollars, the level that is scheduled to sunset in 2013. Legacy planner, Alan Pratt shares a quick overview of the options available to avoid estate tax on some of your current wealth and any appreciation that will occur in your lifetime.

Click here for the article.

Washington State Federal Estate Tax 2011-2012 Summary

Estate tax attorney, Pat McGowan reminds us not to forget about the Washington State estate tax. The Federal estate tax may have increased to five million but Washington State still holds at two million. He shares with us a summary of the new rates including the reversion back to the one million federal estate tax levels in 2013.

Click here for the article.