Potato Omelette

Our friends Sharon & John recommended we post this creative and hearty omelette. Rocke and I find this a delicious alternative to serving potatoes and eggs. The dash of balsamic really adds to the flavor of the potatoes. It takes some time to cook so give you an hour prior to serving. You can serve this as a hearty breakfast for two, or, when cut into smaller portions served with fresh fruit. This is another recipe from our favorite cooking show Laura Calder’s French Food at Home.

Click here for recipe

Flower & Garden Show - Opening Night

The Arboretum Foundation holds its annual fundraiser and presents a magnificent horticultural display at the Northwest Flower & Garden show each year. It is a wonderful event where you can see the spectacular gardens without a big crowd prior to the official opening of the show. Rocke and I created a photo collection of the pictures we took to share with our gardening friends that did not have an opportunity to attend.

Click here to see the photo show

Click here to learn more about the Arboretum Foundation

Congratulations Lisa Mayfield!

Lisa Mayfield, local geriatric care manager and member of the Professional Alliance, was inducted as a Fellow of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) Leadership Academy in February 2012. The NAGPCM Leadership Academy recognizes those individuals who have provided leadership within the organization, their community and the care management profession. This designation signifies excellence in devotion and dedication to serving individuals and their families as part of the geriatric and disabled communities. Fellows Status in the NAPGCM Leadership Academy is granted only to those who have shown the highest levels of involvement and commitment on the local, state, regional and national levels. Lisa's business partner Jullie Gray was also inducted. Lisa and Jullie are the only care managers in Washington State with this designation.

Click here to view Lisa's website, www.agingwisdom.com

Trends and Innovations: Negative News

If you are reading this post you may reacting to your natural instincts to focus on negative news. This excellent TED presentation traces the roots of this phenomenon and explores the numerous reasons for optimism, rather than pessimism, in today’s world. Are we focused on scarcity and failure when accessibility, possibilities, and abundance are improving each day?

Click here to watch, and decide for yourself

Is Your Mortgage Underwater? HARP 2.0 May Help

Professional Alliance member Conrad Wouters reminds us that HARP 2.0, a revamped version of the Home Affordable Refinance Program, will be made available to homeowners on March 19^th. Until now, only a limited number of borrowers had access to this program. With no maximum loan-to-value on 30-year terms and no minimum credit score, the new HARP 2.0 refi program may help, whether or not your home is underwater.

Click here for more information

King County Housing Market

The news has been flooded with talk of the real estate market for quite some time, but much the information can be general in nature - what may be true for the nation as a whole may not be true for your region at this point in time. Do you ever wonder how residential home prices, sales, and listings have been behaving in your neighborhood?

Click here for information on King County’s housing market

Courtesy of Professional Alliance Member Conrad Wouters

Five Star Wealth Manager Award

We are honored to announce that Candy J. Lee has been selected as a Five Star Wealth Manager by the most widely published wealth manager for 2012 & 2013 award program in North America.  Fewer than 7% of wealth managers were chosen, based on an evaluation of objective criteria associated with advisors who provide quality services to their clients.  Candy extends a special thank you to all of her clients who have made receiving this honor possible.   

Five Star Wealth Managers met 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria associated with wealth managers who provide quality services to their clients. 

For specific research methodologies click here
For details on the top 10 objective criteria click here

RockCandy Kitchen Recipe Book

RockCandy Kitchen has released a compilation of its favorite recipes, featuring over two dozen delicious dishes that have been shared with our readers over the past few years. We specialize in a low carb selection of seafood, meats, and vegetables, though a few tasty and not-so-low-carb desserts have been included as well. We hope you enjoy these dishes as much as we do.

Click here to view the RockCandy Kitchen Recipe Book

There's Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2011

There's still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2011! You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $5,000 for 2011 ($6,000 if you were age 50 by December 31, 2011). For most taxpayers, the contribution deadline for 2011 is April 17, 2012. Normally, your tax return must be filed by April 15. However, the IRS has extended the deadline to April 17 this year because April 15 is a Sunday, and April 16 is a holiday in Washington D.C. (Emancipation Day).

You can contribute to a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or both, as long as your total contributions don't exceed the annual limit. You may also be able to contribute to an IRA for your spouse for 2011, even if your spouse didn't have any 2011 income.

Click here for more