Labor Day weekend is coming up sooner than I realized.  Not only does that mean an extra day off of work, but that also means great food that is shared with family and friends.  When planning a meal for a big holiday most people focus on the main course and don’t think twice about the side dishes.  This is why I think you should look at this upcoming holiday as a challenge and show your guests that it is all about the sides!

I ran across this recipe on AllRecipes website that carefully explained step by step how to create the best baked beans recipe.  Baked Beans is the quintessential side dish when burgers and hot dogs are involved.  Once you try this recipe I am sure that everyone will be leaving the party talking about the beans instead of the burger!  Your kitchens at The Yacht Club are well equipped to handle this recipe if you just give it a chance.  I mean what is the worst that could happen?

“Baked Beans II”

Ingredients:
2 (15 ounce) cans baked beans with pork
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices bacon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
1. Combine the baked beans, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion, red wine vinegar in a 9X9 baking dish.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Then top with the slices of bacon.
2. Bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until the bacon is cooked thoroughly.

In a matter of minutes you will have the best side dish known to man and you will be printing out this recipe for the whole family!

Photo By VirtualErn

It is time for the kids to head back to school already!  The summer went by so fast this year I really can’t believe it.  A couple of days ago there was some inquiries on our Facebook page about where the kids should go to catch the bus in regards to Elementary school, middle school and high school.  If you don’t know where you need to direct your children don’t worry because there are a couple of ways around this problem.  First and foremost let me let you know that here at The Yacht Club Apartments the children can get dropped off right out front of the complex to get picked up.  But if you are looking for concrete confirmation then you can always call your children’s school and ask them where you can drop them off for this district.

We at the Yacht Club are here to answer your questions so if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to come and visit us at the office!  Hopefully these tips can help get your kids off to school in a safe and speedy manner!

Photo By madame.furie

For all of you art lovers out there this Saturday The Village of Arts is hosting the March ArtWalk. The ArtWalk will give you a chance to roam around the Village of Arts and duck in and out of some of the best art galleries in the city.  If you haven’t heard of The Village of Arts, let me enlighten you a little.

The Village of Arts is a community filled with artist who live and work together in the city of Bradenton, FL. The village consists of over 35 artists, which makes it the biggest art community in the entire state of Florida. ArtWalks is a time for artists and art lovers alike to come together and fill the streets of the village in their search for affordable fine art and jewelry. You will be able to find anything that you are looking for in this quaint little area.  If you find what you are looking for and just want to relax, they have nice gourmet cafes and small inviting bookstores.

No matter if you have been before or you are being introduced to The Village of Arts for the first time, it would be the perfect place to go this weekend for some great local art and a nice bite to eat.  I am sure you could find one of your neighbors at The Yacht Club that would love to accompany you!

Artists’ Guild of Manatee
PO Box 729
Bradenton, FL  34206-0729

Photo By Ed Yourdon

It is coming to that time of the week where you need to go grocery shopping for dinner, but you are tired of paying so much for below average produce.  So why not try something a little different and try out the local farmer’s market in town?  Farmers markets are becoming quite popular around the country. And that is no surprise because of all the advantages that they have over regular grocery stores.  The Farmer’s Market in the Tucson area has really brought together the families of farmers from all over!  The local farmers market in your city, Bradenton, can really be a gold-find!

Regular grocery market food travels thousands of miles before it gets to the respective stores, which can be quite damaging to the merchandise.  When you shop at farm stands and local farmers markets the food is locally grown, better for your family, and better-tasting!  It also helps the environment because it cuts down on the carbon-dioxide emissions from those long journeys that the trucks make.

Shopping locally can also help out your community by putting money back into the place you call home.  Normally growers who supply to grocery stores only get 18 cents on every dollar. If you start buying from the farmers directly more money will go to them and in turn they put more money back into the community.  The local Bradenton Farmer’s Market is open every Wednesday from 2:30pm-6:30pm.  The market is only minutes from the The Yacht Club complex, so if you enjoy the experience make sure to go back!

Health Park East
6050 53rd Ave E.
Bradenton, FL 34203

Photo By Kevin Coles

With the months going by so fast, winter will be here in no time.  Out of all the bills that you pay per month for your home, I am sure that the highest ones are the electric and energy bill.  It makes sense because we tend to crank up the air in the summer and the heat in the winter time.  But with everyone starting to focus on Going Green, there are plenty of ways you can warm up your dwelling without touching that dial.  If you follow take into consideration these few tips you could possibly cut your bills in half and help the world become a better place.

If you sit around in the house and turn up the heat to get rid of drafts or residual air I have two words for you, Draft Snake. You can easily create a draft snake by rolling up a towel that you don’t really use and placing it under the drafty door.  Having drafts can waste up to 30% of your energy, so creating a homemade draft snake can really help you cut cost.  I bet you never thought a ceiling fan could keep you warm, but it can.  Normally people use them in order to cool off in the summer, but if you just change the rotation of the blades to a clockwise motion it will produce a warming breeze.  This will cut your costs by at least 10%.  Remember to turn down your heat when leaving your apartment, why heat up an apartment when no one is home.  Just turning down the heat a couple notches will end up saving you 50 to 70% on your energy bills.

There are so many things that you can do in order to cut down the costs of your heating bill this year, all you have to do is make a few conscious changes to the way you do things.  If you want to explore more suggestions on the subject of going green and saving money, you can visit The Daily Green for more ideas.  So read up and tell all of your neighbors and friends at The Yacht Club so that everyone can have a cheaper winter this year!

Photo By Advanced Telemetry

Looking for something to do this weekend?  Want to plan a nice romantic day for you and your significant other?  Palma Sola Bay is hosting the perfect activity this weekend in Bradenton.  This weekend is the horseback riding beach event where you can choose to ride the stallion of your choice.  You can just imagine how romantic the setting is, you riding on the beach next to your someone special with the ocean and sunset in the background!  I mean you couldn’t pick a better atmosphere even if you paid someone!

You will be able to experience an hour long ride with a nice and gentle horse while gazing out at the beautiful shoreline.  You would think that the horseback riding on the beach would be the pièce de résistance of the day, but it gets better.  Not only will you be able to ride the horses on the beach, but you will also be allowed to take the horses into the water if you dare.  While in the water don’t be surprised if you and your horse are accompanied by the beautiful graces of a dolphin!  This sea/land adventure is one for the books.

So if you are looking for a once in a lifetime adventure in the city, come out to Palma Sola Bay and experience the ride of your life!  In order to sign-up and get your tickets you can go to the Evenbrite website and get further details and rates.  These are a hot commodity so you better hurry!

Photo By unincorporated

Looking for your next date idea?  Trying to be a little more romantic?  Like to take dance classes for fun?  You are in luck because the Dance with Class Ballroom in Bradenton is hosting a dancing class tonight and every Tuesday evening after that!  I hope you speak the language of love because tonight’s class will be that of the Argentine Tango.  Don’t worry if you haven’t taken classes before because this is only a beginners class.

The Argentine Tango is a style of dance and music that originated in the countries of Argentina and Uruguay.  This type of tango consists of many different styles from all different eras and regions. The Argentine tango is danced in an embrace and can vary from a very open stance where the leader and follower are connected at arms length distance.  Then there is also the very closed stance where the connection is chest-to-chest.  The dance is very passionate and  sensual. There are so many components that go into this type of dance which makes it both a challenge and joy to participate in.

If you are looking for something a little different and a little bit challenging then you should sign up for a class at the ballroom.  A beginners class is only $10 and if you are going at this solo, don’t worry because no partner is necessary.  The class is a great way for you to experience how the other half of the world lives!  You won’t regret it.  Class starts at 7pm tonight so get your dancing shoes and your keys and get ready to dance.  The venue is only minutes from The Yacht Club Apartments owned by TGM Associates!

Dance With Class Ballroom
4069 Cortez Road W.
Bradenton, FL 34210

Photo By Un Milonguero Mejicano

Julia Roberts has been my favorite actress ever since I can remember.  It may seem a little obsessive but I make it a point to see every movie that she is in.  She is one of those actresses that takes her career very seriously and does a great job of portraying that on the screen.  She makes it a priority to really study her characters and all of that hard work is apparent through her films and the fact that she has won numerous awards for her accomplishments.  This weekend another one of her movies is premiering and I am too excited for words.  Eat, Pray, Love comes out today Friday August 13, 2010.

Eat, Pray, Love was first a novel written by Elizabeth Gilbert and is now being turned into a movie.  The movie is about a woman named Liz Gilbert who had everything you could ever think of, a great job, a house, and a husband.  Unfortunately this did nothing for Liz, she felt lost and confused and unfulfilled.  She was searching for what she truly wanted out of life.  She ends up straying from the norm and stepping out of her comfort zone to find true happiness.  She risks everything and embarks on a journey around the world where her adventure turns in to a quest for self-discovery.  She journeys to Italy first where she finds the joy in nourishing herself by eating her way through the country.  Then she finds the importance of prayer while bouncing around India and finally finds the balance that True Love offers her in Bali.  The trip puts her in a better place then when she started.

This movie has been on my radar ever since Julia appeared on the Oprah show a couple months ago.  So if you don’t have any plans for Friday night you should get the girls and head on down to the nearest movie theater in Bradenton.  I definitely know I will be in the from row seat!

Photo By NomadicLass

These are some very difficult times economically, which is making it very difficult for people to get jobs and keep them.  The job market hasn’t been this bad in a very long time and no one was prepared for this.  Luckily if you live in the Pinellas Park area and you are having problems finding a job, the Pinellas County Job Corps Center is hosting a career fair today.

The career/vendor fair is today August 12 starting at 5:30pm.  People seeking jobs at the Job Corps Center as well as other local vendors are encouraged to come out in order to learn more about the center and the different vendors present.  If you are interested in attending to potentially get a job, please bring your resume with you.  Resumes are being accepted but there will not be any interviews conducted today.  There are quite a few openings in the St. Petersburg area, so if you are interested in evaluating the positions available feel free to visit the ResCare website and read the descriptions.  You can apply online!

I know it may seem like a very discouraging time right now, but we must not give up because it will turn around.  The first step is to get out there and try, you never know what could happen.  The fair is only minutes from the The Yacht Club complex!

Pinellas County Job Corps Center
Fifth Ave. S. at 22nd St. S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33712

Photo By Argonne National Laboratory

It is time to get out the lawn chairs and blankets again.  This Sunday is another music concert at the Pier in St. Petersburg.  The Pier has been having a great summer music series this year and what better way to end the weekend then with a free concert show.  The pier premieres a new show every Sunday with a new musical act for the residents of the area.  Most of the concerts consist of local bands and musicians that play a variety of genres.  You will be able to hear music from the Top 40 hits all the way to Jazz classics, no matter what you like the series has it covered.  This weekend the band Lionheart will be performing, they are a local classic rock band.  They have been together for years and will feature songs from their previous works.  The concert begins at 1 in the afternoon, so if the weather is nice bring your lawn chair, blanket and dancing shoes and come and listen to some amazing music.

The Pier
800 2nd Ave. N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL

Photo By humboldthead