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While our Charlotte NC community at Ashford Green apartment homes enjoy moderate winter temperatures, they still crave the warm and fulfilling foods that are popular when the thermometer starts to plummet. Today, we look at how you can make winter grains a nourishing part of your everyday meal plan.
3 Nutritious Winter Grains
Benefits of Buckwheat
Buckwheat is really a seed, but it is most often consumed as a cereal grain. Even though wheat appears in its name, it is a non-gluten alternative that is not related to wheat. Add buckwheat to your diet whenever possible, using buckwheat flours, noodles, and even buckwheat tea to take advantage of better control over blood sugar and its high antioxidant and mineral content. Try these tasty Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast.
Rye Bread instead of Wheat
Rye is a cereal grain with a sharper and more intense flavor than wheat. While rye bread is a must for a great corned beef sandwich, you should definitely give it a try as a quick and healthy snack that is packed with heart-healthy nutrients, and rye has a lower glycaemic index, which means it won't spike your blood sugar. Top a few slices of your favorite style of rye bread with these delicious combos for a filling snack or lunch:
- Cream cheese, smoked salmon, and thinly sliced cucumber
- A light spread of ricotta and a drizzle of honey
- Top with sautéed spinach, chopped boiled egg, and minced garlic
Add Wild Rice to Dishes
Wild rice is a nutty, whole-grain alternative to brown rice. Traditionally, it has served as an add-on to create rice mixtures, but today it is standing on its own as a nutritious grain that is high in protein, fiber, and vitamins. This low calorie, high nutrient rice can be added soups early in the cooking process, or simply keep some cooked and refrigerated to toss into salads, sprinkle on roasted veggies, or make casseroles like this Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole with Butternut Squash and Cranberries.
Choose Rolled Oats This Winter
Old-fashioned whole oats are rich in antioxidants, can lower blood sugar, and can better assist in weight loss than instant oats. A great way to use rolled oats in the winter is for home-baked muffins, cookies and granola bars. You can also use them in your morning smoothie to fight off hunger cravings through the morning. For smoothies, rolled oats are best because you don't have to cook them first and they blend better than steel-cut oats.
We hope these delicious and nutritious grains will delight your culinary tastes this winter as you enjoy the Ashford Green apartment homes in Charlotte, NC. Enjoy the best of local shopping, entertainment venues, and breathtaking views while relaxing in a spacious apartment with all the amenities you need to make a home.
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Nothing tastes better than a delicious pie after a family meal. That’s why we hope our Ashford Green community members in Charlotte, N.C., find this recipe enjoyable.
Key Lime Pie to Die For
The smell of a pie baking in the oven adds to the experience. But sometimes our fast-paced lives require precision time management. This Key lime pie delivers deliciousness while you sleep.
Gather These Ingredients
For the Crust
- 3 cups Nilla cookie crumbs
- 3/4 cup butter (melted)
For the Filling
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 20 ounces condensed milk (sweetened)
- 1 cup lime juice
- 6 tablespoons lime zest
For the Topping
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make the Pie Crust
Blend the vanilla crumbs and melted butter together in a mixing bowl. Line the bottom of a 10-inch pie pan with parchment and grease the sides. Form-fit the pie crumbs on the bottom and three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
How to Make the Pie Filling
In a large mixing bowl, whip two teaspoons of vanilla extract, icing sugar and one cup of whipping cream thoroughly. Place the mixture in the refrigerator. Next, use a powered mixer to whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a separate bowl. Do this at a high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should appear foam-like and light yellow when ready. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and condensed milk. Whisk and fold the mixture together gently, but completely. Pour the full mixture directly into your pie crust and place it in the freezer.
How to Make the Topping
Place 1 cup of whipping cream, the powdered sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla extract into a mixing bowl. Beat the ingredients together, cover and set the mixture in the refrigerator overnight.
By the next morning, you will have an utterly delicious Key lime pie dessert that can be garnished with items such as lime or orange slices. There are some creative ways to make your presentation impressive. Consider scooping round balls of the topping and inserting a thin lime or orange garnish into each slice. There’s nothing stopping you from making the dessert as visually incredible as your homemade Key lime pie tastes!
We hope our Ashford Green residents find this pie recipe delightful. If you or a friend would like more information about our Charlotte apartments, call us today.
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Repurposing items around your home is one of the easiest ways to save some money while also reducing the environmental impact of your daily life. One of the easiest things to transform into practical and attractive home decor happens to be those bed sheets that you no longer use. Discount and thrift stores also sell very inexpensive sheets to brighten Charlotte apartments in creative ways. Here are three ideas to jumpstart your imagination.
Curtains
Let's face it: curtains can be expensive. That's why bed sheets are the perfect way to create new curtains without a major financial investment. Depending on the window size, you can use two twin sheets or a single flat sheet cut down the middle. Most curtains have a natural built-in panel on top that's perfect for sliding through a rod, but if you prefer tab-top curtains, simply sew looped ribbon pieces every few inches across the top. Use solid-white sheets with colored tiebacks for versatility, or add your own embellishments. Sew or glue on ribbons, ruffles, buttons or any kind of textiles that catch your eye.
Clothes Hangers
Every closet seems to have unattractive wire or plastic clothes hangers jangling around. Why not transform them into soft and pretty fabric hangers using well-worn bed sheets. Simply cut the sheets into thin strips and wrap them around the hangers multiple times. Use a hot-glue gun to keep the fabric tightly woven in place, gradually making your way across the entire hangar. Your clothes will stay in place more easily, and the soft cloth will protect them from snags.
Plastic Bag Holder
You've seen plastic-bag holders hanging in many kitchens these days, but there's no reason to purchase a pre-made one. Simply cut an old bed sheet into a small square and sew two sides together. Do a quick hem on the remaining two sides, leaving the ends open for inserting a piece of elastic. Pull the elastic to create a round hole on each end for inserting and removing plastic bags when needed.
It's easy to be creative when making your home in one of our Charlotte, North Carolina, apartments. Stop by today for a personal tour and to hear about move-in specials.
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The items you send down your garbage disposal can leave unpleasant scents behind. If you smell something icky emitting from your garbage disposal, you may try to run water and the garbage disposal to get rid of the scent. If that does not do the trick, you may find yourself wondering how to proceed. Here are three different techniques you can use to get rid of any unpleasant smells coming from your garbage disposal.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
One of the ways that you can remove icky smells from your garbage disposal is to use baking soda and vinegar. Pour one cup of baking soda down your garbage disposal. It is best if the disposal is dry and has not been used in a couple of hours. Once the baking soda has settled, pour one to two cups of white vinegar down the drain. The mixture will begin to fizzle, which helps to clean the garbage disposal. Once the fizzing action dies out, rinse your sink with water and the smell should be gone.
Lemons, Oranges or Grapefruit
In some cases, the smell coming from the garbage disposal may be trapped on the disposal blades. One of the ways to remove this scent is to slice up any type of citrus, including lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit, turn on cold water and turn on the garbage disposal. The chopped up citrus helps to remove any trapped food particles and the juice helps to remove icky scents and replace them with pleasant ones.
Bleach
If a smell still is lingering in your garbage disposal, you can pour 1/2 to one cup of bleach down the drain. This will not only help to remove any smells from the garbage disposal but helps to remove scents from the pipes below the garbage disposal. Bleach can be damaging to your garbage disposal and pipes, so it should only be used sparingly and as a last resort for removing unwanted scents.
If you have a smelly garbage disposal, you may not enjoy spending time in your kitchen. But, this is not the only reason you may not like to spend time in your kitchen. If your kitchen is too small or the layout does not work for you, the kitchen may not be the heart of your home. If you are in the market for apartments in Charlotte, North Carolina and are looking for a beautiful, open kitchen, check us out at Ashford Green. Stop by today to tour our complex.
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Make Your Apartment Life Easier and More Comfortable Than Ever
Even in a beautifully designed Charlotte apartment, how you arrange your items can have a major impact on your health and comfort. Let's look at some ways you can improve your apartment ergonomics — and thus your quality of life.
Use Your Breakfast Bar as a Standing Desk
Too much sitting can damage your health, playing a role in everything from diabetes and heart disease to cancer. You can probably think of several places in your apartment that can accommodate a slim, minimalist standing desk — or you can turn to your trusty breakfast bar. These nooks are designed to approximate a comfortable elbow height, making them ideal areas to place a laptop so that you can pursue your daily routine from a standing position.
Plan for Sensible Cabinet Storage
You may love having an apartment with lots of cabinets and built-in shelves — but do you love experiencing shoulder pain or neck pain from reaching up to some of those spaces? The most remote cabinets may compel you to stretch yourself beyond your body's comfortable capacity. Even worse, a heavy item stored on a high shelf invites head injuries or other painful incidents. Always place your heavier and more commonly used everyday items as close to your resting body position as possible. Rarely used items may not merit a position on any of your cabinets or shelves; consider hiding them under your bed, stuffing them away in a closet or even leaving them in the trunk of your car.
Remove Awkward Motions From Your Kitchen Routine
Every time to have to bend, twist or stoop to grab a seasoning or pull a pan off of a wall hook, you're placing your back muscles, tendons, spinal discs and nerves at risk for repetitive motion injuries. Again, ask yourself which items you reach for most frequently when cooking or cleaning up, and position those items so that you can get to them with as little motion as possible. Your back and hips will thank you for it!
Looking for the ideal apartment layout for your needs? Call Ashford Green to schedule a look at our Charlotte apartments!
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The thing about apartments in Charlotte is that they’re in the South. You’re going to run up a cooling bill in the summer, but you also have to use a heater in the winter. In milder climates, people survive just by opening and shutting windows, but in North Carolina, that doesn’t really get the job done. That’s why you need a few energy-saving tips to help cut your bills every year.
Adjust the Water Heater
Water heaters operate around the clock and throughout the year. It takes energy to keep a tank of water hot and setting your water heater temperature too high increases your electric bill. Lowering the temperature by even a few degrees can lower your energy bills considerably across 12 months. If you really need scalding hot showers to get through the winter, consider seasonal adjustments. Any energy saved helps to cut your monthly utility bill.
Use Bright Decorations
Everyone talks about natural lighting to lower electricity bills. This is a great resource, but you aren’t exactly allowed to install an extra skylight in your apartment. Besides, you’re living in an energy-efficient place already. Despite that, a little bit of light decorating can add to your natural lighting. Light-colored curtains, furniture and area rugs can all reflect natural light and further reduce how often you need to flip a light switch.
Install a Smart Thermostat
If you ask your property manager, there’s a good chance they’ll let you get a smart thermostat. If you already have a smart thermostat, you need to actually use it. Take 10 minutes out of your life to schedule it around your daily routines. Once you do, you’ll find that it helps you save considerable energy in the summer and winter, and you can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature while enjoying those savings.
When you break it down, apartments in Charlotte benefit from a lot of the same energy-saving tips as houses in the area. Look at all of your options and you can cut your utility bills down to size in no time. If you want an efficient apartment that already helps you with your goals, call us today!
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With winter weather driving everyone indoors, runners and walkers may be looking for a new way to get their heart rate up. Even gym-goers often want to stay closer to home in the chilly months. One of the biggest advantages of living in apartments in Charlotte, NC, is easy access to an onsite fitness center. But how do you make the most of the space to get the best workout? Here are a few tips and tricks for using your apartment's fitness center for an effective winter workout.
Keep Cardio Interesting
Bringing your running routine indoors to a treadmill or elliptical machine can be less exciting than your outdoor route. To keep your mind and body engaged, mix things up by alternating the pace and incline of your run. Before you head to the gym, create a playlist of songs with various beats per minute. Alternate fast and slow songs and move at the speed of the music. By continually making little adjustments, you will work different muscles and prevent your brain from slipping into a workout trance.
Bring a Workout Buddy
The best way to keep up your motivation during long workouts is to bring your cheering section. Invite your spouse, roommate or neighbor to exercise with you so that you can hold each other accountable for getting to the fitness center. Working out with neighbors is a great way to meet people and make friends within the community. Plus, exercising with a buddy means that you will both have a spotter when using weights.
Complete a Circuit
Fitness centers are perfect for circuit training, which combines cardio with strength training for a workout that burns fat and builds muscle. Best of all, circuit training is flexible, so you can design the workout that meets your fitness goals, keeps you engaged and works in the environment. Combine one upper-body move, a lower-body exercise, a compound exercise, and cardio activity. For a basic circuit routine, try the following combination:
- 10 dumbbell curl and presses
- 10 squats (add dumbbells to increase the intensity for a more advanced workout)
- 10 mountain climbers
- 1-minute treadmill sprint
- 1-minute rest
- Repeat three times
Are you looking for apartments in Charlotte, NC, with a well-equipped fitness center, excellent floor plans, and a resort-style pool? Give Ashford Green Luxury Apartments a call today to schedule a showing.
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Thrift and Second-Hand Store Treasures
Who doesn't like a good treasure hunt? Whether it's as simple as using a metal detector along a beach or deep diving for a shipwreck, we love to hear stories from those who have discovered everything from some loose change to a gold coin or expensive jewelry. But treasure hunting can mean finding a nice piece of art to decorate your Charlotte apartment or discovering a toy from your childhood. These can easily happen when visiting thrift and second-hand stores. In many cases, you may also be helping a non-profit organization who may operate the store. What treasures might you find at a local thrift or second-hand shop?
Items to Decorate Your Living Space
Second-hand stores are loaded with vases, knick-knacks, wall hangings and artwork that can help you decorate your space. Many of these items are in perfect condition. They are donated simply because the donor got tired of them. You may even find an antique or rare item that can be worth significantly more than what you pay for it.
Seasonal Items
Decorating for the holidays is easier, more affordable and may even be more creative when you visit a thrift store. Second-hand stores can sometimes be filled with expensive seasonal decorative items that previous owners have no use for. You can decorate for any season with the help of a local thrift shop.
Trendy Clothes and Costumes
Maybe you'll get lucky and find a classic t-shirt from your favorite band or a cool branded promotional t-shirt. Thrift shops can be loaded with old-school clothing, Hawaii 'n-style shirts, jeans, hats, boots and more. They may even inspire a costume for that upcoming party. You may find some surprising names and designer brands.
Get Hunting!
Whether you are in search of memorabilia or collectibles, glassware or tools, an area thrift or second-hand shop may have just what you are looking for. They can be a fun, interesting and potentially rewarding way to spend a few hours.
If you or someone you know is hunting for quality, convenient apartments in Charlotte, North Carolina, we invite you to learn more about Ashford Green. We are located across from the University of North Carolina's Charlotte campus and offer a variety of floor plans and desired amenities. Contact us and learn more.
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With fall already here, the holidays are just around the corner. Even if you love the holiday season and all it entails, too much to do and too little time may leave you feeling anxious. With some preparation, you can enjoy a serene holiday season that’s free of stress and abundant with beautiful memories.
Put Together a Budget
Money troubles can exacerbate the stress that comes with the holiday season. Before you start buying gifts, decorations and ingredients for holiday recipes, spend some time contemplating your finances.
By creating a holiday budget and spreading out expenses over several months, you can keep spending in check and avoid surprise credit card bills in January.
Guard Your Schedule
During the holiday season, you can find “me time” hard to come by as you juggle family get-togethers, office parties and gatherings with friends. To protect your sanity, learn to say “no” to some invitations. For events that you do choose to attend, get strategic about how much time you want to invest.
Between holiday activities, make sure to schedule some downtime for your favorite self-care pursuits — whether you enjoy staying fit, playing with your pet or connecting with friends online.
Get Organized for Giving
Do you plan to give gifts this year? If so, carefully consider your recipients, along with how much you plan to spend on each person.
Understand, however, that no law dictates gift-giving, and you can always choose a different way of doing things. If you’d prefer to cut down your gift list — either the number of recipients or the money you spend — you can draw names or set up a gift exchange.
Decide Which Family Traditions to Continue
For many people, the holidays bring significant pressure to continue traditions. You can decide to skip certain traditional activities — or remake them in ways that help lower your stress levels. For example, if you don’t enjoy sending holiday cards, consider splitting the task with a family member.
By choosing apartments in Charlotte that offer a range of convenient services and amenities, you also gain time for rest and relaxation. To learn more about finding the perfect apartment for you, please contact us.
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Apples are in season, and soon we'll see them all around our Charlotte, NC apartment community. If you've been wondering what you can do with this plethora of in-season apples, we've got some interesting ideas for you!
1. Apple Peanut Butter Smoothie
With only a few ingredients, you can transform this kid-friendly treat into an adult-ready breakfast food. All you need is a little almond milk, one small apple, a little peanut butter, and some honey. Once you toss it all into a blender, it'll quickly become a breakfast milkshake that's well worth the few minutes it takes to mix together.
2. Fresh Apple Salsa
You can never go wrong with a good salsa, but you've probably never thought about adding apples to your mix. Rest assured, this fruit pairs well with many traditional salsa elements, and the outcome is extraordinary. Use it as a dip with chips or bake some chicken and top your poultry with this homemade fresh apple salsa. It's a creative way to ensure you use all the products you purchased at the grocery store.
3. Apple Chips
Forego unhealthy potato chips in favor of these baked apple chips. Add cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg or pumpkin spice to make them more like dessert chips, or leave the flavorings off so you can dip your apple chips in your favorite hummus or homemade dip.
4. Cinnamon Apple Pie Bread
You don't have to have a bread machine to make an awesome loaf of bread. With a simple 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, you can create a cinnamon apple pie bread that'll keep guests and your family happy for days. This delightful use of apples ensures you have the kind of bread that's perfect for breakfast toast or will serve as a great dessert after you're done with dinner.
5. Apple Popcorn Balls
Bored with your normal, everyday popcorn? Turn dried apples into apple popcorn balls by adding some brown sugar, butter, light corn syrup, and popcorn together. This is a great fall treat that pays tribute to this season's favorite fruit.
If you're ready to jump into autumn with a beautiful new apartment, Ashford Green Luxury Apartments is ready to welcome you home. Check out our online photo gallery, and stop by when you're ready for a personal tour!
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