Happy Martin Luther King Day! Take some time today to think about how you, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., can serve your community. There are hundreds of things you can do to make the world a better place, from helping a neighbor to volunteering for your local homeless shelter. Everyone doing a little bit of extra service can make a big difference!

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! We hope you have a wonderful time celebrating the beginning of 2012! Now is also a great time to set goals and reflect on what you would like to accomplish in the year ahead. If you are thinking of trying to be more environmentally friendly, your HVAC system might be the place to start. Annual maintenance will make your system run efficiently, and if you upgrade your system you can be sure that you will be using less fuel than before. Give us a call to learn more ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint!

Everyone at Wickstrom Plumbing, Heating & Cooling wishes you a very Merry Christmas! We hope you all have an amazing day tomorrow full of wonderful presents and great food. The holidays are a time be thankful for everything you have, we are grateful for all of our customers who make our business possible. Have a great weekend with your friends and family! Here is a recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Cookies to make your Christmas a little sweeter:

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

“These cookies have a sweet peanut butter cup center.”

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

40 miniature chocolate covered peanut

butter cups, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

For more details, go to allrecipes.com.

Everyone at Wickstrom Plumbing, Heating & Cooling wishes you a Happy Hanukkah! Have a great holiday with your friends and family. This time of year is all about being thankful for what you have, and we want to thank you all for making our business possible! Enjoy celebrating eight days of gift giving! Here is a great recipe for Vegetable and Feta Latkes that will make your Hanukkah even better:

Vegetable and Feta Latkes

“Try this colorful take on traditional potato pancakes. Stir shredded zucchini, potatoes and carrots into a batter of eggs, matzo meal, parsley and feta cheese. Fry until golden brown. You’ll love the creamy bite of feta with the tender veggie crunch.”

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup peeled and shredded potatoes

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup matzo meal

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the zucchini, potato and carrots in a colander, place paper towels or a cheesecloth over the top and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Sprinkle salt over the vegetables and let them drain for 15 minutes. Squeeze vegetable again in paper towels.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, vegetables, salt and pepper. Mix well. Stir in matzo meal or flour, parsley and feta.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Place vegetable mixture, formed into pancake sized cakes in hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. (Cook two to three minutes per side). Add more oil as needed to keep cakes frying up well. Drain fried latkes on paper towels.

For more details, visit allrecipes.com.