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Month: September 2019 September 2019 - Lakes at Creekside %

October In Houston

October In Houston

October is a great month in north Houston – the weather is finally tolerable, fall fun is in the air, kids are getting excited for Halloween, and the pressure of the holiday season hasn’t set in yet. Here are some great ways to get out and about during this fantastic month, so pull out your calendar and start penciling in some fun!

October is the perfect month to contribute to cancer awareness by participating in the 19th Annual “In the Pink of Health” luncheon sponsored by Memorial Hermann. This year’s event will take place at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center at 11 am on Friday, October 18. Sponsorships are still available, as are individual tickets. Learn from featured speaker Rick Rigsby, Ph. D., a former professor at Texas A&M University. After losing his wife to breast cancer, Dr. Rigsby has made cancer awareness and prevention a platform, as he crosses the globe motivating and inspiring everyone from teachers to global Fortune 500 executives. For more information, visit https://www.memorialhermann.org/give-volunteer/foundation/in-the-pink-of-health/

October is the perfect month to plant a fall garden. Primrose, snapdragons, petunias, and dianthus will bring colorful blossoms to your yard all season long. The native Drummond’s Phlox is a local favorite because of the white “star of Texas” shape in the bloom’s center. Vegetables that thrive in fall conditions are kale, lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli.

October is the perfect month to challenge your fitness by registering for a race. The 9th Annual Fairfield Triathlon takes place on Sunday, October 27 beginning at 7:30 am. This is a sprint, or mini, triathlon with shorter distances that makes it perfect for novices. Register for the full event or create a relay team! Start now by finding a triathlon training schedule like this one (https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/kpdocshare/Training_Plans/Absolute_Beginners_Plan.pdf) and you’ll be ready to race! Register for the Fairfield event here http://fairfieldtri.com/

October is the perfect month to go to an outdoor festival. The Texas Wine & Art Festival (https://www.txwineandart.com/) is on Saturday, October 5 from 10 am until 6 pm in the heart of Old Town Spring. The Katy Rice Harvest Festival (https://www.katyricefestival.com/) is located in Historic Downtown Katy and features live bands on multiple stages, food, and fun vendors and a large carnival. The event runs from Friday, October 11 through Sunday evening, October 13. One of the biggest festivals this month is the Wings Over Houston (www.wingsoverhouston.com) Air Show at the historic Ellington Field. Walkthrough massive military cargo planes, sit in the pilot’s seat of a fighter jet, and watch the sky as stunt pilots re-enact battles from WWII. 

Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad

Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad

Fresh, hearty salads never go out of season. No matter what you’re having, a nice side salad adds a bit of freshness to your meal. A good salad has several elements- veggies, fruits, nuts, and a great dressing. This Autumnal Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad hits all of those points and then some. It’s quick to prepare and serve as a side dish during dinner or make it in the morning to take for a work lunch. Sprinkled with feta cheese and topped with an apple cider dressing, you’ll be dreaming of falling leaves, pumpkin patches, and chilly weather. 

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 6 cups of salad mix (try spring mix with arugula and spinach)
  • 1 red apple
  • 1 green apple
  • 1 cup of walnuts, chopped 
  • ⅓ cup feta cheese
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Wash and chop your apples into thin, bite-size slices
  2. Combine lettuce, chopped apples, chopped walnuts, feta, and cranberries. Toss together in a large bowl. 
  3. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl or jar, and whisk or shake well to combine. Store any extra dressing in a sealed container kept in the fridge for up to a week.
  4. Directly before serving, add dressing to the salad and toss. 

This salad is best served immediately and enjoyed fresh! If you have any leftover salad mix, you can keep undressed salad in the fridge for a few days. Enjoy!

Space-Saving Setups For Style and Comfort

Space-Saving Setups For Style and Comfort


When it comes to decorating your house, thinking about style and what’s on-trend are important. Other considerations are function and comfort. So, how do you balance all four components to create the space that’s perfect for you and your family? Try these tips and you’ll be living comfortably in style in no time!

· Look for furniture pieces that double as functional storage. Your hallway credenza, while pretty and inviting can feature hidden storage drawers or handle-less cabinets to keep key items like gloves, car keys or backpacks.

· In the bedroom, you may think a headboard should be just that – a flat board behind the head of the bed. What if this became three dimensional and housed shelves or a sliding door with hidden cabinetry? In rooms where space is at a premium, using a versatile piece like this will save real estate.

· Bedside tables that come with openings in the back allow for hidden cords and cables and make device charging convenient. Open shelves also give space for small house plants or books while leaving the top surface open to hold a table lamp or other bedside necessities.

· Speaking of house plants, adding them in the bedroom, kitchen and living room will soften the feel of these spaces, not to mention purify the air. House plants in the bedroom are known to improve sleep by increasing oxygen levels. In the kitchen, they help eliminate toxins in the air from cooking and reduce leftover food smells.

· Living room furniture can still look formal and sleek while holding secret storage. Your ottoman is one of the best secret storage pieces you can find, with many having lift or slide away tops opening to large storage within. These versatile pieces can double as a toy box or hold pillows and throw blankets.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

When September rolls around, we Texans begin growing tired of the summer heat and longing for cooler, cozier days. Often times we resort to creating our own Autumn vibes by lighting apple spiced candles and consuming all things pumpkin! Pumpkin bread is a classic, but every once in awhile it’s nice to think out-of-the-box. Try these pumpkin pancakes to shake things up. These capture that same familiar pancake flavor with a bit of a twist you’re sure to love. 

Ingredients

1 & ½ cups milk

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt


Directions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, egg, vegetable oil, and vinegar. Pour the flour mixture into the large bowl with the pumpkin mixture and combine. 
  2. Heat a lightly oiled pancake griddle or frying pan to medium-high heat. Pour the batter, using about ¼ cup worth for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot! Sprinkle with powdered sugar or chopped pecans for a nice finish. 

If you prefer a sweeter pancake, try adding a dash of maple syrup to your batter before cooking, or sprinkle in some chocolate chips. This is a simple recipe that can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge for ease throughout the week. Give it a try! 

Crossroads Square

Crossroads Square

Residents of Lakes at Creekside are fortunate for many reasons, not the least of which is the convenient access to multiple shopping centers. One of the featured retail centers is Crossroads Square at Creekside Park, situated at the intersection of Kuykendahl Road and Creekside Forest Drive.

When construction began in 2015, the area looked a lot different than it does today, four years later. The addition of Crossroads Square has brought vitality and a sense of community to the area, offering a great place to shop and dine with family and friends. 

Anchored by Fuddruckers, the popular burger joint, this family-friendly shopping center offers several other restaurants with outdoor dining. Many restaurant patios surround the central area, not the parking lot, which makes for a much more pleasant outside dining experience. 

Another popular restaurant here is Refuge Steakhouse and Bourbon Bar, it’s more upscale atmosphere and menu options make it likely for a date night spot rather than a family outing. Self-described as a casually-elegant dining experience, you can enjoy premium steaks and seafood amidst the largest bourbon selection in north Houston.

If you’re looking for an interactive and challenging new workout to change your fitness level, check out the F45 gym at Crossroads Square. They’re the fastest-growing high-intensity interval training gym chain and they’ll get you maximum results in their 45-minute workout. With the motto “team training, life-changing” you’ll find comradery as you burn up to 750 calories per session. 

After your workout, stop by LoveBeans Coffeehouse, the brand new (i.e. opening very, very soon!) coffee shop. LoveBeans will surely become your new favorite place to relax and unwind with friends over a cup of coffee and a snack.

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Right-sized and right around the corner from everything you want out of life, Lakes at Creekside is your home for exceptional luxury living. If you’d like to learn more, we’d love to hear from you.