Houston & Alexander - August/September 2020

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AUG/SEPT 2020

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WHAT CAN I USE THIS APPLE FOR?

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but they never specified how to prepare the apple. From pies and tarts to sauces and marinades, there are many ways to consume apples and many varieties to choose from. In the U.S. alone, bakers, snackers, and wannabe cooks alike can choose from more than 100 varieties of apples. This September, as apple trees start to bear the freshest, fullest form of this popular fruit, consider this your go-to guide for some of the most popular varieties of apples.

offers a balance that sweeter varieties like the Fuji or Gala (see below) cannot. In addition, it can add a zing to salads or a fresh crunch to any sandwich.

RED DELICIOUS

GALA

You likely saw these popular apples in your sack lunch as a kid or have noticed them in nearly every supermarket produce section. Red Delicious apples are one of the most well-known varieties. They have a mild-tasting flesh and thick skin. Pick Red Delicious apples in the fall, and harvesters recommend adding this deep-red variety to your salads or sandwiches. Do not cook the Red Delicious, however. The apple’s skin can’t handle the pressure.

What are Gala apples good for? The better question is what can’t they do? The Gala is a cross between two sweet varieties of apple, with a flavor that pairs well with many foods. It can accent soft cheese in a salad, sweeten a tart dish, bring out the juiciness of a roast, or serve as the perfect afternoon snack.

GOLDEN DELICIOUS

FUJI

Not to be confused with its red counterpart, the Golden Delicious has a tender yellow skin that is easily bruised. This makes it perfect for baking, and its sweet nature only makes baked dishes better. Through its understated flavor, the Golden Delicious adds sweetness to any dish without the overwhelming sugary taste that can often ruin the most well- intentioned pie or applesauce. This guide is just a start! For more information on different varieties of apples and ideas for how to use them, check with growers at nearby orchards. They’re the experts on our local varieties and many have family secrets they just might be willing to share with fellow lovers of this crunchy fruit.

Easily the most diverse apple, the Fuji is sweet and juicy, making it the perfect snack for those with a sweet tooth. This versatile fruit is also ideal for making pies, salads, or applesauce. Fuji is a cross between the reliable Red Delicious and the less common variety known as Ralls Janet. Developed in the 1930s, it has a firm skin and sweet flavor that make it one of the most popular apple varieties today.

GRANNY SMITH

Some people love ‘em, others hate ‘em. But Granny Smith apples are the classic choice for making pies and applesauce, and they’ve been around for generations. The Granny Smith originated in Australia in 1868. With a tart, intense flavor, this apple pairs perfectly with cinnamon and can be used to bring balance to dishes that are overly sweet. The Granny Smith

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Are Your Thrift Store Donations Being Thrown Away?

Are you thinking about donating your kids’ old clothes or that slow cooker you haven’t used in months? Though donating your unwanted items is a great thing to do, amid the pandemic, many people have not considered the future of secondhand shopping and charity-based thrift stores like Goodwill. In 2018, Goodwill funded nearly $5.3 billion in charitable services, like educational assistance, job training, and work placements. But now, Goodwill and similar organizations are facing a unique problem: They’re receiving too many donations. To prevent your items from ending up in a landfill, consider the following before you donate. Under the circumstances, this situation is understandable. Thanks to nationwide stay-at-home orders, many took advantage of their newfound spare time to spring-clean and subsequently donate unwanted items to charity. However, with the confusion about how long the COVID-19 virus can live on clothing, secondhand shoppers have been staying home, worried about the health risks of buying used goods. Famously, thrift stores still keep unsold goods out of landfills. Up to 75% of Goodwill’s merchandise, for example, isn’t sold in their stores. Instead, it’s sent to discount outlets and then into global markets. However, Mexican traders, who account for 30% of business at thrift stores close to the U.S. southern

border, and Kenya, the world’s largest buyer of unsold secondhand clothes, have stopped buying during the economic shutdown. Meanwhile, some good- intentioned Americans are leaving their goods outside thrift stores’ front doors, not realizing that without enough space to house the excess donations, many of these thrift stores will have to pay disposal fees, costing the business potential revenue and sending your items into local landfills.

However, Goodwill still wants your donations! You just might have to hold on to your items for a little bit. Check to see if your local thrift stores are open for donations. Many recommend waiting until the influx slows down, but others have expanded their inventory storage and are ready to keep up. Just make sure to follow their guidelines on acceptable items because any broken or worn items only add to their costs. Happy donating!

Stuck Inside? 3 Activities to Keep You Busy

or even start a new hobby. If you have extra sheets of paper lying around, then give origami a go. Do you have a shirt you don’t wear anymore but still love? Turn it into a new pillow cover or a bag. You can also create fun garden decorations by painting rocks, making a wind chime, or repurposing an old boot into a new plant holder. You never know — whatever you choose to do could become your next passion. PLAN YOUR NEXT VACATION Spending the day inside might just be the perfect time to plan your next vacation. Use this time to calculate the expenses of the trip, such as travel, board, food, and souvenirs. You can also research and figure out where you’re going to stay ahead of time, whether that be a hotel or an Airbnb, to optimize your experience. Once you have the groundwork done, you’ll have a better idea of how your trip

will go and be able to focus on the fun stuff when the time comes!

CHANGE IT UP If you’ve been putting off rearranging or reorganizing a room in your house, then a day at home is a great chance to get started. Switching up the layout of your stuff gives your home a fresh new look and provides you with an opportunity to deep-clean your space. If you have a patio or porch, then try sprucing up those outdoor spaces with new furniture, potted plants, or trendy decor. Just imagine how satisfying it will feel once everything is in a new place and sparkling clean. Even when you’d rather be outside enjoying the last days of summer, these indoor activities will keep you entertained and give you something fun to look forward to!

Summertime means getting out of the house to enjoy the sunshine and the bright blue sky. But even during this great time of year, you may have to spend some of these precious days inside, not outside. Rather than scrolling through social media or reminiscing about better days, here are a few ideas you can use to turn a day spent indoors into a fun summer memory! GET CRAFTY You’re bound to have a few materials floating around the house that you can use to create a new art project

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The Most Famous Art Heist You’ve Never Heard Of MEET THE MAN WHO STOLE THE ‘MONA LISA’

One hundred and nine years ago this month, one man — or was it three? — fled from the Louvre Museum in Paris, carrying what would quickly become the world’s most famous painting: Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Historical accounts of the theft agree only on who was the ringleader: 30-year-old Louvre handyman Vincenzo Peruggia. He was a house painter, an immigrant, the bearer of a glorious Monopoly Man mustache, and a vehement Italian patriot. At some point on the morning of Aug. 21, 1911, Peruggia lifted the glass case he himself had constructed to house the “Mona Lisa” and smuggled the painting from the building. Some versions of the story say Peruggia was assisted by two brothers, fellow Italian handymen Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti. NPR reports the trio spent the

night preceding the theft huddled in one of the Louvre’s supply closets, lying in wait to steal the portrait. In his documentary about the theft, director Joe Medeiros claims Peruggia acted alone, driven by an obsession with the work and a dream of returning the painting to Italy. Either way, we know that Peruggia successfully spirited the painting back to his one-bedroom apartment. There it lay concealed in a false-bottomed trunk for more than two years. This period of mysterious absence (during which police grilled and dismissed Peruggia as a suspect in favor of J.P. Morgan, Pablo Picasso, and playwright Guillaume Apollinaire) is what made the “Mona Lisa” world famous. Peruggia was eventually caught attempting to sell the painting in Italy. He pleaded guilty and spent eight months in jail. After his release, he enlisted in the Italian army

to fight in World War I, surviving the war only to die of a heart attack on his 44th birthday. Though Peruggia married after

the war, some suspect that the true love of his life was the “Mona Lisa” herself. In a CNN article, author and art history professor Noah Charney speculates that over his two years with her, Peruggia developed romantic feelings for the portrait. Perhaps he fell victim to a kind of “reverse Stockholm syndrome,” Charney suggests, the captor falling in love with his hostage. “In this case,” he says, “the hostage was a work of art.”

Client Testimony

Peach and Arugula Pasta Salad

Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com

• 8 oz penne or fusilli pasta • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes • 1/2 tsp sea salt • Pepper, to taste • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese Ingredients

“I am a medical professional and faced potentially losing my license in addition to the legal ramifications. I worked with Bret Alexander and Johnny Houston, both of whom treated me with respect and dignity during a really difficult time. Their entire staff was friendly and responsive, and though my journey lasted just a few months, every possible outcome was thoroughly explained to me so I knew what to expect. Obviously, I don’t hope to have to use them again, but if I did, I wouldn’t hesitate to use this firm, and I would recommend them to anyone. Thank you, Johnny, and thank you Houston & Alexander!”

• 2 large fresh peaches, diced or sliced • 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced • 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved • 1 cup corn • 6 cups arugula, packed

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta for approximately 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta and place in a separate bowl. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta and toss with the feta cheese. 3. Add peaches, red onions, tomatoes, corn, and arugula to the pasta mixture. Lightly toss to mix well. Add more olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

–Courtney

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Don’t Let Your Apples Go to Waste With This Handy Guide PAGE 1

Are Your Thrift Store Donations Being Thrown Away?

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Engaging Indoor Activities

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Meet the Man Who Stole the ‘Mona Lisa’

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Peach and Arugula Pasta Salad

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Shop Online for Your Kids Like a Pro

Shop Online Like a Pro 3 Ways to Save on Trendy Back-to-School Buys

Shopping online is tricky in the best of times, but it’s doubly trying when your kids’ opinions are involved. If back-to-school shopping is challenging in your house, try these tricks to hunt down the backpack, pencil bag, and lunchbox the kiddos are begging for without going over budget.

RetailMeNot and Groupon, or streamline your search by downloading a money-saving browser extension or app like Honey, which automatically checks for coupon codes and offers price comparisons. Other apps, like Flipp, let you view deals from dozens of stores in one place. Remember to see if your favorite store has its own app, too — downloading it could grant you access to exclusive deals. 3. DON’T FORGET TO FACTOR IN SHIPPING. If you shop internationally, shipping can sometimes double the cost of an order. To save money, choose domestic retailers and check each website or app for shipping specials and discounts. Many websites offer free or reduced shipping for first-time customers or orders over a certain dollar amount. If you choose to shop somewhere without such a discount, check the shipping costs and factor them into your budget before you shop to avoid nasty surprises. If your kids are old enough, consider talking them through this process as you shop. Who knows, this could be a great back-to- school lesson in budgeting!

OPT FOR SECONDHAND OR REFURBISHED ITEMS. If your kid is dying to have the same Parkland Kingston Plus Backpack that celebrities’ kids were flaunting last year, you might be able to snag one secondhand for half the price. The same goes for the popular PLAE Max Shoes or even electronics like iPads. Check out online retailers like JemJem or Gazelle for refurbished electronics, and try the Poshmark app for bags, shoes, and clothes. If you really want to get fancy, visit TheRealReal.com for luxury-brand clothing.

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2. ALWAYS CHECK DISCOUNT APPS AND WEBSITES. If you’re not at least Googling “[store name] coupon code”

before checking out online, you’re probably missing out on big savings. Visit popular coupon websites like

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