Wednesday, October 9, 2013

FIRE - facts and prevention

Attended a Continuing Education class this morning sponsored by SERVPRO of Burlington today.
Learned a few interesting things about Fire Losses:
Did you know there are 1.4 million house fires in the US each year?
Leading causes:
  • Cooking - 42% ($ 876 million property damage, 331 deaths and nearly 5,000 injuries)
  • Portable (space) heaters - 17%
  • Electrical - 6%
  • Smoking - 5%
  • Dryer - 4% - when did you last clean your dryer vent (all the way from the dryer to the outside)
  • Candles - 3%
Generally, a fire that burns more than 10 minutes causes catastrophic damage. The cost of cleaning/ replacing/repairing personal items, carpets, walls and ceilings and getting rid of the odor can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, and you could be out of your home for several weeks or months.

So, what can you do to protect your family and home?
  • Never leave cooking food unattended - cooking causes 90% of kitchen fires and unattended cooking is the primary cause of these fires.
  • IF you use a space heater-
    • Automatic shut off if tipped over
    • Thermostatic controls
    • Cord/plug in good condition
    • If using an extension cord, make sure it is heavy enough to handle the load & in good condition.
    • NEVER cover the cord with a rug
    • Keep it away from curtains, blankets, flammables.
    • NEVER leave it on when you are not in the room.
  • Clean the lint filter in your dryer after EVERY load and clean the vent pipe to the outside at least once a year (4x a year is recommended, but lets be real here!!)
  • Have your furnace serviced every year - check the heat exchanger for cracks (20 yr life expectancy.)
  • Check your water for leaks (10 yr life expectancy.)
  • Have working fire extinguishers in your home (make sure one is in the kitchen and on each level of your home.)
  • Make sure your smoke detectors work.
  • NEVER leave a burning candle unattended.
  • Clean your fireplace, wood or pellet stove chimney EVERY year.
  • Don't over load your electric circuits.
  • Make sure the electric service into your home (from the street) & in your home (both the breaker box and wiring) are adequate for your needs. Families today are electricity junkies - computers, coffee makers, TVs, game systems, blow dryers, hair straighteners, electric razors. A home built prior to 1960 might still have the original 60 A service coming in from the street, even if there is a 100 A breaker box and more than likely it still has the old black wiring. Many older homes might even have knob and tube wiring - check your attic and basement.
What do you do, if despite all your precautions, you do have a home fire. After you have called the fire department and your family is safe, call your insurance company & then call a reputable restoration company like SERVPRO of Burlington. The faster the restoration company can begin work, the better.

This is NOT an ad for SERVPRO of Burlington, but we have worked with several restoration companies and we like SERVPRO of Burlington because they can do ALL of the work. The have their own construction crew, and work with reputable contractors for the plumbing, electrical, flooring and HVAC work  They coordinate the work to be done and make sure it is completed correctly and in a timely manner. That doesn't mean they won't work with your plumber or HVAC guy, they will, but if you don't have one, they do!



Monday, October 7, 2013

Some like it hot!

I was asked for a couple recipes this weekend:
Jalapeno Popper Dip/Spread
8 oz cream cheese ( I use low fat)
1/2 c plain yogurt (Greek works, too & I use low fat)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese (NOT the shaker cheese)
4 oz pickled, sliced jalapenos, drained
Topping:
1/4 c panko or bread crumbs
1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese...
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
Mix 1st 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Pour in greased baking dish.
Mix topping ingredients together in a bowl and sprinkle over dip.
Bake in preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes or until bubbling and cheese has melted and browned.

Jalapeno Cheese Loaf:
1 loaf frozen bread (or fresh)
1 c chopped Jalapenos (I used canned, drained)
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c chopped red, yellow and orange peppers
1 Tbs oil
1 TSP black pepper
Thaw or prepare bread dough.
I put the thawed dough in my mixer with the dough hook attached. Add peppers and 1/2 c cheddar cheese, mix well.
Oil a 9" round or square cake pan.
Form dough into a ball and place in cake pan, cover and let rest 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
Bake bread for 30 minutes. At the end of baking time, turn off oven, sprinkle the top of the bread with the remaining cheese and black pepper. leaving bread in oven , close door and let sit in the oven for 20 minutes.

Please Note - for both of these recipes you can adjust the "heat" by using mild, regular or hot jalapenos.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Everything is better with Bacon!

I love recipes.
I love bacon.
I search Pinterest for recipes that I want to try "someday."
I subscribe to an email that offers cookbooks for my Kindle.
My friends post recipes on their Facebook walls that I share on my timeline.

I ran across this recipe on Linda Parker's blog - parkersgeneral.blogspot.com last night and I just had to share it.


BACON-WRAPPED ONION RINGS
Today is National Onion Ring Day, so I thought I'd share a sinfully delicious onion ring recipe.
1 lg. onion
I cut this into kind of thick rings.
Wrap each ring with a slice of bacon. You can even use turkey bacon if you want, but why would you? Put them on a baking sheet and freeze for at least an hour.
Remove from freezer and dredge through this mix:
3 c. bread crumbs
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. corn meal
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat 1 egg with 1 c. ranch dressing.
Dip dredged rings through this and again through the crumb mix, making sure the rings are completely covered. You can gently press flour mix to any bare spots.
Heat oil to 375'-400'. Fry rings for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Serve with BBQ sauce or additional ranch dressing.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Mobile Ap Available for Allied Clients

Allied has launched a mobile ap for their clients.
Allied’s Mobile App is available free of charge on the Apple App StoreSM (for iPhone®, iPod touchTM) and Google PlayTM for AndroidTM devices*. Once the App is downloaded, users will utilize the same username and password information currently used to access the Member Center on alliedinsurance.com for easy access.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Recreational Use - Farm Liability Update

From the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa -
The Iowa Legislature recently passed House File 649 which addressed the landowner recreational use liability issue in Code 461C, whose purpose is to encourage private owners (farmers) of land to make their land and water areas available to the public for recreational purposes by limiting the landowners' liability. The bill makes the entire Code chapter applicable to holders of land (including tenants and others in control), not just landowners. The bill basically overturns the recent decision rendered by the Iowa Supreme Court in Sallee v. Stewart , (No. 11-0892) (Iowa 2013).

This is GREAT news for Iowa!

The bill modifies the definition of "land", "recreational purpose", and "urban deer control" and includes immunity from liability for land holders with respect to specified ancillary activities or persons. It also broadens the definition of land and water areas included in the limitation of liability and provides that such land does not have to be open to the general public to be subject to the protections of Code 461C. The bill defines "land" to include private land within a municipality used for urban deer control. It also defines activities that constitute "recreational purpose" to include educational activities; including the accompanying of another person who is engaged in a recreational purpose. "Recreational purpose" and "urban deer control" are not limited to active engagement in such activities but also include entry onto, use of, passage over, and presence on any part of the land in connection with or during the course of such activities. The bill provides that the holder of land does not owe or assume a duty of care to others solely because the holder is guiding, directing, supervising or participating in any recreational purpose or urban deer control undertaken by others on the holder's land.
The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law.
To read the bill: http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=billinfo&Service=Billbook&menu=false&hbill=HF649&ga=85

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Iowa Supreme Court Ruling - a Sad Day for Iowa Landowners

We are members of the Independant Insurance Agents of Iowa (The BigI.) A few days ago I received an email alert about a recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling regarding Iowa's Statute on Recreational Immunity. I did read all 72 pages of the ruling on Sallee vs Stewart and much of it was gobbledegoop to me since they cited various statutes and other cases. Quite frankly, it mad me ANGRY!!! I was hoping I had interpretted the ruling incorrectly since I have been the granter and reciever of access.
I grew up on a farm, I remember people knocking on our kitchen door during pheasant season asking if they could hunt the ditches, or a fence row. My dad always planted several acres of sweet corn that was free to anyone that wanted to come out and pick it. Folks would run their snomobiles across our fields. We had our friends over; we rode the horses, played in the hay mow, or drove the dune buggy, go cart, trail bike, snowmobiles, shot dad's guns at cans, clay pidgeons, birds, squirrels, we were kids on a farm.
In recent years, my husband has taken me to several farm ponds to fish and we have hunted mushrooms and deer on various properties. These wonderful people, out of the goodness of their hearts have allowed us access to their property and asked for NOTHING in return.
We have in turn invited people to our property to hunt and fish and our tenant has allowed hunters (when the bird population is large enough.)

Today I received another email from The BigI. There was a link to the 75 page ruling - I am NOT going there, but more importantly, there was a link to a bulletin from the Iowa State University Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation. Follow this link ISU CALT  to read the 9 page document.

The following statement summerizes the opion of the authors.

"Landowners should take steps to protect themselves by preventing entry by any persons upon their property, within their structures, or upon their farms. The promised liability protection for opening agricultural land to others for recreational purposes no longer exists. The risks of continuing the practice are great with limited opportunities to guard against liability."
 
For me, a sad, sad, sad, sad day to be an Iowan and a landowner.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Food for thought

Did you know, on average for every dollar spent on food - cereal, hamburger, fresh fruit or what ever,  the farmer receives five cents? Out of this five cents they have to pay for their land (either purchasing or renting), equipment, seed/animals, fuel, ferilizers/herbacides, labor, insurance and their own living expenses.


Did you know America's farmers support 24 million jobs? Or that U.S. farmers supply 41.56% of the world's corn? How about that one acre of soybeans can create 82,368 crayons?
America's farmers produce many products for not only the U.S., but also the world. Take a look at the impact America's farmers have. (Americas Farmers - Some Food For Thought)
Video from Americas Farmers

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Beautiful Snow

I looked out my front door this morning to see big snowflakes falling. It had been snowing several hours by this time & well, I happen to love snow covered trees and bushes so I grabbed my phone & walked out onto the front porch, barefoot mind you and took a few quick snaps.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Talk About Us

I am always thrilled when a prospective clients calls and says "Joe Jones" told me to give you a call to talk about my insurance.
  • This means Joe is happy with the service we have provided him.
  • Joe is confident that we will work hard to make his friend happy.
  • His friend trusts Joe's opinion.
  • We have made a difference to Joe.
Customer referals are the highest compliment you can give anyone in the insurance profession.

Go ahead, make our day, talk about us.