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San Antonio Apartment Living: December 2018

Welcome to this month’s edition of San Antonio Apartment Living, brought to you by Iron Horse Valley Apartments, our apartments for rent in San Antonio, TX. This month we’re here to help you celebrate December. We’re highlighting an upcoming holiday about letter writing, new movie releases, hot chocolate recipes, and more. December Celebration Highlight: The Holidays For many people, December is a month that’s packed with holiday shopping, gift giving, and time with friends and loved ones. No matter how you’re planning to celebrate during the month, may we make a few suggestions: First, make time for others. This is a given, and probably expected as you might be visiting relatives in the coming weeks. If you’re planning visitors, take time out of your schedule to make them feel important. There’s a quote we love that goes something like this: people will take time to spend with you, friends will make time. Something to think about. Second, make time for yourself. Hey, this month can busy and stressful. Don’t keep yourself too busy that you don’t find time for doing things that you love. We’re sure you can make some time to pick up that book you’ve been trying to read! Upcoming Holiday Highlight: National Letter Writing Day Did you know that December 7th is National Letter Writing Day? Sure, the physical writing of a letter may be an act that’s in decline, but we encourage you to make an exception this month. Before the internet and smartphones, writing letters was a major means of communication. What a great time to get back to this tradition this month — one well-known for a time of giving and thinking of others. Need some advice regarding this? Check out these tips for writing holiday letters . Recipe Highlight: Hot Chocolate Just because we’re in San Antonio, TX doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a nice cup of winter’s favorite drink: hot chocolate. Check out the recipes that we’re dying to try in our apartment community BA’s Best Hot Chocolate This is what you’ll need to make this decadent drink: 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3 cups whole milk, 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, 3 tablespoons demerara or granulated sugar, and lightly sweetened whipped cream. Peppermint Hot Chocolate We’re no strangers to peppermint hot cocoa. We are, however, new to cocoa whipped cream! From the above link: “Of course, regular whipped cream would work (or even, heaven forbid, NO whipped cream), but I liked switching things up and doubling down on the chocolate flavor. I topped the cocoa whipped cream with a few chocolate curls and edible snowflake sprinkles, because 1) we’re cute like that and 2) it looked a biiiiiiiit too much like the poop emoji when it was just a plain blog of whipped cream. Sorry to go there on a food blog, but friends tell each other the truth. Just add a little eye candy to your cocoa whipped cream and you’ll be just fine.” Movie Highlights: Mortal Engines & Vice We’re excited to watch many movies this month, but especially Mortal Engines and Vice. The following descriptions were found on IMDB.com . Mortal Engines (December 14th) “A mysterious young woman named Hester Shaw joins forces with Anna Fang, a dangerous outlaw with a bounty on her head, and Tom Natsworthy, an outcast from London, to lead a rebellion against a giant predator city on wheels.” Vice (December 25th) “VICE explores how a bureaucratic Washington insider quietly became the most powerful man in the world as Vice-President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways still felt today.”

San Antonio Apartment Living: November 2018

Welcome to this month’s edition of San Antonio Apartment Living, brought to you by Iron Horse Valley Apartments, our apartments for rent in San Antonio, TX. This month we’re here to help you celebrate November. We’re highlighting a month-long celebration, an upcoming holiday other than Thanksgiving, a new movie release, and more. November Celebration Highlight: Peanut Butter Lovers Month If you love peanut butter, November may be your new favorite month. Why? It’s National Peanut Butter Lovers Month ! In honor of this celebration, we’re sharing a peanut butter inspired recipe with members of our apartment community. Healthy Peanut Butter Mousse Need some weekend plans? Try this recipe for a healthy twist on this classic treat. Here’s what the author has to say about it: “It’s all-natural, refined sugar-free, low-carb, high protein and totally nutritious. Don’t worry, though, it doesn’t taste like broccoli or anything. This super easy four-ingredient mousse is super rich, super creamy, perfectly sweet and packed with peanut butter flavor. After you get a little taste you won’t believe that this is actually good for you.” Upcoming Holiday Highlight: French Toast Day November 28th is French Toast Day, and what better way is there to celebrate than starting your day with a delicious and nutritious meal featuring the delectable goodness of French toast? The basic recipe of bread, eggs, a touch of milk, and perhaps a dash of vanilla can be enhanced in a variety of ways, including what type of bread to use, and what to flavor it with. With that in mind, we are sharing one of our favorite French toast recipes! Angel Food French Toast from How Sweet Eats Turn slices of angel food cake into light and fluffy French toast with this recipe. Here’s what you will need to make it: sliced angel food cake, eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and butter. Top your French toast with berries, whipped cream, maple syrup, or any other desired toppings. Restaurant Highlight: The Gazebo Restaurant at Los Patios Have you eaten lunch at The Gazebo ? If not, you’re in for a real treat! Check out this nearby eatery for an unforgettable dining experience. From the website: “The spacious, window filled rooms of the Gazebo restaurant, and its famous tree covered patio make for a wonderful lunch venue. Serving San Antonians and visitors since 1968, the Gazebo menu features classics like Chicken Green Enchiladas, Crepes Gazebo, the Gazebo Combination, as well as tasty and creative daily specials. Open for menu service 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m Tuesday through Saturday, with buffet-only Sunday brunch service, same seating hours. The Gazebo is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.” Movie Highlight: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms We’re excited to watch The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a movie that came out this past weekend. Have you seen it yet? Here’s a description of the storyline as found on IMDB.com : “All Clara wants is a key - a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift from her late mother. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer's annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key-which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It's there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip, a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers, and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger, to retrieve Clara's key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world.” Board Game Highlight: Escape the Room We love to play board games. As you gather with loved ones throughout the holiday season, take some time to make new memories by playing an exciting game together. We have a suggestion: Escape The Room: Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor . “Escape the Room games began as digital adventures and quickly turned into real-life events all around the world where players are locked in a room and must uncover clues and hidden objects to escape. ThinkFun’s version of Escape the Room allows you to bring all the excitement of these experiences into your very own home! "The Mystery: It’s 1869 and the town’s well-respected astronomer has not been seen since the untimely passing of his wife. Recently, strange things have been happening at his manor – loud and unfamiliar noises, an unpleasant smell, and smoke billowing from the observatory. It’s up to you and your guests to solve the mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor! “The Objective: Spend an evening working with your guests to solve puzzles, unlock hidden clues, and unravel the mystery of the Stargazer’s Manor. Will you and your guests be able to solve the mystery and save the astronomer before time runs out?”

San Antonio Apartment Living: October 2018

Welcome to this month’s edition of San Antonio Apartment Living, brought to you by Iron Horse Valley Apartment, our apartments for rent in San Antonio, Texas. This month we’re bringing our residents suggestions for celebrating Computer Learning Month and Fire Prevention Week, topics surrounding upcoming holidays like National Chocolate Day and Halloween, new movies you might want to check out, and our top pick for October reading. Read on to learn more about these topics in today’s blog post. October Celebrations Computer Learning Month We live our lives on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, but do you remember when laptops, tablets, and flip phones were new? They all evolved after desktop computers became commonplace and changed the world. October is Computer Learning Month , and in honor of that, we encourage members of our apartment community to learn something new — try a new app, learn a new program, build a new website. It’s all about the technology! Fire Prevention Week The second week of October is Fire Prevention Week, so brush up on your home fire prevention safety tips to keep you and members of your household safe. You never know when an accident will occur, so make copies of important documents, insurance policies, social security cards and other identification markers, medical records, and other valuable items or documents and store them in a safe place. Check your fire alarms, report any electrical issues you encounter in your home to our maintenance team, and practice kitchen safety precautions to prevent cooking fires. You’ll feel more confident as you prepare! Upcoming Holidays National Chocolate Day Do you like chocolate? If you do, you’re in luck: October 28th is National Chocolate Day, so you and your fellow chocolate lovers can unite in a reason to celebrate this versatile ingredient. Indulge yourself in the chocolatey goodness of your favorite treats. Whether you’re baking a chocolate cake, eating a chocolate bar, or enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, there are many ways you can celebrate this sweet day! Halloween How will you be celebrating Halloween this year? There are a variety of activities you can do on All Hallows’ Eve like throwing a party, carving pumpkins, and watching some Halloween movies. Whether you enjoy the scary side of the holiday or just the candy, there is plenty for you to do. So enjoy it. Regardless of what you choose, remember to be safe and have fun this October 31st! Movie Suggestions A Star Is Born A musician helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral. Opening in theatres October 5th. Venom Director Ruben Fleischer brings his skills to the table in this movie starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, & Woody Harrelson. “Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego ‘Venom’ to save his life.” Opens nationwide October 5th. Halloween Mike Myers returns for a final encounter on October 19th in this epic sequel. “Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.” First Man October 12th brings us this look into the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong “and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.” Buy your tickets today! You don’t want to miss this biography, especially if you’re a fan of history, space, or great people. Book Suggestions What are you reading this month? Check out our top pick below: Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley “Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.”

San Antonio Apartment Living: September 2018

Welcome to this month’s edition of San Antonio Apartment Living, brought to you by Iron Horse Valley, our apartments for rent in San Antonio, TX. This month we’re bringing our residents ideas for celebrating national holidays, enjoying movies coming to theaters, and making the most of the month in other ways. Read on to learn more about these topics in today’s blog post. September Holidays Checkers Day — September 23rd Checkers Day is not about the classic board game. It “commemorates the famous ‘checkers’ speech made by Richard M. Nixon in 1952 after he received an adorable Cocker Spaniel as he sought election in 1952.” On this day, we celebrate dogs in politics. Whatever your party affiliation, many of us will agree that dogs can bring a smile to anyone’s day. Celebrate with us by posting on social media with the hashtag: #NationalCheckersDay or #DogsInPoliticsDay. Confucius Day — September 29th On September 29th, take time to celebrate Confucius Day by opening a fortune cookie. Here is one of our favorite nearby places to find great Chinese food: China Inn is an incredible eatery with authentic Chinese cuisine. With a variety of options to choose from, including Mu Shu Chicken and Beef Chow Mein or Chop Suey, your mouth will delight with all the different flavors. Located just 10 minutes from our apartments. September Celebrations National Italian Cheese Month September is National Italian Cheese Month. To celebrate, we’re making Mac & Cheese with an Italian spin! Check out this Super Simple Mac and Cheese Italian Style recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian . A note about the recipe: “[This] is a go to recipe around here. With just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes you can have this fantastic dinner on the table. It is the ultimate leftover and weeknight dinner helper.” National Honey Month Did you know that September is National Honey Month? We’re probably just as surprised as you are! To celebrate, learn more about our local beekeepers. The Honey Tree Beekeeping Service of San Antonio is a provider of locally harvested 100% raw honey that is absolutely delicious. Learn more about them by visiting their website or by clicking the link above: “We have a small orchard, and after getting a single deep body hive last spring for pollination, we discovered the true value of having a beehive just outside. We have spent hours watching our bees, busy at work collecting pollen & raising their young. Then came the bee pest, wax moths, small hive beetles & varroa mites. After extensive research… we solved our pest problem and we are excited to share the joy of having bees.” Book of the Month What are you reading this month? Check out our top pick below: Pride by Ibi Zoboi “Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable. “When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding. “But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.” Movie Suggestions You can find the following titles and descriptions on IMDB.com . The Predator — September 14th “When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.” The House with a Clock in its Walls — September 21st “A young orphan named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world.”

San Antonio Apartment Living: August 2018

Welcome to this month’s edition of San Antonio Apartment Living, brought to you by Iron Horse Valley Apartments, our apartments for rent in San Antonio, TX. This month we’re bringing our residents ideas for celebrating national holidays, enjoying movies coming to theaters, and making the most of the month in other ways. Read on to learn more about these topics in today’s blog post. August Holidays National S’mores Day Food Network is host to hundreds of delicious recipes, including those for classic s’mores . “For the perfect classic s'more you have to have melty chocolate, gooey toasty marshmallow and crisp graham cracker. There are a million ways to personalize a s'more using flavored chocolates, adding nuts or dried fruits or jams. Explore. Enjoy.” For this recipe, you’ll need graham crackers, milk chocolate, salt, and large marshmallows. Click the above link for more information about this recipe. National Watermelon Day This annual celebration may have just passed us on Friday, August 3rd, but that’s not going to stop us from celebrating all month long. Have you ever made watermelon jerky? If you have a dehydrator, this is the perfect recipe to try it out in your apartment this month. Instructions for Watermelon Jerky : Cut watermelon and remove flesh from rind. Cut flesh into pieces as close to ¼" thickness as you can. Remove seeds if possible. Place on lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 135 degrees for ten forevers , or 18-24 hours, or until watermelon jerky is sufficiently dry and breaks when you bend it. Store in airtight container. August Celebrations National Peach Month August is National Peach Month. To celebrate, we’re making Peach Cobbler as found on the Allrecipes website. Here’s a note from the Editor: “To use fresh peaches, you may substitute 4 cups peeled, sliced peaches for the canned peaches. To peel peaches, bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Carefully drop peaches into hot water; let stand for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer peaches to an ice water bath; when peaches are cool enough to handle, skin will slip right off.” National Picnic Month We have the perfect way for you to celebrate National Picnic Month. Visit our local MacArthur Park ! “Bexar County parks are generally open all year round except for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and New Year's Day. Parks hours change from winter to summer season: winter hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and summer hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pletz County park is one exception and does close at 8 p.m. in the summer. Specific information about each park can be found at our Parks Reservation System .” MacArthur Park is located just 4 minutes from Iron Horse Valley Apartments. Movie Suggestions The Spy Who Dumped Me “Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon), two thirty-year-old best friends in Los Angeles, are thrust unexpectedly into an international conspiracy when Audrey’s ex-boyfriend shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail. Surprising even themselves, the duo jump into action, on the run throughout Europe from assassins and a suspicious-but-charming British agent, as they hatch a plan to save the world.” Animal Crackers “A workaholic dad, stuck in a nowhere job, inherits a rundown circus from a distant relative he hardly knew. On the brink of losing his job, his house, and his sanity… he uncovers a magical box of Animal Crackers that gives him the uncanny ability to become any animal from the box.” Book Suggestions What are you reading this month? Check out our top pick below: All the Light We Cannot See “Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. “In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.”

San Antonio Apartment Living: July 2018

Welcome to this month's edition of San Antonio Apartment Living, brought to you by Iron Horse Valley Apartments, our apartments for rent in San Antonio, TX. This month we’re bringing our residents ideas for celebrating national holidays, enjoying a movie, and having more fun in or out of the apartment. Read on to learn more about these topics in today’s blog post. July Celebrations National Blueberry Month How do you plan to celebrate National Blueberry Month? We suggest making Lavender Blueberry Honey Ice Cream . Check it out today! Though an ice cream maker is required for this recipe, it’s worth the help and extra effort. But the prep and cook time is actually pretty quick. Drawing on the strong flavors of lavender essential oil, the rest of the ingredients (heavy cream, whole milk, eggs, honey, and sugar) mix perfectly with fresh blueberries and vanilla. It’s a flavor that’s bound to impress your friends. National Ice Cream Month We have the perfect way for you to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. Visit your local ice cream shop, Amy’s Ice Creams today! Established in 1984, Amy’s handcrafts artisan super premium ice creams, dairy-free fruit ices and frozen yogurt! It’s home of the world famous Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream. With over 350 flavors in rotation, your every visit will be a new flavor adventure! We’ve grown up in Austin, Texas and now have shops in Houston and San Antonio! Explore your favorite flavors and the fun of Amy’s Ice Creams. Amy’s Ice Creams is about 11 minutes from Iron Horse Valley Apartments. Happy National Ice Cream Month! Upcoming Holidays National Fried Chicken Day Visit Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen to celebrate National Fried Chicken Day this year. “Founded in 1972, Popeyes® owes its beginnings to entrepreneur and culinary innovator, Al Copeland. With one small restaurant and a big idea, Copeland introduced the New Orleans–style fried chicken that has now made the brand famous throughout the world. Popeyes culinary heritage is built upon the rich Cajun and Creole flavor profiles that are unmistakably Louisiana. We continuously draw upon and celebrate this heritage to inspire new, authentic menu creations the world craves. This unique and flavorful food has allowed Popeyes to become one of the world’s largest chicken quick service restaurants, with over 2,700 restaurants in the U.S. and around the world.” The nearest Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is about 8 minutes from Iron Horse Valley Apartments. Happy National Fried Chicken Day! National Cheesecake Day In Celebration of this month’s National Cheesecake Day, you’re invited to make this Strawberry Cheesecake Easy Ice Cream from Something Swanky. This recipe uses easy pre-made ingredients to make some seriously mind-blowing ice cream. The base is pretty standard — in fact, you could use it to make any number of flavors. For this recipe, you use store-bought strawberry filling and cream cheese to make the “cake” part of the mixture and Golden Oreo® cookies to make the crust. Mix it all together and freeze overnight for a treat as fresh, light, and breezy as a summer’s night. Movie Suggestions Mission: Impossible - Fallout “Ethan Hunt and his IMF team find themselves in a race against time after a mission goes wrong.” Ant-Man and the Wasp “Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. Approached by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym, Lang must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.” Which movie are you most excited to watch this month? Buy your tickets today for a great weekend. Book Suggestions What are you reading this month? Check out our suggestions below: Stargirl “Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don’t stand out--under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of homeschooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body. “But the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different. Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl’s arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock has tumbled into love with her. “In a celebration of nonconformity, Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity--and the thrill and inspiration of first love.” A Hundred Summers “Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak. That is, until the Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview…”