Talking about annuities...

If you are like most people, you are looking forward to the day you can retire. You are looking forward to days full of play, not work. Or at least you were until the recent uncertainties in the stock market made you wonder if the money you had put away would be enough. Now may be the time to consider moving your retirement money into an annuity. It may just be the safety net you are looking for.

Perhaps annuities are new to you. Or maybe you've heard about them but were told that that the market was a better investment - after all the market keeps going up right? I think that once you understand the basics, you will see that annuities are a very straightforward way to manage your investment, particularly in a volatile market.

Annuities make it simple to get your money in retirement when you need it. They can help you have a steady stream of income even if the stock market does not perform well.

With an annuity you pay money to an insurance company and then, over time, they pay you back with interest! The earnings on the annuity are tax deferred, so you wont pay taxes until the funds are paid out to you. You choose how much to put in, when you want to start getting payments, and how long you want those payments to last. They can even last the rest of your life. You are in control of your money, not the other way around!

With an annuity there aren't many surprises. They can provide an income that you can count on month after month.

If you would like more information on how an annuity might benefit you please call me at 509-892-9139 to set an appointment.

Italian Wedding Ring Soup

When I was modifying this recipe I could not find any whole wheat orzo and bought these wheat pasta rings instead. My creative son John suggested that I change the name of the recipe to Italian Wedding Ring Soup because of the rings! I had to agree, it was a great idea.

• 2 mild turkey Italian sausages
• 32 ounces low sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Safeway 'Eating Right Kids' whole wheat pasta rings
• 2 tablespoons diced red pepper
• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 1 teaspoon dry basil
• 1 small can sliced button mushrooms (with juice)
• 1 Roma tomato diced
• 1 cup of raw spinach chopped

Remove the skins from the sausages and cook in a non-stick pan. Break the sausages up to small pieces as they cook. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.

Stir in the pasta, the pepper, onion and basil and mushrooms.

Reduce heat to medium and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender.

Add the tomato and spinach. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings. 243 Calories. 11g fat. 65mg Cholesterol. 998mg Sodium. 13g Carbohydrate. 6g sugar. 26g Protein.

Waldorf Chicken Salad Wraps

• 2T light Mayo
• 3T plain FF yogurt
• 1T lemon juice
• 4 ounces grilled chicken breast chunks
• 1 small gala apple chopped
• 1 stalk of celery chopped
• 10 seedless red grapes, halved
• 7 or 8 butter lettuce leaves
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces

In a bowl mix the mayo, yogurt and lemon juice.

Add the chicken, apple, celery and grapes and mix until coated with the mayo, yogurt blend.

Arrange leaves of butter lettuce on a plate, fill with chicken mixture and garnish with walnuts.

Serves 1. Calories 579. Fat 31g. Cholesterol 76g. Sodium 408mg. Carbs 38g. Sugars 27g. Fiber 6g. Protein 38g.

Home Owner's Insurance Questions

When shopping for Home owner's insurance most consumers consider only 3 factors.

• what is the bottom line price,
• what is the dwelling coverage amount, and
• what is the liability coverage amount.

To be perfectly frank that is like calling a realtor and saying I want to buy a house, I want to pay less than $250K, it should have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

No one in their right mind would make such an important purchase based on only three questions.

Do you know how much coverage you have for your personal property? Is your property covered when it is away from the home? Are there items of personal property, like jewelry or guns that are limited in coverage?

How much coverage do you have if you cant stay in your home after a claim? Will you be able to stay in a hotel of your choosing?

In the event of a loss what are the limits of coverage for things like debris removal, landscaping and fire department charges?

Are there provisions in your policy that guarantee renewal, even after a claim? Are their provisions that guarantee that your rate will not increase because of a a claim?

If you don't know the answers to these questions please contact me at 509-892-9139 for a full review.

And the winner is?????

A question of trust

You know 3 people, Jane, Jayne and Jean. Here is what you know about each of them:

• Jan works at ABC company, a well respected company in town. Regularly she sends you postcards asking you to do business with her.

• Jayne goes to your church, she is active in the PTA and is always there with a casserole in hand when she is needed. Jayne has a reputation for being there when extra hands are called to duty. Jayne works at XYZ, a well respected company in town. You know what she does, but she has never directly asked you for your business.

• Jean is very nice. She is a salesperson and makes no apologies about it. Buying her morning coffee is just another opportunity to close the sale. Every moment she is awake is a chance to make a deal. She works for 123, a company that has a reputation for great prices, but somewhat unpredictable service.

Today you were given a diamond. It is large and clear and well cut. It has a value near 1/2 million dollars. It is your responsibility to take care of it and to ensure that it remains safe.

Unfortunately you cannot keep it with you at all times. You must leave it in a box at home. However, you may choose either Jan, Jayne or Jean to sit with it in your absence. Who will you choose? By the way, Jan, Jayne and Jean can also assign responsibility for your diamond to whomever they choose.

Which of these insurance agents would you trust with your diamond? What if your diamond is your home or your family's future. Your cars, toys and bank account? It really is a question of trust.

Microwave Enchiladas

Edited to add - After I posted this, and just as I finished my enchilada lunch I thought "dang, I should have taken a picture!" Well I did take a picture... and you can see how good my enchiladas were!

Looking for a quick easy bowl of comfort food? Need to clean out the fridge? How about a great meal at work? Try my microwave enchiladas!

Get into the fridge, find whatever yummy leftovers you have... some grated cheese, some chicken, maybe even some green beans or rice! Grab the enchilada sauce and 2 corn tortillas and you are ready to go!

Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a bowl. About a tablespoon will do. Swirl it around so it covers the bottom of the bowl nicely.

Place a corn tortilla in the bowl add 1/2 of the cheese, and whatever else you have. Place the second tortilla on top and pour more enchilada sauce over the top - about 3 more tablespoons or 1/4 cup total. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, cover and microwave on high for 3 or 4 minutes.

This is such a quick and easy way to use up leftovers. You can use enchilada sauce from a can or mix, I like to make my own.. then I freeze it in single serving bags and just grab one whenever the need for an enchilada fridge clean out strikes!

Win a Starbucks Card!

Want a Starbucks gift card?
Here is what you have to do...

1. Follow me on Networked blogs through Facebook and give my blog a rating. Consider a nice comment too if you can think of one!
2. Leave a comment for me on this post to let me know you read it!
3. On Monday, March 16 I will enter everyone who followed the above directions into a drawing to win a $10 Starbucks card. Don't drink coffee? That's ok, just say so in your comment and we will figure something else out.

Father Daughter Dance

There are several Kiwanis activities that I participate in each year, but my favorite is the father daughter dance. It is such a joy to help provide a venue where these daddies and their little girls can have a wonderful date each year.

It is a ton of hard work, but so worth it when you see all the girls dressed in their finest, and their daddies with eyes only for them.

I am already looking forward to next year's dance. If you are a dad and you didn't come this year, please plan on it for next year... These are the memories that last a girl a lifetime.

to see more photos please go to http://fatherdaughterdance.webs.com/apps/photos/

Grocery Store Snow Story

I was in line at Albertsons a few days ago. The woman in front of me was commenting on how ready she was for spring. Being who I am, I inquired if she had had enough of the snow, knowing full well that all of us have had enough.

She told me that she had lost a portion of her roof during the very heavy snow last December and was currently fighting with her insurance company to get payment for the necessary repairs. "Who are you insured with" I asked. She didn't know the name of the company, only that it was whoever her independent agent placed her with to get her the best price. It was a company that she knew too little about before, and suddenly when she needed them... she knew too much about their claims practices.

I told her that the company I was with had paid all of my client's home claims related to the heavy snows without issue. I encouraged her to give me a call so that next time she would know exactly what was covered.

The bottom line is that choosing insurance based only on price may lead you to find out that the box of benefits is half empty when you need to open it. Take time to read your policy and call your agent with any questions. After the roof collapses from the weight of the snow is not the time to find out it isn't covered under your discount policy.

When you are ready to have a policy that will provide the coverage you want, without rate increases due to a claim give me a call at 509-892-9139. I can help you with that.