We all know that slaving over the stove preparing a home cooked meal isn’t exactly something you jump for joy to do after a long day of work, school or childcare. That’s why we’re continuing our series of quick, easy and health conscious meals to make in under an hour, or in some cases under 10 minutes! Each recipe is light and delicious with one chicken, fish and vegetarian option depending on your preference. Add these to your weekly dinner menu to have the kind of fast food you’ll be delighted to eat.
Chicken Scaloppine – This dish includes your protein, starch, dairy and veggies all in one for a complete and wholesome meal. The thin pieces of chicken cook very quickly, so besides boiling the pasta, the most time spent is on chopping the veggies and grating the fresh parmesan cheese. Get the Chicken Scaloppine recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com.
Lemon Dill Talapia – This fresh seafood recipe is very fast and easy and the results are delicious and good for you. The only ingredients needed are the fish itself, seasonings and herbs. The only preparation involved is combining all the ingredients and baking them until everything is married and cooked through. Get the Lemon Dill Talapia recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com.
Bowties with Tomatoes, Feta and Balsamic Dressing – This light and healthy recipe consists of a delicious blend of bowtie pasta tossed with a zesty mixture of veggies, spices and sauce. The recipe yields enough to feed four, so it’s enough yummy goodness for the whole family, to share with your roommates, or to save and have leftovers for later. Get the recipe for bowties with tomatoes, feta and balsamic dressing courtesy of myrecipes.com.
Looking for an apartment? 1st Lake has great deals on many excellent New Orleans area apartments for rent!
Setting up and decorating a home is an evolving process. There are always areas you find a need for in every room. Whether you are starting fresh in a new apartment or you are continuing to make yourself more at home in your current space, we will take you through the essentials and decorative touches you’ll need to complete a fully furnished room. Not all of these items are necessary, but can a fully furnished dining room can be achieved by working up the list. Here is a checklist of what you’ll need for a complete dining room design, whether that room is part of the kitchen itself or its own separate room depending on the size of your apartment.
1. Dining room table – This is the most basic piece of furniture you’ll need for your dining room, since the main point of a dining room is to eat! There are many options for dining room tables, depending on what size you need. You can opt for a traditional wooden dining room table that seats several people, or you might want a tall table with stools for smaller spaces.
2. Dining room chairs – This is a no-brainer but you will need chairs to go with your dining room table. You may choose to get matching chairs or go a little funkier with colorful, mix matched chairs. Get creative depending on your style!
3. Table set ups – Accessories your dining room table with table set ups which include but are not limited to place mats and linen or cotton silverware rolls.
4. Glass and dishware – If you are a person who loves throwing dinner parties, you might want to consider getting “fancy” dining room drinking glasses, plates and bowls.
6. Storage – In keeping with the upscale dining room theme, you may want to get a nice wooden standing cabinet it keep your special glasses and dishware in your dining room.
7. Centerpiece – Impress your guests and turn up the volume in your dining room with a beautiful centerpiece. This could be anything from flowers to a sculpture.
8. Wine rack – Keep your nice wine that you want to save in a wine rack in your dining room so you can conveniently pull out for special occasions.
Need help setting up your living room, too? Check out our living room design guide! While you’re at it, see our available New Orleans area apartments with spacious floor plans to accommodate your personal design.
As if you needed another reason to move to New Orleans, the Daily Beast just named the Crescent City the second top Aspirational City in the U.S.
The criteria for the cities recognized in the study was based 50% on the health of the economy, 25% on the quality of life and another 25% on demographic factors. Most of the cities that ranked as the top for attracting ambitious and aspirational individuals and business are located in the South, with New Orleans coming in at number two, just below Austin. They are not huge metropolises or conglomerates, but “culturally vibrant,” and “modest sized,” two characteristics that definitely describe New Orleans.
The factors that the study looked for to designate these top aspirational cities were largely economic indicators including employment growth, per capita income and unemployment rates as well as demographic information such as the “growth of domestic migration and the movement of college-educated people and the foreign born.”
Finally, another major factor that contributed to determining New Orleans as the second most aspirational city was “urban arbitrage,” which The Daily Beast defines as “places that provide not just economic and cultural opportunity but a cost structure that allows them to enjoy their success to the fullest extent.” Furthermore, New Orleans was noted as providing a rich cultural experience and possessing progressive social qualities while maintaining low costs, less regulation and lower taxes found in a “red state environment.”
More and more people are moving to New Orleans from all over the country, and with all the fantastic apartments in greater New Orleans that 1st Lake Properties offers, there’s no reason not to!
Pets are wonderful life and living companions and 1st Lake Properties recognizes this with their pet-friendly policies. But having a pet also means extra care must be taken to maintain the health and cleanliness of your apartment and also for your pet. To avoid having unwanted pet odor, make sure you’re following basic pet care rules. If you need a refresher, we’ve included them below!
Vacuum: This is essential for pet owners, and especially those with long haired pets. Invest in a quality vacuum cleaner to remove pet hair that is not only messy but carries odor with it. If your budget allows, a self running vacuum like a Roomba iRobot can virtually do the work for you. If you have hardwood floors, a Swiffer is a great and affordable option.
Litter Box: One of the biggest contributors to pet emitting odors is the litter box. To keep the air quality in your apartment unpolluted, make sure to either manually clean it daily and replace the litter weekly or invest in a self cleaning litter box.
Caretaking: A healthy and happy pet is synonymous with a clean pet. Make sure to bathe your pet, brush its teeth or provide it with dental chew toys and treats, and feed it a high quality diet. Besides cleaning what your pet leaves behind, cleaning your pet itself is crucial to avoiding unfavorable pet odors in your apartment.
Pet Area: Set up a designated spot for your pet, whether it’s a comfy crate or a pet bed. By keeping an area reserved for your pet to spend most of its lounging time, it will limit the other areas of the apartment where your pet could spread odors and you can clean that one area regularly to keep it fresh.
If you’re moving in to your first apartment or are starting fresh somewhere new, it’s important to plan ahead for how to set up your new digs, especially if you’re buying new furniture. We’ll take you through the essentials you’ll need room by room, starting with the living room, which is the primary common area of any apartment. Ensure that your apartment is fully furnished, starting with these living room ideas for 10 basic pieces, for a completely built out living room.
1. Couch or love seat – You’re going to want a comfy, cushiony couch or love seat to fit at least a couple of people, since the living room is intended for lounging and entertainment. To optimize your living room accommodations, look for a couch that has a pull out bed built in for when you are hosting guests.
2. Arm Chair – In addition to a couch or a love seat, make sure to have a comfortable lounge chair as an additional option for individual seating.
3. Coffee Table – A coffee table is another living room essential. Find a coffee table to match your style and budget, from a decorative iron coffee table with a glass top to a piece of salvaged wooden furniture found at a flea market.
4. Entertainment Center – While this isn’t a necessity, an entertainment center is a very nice companion to a living room. Whether your entertainment of choice is a stereo for playing music, a HD TV for playing movies and television, or a combination of both, you’ll need furniture to place it on – not to mention the equipment itself. Make sure not to get your wires crossed – see our cord control guide to avoid a cable catastrophe!
5. Lighting – Add some low lighting, like a table lamp to your living room when the ceiling light is too bright.
6. Extras – After you have all the living room essentials, it’s time to think about the finishing touches like framed photos, art and indoor plants to add some life and personality to your living room.
Don’t waste any more time looking for a great apartment! Check out all of the apartments in Metairie that 1st Lake has available right now!
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
