Cooking for one doesn’t have to be difficult or depressing. Sure, there can be cooking constraints, but with planning, the right resources, and a few helpful tips, 1st Lake Properties aims to make cooking for one easy, healthy, and maybe a little fun!
1st Lake Properties celebrates the grand opening of Brewster Commons apartments in Covington with an exciting array of giveaways for leasers. Starting on Friday, April 20th, leasers and anyone who tours the grounds will be eligible for the fabulous prizes.
Before we get to what you could snag by becoming part of Brewster Commons, here’s a little bit of background info on the Northshore’s newest luxury apartment complex. Brewster Commons is located in the River Chase subdivision, in close proximity to downtown Covington. There are a variety of floor plans to choose from based on how many bedrooms or square feet you require. Brewster Commons units are available in one, two or three bedrooms.
The state of the art interiors all have modern features including energy saving appliances from washers and dryers to self-cleaning ovens to refrigerators complete with ice makers. The amenities might just be the best part – because who doesn’t like extras? Brewster Commons affords the best in safety and convenience for its tenants, including a community access gate, garages, alarm systems and free wi-fi. Other leisure amenities include a resort style swimming pool, hot tub, massive sun deck, 24 hour fitness center and a Wii and yoga room.
Enough of all the extraneous details. Okay, well not extraneous, but on to the prizes you could win by leasing an apartment in Brewster Commons. The first 50 leases go into a drawing for six months of free rent. Anyone who leases from April 20 through May 27 and moves in before June 1 will have a TV installed in their kitchen. In addition to these incentives, anyone who leases now will receive $100 off their monthly rent for 12 months. Both seven and 18 month rents will also be offered.
Not only leasers, but anyone who just takes a tour of the premises will be entered in daily drawings for prizes up to $100 in value. So with the great features, convenience and amenities of Brewster Commons and all the lagniappe offered for just becoming part of the community, there’s no reason not to.
In a perfect world, neighbors would be friendly and helpful whenever you’d need them to be and otherwise out of the way. But this isn’t Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood; it’s real life, and in real life sometimes neighbors can be less than what society expects them to be. One of the most common annoyances among neighbors is noise pollution, but there are constructive ways to deal with the problem no matter how extreme it may be.
It’s important to consider how serious the problem is before taking action. If the issue is minor and one that may come with living in an apartment complex, it might not be appropriate to report. Considering that the New Orleans festival season is underway and that Jazz Fest is just around the corner, neighbors might be a little louder than normal, especially if they have guests in town. That’s not to say that if it is indeed a violation, it should be ignored, but make sure that it’s not just due to an out of character one-time occurrence, or due to a low tolerance or abnormal sensitivity to noise.
Giving your neighbor the benefit of the doubt at first is always the best approach. After all, this is someone you live in close quarters with, especially if you share a wall or ceiling. Begin with addressing the issue from a non-accusatory stance, as the neighbor may not even be aware of their noise level. Ask if they realize how audible they are and make sure they aren’t having the same problem as you. The first step is establishing an understanding of the shared living conditions.
If after calmly addressing the problem in person, it occurs again, a second verbal request is necessary, unless the neighbor was unreceptive or hostile the first time. If that is the case, a typed or written letter may be in order outlining the date(s) and nature of the disruption. If your apartment complex or association has policies regarding noise, you should include that in the letter. Make a copy of any written request sent so you have a record in case you need to prove correspondence on the matter transpired.
If the problem persists after a verbal and a written request to cease and desist, this is the time to take more aggressive steps. Contact the landlord, apartment board or property manager to intervene. If you ever feel threatened by the offending neighbor, do not hesitate to contact the authorities, but this is the worst-case scenario.
A small kitchen inside a one bedroom, studio or even a bigger unit that’s lacking proportion can pose a challenge. Making meals for one can also present a predicament. But don’t let a modest-sized kitchen, single occupancy or both deter you from cooking delicious and healthy meals. It can be done! Here are a few tips to guide you through cooking in your apartment.
Even the tiniest kitchens can be optimized!
Restrictions are always a drag, but they also allow for creative solutions. One of the most useful tips to follow is to utilize your wall space. Instead of crowding your counters with appliances, install metal shelves and stock them with all your spices, kettles, cookbooks and small appliances. For additional organization, stack dividers like wooden or plastic boxes on the shelves filled with all your kitchen wares.
With all the space that an oven and refrigerator can take up, there can be little left for the rest of your equipment. Keep in mind smaller, nifty items that can replace more heavy duty commercial machinery. Some of these brilliant culinary creations include a slow cooker that can replace giant pots of soup or stewed meats, a mini-food processor and a hand-held mixer.
There are a few rules of thumb to follow if you plan on just cooking for yourself. First, if you plan on purchasing produce, make sure that you get seasonal vegetables that won’t rot in 24-48 hours and store them properly. For produce that isn’t seasonal, there’s nothing wrong with getting it in canned form, like canned tomatoes or canned beans.
Use small cooking dishes for portion control. If you’re roasting something or making a casserole, use a small pan or dish to cook it in. That way you’re not left with a ton of leftovers that will just end up in the trash can. If you do want meals to stretch throughout the week, cook dishes that easily reheat, like soup or pasta.
Breakfast for dinner! An eggcellent option for cooking for one is to make a scramble of eggs, roasted veggies and goat cheese with a side of wheat toast, or any other dish involving eggs. Organic, farm fresh eggs will keep for a decent amount of time in the fridge, and can turn into a hearty, tasty meal.
Spring is most certainly in the air, and for some that means blooming flowers and buzzing bees, and for others it means deep, detailed cleaning and taking inventory of one’s abode. Yes, it’s that time again for spring cleaning.
The spring cleaning tradition, whether or not you’re on the messy or neat-freak side of the spectrum is always a good annual practice. Spring is all about fresh starts and rebirth, so your apartment should mirror that. Besides regular chores like putting clothes or dishes away, sweeping and cleaning the bathroom; this is your chance to pay attention to detail and store, sort or get rid of extraneous clutter.
Use this guide as a checklist for items that aren’t usually on the cleaning to-do list:
If you accomplish all these tasks, you’ll be well on your way to being completely spring cleansed! Other than looking shiny and new, your living space will be rid of dirt and dust that you may have not even been aware of that can make you and your guests sick. So tie your hair back, put on those yellow gloves and spring into action!
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
