- Happy 4th of July
- Did You Know?
- Firework Displays Around the Bay
- Recipe of the Month
- Real Estate News
- Starbucks Reserve
- World Cup Soccer
- THANK YOU
- 6 things you are forgetting to clean
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Happy 4th of July! It's a wonderful time to celebrate our independence and freedom with family and friends.
In celebration, we dropped off American Flags in each of your front yards in the Concord area! If you didn't receive one and would like to, please send us an email or give us a call. Contact info is at the bottom of the newsletter!
Happy 4th of July!
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"On July 8, 1776, the first public readings of the Declaration were held in Philadelphia's Independence Square to the ringing of bells and band music. One year later, on
July 4, 1777, Philadelphia marked
Independence Day by adjourning Congress and celebrating with bonfires, bells and fireworks."
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Firework Displays Around the Bay
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Don't worry. It is not supposed to be quite as HOT on July 4th as it has been lately. Phew. I love being outside on the 4th, but 100 degrees just feels too hot. Luckily, it's only supposed to be in high 70's. Perfect parade, BBQ and fireworks weather! There are lots of events going on around the Bay Area. Make sure to check them out. Last year my boys were in the parade at Todos Santos in Concord and it was great!! Below is a list of a few of the events. Check out the link at the end to see a complete summary.
BENICIA:
- NOTE DATE: July 3
- First Street, Benicia, CA
- City Park, 150 Military W, Benicia, CA 94510
- Fireworks about 9 p.m..
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CLAYTON:
- Starts at 10 a.m.
- 110 El Portal Place, Clayton, California 94517
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CONCORD:
- Todos Santos Plaza, Downtown Concord, CA
- 8 a.m.: Kids Fun Run with Stomper! 8:15 a.m.: 5K Run & Walk
- Pancake breakfast, $5, 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- Parade 10 a.m. - Todos Santos Plaza, Downtown Concord, CA 94520
- Entertainment begins 4 p.m. with fireworks at Mt. Diablo High School, 2450 Grant St, Concord, CA 94520
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DANVILLE:
- Downtown Danville, CA
- 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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DUBLIN:
- Fireworks sold beginning June 28 for use ONLY on July 4 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
LIVERMORE:
- Livermore Downtown, 1st St, Livermore, California 94550
- 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fireworks at 9:20 p.m.
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MARTINEZ:
- 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Pancake Breakfast Sponsored by Roxx on Main, 627 Main St.
- 8:30 a.m.-9 a.m.- Flag-Raising Ceremony -Veterans Memorial Building, 930 Ward St.
- 10 a.m. - Hometown Parade on Main St.
- Fireworks - dusk at Martinez Waterfront Park
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MORAGA:
- Moraga Commons Park, 1425 St. Mary's Rd., Moraga, CA
- 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. - Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
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ORINDA:
- Orinda Community Center, 28 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA
- 8 a.m.
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PLEASANT HILL:
- 7:50 a.m. – 100 yard dash for kids 7 and under
- 8 a.m.– Firecracker 5K Fun Run
- 9:30 a.m. parade: Downtown Pleasant Hill
- 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Music, fun & games at park at 147 Gregory Lane
- 6:30 p.m. – Gates open at College Park High School for fireworks.
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PLEASANTON:
- Big O Tires FREE Concerts: 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. nightly. "Born Free" video & fireworks show immediately following at Concert Lawn.
- Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton CA
- On July 4, fair closes at 6 p.m. Gates close at 3 p.m.
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SAN RAMON:
- San Ramon Community Center, 12501 Alcosta Blvd., San Ramon, CA 94583
- 8 a.m.
- Patriotic music from San Ramon Symphonic Band, party hats, anniversary cake and crafts for kids.
- San Ramon Central Park Amphitheater, 12501 Alcosta Blvd., San Ramon, CA
- 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
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WALNUT CREEK:
- Civic Park, 1375 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
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Looking for something to bring to a 4th of July BBQ next week. This pasta salad will be perfect! There is nothing better than a nice cool pasta salad on a hot day!
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Light & Fresh Italian Pasta Salad
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Serves 8 to 10 as a side
Prep time: 10 minutes ; cooking time: 11 minutes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dry cavatappi or other short pasta, such as fusilli or gemelli
- 1 pound fresh bocconcini or ciliegine mozzarella cheese (bite-size mozzarella balls), halved or quartered if large
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 (2.5-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
- 2 cups lightly packed baby arugula
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, place the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and run briefly under cool water to cool the pasta down. Drain well again.
- Add the pasta, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, and olives to the bowl of dressing. Toss thoroughly to combine. Let sit 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld. Fold in the arugula. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.
Recipe Notes
- Make ahead: The pasta salad can be made a day ahead without the arugula and refrigerated overnight. Stir in the arugula and let the salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Doing a full kitchen remodel is a large investment in time and money. So many of us want to refresh our kitchen, but just don't have the budget. Changing your kitchen cabinet color, doors or handles and give it a fresh new look and make it feel like a new kitchen.
My sister-in law just hired a contractor to do a couple of small updates to their kitchen. They are going to replace the countertop from a dark granite to a white with a little gray, paint their cabinets from all white to white uppers and gray lowers and change up the handles.Their kitchen is going to look brand new when this is finished and it costs a lot less then gutting the whole kitchen and starting over!
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Last weekend we went to Los Panchos Restaurant in Danville. I have gone to their location in Pacheco to pick up food forever. SO GOOD! We were driving back and passed a "Starbucks Reserve" when we were driving down Hartz. I love Starbucks, so I immediately wondered "What is this place?" Why have I not heard about this before?" I immediately looked it up online and this is what I learned:
It's all about craft coffee. It sounds like Starbucks is trying to get back to their roots. With specialty craft coffee becoming more mainstream I am sure they have been wondering how they can compete in that space.
Currently there are only two full Starbucks Reserve Roasteries. One is at their headquarters in Seattle and the other is in Shanghai. Their are four other locations planned for Milan, New York City, Tokyo and Chicago. These locations offer small batch freshly brewed coffee, mixology-inspired cocktails and the first US location for the world famous Princi Italian Bakery. It looks absolutely amazing and I want to plan a trip to Seattle just to check it out!
What they have in Danville is classified as a Starbucks Reserve Bar, which is a scaled down version of the other locations.They have the small lot coffee and all of their baristas are experts. It doesn't look like they have the bakeries, but I am planning to go this weekend and check it out for myself. I'm excited!!
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World Cup Soccer has officially been underway for about two weeks. It is being held in Russia this year and the final game will be on Sunday July 15th!
The group stage has ended and the knockout round has begun! I grew up playing soccer and absolutely love the sport. It is so fun to watch. The USA did not make the tournament this year so pick your next favorite team and cheer them on!
The games are on in the mornings (7:00am and 11:00am) so set your alarm and watch some games this coming week and weekend. You won't be disappointed!
The USA won the bid to co-host the tournament with Canada and Mexico in 2026. It is going to be so exciting! The official list of cities that will host games will not be released for a couple of years yet, but they said San Francisco has the potential to be a host city. Fingers crossed!
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A
HUGE THANK YOU to all of the firefighters that put out the wildfire this past Friday night in Concord. We are so appreciative of everything that you do!! You are absolutely amazing!
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6 things you are forgetting to clean
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My house is usually picked up, but there are times that I wonder if it is really "clean". It is so hard to deep clean with my boys constantly running around, bringing in all kinds of dirt and germs. I was on HGTV and saw this video about six things most people forget to clean. I watched it and definitely need to do these things more often! I am scared to look at the top of my fridge ;)
- Top & Behind Appliances
- Cleaning Supplies
- Trash Can
- Door Knobs & Handles
- Toothbrush Holder
- Electronics
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