Super Bowl Events In Shorewood

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Buffalo Wild Wings
1023 Brook Forest Ave.
(815) 439-3320

rQ! Barbecue
643 Brook Forest Ave
(815) 725-2824

• Carry-out and delivery available
• Convenience packs of food to feed 4-50 people 

Happy Friday

Super Bowl Recipes

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Polynesian Pulled Pork Sandwiches By: Sandra Lee

Ingredients:

• 4 red bell peppers cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bottle (10 oz) Polynesian glazing and dipping sauce (such as San-J)
• 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
• 8 King's Hawaiian sweet sandwich buns

Directions:

1. Place peppers in the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker.
2. Season pork with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker on top of peppers, fat side up.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the Polynesian sauce, pineapple, and chili sauce. Pour over pork roast.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.
5. Remove pork and let rest for 5-10 minutes.Strain cooking liquid into a bowl and put solids back into slow cooker. De-fat strained juices and stir into slow cooker. When cool enough to handle, pull or chop the pork.
6. Place some red peppers onto the bottom of the sandwich buns. Pile high with pulled pork and top with some of the juices. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Meatballs In Chipotle Sauce By Sandra Lee

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing
• 1/3 cup frozen chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon salt-free mexican seasoning
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 jars (16 oz each) salsa verde
• 2 packets (1.25 ounces each) smokey chipotle taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup tequila

Directions:

1. Position oven rack 6 inches from heat and preheat the broiler. Line a heavy duty baking sheet with foil.
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, cilantro, onions, seasoning, egg, and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly and shape into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs on baking sheet, evenly spaced, and broil for 8-10 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, stir together salsa verde, taco seasoning and tequila. Pour 1/4 of the sauce into the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker. Add several meatballs at a time to the bowl, coat them with sauce, then transfer to slow cooker. Repeat until all the meatballs are well coated. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs. 
4. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve meatballs with sauce on the side and garnish with cilantro. Makes 48 1 inch meatballs.

The Super Bowl Punter Cocktail By Sandra Lee

Ingredients:

• 9 oz Captain Morgan coconut white rum
• 9 oz orange juice
• 6 oz cranberry juice
• 3 oz ruby red grapefruit juice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and serve from a punch bowl. Makes 6 drinks.

Village Of Shorewood Snowman Contest

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Take a photo of your best snowman anytime until March 15th and send it to Info@EnjoyShorewood.com. All pictures will be put on the Village of Shorewood Parks and Recreation Facebook page for voting from March 16th-20th.  The snowman with the most likes will win the right to brag the rest of the year! Multiple submissions per family is allowed.

Top Rated Restaurant In Shorewood

Yelp

Crispy Waffle, established in 2007, is a casual spot to eat offering an ample menu of everything from specialty waffles, to oven baked pancakes, to skillets, and much more. They are open from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm every day and take out is also available. Check out their profile on Yelp to see all of the awesome reviews!

Crispy Waffle
564 Brook Forest Ave
Shorewood, IL 60404
(815) 744-0356

Happy Friday

Wild West Party

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Shorewood Parks and Recreation is hosting a Wild, Wild West Party for kids ages 3-7 with their grandparents (or other special adult) on Sunday, February 15th from 2-3:30 pm at the Timbers of Shorewood. This fun event will include dancing, games, and crafts. Registration deadline is Feb. 9th or until the event is sold out and tickets are $5 per person. Visit the Parks and Recreation website to register and for more information.
Timbers of Shorewood
1100 N. River Road
Shorewood, IL 60404

Weekend Music At Skooters Roadhouse

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Posted By: Dawn Dause

Head out to Skooters Roadhouse tonight to see Jake Dodds play at 9 pm! Can't make it out tonight? Tomorrow night, January 17th, Steel Creek will be playing at 9 pm!

Skooters Roadhouse
700 Jefferson Street
Shorewood, IL 60404
(815) 799-4700

Illinois Fun Facts

Reboot Illinois

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Posted By: Dawn Dause

• Illinois generates more nuclear power than any other state.
• The world's largest Radio Flyer wagon is 27 feet long, 13 feet wide, and weighs 15,000 pounds and is located in Chicago.
• Illinois is home to Blosom,  the world's tallest cow, who is 6'4". 
• The movie "Halloween" was set in Illinois but filmed in California. 
• There is a half-size replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Niles, IL.
• Before Springfield, Illinois had two other state capitals; Kaskaskia and Vandalia.
• Over 80% of the world's canned pumpkin is processed in Morton, IL.
• The world's tallest man, Robert Wadlow (8 ft. 11.1 inches), was from Alton, IL.
• The official state snack of Illinois is popcorn.
• Twinkies were invented in Schiller Park, IL.
• The creator of Popeye, Elzie C. Segar, was born in Chester, Illinois and he based several characters in Popeye off of people from his hometown.
• Rockford, IL is known as "Home of the Sock Monkey".

Happy Friday!

2015 Real Estate Forecast

Real Trends

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2015 is likely to bring an increase in home sales over 2014 along with higher average prices. This positive outlook on the coming year in real estate is due to several factors:

• Households are adding jobs; job creation is on the rise along with higher wages.
• The country as a whole has received a tax cut of an estimated 75 to 80 billion dollars due to the decrease in oil prices. The extra money will be able to be put towards down payments on homes and will aid in building the confidence of consumers. 
• Mortgage underwriting standards have become less strict and lower down payment requirements means more consumers will be able to afford homes. 

4 Reasons To Buy Before Spring!

keepingcurrentmatters

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1. Prices are forecasted to rise: The Home Price Expectation Survey polls a prestigious group of over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts. Their most current report predicts that appreciation in home values over the next five years will be between 15.1% and 32.8%. Home values are projected to appreciate for years to come and it no longer makes good sense to wait to buy a home.
2. Mortgage interest rates will increase: Although mortgage rates have gone down slightly in recent months, most experts predict that rates will rise over the next 12 months. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, The Mortgage Bankers Association, and The National Association of Realtors are in agreement that rates will be up almost a full percentage point by the end of 2015. Mortgage rates directly affect your mortgage payment; your monthly house payment will be more a year from now.
3. Either way you are making a mortgage payment: "Households must consume housing whether they own or rent. Not even accounting for more favorable tax treatment of owning, homeowners pay debt service to pay down their own principal while households that rent pay down the principal of a landlord plus a rate of return. That's yet another reason owning often does-as Americans intuit-end up making more financial sense than renting."  Joint Center For Housing Studies at Harvard University
4. It's time to move on: The cost of a home is made up by two major factors: the price of a home and the current mortgage rate. It seems as though both are on the rise. Even if they weren't increasing, would you want to wait to buy a home? Think about the reasons you are considering purchasing a home-are you looking for a great family home for your kids to grow up in, do you want to live in a safer area, or do you want to be able to have full control over renovations? If 2015 is your year to buy a home, buying sooner rather than later can mean saving a significant amount of money.

3 Homeowner Tax Breaks You May Overlook

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                                                                          Freedigitalphotos.net By: Stuart Miles

Tax time can be stressful for many homeowners and some deductions may be missed. Here are three deductions that homeowners may be eligible for that often times are not taken advantage of.

• State and local tax breaks for green improvements: Many homeowners invested in improvements in their home which are energy efficient. These improvements range from dual paned windows, tankless water heaters, low flow plumbing appliances, solar panels, insulation, etc. It may be worth it to locate your receipts for these investments and to check with your tax person or your local government to see what deductions you are eligible for.
• Mortgage interest tax deduction: Many people cite the benefits of mortgage tax deductions as an important benefit sought after when buying a home. It is surprising that only 63% of homeowners actually itemize their tax deductions, which is necessary in order to take advantage of mortgage interest tax deductions.  Some may feel that it is too much work to itemize deductions, but with a little effort you may be pleasantly surprised at the result.
• CODI income-tax exemptions: Mortgages that have been defaulted on and forgiven through foreclosures, short sales, deed in lieu of foreclosure, or settlement with partial payment are considered part of the tax payer's income. This type of income is called Cancellation of Debt Income or CODI. If you were a homeowner that closed a short sale or settled a defaulted home loan last year, you may qualify for a tax advantage that is worth checking into.