Company Meetings:

Following are the dates for the all company safety and informational meetings for 2004.  These meetings are a very important part of keeping you informed of company policies and procedures.  Attendance is mandatory.

• Thursday, 4/22/04

• Thursday, 8/5/04

• Thursday, 10/21/04

All meetings will start at 4:00 p.m.

Photos Wanted

We are in the process of updating our company brochures to coincide with our name change and move into the new office this spring.  We are in need of pictures of job sites, machines or the new shop/office.   If you have any pictures you think may be appropriate for our company brochure, please let Shelly know.  If they are on your computer you can email them or, if they are regular prints, we can scan them and return them to you.  

Thanks! 

Store Clearance! 50% off!

Harley Rides

I was thinking of organizing some Harley rides this summer.   Last year, we organized a ride up to Duluth, but we didn’t have any other events.  I thought a few more might be wanted.

We could schedule a variety of trips;  some being “long day” trips and others “one-evening overnight” type rides. Another idea is to register as a group to some of the “Hog” registered events where you ride to towns, counties, states or provinces of the letters of the alphabet.  Scheduling a ride once a month would be a good start. 

We will be having an informational meeting some time in April.  If you are interested, give me a call in the office.  

Wyatt Gutzke. PE, Project Manager

Toys-For-Tots program

Every year Frattalone is involved in the Toys-For-Tots program at Christmas time.  We would like to express a  special “thanks” to all of the employees who donated toys this past  season.   Toys-For-Tots is a great program, sending presents at Christmas time to children who are less fortunate. 

Recipes that make the grade...

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger, onion and garlic. Add 2 cups juice, paste, oregano, sugar, salt, pepper. Simmer while you combine in large bowl - 2 cups mozzarella, ricotta, spinach, eggs, parmesan & Ramona. Pour meat mixture into large bowl and mix. Stuff uncooked shells, and place in 13x9 inch dish. Pour rest of juice into dish. Top with rest of cheese. Cover. Cook for 1 hour. Remove cover last 10 minutes if desired.

Red Velvet Cake  By: Kim Johnson

• ½ c. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 ½ c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 c. buttermilk or sour milk (to sour milk: use 1 TBSP. White vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup)
• 2 TBSP. Red food coloring
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3 c. Hershey’s cocoa
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 ½ tsp. Baking soda
• 1 TBSP. White vinegar
• Vanilla frosting
• 1 ½ c. mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 13 x 9 inch baking pan,  heart shaped pan or line muffin pan with cupcake liners.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar;  add eggs and vanilla, beating well.  Stir together butter milk and food coloring.  Stir together flour, cocoa and salt;  add alternately to butter mixture with buttermilk mixture, mixing well.  Stir in baking soda and vinegar Pour into prepared pan and bake 25-35 minutes (depending on pan used) or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, frost and sprinkle cake with chocolate chips or as desired.

Health Tip: For the "HEALTH" of it...

1.  Avoid going grocery shopping on an empty stomach, but rather after you are finished with a meal.  You are most likely to buy unhealthy foods out of impulse when you are hungry.

2.  Read the nutrition labels.  Any food that is labeled, “healthy” needs to contain at least 10% of the daily value for one of several important nutrients.  Those foods also need to be low in fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol as well.

3.  Load up on whole-grain breads and cereals, brown rice and dried beans, which are all high in fiber.  Fiber is an essential element in healthy eating.

4.  Remember, the greener the produce is, the better it is for you.  When selecting lettuce, purchase ones that are deepest in color (dark greens and reds).  The dark color means beta-carotene and other carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid, calcium and other nutrients are present.

5.  Don’t forget the frozen produce!  How often do fruits and vegetables spoil in your refrigerator?  Buying frozen produce eliminates waste, and some frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as many or more nutrients as fresh produce!!

6. Make sure to read the labels on TV dinners.  Purchase only frozen dinners that contain less than 10 grams of fat and with the least amount of sodium and cholesterol and carbohydrates.

7.Keep pasta on your grocery list!  Sure, it’s gotten a bad rap for being loaded with carbohydrates, but pasta is also high in protein and contains vitamin B and iron as well.  Whole grain pastas are available also, if you are counting your carbohydrates.

8. If you are planning on purchasing meats, poultry and fish, figure out how much you will need before you shop.  When figuring out portions, here is a good tip to remember – one serving of meat, chicken, or fish should be about the size of your fist.  Restaurant portions are usually 2-3 times the standard!!  And, if you are a member of the “clean plate club”, or were taught not to waste, this could be a problem.  Don’t be shy when eating out… ask for a to-go container. 

Carefully planning out your grocery list before you make a trip to the supermarket will help with portion control and eliminate waste.