October 2020

Spooky Season is Fire Season

It is about that time. The weather is finally cooling off a bit (kind of...), the sun is setting earlier, and we are preparing to set our clocks back. We've officially made it to fall. Crazy how the seasons keep changing and we are still fighting our new "normal". October flew by for me and I can not believe I have been home for about 7 months now. In a blink of an eye it will be Christmas and time to reign in the new year...YIKES. This month, our business has been super busy and we are very grateful for that. We hope you all are enjoying the change of season and the chilly weather that's coming! 

More importantly, fire season has begun early with wild fires blazing in Southern California and earlier this year in Wine Country.  Our Farmers Team is dedicated to make certain you are covered and have the proper knowledge of how your policy will assist when disaster strikes.  Did you know that you will get reimbursed for Additional Living Expenses if you had a mandatory evacuation and needed to go to a hotel or Air B & B ?  Remember our 24 Hour Help Point Line.  800-435-7764.  National statistics regarding the cost of home insurance around our country reveals that California home insurance premiums are to low to keep insurance companies solvent in order to pay claims.  With the 2018, 2019 and now the 2020 wild fires, expect home, umbrella and auto insurances to increase.  

The link below will direct you to the Department of Insurances Rate Filing Increases.  

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0800-rate-filings/

Friends and Family, California home insurance premiums will be as rising to levels like those in Florida for hurricanes as well as Texas and Oklahoma is to tornadoes.  If we do not manage our brush areas,  more wild fires are coming. Insurance is a vehicle used to spread risk over a population in order that the effected population does not take the burden of paying out all the claims.  We offer each of our clients an annual Farmers Friendly Review.  Please call our agency if you would like to review and enhance coverage before your scheduled review.  

Restaurant Review - Pressed Juicery 

A little different take on our segment of the "restaurant review", but with the seasons changing, I always use it as a reminder to reset and reboot my immune and digestive system. I am by no means a hard core juicer, but I do enjoy giving my body a day to reset and restart. I have had digestive issues pretty much my entire life, and have found it helpful to juice every once in awhile. This month I did a 1 day cleanse at Pressed Juicery. They have locations all over the nation and I used to love going into the city of New York after a long day of teaching fitness classes or needing a pick me up in the middle of the day in the craziest city in the world. They don't only offer juices, they also have a yummy take on "froyo" that is made only from fresh fruits, vegetables, and seasonal superfoods. A great take on a healthy treat! 

DIY Pumpkin Pie 

To make pumpkin purée from scratch, cut a medium-small sugar pumpkin in half. Scrape out the insides (reserving the pumpkins seeds to roast) and discard. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or foil. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until a fork can easily pierce them, about an hour to an hour and a half. Remove from oven, let cool, scoop out the pulp.

Alternatively, you can cut the pumpkin into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft (strain before using). If you want the purée to be extra smooth, press the pulp through a food mill or chinois.

Note, this recipe makes a generous amount of filling, enough for one homemade crust or two store-bought frozen crusts.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 cups pumpkin pulp purée from a sugar pumpkin (see Recipe Note) OR 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée (can also use puréed cooked butternut squash)
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream or one 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
• 1 good pie crust, chilled or frozen (see pâte brisée recipe or our no-fail flaky pie crust recipe)

Cut the Carving! 

I know it is such a tradition to carve pumpkins around Halloween, but I personally find no enjoyment in it. It makes a mess, takes forever, and I never seem to carve my pumpkin the way I had envisioned it in my head. If you are anything like me or maybe just want to take a break from pumpkin carving next year, here are five alternative ways you can get your fall pumpkin fix, without the messy hassle: 

1. Paint - Wether you have a stencil, or just get creative on your pumpkin canvas, painting your pumpkin can turn a orange circle into a masterpiece! 

2. Cut and glue - Turn your pumpkin into whatever you choose with a little bit of paper and some scissors. 

3. Stick it on - Using a glue gun or something with adhesive, create your own googlely-eyed monster, maybe some spiders crawling up 

4. Grab some yarn - Wrap it up like a spider web!

5. Porky corn - DIY candy corn madness, find some left over candies and make your pumpkin sweet! 

Fall Flowers 

DIY flower arrangements have been my new go to creative outlet. Super simple, easy, and effortless way to make your home bloom with beauty. Take a trip to your local florist, or Trader Joe's is where I go and pick out a few flowers and garnish! All you have to do is cut and prepare the flowers according to the size of your vase. Take the flowers apart and place in the vase however you see fit! 

Go Dodgers! 

Congrats to all you Los Angeles Dodger fans and Los Angeles Lakers fans. Finally the Dodgers have won the World Series! After 32 years of waiting, the COVID year is theirs for the taking. Personally, I am a huge San Diego Padres fan, but both of my parents were born and raised as LA Dodger fans. It is nice to root for and see a California team win though.  A shout out to the Los Angeles Lakers for taking the NBA Championship back to Los Angeles again.  They did it for the Black Mamba and his dauther.  We hope you have enjoyed watching the exciting series as much as we did and we can not wait to get back to attending in person. Now... what to watch now that baseball is over...? 

As always, we appreciate you reading and engaging with our agency and our family.  Please stay positive and test negative.  If you  have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us.  Have a great Holiday Season and look forward to connecting for out Thanksgiving addition of the Domingo Insurance Agency Family Blog.  

Kindly and respectfully, 

Glenn and Amanda Domingo