SPOTLIGHT
PAST: GOLDEN ERA OF J&R HERRA
In honor of Veterans Day on November 11th, we would like to celebrate our local veteran and company founder, John (Jack) Herra. Jack enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp on April 29, 1954, and served in Okinawa, Japan. His patriotism followed him beyond his honorable discharge. Jack continued as a proud member of Elburn’s American Legion Post 630, until his passing in 2009. We are honored to proclaim that for over 35 years, J&R Herra was a veteran owned and operated company. Jack laid many cornerstones in his legacy for J&R Herra. A civic commitment to serving community and country was one we still hold dear. The next time you are driving downtown Elburn, IL…please pause and acknowledge the banners waving along Route 47 that pay tribute to the local veterans from our town. Along with Jack, these local men and women should be honored for their unwavering patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for our common good. Thank you for your service and reminding us of our freedoms. God bless America.
PRESENT: MEET KURT L.
It is a sincere pleasure chatting with homeowners after our resident carpenter, Kurt, completes a project. Regardless of the job (residential and commerical, alike) people rant and rave about Kurt’s dedication to detail, creative vision, possitive problem solving, and thoughtful disposition. Kurt has a way of transforming spaces. We like to say he even has the knack of making “builder grade, look custom-made.” When Kurt isn’t working on kitchens, bathrooms, basements and laundry rooms… you can often catch him cheering on his kiddos. From basketball courts to hockey rinks, Kurt is always in the stands endlessly supporting his family. Outside of athletics, Kurt’s heart is in northern Minnesota. His family adores the quiet calm and thrilling excitement of MN lake life. Fishing, boating, water sports, family bonding, and laughter are Kurt’s lifeline. You can always tell when he has come back from a trip up north, revived and spirited. We adore having Kurt on our team. He is truly the personification of smalltown charm, integrity, and trustworthiness.
FUTURE: OVERTIME WITH OWEN
Anyone who knows me, knows that I have always enjoyed participating in sports. I have learned a lot about myself through athletics. However, I wanted to take a moment in this month’s newsletter to celebrate another organization that I have been a part of since elementary school. I am proud to say that I am starting my fifth year of 4-H. (Quick shout out to Maple Park’s Lucky Maples!!!) Despite the farm fields that surround us, I am always surprised by how many people know nothing about the 4-H program. Especially considering it’s been around since the early 1900s. The U.S. Department of Agriculture started 4-H as a youth development program aiming to promote and facilitate learning through hands-on exploration and community involvement. The four H’s stand for head, heart, hands, and health. In addition to independently learning new skills, I have also gained public speaking experience, club leadership understanding, attended countless community service events, and been introduced to Ag-centered college/career opportunities for the next chapter of my life. You do not need a farm or animals to be a participant in 4-H. That is a common misunderstanding. There are even 4-H clubs in the middle of Chicago! What I appreciate most, is the flexibility. My sports’ schedules can get pretty hectic, but I have still been able to plug into 4-H whenever time allows. What’s cool is that I am not the only one with this problem. We are all a busy group of kids, with lots of other activities and stuff going on. At any rate, it’s a really good group and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. Honestly, check it out for your families. You won’t be disappointed.
GOOD TO KNOW
LAUNDRY ROOM RENO
Is your laundry room bringing you joy? If not, J&R Herra is here to help relieve those laundry woes. Homeowners are often fatigued by the location of their washer and dryer. Nagging trips to the basement, piling clothes within the main living area, or hard to reach dryer vents are just a few of the issues we have recently rectified for our customers. The good news is that you do not need to be “stuck” with your current laundry situation. From simply adding a laundry chute to relocating your facilities to a more convenient space in your home, J&R Herra will gladly bring a sense of calm to this otherwise worrying household problem. Check out the testimonial in this month’s newsletter to see how our plumbers and general contracting team moved a hard-to-reach washer and dryer for Jill and her husband. They no longer wanted to carry laundry baskets up and down flights of stairs. As with many of us, the majority of their laundering needs (clothes, towels, and linens) centered around their upstairs bedroom/bathroom living spaces. By tapping into existing plumbing and using a stackable unit, a laundry closet was easily added to their primary bedroom. We would be happy to evaluate your current layout if you would also like to make this household chore more manageable, practical, and even enjoyable for you and your household.
DIYlicious DESIGN
CUSTOMIZE. CREATE. INSPIRE.
Molly is a HUGE crafter and DIY project seeker in our house. Look what she recently found on Pinterest for our fall home décor! Thank you DIY Candy for the images and idea. The Herra family will be using these pumpkin books as our Thanksgiving tablescape centerpiece. Check out Amy Anderson’s project guidelines below! If you are a visual learner, like us, here is a link to a video tutorial for this fall fun!
BOOK PAGE PUMPKIN
PROJECT TIME: ABOUT 2 HOURS
COST: $2
SUPPLIES:
- PEN OR PENCIL, SCISSORS, HOT GLUE GUN AND GLUE STICKS, & RULER
- BOOK – ONE PER PUMPKIN
- SHEET OF PAPER FOR A TEMPLATE
- FELT – A FEW FALL COLORS
- TWIG(S)
- TWINE
INSTRUCTIONS:
- YOU’LL NEED A BOOK WITH STRONG BINDING FOR THIS PROJECT. IT SHOULD BE EASY TO BEND AROUND A TWIG (WHICH WILL ACT AS A STEM).
- REMOVE THE BOOK COVER FROM THE BOOK BY HOLDING ALL THE PAGES TOGETHER AND RIPPING THE COVER OFF. YOU CAN USE SCISSORS OR A CRAFT KNIFE TO HELP YOU ON THE EDGES. BE CAREFUL!
- IF THERE ARE ANY THICKER LINER PAGES IN YOUR BOOK, REMOVE THOSE.
- FOLD THE PIECE OF PAPER IN HALF. DRAW A HALF PUMPKIN SHAPE TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY, USING THE FOLD AS THE CENTER. CUT OUT WITH SCISSORS. UNFOLD AND MAKE SURE IT LOOKS SOMEWHAT LIKE A PUMPKIN, AND THEN FOLD BACK IN HALF.
- PLACE THE BOOK PAGES DOWN ON YOUR WORK SURFACE, AND PUT THE TEMPLATE DOWN WITH THE FOLD ON THE BINDING. TRACE WITH THE PEN.
- REMOVE THE TEMPLATE AND GRAB 5 – 10 PAGES AT A TIME. CUT AROUND THEM WITH THE SCISSORS AND REMOVE THE SCRAPS.
- USING THE PAGES YOU JUST CUT AS A TEMPLATE, DRAW ANOTHER LINE ON THE PAGE BELOW. GRAB 5 – 10 MORE PAGES AND CUT AGAIN. REPEAT THIS STEP UNTIL ALL PAGES ARE CUT (THIS IS THE MOST TIME CONSUMING PART).
- USE A RULER TO MEASURE A TWIG THAT IS ABOUT 4 TO 5 INCHES TALLER THAN YOUR PUMPKIN. PLACE THE CUT BOOK OPEN WITH THE BINDING FACING YOU ON THE WORK SURFACE. ADD A LINE OF HOT GLUE AND PLACE THE TWIG DOWN, FLUSH TO THE BOTTOM.
- ADD HOT GLUE TO THE BINDING AND THE TWIG, AND BRING THE BOOK PAGES FORWARD, WRAPPING THE BINDING AROUND THE TWIG TO SECURE.
- BRING THE END PAGES AROUND AND HOT GLUE THEM TOGETHER.
- STAND YOUR PUMPKIN UP AND START FLUFFING. HOT GLUE ANY ADDITIONAL PAGES TOGETHER DEPENDING ON HOW THEY NATURALLY SEPARATE. YOU MIGHT NOT NEED TO DO ANY GLUING.
- MAKE A TEMPLATE WITH YOUR SCRAP PAPER. USE IT TO CUT OUT A FEW STEM OR LEAF PIECES FROM THE FELT. I DID TWO, ONE SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE OTHER.
- MAKE A SLIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FELT PIECES WITH SCISSORS.
- SLIDE THE FELT PIECES DOWN ONTO THE STEM TO SECURE.
- TIE THE TWINE AROUND THE PUMPKIN STEM TO FINISH. TRIM WITH SCISSORS.
RECIPE
If you are like me, it’s easy to be intrigued by the unique squash assortment at the local farmers market or produce section at the grocery store. Take my advice, STOP WALKING PAST THE ACORN SQUASH! We tried this Cherished Bliss recipe years ago, and it has been a fall staple in the Herra home. These Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash are colorful, nutritious and bounding with flavor. Thank you Ashley, for this tasty addition to our autumn kitchen. Photo & Recipe Credit: Cherished Bliss
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 3 Acorn Squash, halved
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 lb. Ground Sausage
- 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Large Celery Stalks, finely chopped
- 2 Apples, diced
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a sharp knife cut off each end of the acorn squash removing as little as possible, then cut in half.
- Spoon out seeds.
- Brush olive oil inside and on top of squash.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over squash.
- Bake for 40-60 minutes, depending on size of your squash, until tender and you can pierce with a fork, but still holding its shape.
- While the squash is baking, begin sautéing the sausage for about 5 minutes, drain and pat dry with a paper towel to remove as much grease as possible, but don’t discard grease in the pan.
- Using the grease from the sausage add your onions and celery to the pan and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown. (add olive oil if necessary)
- Add apples and sauté for another 2 minutes or until softened.
- Stir in sage and bread crumbs.
- Add 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and stir until cheese begins to melt. Set aside.
- Once squash has finished baking and reached desired tenderness spoon in meat mixture until the squash is filled.
- Return to the oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes depending on size of squash.
- Remove from oven and top with remaining parmesan cheese.
TESTIMONIAL
Thank you, Jill, for giving us the opportunity to reinvent your space. We sincerely hope your updated bathroom and new-and-improved laundry closet are better than what you envisioned. You and your husband were delightful to work alongside. Our entire team could not stop chatting about what a pleasure it was to work on your project. Here’s to fancy showers and the unexpected treat of doing laundry right in your bedroom!!!
“We are so impressed by the quality, care and adherence to timeline that J&R Herra performed during our rehab. The technicians and general contractor were meticulous, clean and so polite. What could have been a massive inconvenience, was a pleasure. So grateful to them for their beautiful work.”
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Philanthropy is a cornerstone of J&R Herra. We work tirelessly to support the community that supports us. In addition to the sponsorships and seasonal donations, 10% of all Herra Home Shield profits are donated back into our community. Thanks to you, this month we were able to sponsor the 44th annual NM Golf Classic and help raise money for the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center. We actively participated in the St. Charles Scarecrow Fest and sponsored/participated in the festive Rising Lights Project Trunk or Treat event. Finally, in honor of our Vets this month, J&R Herra sponsored the up-and-coming Wreaths Across America program for our local Elburn cemeteries as well as helped our Kaneland High School students by sponsoring their local Field of Flags mission for Disabled American Veterans! We couldn’t be prouder of our local community and all of the love and support we share for one another.
