“HOT OFF THE PRESS” Dry Cleaning News
(248) 543-0340 | www.janetdaviscleaners.com 27607Woodward Ave., Berkley, MI 48072 | 3645 Maple Rd., Bloomfield, MI 48301
NOVEMBER 2018
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
Because families across the nation just spent the last month donning scary costumes, running through haunted corn mazes, and competing for the title of the Best Decorated House, I wanted to spend some time exploring the subject of fear. Everyone knows what it’s like to feel afraid: faster breathing, pounding heartbeat, turning stomach, and racing thoughts. Fear plays an interesting role in people’s lives. Sometimes fear can motivate, and other times, it can be paralyzing — both literally and figuratively. While fear is an involuntary response, the variance in its stimulation is quite interesting. Take arachnophobia for example, or the fear of spiders. According to the American Psychiatric Association, up to 40 percent of phobias are related to bugs. Whether arachnophobia stems from frightening personal encounters, hereditary reasons, or from watching the cheesy 1990 thriller and parody film of the same name, being afraid of spiders is one of those fears that just doesn’t make much sense.
reaction. She said, “Kyle, you just need to get over it.” Her curt response was somewhat jarring initially, but I found that it was exactly what I needed in order to move past that fear. And while it still crosses my mind from time to time, my arms don’t tense up at all anymore. While that fear was paralyzing, my biggest fear to this day plays a far bigger role in my life: the fear of the first day. Perhaps the most frightened I have ever been was the day I went to my first college class. I was still in high school, but I signed up for a college-level economics course at U of M-Dearborn — the only class I would ever take there! I was so nervous for my first day because I had never been on campus before. So I had to print out a map, figure out where to park, find the building, locate the class number, and then hope that none of the real college students could tell I was still in high school. My extreme dread leading up to that day caused me to overprepare, which meant that everything went according to plan. Then when I started school at Michigan State the following year — Go Green! — I walked in feeling far more confident and ready. By taking the time to examine each of these fears, I was able to see just how differently they functioned in my life. Some fears can be genuinely useful, while others just linger and do nothing for you. It’s up to you to figure out which one is which.
arms and hands would tense up. This tension wasn’t the kind associated with the prototypical new-driver fear. It was a result of genuine terror coursing through my veins. For several years, I had no idea why my body responded in this way. Then I started having a recurring dream of being in a car accident. When I told my mom about this dream, she told me that it wasn’t just a dream; it was a memory. Apparently when I was 3 years old, my mom, my brother, and I were in an accident that left our car completely totaled. She said that either my brother or I had asked her for something, so she took her eyes off the road for a split second and accidentally clipped the side of a semitruck. While the car was totaled, all of us were completely fine. To this day, I don’t remember the accident at all. The only part I can remember is that two kind Samaritans let us stay in their motor home and gave us cookies to eat while we waited for the cops. Although I didn’t remember the accident, the involuntary response plagued me every time I passed a truck until I was 20 years old. Then one day, I was driving with my grandma, and she noticed my
“Sometimes fear can motivate, and other times, it can be paralyzing — both literally and figuratively.”
While the creepy crawly things don’t bother me, I’ve had fears that were somewhat similar in nature. When I got my driver’s permit at 15, I noticed that every time I drove past a semitruck, my
–Kyle Matthews 1 (248) 543-0340
The Most Underrated Thanksgiving Foods
4 DISHES YOUR TABLE NEEDS
IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING
We Want to Show Our Appreciation
When you think of Thanksgiving food, the first dishes that pop into your mind are probably turkey, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. They’re a part of nearly every Thanksgiving meal. And while these delicious foods are something you don’t want to skip, there are dishes your table is sorely missing — dishes that don’t get the respect they truly deserve. This Thanksgiving, why not take a look at a few other options? SOUP This is one dish that rarely hits the Thanksgiving table. But try a butternut squash or broccoli cheddar soup and you’ll be surprised just how “at home” it feels among the rest of your spread. It’s perfect to serve ahead of the main course, as the final touches are put on the turkey, or when the green bean casserole needs a few more minutes in the oven. BRUSSELS SPROUTS These tiny greens often get overlooked during Thanksgiving, but with the right accompaniment, they can make for an extremely tasty and nutritious dish. For example, try roasting halved Brussels sprouts with dried cranberries and bacon, drizzled with a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. SAUSAGE Put a creative spin on your traditional Thanksgiving dishes and try using sausage in the stuffing. An Italian sausage, for instance, adds a kick of flavor to any stuffing, homemade or from the box. You can also experiment with other kinds of sausage to find the flavors that best complement your stuffing. Use a sweet sausage when you need something to pair with a stuffing that incorporates apples. CRANBERRY SAUCE This Thanksgiving staple rarely gets the attention it deserves. While it’s easy to buy a can of cranberry sauce, you do your guests a culinary disservice by going this route. Instead, make your own cranberry sauce. There are many recipes online, and all you need are some fresh or frozen cranberries, orange juice, and sugar to make the best cranberry sauce of your life.
So often, people get so caught up in the chaos surrounding the holidays that they forget why they are celebrating in the first place. In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, families brave the busy stores to go shopping for supplies, rid their house of every speck of dust, and spend hours prepping the plump turkey. This hectic schedule causes many people to lose sight of what is truly important this time of year: thankfulness. It seems that the only time people are able to slow down enough to reflect on their lives is when they are seated around the table ready to devour their delicious Thanksgiving dinner. We can all imagine this mouthwatering scenario. Your mom sets the perfectly browned turkey in the middle of the table. It is surrounded by a bowl overflowing with whipped mashed potatoes, a boat of piping hot gravy, sweet potatoes with golden marshmallows sprinkled across the top, and your grandma’s token green bean casserole. You are staring at this array of delectable goodness when your dad says, “Everyone take a turn saying what they are thankful for.” While everyone knows they should practice thankfulness all year round, taking the time to reflect on the blessings that make your life wonderful right before Thanksgiving dinner is a valuable ritual. Here at Janet Davis Cleaners, we want to thank all of our clients for their continued support and loyalty throughout of our years of business. We also want to show our gratitude to the clients who give us reviews and refer us to friends, family, and coworkers. The primary goal of our team members is to ensure that we provide the best customer service we can, and achieving that goal is easy when we have such great clients! So in the spirit of the holiday season, thank you, thank you, thank you!
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We Can Make Older Comforters Feel Like New! PREPARE YOUR GUEST BEDROOM FOR VISITORS
As you gear up for holiday celebrations, you likely have a hundred different thoughts streaming through your mind. “What time should I schedule Thanksgiving dinner? How am I going to prepare the turkey this year? Will anybody eat the cranberry sauce if I make it? Who is bringing the pumpkin pie?” In your haste to take care of these necessary holiday staples, you might be inclined to forget about the smaller details — like preparing your guest room for visitors. As you rid the rest of your house of every speck of dirt to impress your mother-in-law, you might find it easy to forget about the guest room due to its lack of traffic. But even if your guest room is vacant for the vast majority of the year, dust can still build up on your linens and comforter, making it potentially uncomfortable for guests to
down, ultimately rendering the blanket ineffective. Even though guest beds typically aren’t used that often, cleaning these blankets and sheets at least once or twice a year will help maintain their newness and comfort. For a down or synthetic comforter, washing is best. Now you’re probably thinking, “I can do that on my own.” And in theory, yes, you can. But you do need to keep in mind that the comforter needs ample room in your washing machine. Stuffing your comforter in a normal-sized machine may lower the cost, but it won’t be cleaned properly. A large dryer is also important; the comforter needs to be dried quickly to prevent bad odors. If you want help readying your guest- room bedding for visitors, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 248-543-0340.
crawl into when they try to sleep off that scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner.
You can’t see it, but a comforter gets dirtier with each use. It might be uncomfortable to talk about, but on average, each person loses a quarter- to a half-liter of moisture each night in their sleep. When the comforter gets wet, its material swells up. When people rise out of bed in the morning, the moisture evaporates, causing the material to sink back down. Each time this process occurs, the material meant to maintain warmth breaks
SUDOKU
Spicy, CREAMY WEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple, but they’re often the blandest thing on the table. Luckily that’s not the case with this recipe, which features Thai spices and coconut milk.
INGREDIENTS
• 5 pounds sweet potatoes • 1 cup canned coconut milk • 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375 F. On a large sheet pan, bake potatoes until very soft, approximately 75 minutes. 2. Let potatoes cool until they are safe to handle, then peel and mash. 3. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine coconut milk and curry paste. Once mixed, add the mixture, salt, half the sugar, and half the butter to potatoes. 4. 30 minutes before serving, heat oven to 425 F. Spread potatoes in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. 5. Uncover potatoes and dot with remaining butter and sugar. Broil until brown, crusty, and delicious. Serve hot.
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(248) 543-0340 www.janetdaviscleaners.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE
27607Woodward Ave. Berkley, MI 48072
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What Are You Afraid Of?
Thanksgiving Dishes Your Table Is Missing
In the Spirit of Thanksgiving
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Prepare Your Guest Bedroom for Visitors
Spicy, Creamy Sweet Potatoes
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A Historic Veterans Day
A HISTORIC VETERANS DAY Commemorating the 100 th Anniversary of the End of World War I
This year, Veterans Day takes on particular historic significance: Nov. 11, 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War. Countries around the world will commemorate the signing of this peace agreement with moments of silence, centennial ceremonies, and historical exhibits. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day is a celebration of life. It’s a day to honor the power of peace and the living veterans across the globe who have served their countries. This November, take a moment to remember the war that helped shape the international community’s dedication to peace and thank the individuals who served to defend it. THE GREAT WAR By 1914, a world war had been years in the making, but the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by a Serbian nationalist provided the spark that would eventually burn down much of Europe. A chain reaction of land disputes, pre-emptive attacks, and strategic alliances brought over 30 countries into World War I.
The Great War that ravaged Europe resulted in a devastating loss of life, but from those ashes rose a renewed appreciation for the importance of peace and a global effort to ensure its place in the future. THE RESTORATION OF PEACE In 1918, Germany surrendered unconditionally, and the armistice ended the fighting at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, though the war did not officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles the following July. An estimated 16 million soldiers and civilians died in just four years, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in modern history. VETERANS DAY Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first observed on Nov. 11, 1919, to honor the one-year anniversary of the armistice, and it became a U.S. holiday in 1938. Today, Veterans Day celebrates veterans who served their country honorably. The U.K., France, Australia, and Canada also commemorate their veterans in November. If you know a veteran, thank them for their service this month.
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