December 2019
visions of 2020 . . . and beyond!
For all of us at SouthWindsor Smiles, December is a mixture of review and diagnostics as we get ready to greet the end of the year with good cheer, camaraderie, and a reflection on the great memories we’ve made. It’s a big deal for us, and everyone in our office always strives to send the year off with a bang.
dream board, you first take a magazine or newspaper and cut out pictures, words, or anything that will positively help you move forward, both professionally and personally.Then, you place the cutouts on a background of clouds and blue skies to symbolize dreaming. Once everyone has completed their dream board, they present it to everyone else in a meeting.The purpose of this step is to provide a chance to think about how we’re going to turn our dreams into tangible words that will benefit us. It’s an interesting method that gives us the ability to set specific objectives, envision what we want to achieve, and decide why it’s important to reach our goals. We’re putting our words into tangible action rather than merely letting them float into inaction. I’ve always found that brainstorming with my team in this unique way involves everyone creatively and is much more interesting than a simple meeting. In addition to finding ways we can better ourselves, we’re also looking to improve the experiences of our patients. Over the past few months, we’ve been gearing toward the new year with a fresh new look. If you’ve been to the office these past few months, you’ve probably noticed that SouthWindsor Smiles has been going through a bit of a makeover. We’ve put in new flooring, and we’ve added a new coat of paint. I also want to encourage our patients to let us know of any ideas they might have to help our office be better than ever. If you’ve ever been interested in making suggestions to us, we’re always open to positive feedback in order to give great experiences to our patients. Our goal is to provide a great experience for every person who comes to us.
By the time this newsletter comes out, we’ll have just finished up ourThanksgiving luncheon in the office and will be getting ready to throw our annual Christmas dinner, which is filled top to bottom with festivities.To top it off, many of our wonderful patients come in to share goodies with us. We’re always so moved whenever someone shares a batch of homemade treats with us, and for me, it really solidifies that this is a great time for cheer and friendship. Every year, my whole team comes together to plan our annual retreat and decide our goals for the new year.This gives folks a chance to look forward not only to 2020 with wide-open eyes but also to the years beyond. 2021 will mark the 41st year of our practice, and we’re already starting to think about the best way to celebrate. One of the ways I encourage goal setting for the future is to have each member of the team put together what I like to call a “dream board.”To complete a
We hope all of you have a wonderful time enjoying the last of 2019 and preparing for 2020!
–Dr. Kevin Norige
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EVERYTHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THIS HOL IDAY TRADI T ION The Joy of a Gingerbread House
Of the many seasonal traditions that sweep our nation, few are as creative, delicious, and satisfying as building your very own gingerbread house. Whether you’re looking to create a simple table decoration or bake a tasty treat to nibble on, everyone can enjoy this holiday activity! THE ORIGINS OF GINGERBREAD Ginger was first cultivated in ancient China, then traded into medieval Europe.There, Europeans incorporated it into culinary traditions and used it to bake cookies into elaborate shapes and works of art, including figures of animals and people. The gingerbread house first appeared in the early 19th century in Germany. Although historians don’t know an exact date, it’s speculated that it gained popularity around the same time that “Hansel and Gretel,” the popular fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm, was published. THE LARGEST GINGERBREAD HOUSE In 2013, the world record for the largest gingerbread house in the world was broken.The
house, topping out at 21 feet and covering 2,520 square feet, was built byTraditions Golf Club in Bryan,Texas, to raise money for a local Level II trauma center.To construct the house, builders created a recipe that required 1,800 pounds of butter, 2,925 pounds of brown sugar, 7,200 eggs, 7,200 pounds of flour, 1,080 ounces of ground ginger, and a few additional ingredients. BUILDYOUR OWN! While you don’t have to challenge yourself to beat the GuinnessWorld Record, you can still have fun creating your very own gingerbread village. Starting your gingerbread house from scratch can be a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. Give the kids a chance to mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, and set out plenty of candies and frostings to use, and remember to have fun!
If you’re looking for unique gingerbread house ideas, take a look at 20 gingerbread house ideas at TasteofHome.com/collection/gingerbread-houses. Patients P nts Won’t Go Anywhere Else “Not many people can go into a dentist’s office smiling or come out of the office laughing.These people are top-notch, friendly, and make going to the dentist fun! I’ve been seeing Dr. Norige and his staff for years, and I refuse to go anywhere else!”
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A Great Team “I have always been very fussy when it comes to my teeth.Therefore, I think long and hard about who I will let touch them. I was so happy a friend recommended SouthWindsor Smiles. Not only is Dr. Norige a great dentist, but the office crew is also very knowledgeable and friendly.They make a great team!” A Changed Outlook “As a first-time visitor, I was very impressed by the friendliness of the staff and the atmosphere there. Everyone I interfaced with was knowledgeable and professional. Dr. Norige was a delight; he is a very friendly and obviously talented dentist. He made the visit very enjoyable! I highly recommend the ‘Smiles’ team.They will change your outlook on dentist visits!” –Barb K.
–Karen M.
Highly Recommended “Another successful appointment. Would recommend in a heartbeat.”
–RichardV.
Always Good and Always Right “As a super chicken about going to the dentist, I have found that the comfort and caring treatment from Dr. Norige and his office has made a very big change in my dental experience. I recommend his practice to all who need dental care.They are always good and always right. I can’t ask for more.”
–Jeff M.
–Jonathan S.
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The Permanent Fix for Your Dentures Mini Dental Implants The benefits of mini-implants are tremendous.They can improve how people eat, smile, and function with already existing dentures. With mini-implants, people can enjoy food they haven’t had the chance to eat in a long time. Having the ability to bite into an apple again will give you both a satisfying crunch and the amazing nutritional value that comes with it. Mini-implants give the ability to eat well and also build people’s confidence. Many individuals across the country prefer mini-implants because the process is simple compared to other methods. It is a minimally invasive procedure that doesn’t require the patient to undergo surgery or stop taking medications they may take already. By using this technology, our team is focused on helping people who are looking for solutions to help them achieve optimum oral health.
At SouthWindsor Smiles, we have a commitment to ensure our patients’ overall health through dentistry.The mouth is a crucial part of our body’s health, and that’s something we don’t take lightly. As a team, SouthWindsor Smiles is constantly learning, seeking, and utilizing different dental treatment methods that allow us to give our patients the best service they could ever hope for. One such treatment we recently reinvested in is the technology to apply mini dental implants for people looking for a solution to their dental problems. Similar to full-sized dental implants, mini-implants give patients a form of stability in replaced teeth that other methods may not. Dentures, for example, often come loose in the mouth while chewing or talking, even after specialized glue is applied to keep them fixed. A mini-implant will help keep not only dentures in place but also fixed crowns and bridges.
Call SouthWindsor Smiles today for a consultation and learn if mini- implants are the right fit for you.
Gingerbread CRANBERRY
Puzzle Your Brain
i ngred i ents
Inspired by Food &Wine Magazine
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
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2 tsp baking powder
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3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
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1 tsp baking soda
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3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
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1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
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2 large eggs
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1/2 tsp ground cloves
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1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
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1/2 tsp kosher salt
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d i rect i ons
cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until blended. 4. Scrape batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. 5. Transfer to a rack, let cool for 20 minutes, slice, and serve.
1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. Grease a loaf pan with canola oil. 3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1/2 cup canola oil, molasses, brown sugar, eggs, ginger, and cranberries. In a separate bowl, sift and combine flour with baking powder, baking soda,
P ublished by T he newsletter P ro | www .T he N ewsletter P ro . com
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
112 Deming St. SouthWindsor, CT 06074
860-787-5832
Inside
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th i s i ssue
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Greet the Year With a Fresh Coat of Paint
Building Your Own Gingerbread House
Testimonials
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Providing the Best Bite
Cranberry Gingerbread
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How Santa Claus Became Powered by Reindeer
What About Dunder and Blixem?
The Strange History of Santa’s Reindeer
We all know reindeer visit our rooftops every Christmas Eve, but what brings them there? Follow the unique and complicated history of Santa’s reindeer to find out. AVISIT FROMWHO ONWHAT NIGHT? In the 1820s, Clement Clarke Moore penned a holiday poem that became the foundation for a phenomenon still alive today. Commonly known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “A Visit From St. Nicholas” is a beloved story shared by every generation. It is in this poem that reindeer were first credited with powering Santa’s sleigh around the globe. Many popular songs, movies, and plays have preserved Moore’s vision of St. Nick, and his reindeer and their names are no exception. (Well, kind of.) Rudolph wouldn’t join the squad until a department store added him as part of their promotions in the 1930s. WHAT’S IN A NAME? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Cupid were all brought to life by Moore, but have you ever heard of Dunder and Blixem?Though we now know the duo as Donner and Blitzen, Moore originally
named them Dunder and Blixem — the Dutch words for thunder and lightning — but publishing companies wanted names that would rhyme better with the rest of the poem. Still, it was a few decades before Donner and Blitzen made their appearances in the version of the poem we know today. REINDEER BURGERS, ANYONE? Moore’s poem paved the way for Santa’s most famous form of transportation, but it was actually Carl Lomen, an Alaskan businessman, who mass- marketed reindeer as Santa’s companions. In the late 1890s, the Sami natives of Northern Europe, who were longtime reindeer herders, made their passage from Norway to the U.S. with a herd of reindeer to invigorate the Alaskan landscape and help their native neighbors. Lomen saw the reindeer as an opportunity and partnered with the Macy’s department store company to create a promotional Christmas parade in which Santa, led by his reindeer, a sleigh, and Sami herders, were prominently featured. Lomen’s goal was to promote his massive reindeer conglomerate for the production and sale of reindeer meat. Instead, a holiday story was born.
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