1. food and drink
2. desserts and baking

2689 Monument Bl. #F
Concord, CA 94520
925-356-0683
Dave, Mary and Jack
Get ready for winter —
Bring your vehicle in for a courtesy 52 point inspection
5 Lies We Tell Ourselves
The Ultimate How to Miracle Weight Loss System
Page 3
Page 7
The 25¢Football Game
Why Do We Say “Get one’s goat”?
Page 3
Page 7
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Auto-Insights - Keeping you on the road to better living
D&H Enterprises
2689 Monument Bl. #F, Concord, CA 94520
Holiday and Events 2010
Book Blitz Month
Celebration of Life Month
Family Fit Lifestyle Month
Financial Wellness Month
Get Organized Month
International Creativity Month
International Wealth Mentality Month
National Blood Donor Month
1 New Year's Day
3 Fruitcake Toss Day
4 Trivia Day
4 National Thank God It's Monday Day
4-10 Women's Self-Empowerment Week
7 I'm Not Going to Take It Anymore Day
8 National English Toffee Day
7-10 Elvis Presley 75th Birthday Celebration
8-14 Universal Letter Writing Week
10 National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
10 United Nations Day
11 National Clean Off Your Desk Day
15 Get To Know Your Customer Day
17 Customer Service Day
17-23 Hunt for Happiness Week
24-31 Week of Christian Unity
18 Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday
21 National Hugging Day
22 Celebration of Life Day
24 National Compliment Day
25 Better Business Communication Day
29 Freethinker's Day
January
2010
2010: Make This Year Truly
New and Happy
Every January, besides recovering from the holidays, we
settle back into the “normal” routine of life and the beginning of a new year. Renewed and motivated, we set goals,
make resolutions, determined that this year will be better. Some of us write those goals down, some of us simply
think about them. One popular theory has convinced many
of us that if we want something strongly enough, all we
have to do is believe we will get it. All we have to do is visualize it in our minds, feel and act as if we already have it,
and this magic genie will appear to grant your every wish.
Who wouldn’t want to believe this were true? No hard
work, no plan, no long lines. Just pass go, collect $200.00
and believe that every roll of the dice will grant you Board
Walk, Park Place and a Get Out of Jail Free Card.
This is not to discredit positive thinking, the power of
inspiration, a strong desire and absolute belief in yourself
to achieve great things. These attitudes are essential to success.
But so is a specific plan, a focused commitment, unwavering perseverance and hard work.
Passive vs. Active: Active wins.
If it is change we want, we must change. We must have
courage to take risks, for without courage, without risks,
what we have is what we get. And that’s exactly what we’ll
have next year, and the year after that.
It’s your life. You make your own choices, your own success, your own happiness.
Wish all you want, drop your coin in the well, then roll up
your sleeves, get to work and make it happen..
Start the New Year right with a
$10 savings from Jack
valid until 01/31/10
D&H Enterprises 925-356-0683 — www.DandHautorepair.com
Page 2
Awesome Crunchy Catfish
4 catfish filets (6 oz. each)
1 cup cornflakes smashed into crumbs (this is
about 1/2 of a 12 oz. box)
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. buttermilk (you can use regular milk)
Pat fish dry and set aside. In glass pie plate,
combine crumbs, celery salt, onion powder,
paprika, and pepper. In a shallow bowl beat
egg white. Add milk. Dip fillets in egg white
mixture, then dip into crumb mixture, coating
well. Place in greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake
uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes,
or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Makes 4
servings.
Fruits and Vegetables to Buy in Season and
Save Money too!
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•
•
•
•
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Oranges
Grapefruit
Tangerines
Tangelos
Lemons
Papayas
January:
• Cabbages: red, white
and green
• Leeks
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
Overweight is something that just sort of
snacks up on you.
Back by popular demand
The Best Butternut Squash Soup
Five Cooking Secrets
1. Baking powder goes flat, so buy in small
containers and check the expiration date.
2. Fresh broccoli doesn’t smell. If it does—
don’t buy it.
3. When buying acorn, butternut, or any
winter squash, pick the ones with dull skin.
Shiny skins means the squash was most
likely picked green.
4. Do not store chocolate in plastic wrap—it
will give it an unpleasant taste. Wrap it
freezer paper, then foil, and store in a dark,
cool, dry place. (Away from other foods
with strong odors)
5. Store soft cookies and crisp cookies separately, or crisp cookies will soften, too.
2 pounds packaged, pre-cut butternut squash
2 tablespoons peanut oil or butter
1 cup chopped shallots
2 ½ teaspoons chopped garlic
2 thinly sliced carrots
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cumin (smells “odd”
while cooking—but the flavor is awesome!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
2 cups regular Swanson’s chicken stock
1/4 – 1/2 cup heavy cream
In a large pot, heat peanut oil or butter over medium
heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often,
until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the
carrot, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, then
add squash and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes, or until vegetables
are tender. Remove from heat, transfer to a blender or
food processor and puree until smooth. (If you have an
immersion blender, puree in pan.) Return to heat, stir
in the cream and cook 5 more minutes. Reheats well if
you have any left over. (We never do, darn it!)
So simple, and a true taste of culinary heaven.
Enjoy!
D&H Enterprises 925-356-0683 — www.DandHautorepair.com
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
Page 3
There are as many different lies told as there are reasons for telling them. They range from harmless, to kindness, to
manipulative, to just plain mean. But the worst lies, the ones that do the most damage, are the ones we tell ourselves.
Every lie we tell ourselves, every lie we believe, cuts away a piece of who we are and who we can be. We trim away
at ourselves, snipping and clipping, until what I call “The Bonsai Effect” takes over. There is no growth, no joyous
spread of branches, no reaching for the sun. Our roots are restricted, our spirits stifled.
Here are just a few of the liew we tell ourselves:
1. It is easier to avoid problems than to face them.
Procrastinators and non-confrontational personalities fall into this category, hoping
if they ignore or avoid a problem, it will simply go away or resolve itself. The fact is,
in the long run, avoiding problems not only tends to make them worse, it increases
your lack of self-esteem and confidence. Learn to face your problems and fears and
develop a plan to solve them.
2. To get ahead, I must be perfect.
If you measure your sense of self-worth and success by your productivity or your
accomplishments, you will be in a constant struggle. Your need for perfectionism is a
losing battle. No matter how well you do, you will not believe it was “good enough.”
You lose the joy of the journey, and in your heart, no matter how great the accolades,
you will feel like a fraud. Your fear is that people will see the person who you believe
is the “real” you—the fraud. If this is you, it’s time to be realistic about your expectations and standards, stop worrying, and focus on the sheer joy of just “being.” A
parent, your occupation, your hobbies, your relationships. Lighten up, learn to laugh
at yourself, banish the critic and just have a good time.
3. Money will make me happy.
Cont’d on page 6
January Means Football!
Empty Seat
A Denver Broncos fan was enjoying himself at
the game in a packed Mile High Stadium, until
he noticed an empty seat down in front. He went
down and asked the guy next to it if he knew
whose seat it was.
The guy said, "Yes, that's my wife's seat. We have
never missed a game since the Craig Morton
days, but now my wife is dead."
The fan offered his sympathy and said it was
really too bad that he couldn't find some relative
to give the ticket to and enjoy the game together.
"Oh no." the guy said. "They're all at the funeral."
Her First Football Game
A guy took his girlfriend to her first
football game. Afterward he asked her
how she liked the game.
'I liked it, but I couldn't understand why
they were killing each other for 25 cents,'
she said.
'What do you mean?' he asked.
'Well, everyone kept yelling, 'Get the
quarter back!'
D&H Enterprises 925-356-0683 — www.DandHautorepair.com
Page 4
Convenient Appointments
Email Mary at mak300z@aol.com with your email address and be entered into a drawing for a lunch/dinner
certificate to La Tapatia in Concord. We are collecting
your email addresses so we can contact you with service
and appointment reminders via email
And the next time you’re on line, check us out on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/auto.repair.shop#/
pages/DH-Enterprises/211113671501?ref=mf
We are trying to set a goal to reach 200 fans by
2/10/2010!
Vehicle Donations
Don’t forget…….we are your source for tired vehicle
donations. Call Dave and he will arrange your donation for you.
The 12-part series, “Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever”
is available.You can download a copy from our website,
www.DandHautorepair.com
Do Orange Tires Have Appeal?
The Yokohama Tire Corp. has figured out how to use
oranges to make a greener tire. Nearly 20 gallons of
petroleum are used to make a set of tires. By adding
oil extracted from orange peels in with the natural
rubber, Yokohama has cut the amount of petroleum
in its dB Super E-spec tires by 80%. The tire is
produced in an emissions-free plant using peels
discarded by orange juice manufacturers.
The Super-E-spec is about $30 more per tire. Wear
and braking performance is on par with standard
tires. They have a 22 percent lower rolling resistance,
which means improved fuel economy. Currently, the
tire is available for Mini Cooper, Prius, Honda Civic
Hybrid and Insight, and the Nissan Versa.
And for the curious: They don't have a citrus scent
and they aren't orange.
Client Spotlight:
Sara Swafford
We met Sara Swafford of Sky
high Software through our
“BNI”, business networking
affiliation. Watching Sara’s
presentations at BNI made us
realize just how outdated our Web
Site was. We wishfully wanted to
redesign our website but with the
economy slowing we just could not
justify the expense.
Fortunately for us Sara was the
owner of a Ford Explorer that
had been sadly neglected as Sara
struggled to start her business.
Thankfully Sara agreed to “trade
services” and we immediately
began work on her vehicle and
you can see the incredible job she
did for us by checking out www.
dandhautorepair.com.
Sara’s an amazing lady, her
knowledge and talent with website
creation are incredible. Whatever
we want on the site, she makes it
happen.
Thank you Sara for giving us one
of the hottest web sites on the
internet! Check Sara out at www.
skyhighsoftware.com
Source: Automotive News
D&H Enterprises 925-356-0683 — www.DandHautorepair.com
Page 5
A Special Thanks to:
Bill Schaaf of “We The People” for
referring Doug Holmes to D&H.
Dave and Staff
Thank you for all the wonderful
service you have provided for our
jeeps!
Sincerely
Cecelia and Jim Gutierrez
Win A $20 Starbucks Gift Certificate.
Be one of the first 20 callers with the correct answer to the Readers
Quiz and you’ll be entered into our monthly free prize drawing.
Someone has to win. Why not you?
Here’s this month’s question:
Fresh broccoli smells. True or False
Call us at 925-356-0683 with your answer. You just might be our next
lucky winner! Don Hayes was last month’s winner. Don knew the
longest fruitcake toss was 1,420 feet.
Dave and Mary’s Corner...
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” –Edith Lovejoy
Pierce
I love this quote from Edith Lovejoy Pierce. The start of a new year always makes me feel
energized. Dave always looks stunned as I move through the house cleaning out closets
and filling bags for donation. Later I will catch him searching through the donation bags
making sure that I have not given away a shirt that is perhaps 25 years old but is full of
happy memories.
The Holidays were wonderful as always. The family gatherings brought all of us together
for a day full of laughter and reminiscing. Every holiday I say “this was the best Christmas ever”, this year was no exception. Jack managed to behave beautifully Christmas Day.
Derrick and Taunia have two cats, one will hide the entire time we are at their house and the other loves Jack to
pieces and tries to play with him. Although he usually terrorizes any and all cats, this cat is his friend. To see a
dog and a cat touching noses in friendship is incredible.
As I am writing this, we are looking back upon 2009 and thinking of the struggles we went through as the
economy faltered and came to a crashing halt.
"We know that change is rarely a smooth process. It can be intimidating and chaotic. In fact, transition has the
potential to either launch an organization to the next level, or dump it into the deepest pit. That's why wise leaders
look out for change, then manage it, and lead their people through it." -John Maxwell
As the quote above states, change is rarely a smooth process. We made many changes to our business plan as the
year progressed. Dave and I spent many sleepless nights wondering if we could make it through this downturn.
Looking back at 2009 I have to say that conversations with my customers helped me to get through the really
dark times. I realized that I was not alone, that many of you were experiencing the same chaos and transition.
Whenever I felt that life could not be more difficult I would remember a previous conversation with one of you
and knowing that I was not alone helped tremendously. 2010 is here and as the economy (hopefully) grows
stronger let’s remember the lessons we have learned in the past months and build upon them.
In closing,my wishes to all of you for a happy, healthy New Year.
Mary
D&H Enterprises 925-356-0683 — www.DandHautorepair.com
Page. 6
How to Save Time, Money and Your Sanity
H
aving to search through the clutter on your desk for
that important file, report or phone number not only
wastes our time (our most precious commodity) but it’s also
stressful, and in the worst scenario, could cost you an account, a client, or even your job. “I realize my office is messy,”
you say, “but I know where everything is. I have a system.”
The only “system” you have are excuses.
The human brain is designed to like order. We function and
think better when the world around us is neat and tidy. Lost
keys, schedules and cell phones create stress, inconvenience
and once again, sucks away our precious time. Also, a messy
desk sends several messages to the people around you: You’re
a slob; you lack discipline; lazy; complacent and less capable
of performing a task or job efficiently or professionally. Don’t
believe me? Take a picture of your desk and be objective.
Would you hire you? As a reminder, and a motivator, keep
this picture where you can look it.
If you want to “clean up your act,” not to mention your image, here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Clean out old files. Either box up and label or toss them out.
Sort the papers, letters, notes, files, reports, etc. into separate
piles that belong together. Articles, client information, bills,
immediate “to-do,” potential ideas or projects, etc. Keep tossing papers you don’t need. Now sort these piles again into an
order—date, name, importance, area. NOW FILE THEM.
Make a list and buy items you need to help you organize. Additional file cabinets, files, label maker, book shelves, office
supplies, shredder, desktop organizers and Rolodex. Keep a
list of office supplies and as they dwindle, make one trip to
restock.
One last word of advice. Deal with paperwork as it comes in,
in order of importance, and be diligent until neat becomes
habit.
Now take another picture and compare it to the “before.”
Odds are, you won’t recognize your own office!
from “Lies” page 3
Few would argue that being rich is much
better than being poor. External comforts
and material possessions can certainly bring
pleasure. But the pleasure is fleeting, leaving an emptiness that feels as if it can only
be filled by more. Newer, better, bigger.
And still that sense of joy seems to elude
you. Happiness, joy and true satisfaction
is achieved internally, it’s a sense of awareness, a contentment with who you are on the
inside. Kindness, compassion, loving, selfless, giving. Happiness is having the ability to
step outside yourself and feel gratitude and
appreciation for the things money cannot
buy—from a baby’s laugh, the sun on your
face, a roof over your head, a loving spouse,
or a good friend.
4. My problems are not my fault.
Even if this statement is sometimes true,
the underlying response is one of a victim
mentality. The blame game. Finger pointing.
Whatever the situation, it is critical to take
responsibility, if not for the problem, then
for how you react, or don’t react. Accepting
responsibility takes self-awareness, courage and brutal honesty with yourself. If you
truly believe you have no control and cannot
change an unpleasant situation, or your response to that situation, that you have fallen
into the “I feel sorry for myself ” rut. Learn to
take action, face problems, solve them, or at
least change how you react. You will not only
respect yourself, so will others.
There are more lies we tell ourselves: I’m
not young enough, smart enough, attractive
enough, and so on and so on. There’s simply
no room to address them all, though they are
all equally important. Learn to recognize that
inner critic, the one sitting on your shoulder
constantly whispering negatives in your ear.
This critic is your own worst enemy—you.
Know that he is wrong, then smack him off
your shoulder and be your own best friend.
This article was submitted by Barbara McCauley, an
award-winning author whose novels have appeared on
USA Today and Borders Best Seller Lists.
D&H Enterprises 925-356-0683 — www.DandHautorepair.com
The Annual Ultimate How To
Miracle Weight Loss System
We are a culture obsessed
with body image. No
surprise, considering the
overwhelming attention
from a media designed to
emphasize skinny, welltoned beautiful men and
women who “have it all.”
The promise is if you use
their product, you can
be just as skinny, just
as well-toned, and you can have it all, too. You’ll be
happier, have more friends, get that promotion and
all your problems will simply disappear.
When it comes to weight loss, there are two kinds
of people. Those who want to lose weight, because
you believe you will look better and be happier, and
those who need to lose weight (health issues.) Maybe
you’re both. But whatever your reason for shedding
those extra pounds, here are five tips to start you on
the path to a healthier, happier, slimmer you.
• A realistic attitude. Forget the “Lose 20 Pounds
in One Week,” the “Ultimate Secret Formula to
Melt Pounds Away.” Forget the pills, fad diets,
the sucking and tucking. Get your head out of
the clouds and your feet on the ground. You can’t
think or wish away pounds, no matter how much
you want to believe it.
• Portion control. We were taught to clean our
plates, so just train yourself to put less on your
plate. Less food, less calories. When you eat out,
ask for a to-go box when you order and pack half
your meal to take home. Avoid buffets!
• Chew and eat slowly. This really does work.
When we eat fast, we tend to eat more. (The brain
doesn’t have time to receive the message we’re
full.)
• Don’t deprive yourself. Just try and tell yourself
you don’t want that piece of cake or ice cream.
That’s all you’ll think about, until you give in.
Guilt and shame and a sense of futility can set you
back. Allow yourself treats, but smaller portions
and once again, eat slowly and savor.
• Give yourself a makeover. If you’ve been
neglecting yourself because you don’t feel
attractive, it’s time for a little pampering. First,
Page 7
Why Do We Say It?
Bone to Pick
People who are in disagreement over a point can be
compared to two dogs picking on one bone, thus
the expression, “I have a bone to pick with you.”
Get One’s Goat
This expression comes from horse
racing, when a goat would be
placed in a stall with a nervous
horse, who once accustomed to
the goat, would find it comforting.
A rival race horse owner would sometimes steal
the goat, making the horse more nervous and
hopefully lose the race.
G. I.
Where did American Soldiers get the nickname G. I.?
G. I. stands for “Government Issue,” and the
term originally applied to articles issued by
the government. The term has evolved to now
mean practically everything in army life that is
standardized—including the soldiers themselves!
Miracle Weight Loss, cont’d
buy a few articles of clothing that are pretty, slimming
and just make you “feel” good. This goes for men, too
(just substitute handsome for pretty). Learn what looks
best on your body type, and the colors that perk you up.
Men and women, get a stylish, salon haircut. Ladies, a
little makeup can do wonders to make you feel more
attractive. When you feel more attractive, you’ll be
more motivated to stick with a healthier lifestyle.
You might have noticed there is no mention here about
eating healthy or exercise. You’ve already been told,
and told, and told again, about the benefits of fruits and
vegetables and thirty minutes, three days of working out.
You’ve also been told to see a doctor before any changes in
diet or exercise. There’s no point in telling you these things
again. You know what you need to do.
Now do it.
D&H Enterprises 925-356-0683 — www.DandHautorepair.com