This Floor Sure is a Pretty Penny!

Here at Woodchucks Furniture of Jacksonville we are always working to bring you fresh, creative and inspirational design ideas. It's kind of our tradition to do something new and exciting in our showroom each year.  This year we have decided to try a penny floor.

That's right PENNY!! As in, "A penny for your thoughts" or "See a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck" and "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Here's a few interesting facts about pennies
............(you know... just in case you're ever on Jeopardy).

• The average penny has a life span of about 30 years.
• What happens to a penny after that you ask? When the U.S. Mint receives pennies that aren't good enough for circulation anymore, it melts them down and recycles the metal. 
• Throughout history, the penny has been made of various materials, including 100 percent copper, bronze, copper and nickel, steel and zinc-coated copper. 
• Today, pennies are made of 2.5 percent copper and zinc. About 30 million pennies every day, with about 1,040 created every second....that's a lot of pennies!! And, did you know the average American household has $93.75 worth of pennies just laying around. With all those pennies laying around why not try to create your own penny floor. Or, just stop by our showroom and admire ours

Stop by our store to see this beautiful work of labor completed by our awesome team at Woodchuck's Furniture! 

We are located on San Jose,  just north of 295.  Our address is 12575 San Jose Blvd.  Jacksonville, Florida 32223.  





And, if you haven't LIKED us on Facebook...what are you waiting for?!? When we reach 5k fans, we will be drawing one lucky local person for the $5,000 furniture giveaway!

$5,000 now that's a pretty penny ;)

Click here to visit our Facebook page and enter to win!

Woodchuck's is a family owned business that began in Orange Park more than 30 years ago. We started out as a furniture restoration business, a type of background that proves invaluable to this day. We know that quality furniture means much more than just good looks, a fact lost in many stores today. We also know that no matter who the manufacture is or what their warranties may be, it is the retailer that stands behind their product. To that end, Woodchucks carries over 100 vendors, carefully sought out for their quality furniture production. We warehouse the furniture in our on-site facility, and use Woodchucks employees, not subcontractors, to deliver you furniture to you. While we no longer bring new life to antiques, we do bring new life to your home! Let us help you love your home again! Speaking of love...Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Show some love this Valentines's Day with these simple Valentine's Day ideas:

Heart-and-Lollipop Flowers

Show someone you care with this colorful, sweet bouquet of heart flowers!! Attach a heartfelt note to make it even more personal.
1. Use colorful card stock to cut out hearts. Feel free to use a verity of sizes and colors to make it more interesting.
2. Stack hearts; punch a hole 1/4 inch up from bottom. Position petals to form a flower, making sure holes line up. Secure by applying glue around holes; let dry. Write name on a petal. Insert lollipop.
3. Give individually or create an entire lollipop bouquet!!
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Heart-Filled Cupcakes

Bake up a sweet treat by placing hearts inside of cupcakes! It's easier than you think...
Simply use any yellow cake mix you like. Then, split your cake batter into 1/3 colored pink, and 2/3 regular yellow cake. Bake your pink batter first and use a cookie cutter to make your hearts shapes once the cake has cooled. Then, just take your hearts and add them back in to the muffin tin and add the yellow cake batter around it.

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Valentine's Day Coupons

You don't have to spend a fortune to show someone you love them. Sometimes a labor of love mean more than anything. Include things like: dessert before dinner, a day without chores, breakfast in bed or movie night. Here's what you'll need:
8-1/2-x-11-inch white cardstock
Color printer
Scissors, paper cutter, or crafts knife and straight-edge
Hole punch
Ribbon

You asked for it! Recipes from the 2012 Woodchuck's Holiday Workshop.

Cowboy Caviar 

The Woodchuck's Furniture Family always makes delicious treats, and this year was not any different.  Cathy cooked up the Cowboy Caviar and it was one of the many big hits at the 2012 Holiday Workshop.


1.  15-oz can Bush's black beans; rinsed &     drained
2.    4-oz can ripe olives; chopped
3.    1/4 cup white onion; finely chopped & rinsed
4.    1 clove garlic; finely chopped
5.    2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
6.    2 tablespoons lime juice; fresh squeezed
7.    1/4 teaspoon salt
8.    1/4 teaspoon red pepper; crushed
9.    1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
10.  1/8 teaspoon pepper
11.    8 oz cream cheese; softened
12.   2 large eggs; hard cooked, peeled & chopped
13.   1 green onion; with top, sliced

Make it:

Mix the first ten ingredients together. It is better if you give yourself time to marinate for a few hours or over night. Yet, it is still tasty if serving right away.

Smear the cream cheese on the bottom of a serving dish in an even layer.
Arrange avocado slices over the cream cheese, make an even layer.
Spoon bean mixture on top. Garnish with parsley or sliced green onions or anything green that will make it look pretty. Serve chilled with tortilla chips.

Variations that we found:  

Add a touch of sugar (no more than a teaspoon).
or
Add a couple of diced peppers for spice. Omit the oil & add extra lime juice. Or use half the amount of oil.  Omit the avocado and it will keep longer.  You'll miss this flavor.. you could always add later!
or
Add in some chopped red pepper, and used parsley instead of cilantro.

Candy Cane Cookies

Ann provided very scrumptious Candy Cane cookies.  Yum!

1.    1/2 cup shortening

2.    1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

3.    1 cup powdered sugar

4.    1 egg slightly beaten

5.    1 tsp almond extract

6.    1 tsp vanilla extract

7.    2-1/2  cups all-purpose flour

8.    1 tsp salt

9.    1/2  tsp red food coloring
10.  1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy
11.  1/3 cup sugar

Make it:

Cream shortening & butter in a large bowl until fluffy; add next 6 ingredients and mix well.  Divide dough in half; add food coloring to one portion, mixing well.  

On lightly floured surface, roll a teaspoon full of each dough (plain and colored) into a 4 1/2 inch long rope.  Place ropes side by side, and carefully twist together; curve one end down to resemble a cane.  

Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet, bake at 375 for 9 minutes or just until edges begin to brown.  Combine candy and sugar, mixing well.  Remove cookies from cookie sheet while warm; immediately coat with candy mixture.  

Sausage Cheese-balls 

Below is the bisquick gluten free recipe

Thank you to Tara and Lauren for the delicious Sausage Cheese-balls.  We loved, loved loved these!  

Recipe Attributes to Betty Crocker.  Click on this blue link to find more gluten free recipes on their website :) 

1. 3/4 cup Bisquick® Gluten Free mix
2. 4 oz bulk pork sausage
3. 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese   (6 ounces)
4. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6. 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
7. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8. 1/2 cup milk
9. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Make it:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray.

1. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except barbecue sauce. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place in pan.
2. Bake uncovered 22 to 26 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.

Have you liked us on Facebook?  What are you waiting for.... www.facebook.com/woodchucks.  

Friends, whether it's here or there, we want to hear from you, our customers.  Please let us know what we're doing right and where you'd like to see improvements.  It can be from hearing more about decorating or what specific specials you would love to see more of in our store.  

Happy Fall! :)