Beyond the Sign

A DV E RT I S I N G S U P P L E M E N T

Susan Wiesner

Edge Home Finance Corporation

susan.wiesner@edgehomefinance.com Phone: 612.242.1351 edgehomefinance.com/team-member/susan-wiesner/

After years of vacationing to Pinehurst, Susan Wiesner moved to Moore County with her family in December of 2017 from Minneapolis. Now that she’s a resident of Pinewild with her two daughters Georgie and Vivian, the former vacation destination has become her forever home.

Since moving to Moore County, Susan has become one of the top mortgage experts in the area. In January, she left retail lending to become an independent mortgage broker with Edge Home Finance. Her new office in Southern Pines offers the advantage of access to more than 50 wholesale lenders through one loan application. As an independent mortgage broker, Susan will shop for the best loan product and rate for her customers.

Before beginning her mortgage career, Susan was a private chef, travelling to remote locations such as Elfin Cove, Alaska, Santa Rosa Island, California and aboard dive boats in the Caribbean. Her experiences interacting with customers from all parts of the globe provide her with a unique perspective on customer service. She is proud of her background, having grown up in both Venezuela and Minnesota, and was raised speaking Spanish while living abroad. Calling two places home while growing up gives her a deeper understanding of the moving process when working with her clients.

The constant theme of customer reviews for Susan is communication—she listens before she speaks, and then provides her customers with the education and resources they need to make informed decisions together. Communication and honesty make the mortgage experience feel like a partnership and not a transaction when working with Susan.

In 2019 Susan purchased 305 Trackside in downtown Southern Pines. The historic event venue was once the freight depot for the railway that runs through the heart of Southern Pines. It is now a popular destination for weddings, corporate events and anniversary and retirement parties. Susan also hosts client appreciation events at the location on First Fridays and during the Annual Southern Pines Christmas Parade.

Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean and was developed from cabbage in southern Italy by the Etruscans, the dominant civilization in Italy before the Romans. The Etruscans were sailors and traders, and so broccoli spread to the Phoenicians, Greeks and many other ancient civilizations. The Romans would often boil broccoli with spices, onion, wine and oil. They also believed eating broccoli raw before drinking alcohol would help with hangovers.

The word is derived from the Italian broccolo, meaning the flower of a cabbage and the Latin brachium, meaning branch or arm. The

Better with Broccoli English were introduced to broccoli in the 18th century and for decades referred to it as “Italian asparagus.” Although it’s believed Thomas Jefferson experimented with broccoli seeds in the 18th century, broccoli did not become popular in the U.S. until Italian immigrants brought it across the Atlantic in the early 20th century. In 1922, two immigrants from Italy planted the first broccoli crop in the U.S. in California near San Jose. Wonderfully diverse for cooking and exceptionally healthy, broccoli has since become a staple in most American households.

Best Roasted Broccoli of Your Life

errenskitchen.com / Serves 6

Ingredients

4 pounds broccoli 4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced Olive oil 1½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets.

Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan. Serve hot.

Broccoli Gratin

foodnetwork.com / Serves 4–6

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds broccoli (about 4 heads), cut into small florets (about 8 cups) 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar (about 4 ounces) 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking dish or an 8-cup gratin dish.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the white sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan and set up a collapsible steamer on top. Put the broccoli in the steamer and season with salt. Cover, and steam until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Put the broccoli in the prepared dish, sprinkle with half of the cheese and pour on the sauce. Cover with the remaining cheese.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Cover the gratin with the bread crumbs. Bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

thepioneerwoman.com / Serves 10

Ingredients

1 whole onion, diced 1 stick butter 1/3 cup flour 4 cups whole milk 2 cups. half-and-half 4 heads broccoli cut into florets 1 pinch nutmeg 3 cups grated cheese (mild cheddar, sharp cheddar or jack) Small dash of salt (more if needed) Freshly ground black pepper 2 cups chicken broth, if needed for thinning

Directions

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in milk and half-and-half. Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.

Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree it in a blender, return it to the heat and allow to heat up. Splash in chicken broth if needed for thinning).

One-pot Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

The Little Kitchen / Serves 5

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta, uncooked 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 cups water 1 head broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-sized florets 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

Add pasta, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and water to a large skillet. Bring the pan to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta, stirring constantly, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add broccoli and butter and cook, stirring constantly for another 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and mix thoroughly. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with more cheese if desired. PL