Holiday

A Message from the President

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your Family. I have been working so hard for my share of the business lately that Christmas sort of snuck up on me this year. First, I would like to thank everyone for all their help in keeping Keifer Professional Search on the Map this past 2008. We are working on many very challenging searches for our clients. I am sure that you will be hearing from us again in 2009.

At this time of the Year I am reminded of something that a friend of mine, Coach Parks, has said, “Service to others is the rent we pay for the good life we lead”. I want to encourage you to “Be an Angel” to those less fortunate around us. It doesn’t take much to offer someone a hand up, not necessarily a hand out. In my line of work I get the opportunity to mentor my candidates and sometimes people that can just use a positive word of encouragement. For the past few months I have been meeting a lot of very talented people that for one reason or another are between jobs. My message is “don’t despair, keep smiling, it’s going to get better”. To quote Father Jim, “Never give up!” I also think that someone named Winston Churchill said something like that to inspire an entire generation of people.

I have faith in Silicon Valley and our American Economy. We here in Silicon Valley have been blessed with all the tools to succeed and we have impressed and sometime amazed the world with the creative ideas that come out of here. My fervent hope and wish is that President Obama will use the power of his Office to put the tools of business in our hands. Those will come in the form of money that is easy to work with and regulations that will encourage innovation.

Please feel free to forward to me those people that work in our Industry who are looking for a new opportunity. I continue to search for new opportunities every day. I am a very persistent person. To quote Og Mandino, from his book “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, and this is one of the lessons I have taken to heart. “I will persist, until I Succeed”. I truly believe that is one of the reasons I have been in this business for over 20 years. I have that simple faith that was my Father’s, that ability to hang in there when the chips are down. I just know in my heart that things are going to get better.

Sincerely,
Kevin A.P. Keifer
President

Open Positions

Engineers

Dir of Sales-Nanobiology

Mushroom-Pecan Stuffing

(Note from Cindi-I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it!)

Ingredients

1 pound pecan pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
1 bunch leeks, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1-10 ounce box currants
1-16 ounce bag herb stuffing mix
plus ingredients called for on stuffing mix package

Cooking Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. On a baking sheet bake pecan pieces 6-8 minutes, until toasted and fragrant.
In large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil and butter until hot. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until translucent.
Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes until limp.
In a large bowl stir pecans, mushroom mixture, currants and stuffing mix. Add butter and liquid to mixture according to package directions on the stuffing mix.
Ready to serve, stuff in bird, or transfer to casserole and heat in oven until hot and crisped on top.

Substitution(s)

Use chopped and toasted walnuts or hazelnuts in place of pecans
One, two or three tablespoons may used to replace the same amount of butter
Onions can replace the leeks
Any single type or mixture of fresh mushrooms can be used in place of the white mushrooms
Your favorite dried fruit can be used in place of the currants. If the fruit is large, chop to the size of currant

Nutrition Facts

Servings per Recipe: 12

Amount Per Serving: about ⅔ cup

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ready In: 1 hour

Servings: 12