A Pretty Nectarine

nectarine
Some nectarines are almost too pretty to eat. I love nectarines and I’m always so happy when they start showing up in the grocery stores. I read a little of the history of nectarines, and learned that they were domesticated in China more than 4,000 years ago. So glad that they found their way here. They are a very good source of both vitamins A and C. If you would like to learn more about this delicious fruit, Read Here. I have waited long enough, and now I am going to enjoy eating a juicy nectarine.

Easy and Delicious Turkey Chili

chili

pbc

A delicious and easy to prepare turkey chili. This is one of our family favorites and the perfect recipe to double and prepare ahead. It is even tastier on the second night.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 can 16 oz. or approximate, cut up tomatoes with liquid. I give them a quick mix in the blender.
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder (more if desired)
1 can 16 oz. red kidney beans
1/2 cup beef broth

1 cup of finely chopped zucchini can be substituted for celery

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Brown-turkey-for-Chili
Place ground turkey in skillet and sprinkle with salt. Cook over a medium heat until all the meat changes color. Blend with a fork so meat has a crumbled consistency.

Add-celery-and-onion-and-green-pepper-to-ground-turkey
Add onions,celery,and green pepper. Mix well.Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Adding-spices-to-turkey-chili
Add tomatoes and liquid and all seasonings, mixing well. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn heat to low and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
beans
Next add drained kidney beans and beef broth. Gently stir and simmer uncovered over low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with shredded cheese, bread, and a salad for a wonderful meal. Enjoy!

 

 

A Healthy New Year’s Resolution

FullSizeRenderMy New Year’s resolution includes my mountain bike which has been in our garage unused, for a very long time. I can’t even tell you when I last rode it. At one time I competed in sprint triathlons, and enjoyed training six out of seven days a week. Each training session was different. I either swam, ran, or rode my bike, and because of the variety, it was never boring. Six years ago I had a serious bicycle accident, and if I hadn’t  been wearing a helmet, I would not be here now writing this post. So, first of all, if cycling, please wear a helmet. I wasn’t a novice to the world of cycling, but a small dip in the bike trail sent me flying. That was the end of my days as a triathlete. It took months to work up the nerve to get on my bicycle again, and when I did it was on my wide tired mountain bike. No more skinny tires, or racing for me. At the time of my fall, I was in great physical condition, which helped me to heal quickly, but since then I’ve been unable to stay with an exercise routine. I belonged to a very nice gym, but could not drag myself there and on top of everything else, I felt guilty wasting the monthly dues, so I quit, even though I knew how important exercise is for everyone. Those of you who read my blog, know that I have been a motor scooter rider for two years, and now, ride  a can-am Spyder 3-wheeler  motorcycle, but neither gives me any real exercise, and when I pass cyclists going up hill, I feel a little sad about the work- out I’m missing. Recently I was out on my scooter and saw a woman riding her bicycle and I knew then and there that I was going to get my bike out of its corner in the garage. Next, I had to locate my bicycle helmet and other bicycle gear that was stored away. When I found my helmet I was surprised to feel how light it was. I am used to wearing a motorcycle helmet now, and the bicycle helmet felt rather flimsy in comparison, even though my bicycle helmet is sturdy and covers more of the head than most. Here you can see my two helmets, side by side. Continue reading

Delicious Ginger Snaps

Tea and cookies

Ginger snaps were my Nana’s favorite cookies. I must have inherited a love of  ginger from her. They are delicious, and perfect with a cup of tea. I have not made them for several years, but with fall almost here,  I decided it was time to do some baking. The oringinal recipe was from the London Free Press newspaper which is published in London, Ontario, Canada. In a previous post I wrote about Molasses Brown Bread, which was another recipe from the Free Press.

Today I decided to try something new and mixed it in a food processor instead of using the hand mixer. It worked well and was a lot less work. I also made two changes to the original recipe. Instead of all purpose flour, I used whole wheat and instead of 3/4 cup butter/margarine, I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. I believe these two changes make for a slightly healthier recipe, without losing any of the wonderful flavor. Next time I may go for just applesauce and omit the butter all together. I certainly hope you give this recipe a try.

 

1/2 cup butter                                                 3 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup applesauce                                        1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 7/8 cup sugar                                              1 Tbs. powdered ginger

2 large eggs                                                   1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup molasses                                           1/4 tsp. cloves

1 Tbs. vinegar                                                1 cup raisins optional

Measure sugar and butter into food processor bowl. Mix until creamy.

Mix in eggs and applesauce. Add molasses and vinegar. Next add all of the dry

ingredients and mix slowly until combined. Fold in raisins last if used.

Drop dough from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets in one inch mounds.

Bake at 325° F. for 9-10 minutes.Watch carefully, because the molasses tends to make them burn easily around the edges.

After I finished my baking, I just had to sit down with a cup of tea and a cookie. Well, actually two cookies. I just couldn’t help myself. I do hope you will try this recipe for my Nana’s favorite Ginger snaps.