DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Posts Tagged ‘lettuce’

Spider in the Smoothie

Hello Friends and Happy Tuesday

Now that we are halfway through the first month of 2014, you are either continuing your resolution to get healthy or have ditched it all together and have a freezer full of Talenti Gelato!

talenti gelato

So let’s just say for the sake of argument that you are maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating right, exercising and starting each day with a delicious and nutritious green smoothie.

You have a new Ninja Bullet and have stocked up on your healthy greens, kale and spinach, your fiber, Chia and Flaxseeds and fresh fruits, apples, mangos, berries, kiwi, pineapples and bananas.

fruit

 

One morning, still a little groggy you grab a banana from the bowl and begin to peel it only to notice a small white blotch.  Upon closer inspection you realize that spot is a cocoon, a cocoon filled with baby spiders!   Your first reaction…”what the what?… eeeew… gross…” and then fear takes your breath away!

Spiders on Bananas in the UK The fear that you might have eaten one previously not noticing the white blotch that are now infested with spiders…ok I’ll stop.

No, that couldn’t happen in the US could it?  We have the FDA regulating our imports right…oh, forget about that pesky little government shutdown thingy, that wouldn’t have affected my local produce – right?

Probably not, but unfortunately it did occur in the UK and it was reported by the Huffington Post  (here).  What should you do to ensure the fruits and veggies you are buying to keep healthy won’t make you sick?

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WASH IT BEFORE YOU EAT IT!

 Sounds simple right, but there are a lot of people including my husband who doesn’t wash fruit before he eats it.  Fortunately for him that’s the first thing I do after we unpack the grocery bags.  Sure there are products on the market made specifically for washing fruits but I wonder if they too could leave a contaminant on the fruit.

You could use a spray bottle or submerge the fruit in a mixture of water and white vinegar.  Your best bet is to simply wash them under cold running water using a vegetable brush or rubbing briskly with your hands then blotting them dry with a fresh paper towel.

Radish

I know there’s nothing like biting into a freshly picked apple or peach at the Orchard or a few fresh berries from the field.  Just remember to bring along a bottle of water to rinse them before you eat them, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Lettuce

Do you wash ALL your fresh fruits and veggies before eating them?

Stay Blessed – No Stress in the New Year!

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Friday Foodie Feature – Turkey Tacos

Hello Friends and Happy FRI-YAY!

This week’s Foodie Feature has a few more than 4 ingredients but took less than 40 minutes to prepare.  It was an easy breezy mid-week meal that my men really enjoyed and got me out of the kitchen in record time!

Try it and let me know if you added a twist to make it better.

Ingredients

  • Ground Turkey
  • Ortega Fiesta Flats, Taco Seasoning, Taco Sauce
  • 1 cup Water
  • Diced Onion
  • Diced Tomato
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Sour Cream

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Brown ground turkey, drain liquid then and add 1 cup of water and the Ortega Taco Seasoning Mix.  Heat until thickened, stirring often.

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While ground turkey is cooking, dice tomatoes and onions

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Warm Ortega Fiesta Flats in a preheated oven 350~, for 3-4 minutes

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Fill Fiesta Flats with ingredients

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Enjoy!

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Friday Foodie Feature – Summer Snacks

Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!

My sons are continuing their quest to “eat me out of house and home” and the foods that I featured in the Summer Snacks post are not filling enough!  During a recent shopping trip to Shoprite I came across two items that may keep them satisfied until dinner!

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Philly’s Best Steak Co., Inc. Halal Lamb Sandwich Slices

They can make cheesesteaks, Gyro’s, Stir Fry or I can use them to make Moroccan Lamb Couscous.  These steak sandwiches are also available in Halal Beef and Chicken.

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Perdue Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages

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They can boil, pan fry or throw these sausages on the grill to make a hoagie, a wrap or simply eat them with eggs and grits for breakfast.

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Add a salad with black olives, goat cheese, mixed greens and cucumbers and they should be alright until dinner!

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The search continues for more in-between-meal snacks for my mini-men – any suggestions?

Linking up with Living Better Together – hop on over and join the fun!

Have a fantabulous day!

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Taco Turkey or Chicken Loaf

“Use what you got to make what you want was the inspiration for this mid-week meal.

I usually buy Ground Turkey but this week purchased Perdue Ground Chicken, and using ingredients that I already had on hand I jazzed up an ordinary loaf.

turkey loaf

Ingredients
Ground Turkey/Chicken
Taco Seasoning
Salsa
Egg
Bread Crumbs
Sweet Peppers
Onion

Mixed Ground Chicken, an egg, leftover salsa, Taco Seasoning and bread crumbs to form loaf

turkey loaf unmixed

turkey loaf mixed

Top with slices of onion and peppers (cheddar cheese optional)

Placed in loaf pan and baked for 40 minutes @ 350~

turkey loaf topped

turkey loaf baked

Served with Tortilla Strips and mild pepper rings.

turkey loaf finished

Another easy breezy recipe- leftovers can be used to make a Taco Salad when added to lettuce, tomatoes, Avocado and dressing.

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