Thursday, August 27, 2009

Stew for a Chilly Summer day



Today it is in the 60's in Michigan. Someone mentioned that it was a good day to make chilli, which got me to thinking about what kind of stew or chilli I could concoct. All week long my nice friends have been bringing me veggies from their gardens so I decided to come up with a recipe using the items I had in the house. This recipe was based on a vegetarian squash stew but I customized it to work with the veggies I had on hand. Give it a try!


Turkey Squash Stew
By: Michelle Waling

PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME: 1 Hr 30 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs
SERVINGS 4


INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground turkey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 medium summer squash, peeled and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup chickpeas, cooked or canned
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add turkey and sauté until cooked. Add the cinnamon and chili powder and continue to saute for another 2 minutes. Mix in the garlic and cumin seeds, saute for 2 minutes more before adding lemon juice and the tomatoes. Mix thoroughly so the stew doesn't get too chunky.
Stir the squash, chickpeas and water into the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the stew simmer for 1 hour, or until squash is tender. Stirring occasionally throughout the cooking hour, and add more water if necessary. The finished stew should have a nice, thick stewy texture.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

August at the Ranch

OGA Luxor

Now that August is at an end it is time to get ready for the fall alpaca season. I am busy making a few shawls and jackets. I am also spinning alpaca yarn for a custom order. The resulting sweater should be very pretty. I have so much to do and so little time!

Meanwhile the alpacas, chickens cats and dogs are all enjoying the nice Michigan summer weather.

Strato's Special D'Vincent

Getting out of the heat for a bit!

Roosters Showing Off

And finally the spoiled dogs are hangin out in the house:

Facebook Your Photos - Axel & Mac

Enjoy the last days of summer - it will be winter again before we know it!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Facebook | Your Photos - Taj Mahal, Agra, India

None Of the photos that I took do the Taj Mahal justice. It must be seen in person to fully appreciate it.








Michael, Annelise & I. The temp was well over 100 degrees during our visit.


Mom, Dad & Annelise

To see the rest of our pictures visit my facebook album: