Clouds, Rain, snow, leftover turkey recipe/dessert recipes.

Good morning Augusta

This morning we have downright crappy weather.  It’s Rainy with a high of 41 ºF. Winds from the E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. 

Tonight the rain will end this evening then become foggy. Low 36 ºF. Winds will be from the NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

The readings from my weather instruments in the North field are:

Humidity is 89%, the dew point is 24ºF, outside it’s -2.2ºC and 28.3ºF.

The wind direction is North Northeast between 0.7 MPH and  1.3 MPH, generating a wind chill of 28.3ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 30.29 / HPA 1025.7 and falling with a weather graphic indicating rain.

The UV rating is 0.0 out of 16, Sunrise is at 6:53 a.m. Sunset is 4:01 P.M. Moon rise is at 6:37 a.m., Moon set is 4:37 p.m. and tonight we have a NEW MOON.  

The RAW METAR reading from the airport in Augusta, Maine where the sun first touches the U.S.A. every morning is: AR METAR KAUG 291153Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR M03/M04 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP247 T10281044 11022 21044 5200

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers with some nasty looking cloud cover.

We received 0.0 inches of rain here over the past 24 hours, but that’s about to change.

Here is another recipe for leftover turkey.  Yes, there is a dessert recipe too.

How about some delicious TURKEY CHILI! Yum!

2 lbs ground turkey (4 cups of leftover strips)

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced (1/2 tsp of minced garlic = 1 clove of garlic)

1 16-ounce can tomatoes, whole, and undrained

1 8-ounce tomato sauce

2 cup chicken stock, homemade

2 tbsp chili powder or more to taste

1 tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

2 apples, green, peeled, and chopped

1 16 ounce can, drained pinto beans or red beans

 

This is an easy very tasty dish, and turkey is much lower in fat than beef or pork.  You can use strips of leftover turkey instead of uncooked ground turkey, about 4 cups, and add it to the bean for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.  To use dried beans, cover 1 cup of beans with water and simmer for 1 hour or until tender; they will yield 2 cups cooked.

 

1.                  Combine all ingredients except apples and beans in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and summer for 30 minutes.  Stir frequently to break up the turkey and tomatoes.

2.                  Add apples and simmer covered for another 20 minutes.  Add beans and cook 10 minutes longer.

Calories:  263; total fat:  2 gm; Saturated fat:  0 gm; cholesterol:  70 mg; sodium 526 mg; total carbohydrates:  25 gm; fiber:  16 gm; protein:  26 gm

 

And for dessert:

CANDY CANE BAR COOKIES

Preheat oven to 350F, rack in the middle position.

1 cup butter  (I use butter, margarine, Smart Balance, whatever I have; anyone who can tell the

difference in this cookie doesn’t belong in my kitchen!)

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ tsp peppermint extract

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup finely crushed miniature candy canes (measure after crushing)

6 drops red food coloring

2 cups flour (not sifted – pack it down when you measure it)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (Hold these out for later use as noted below)

 

(Note: I’m a big fan of dark chocolate, so I use Ghiradelli 60% cacao double chocolate chips)

 

Melt the butter in a microware-safe bowl for 1 minute 30 seconds on HIGH.  Set it on the counter to cool.

 

Place the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg, and beat it until it’s a uniform color (you can do this by hand, but why would you?).

Add the peppermint extract, salt, and finely crushed candy canes.  Mix it all up.

Add the 6 drops of red food coloring.  Mix it in thoroughly.

Feel the bowl with the butter.  If you can cup your hands around it comfortably, you can add it to your mixing bowl now.  Mix it in slowly at low speed or it will slosh.  If it’s still too warm to add, wait until it’s cooler and then do it.

Add the flour in half-cup increments, beating after each addition. 

Take the bowl from the mixer and stir in one cup chocolate chips by hand.

Spread the batter evenly into a greased 9-inch by 13-inch pan.  Bake it at 350F for 25 minutes or until it feels firm on the top.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle it with the remaining two cups of chocolate chips.  Immediately cover the pan with a piece of heavy-duty foil (or whatever I have) or a cookie sheet.  Let it sit for three minutes.  Then take off the cookie sheet or foil, and spread out the melted chops like frosting with a rubber spatula or frosting knife.  (Note: because I use chips that are larger than the usual semisweet chip, I let it sit a little longer to melt.)

Cool completely and then cut into brownie-sized pieces.