Excuse My Lisp

So I finally got it. After OIAJ for breakfast, I headed to the dentist for my Invisalign!

They don’t feel too bad.  Really it’s only painful taking them out and putting them in (they have to be taken out for meals/drinks). It’s just a little pressure but it’s definitely going to take some getting used to. I think I’m going to have them for 9 months….. I think the worst part is that I can only drink water with them in so when I want to have a cup of coffee or tea (which is frequent) I would have to take them out.  I have a feeling I’m going to be drinking a lot more water in the next few months………

Afterwards I headed to work and put off lunch for as long as possible as to not have to remove my liners. When I finally gave in I ate the leftover acorn squash. Lucky for me it was soft because they suggested no hard foods.

I was in the mood for pasta for dinner so my mom made penne with salmon and veggies. So good. I topped mine with a little feta.

I also squeezed in a cup of tea before I had to put my liners back in. I want a snack now so bad! But I don’t feel like taking them out again. Who knew Invisalign was also tool to stop snacking.

Instead, here are two recipes I’ve promised. Pumpkin Turkey Chili and Blueberry Pecan Scones. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili (from allrecipes)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 dash salt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

This was the original recipe but my sis-in-law added beans to it (why a chili recipe wouldn’t have beans in the first place is beyond me!).

 

Blueberry-Pecan Scones (from the NY Daily News)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat milk (I used skim)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp grated lemon rind (I used orange)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles course meal.  Gently fold in blueberries and pecans.  Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).  Turn dough out onto floured surface and pat into a 8 inch circle.  Cut dough into 10 wedges and place them on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Brush egg white over dough wedges and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake scones for 18 minutes or until golden.