Between January 7th and February 18th, my family celebrates 14 birthdays. You read that right, 14 BIRTHDAYS. Within that window of time, two of my best friends revel in the anniversary of their births as well. This adds up to a lot of birthday cake and other first-world problems.
So while in a sugar coma, I pondered all the problems that come along with so much celebrating.
First, I had to clean my house because people might recognize that we live here between birthday parties.
Second, I was forced to shop for gifts to bestow upon the birthday boys and girls within days of another fairly large holiday (Darn Christmas!).
Third, the NOISE. Sleepovers, trampoline parks, an excited dog, and a basement full of party-goers produced a lot of noise.
Will someone please make their birthday wish for tranquility?
Despite my tragic first-world fiascos, I want to just say that I am grateful for a home to share with others and all the laundry, dishes, food, papers, books, toys, and electronic cords that pile up.
I am exceptionally thankful for the humans who drag all the laundry, dishes, food, papers, books, toys, and electronic cords through my home. They provide purpose and subjects to smother with love and attention.
The Winner of the “Which Jalapeño Recipe Should Melanie Make” Survey is…
BACON-WRAPPED JALAPENOS!
Thanks so much to everyone who read “More Than One Way to Slice a Jalapeño” and voted for the recipe they would like to see most! (Rachel, get your camera crew gear on, we are going to make a video!)
My family is very excited about the winner because it is one of their favorites, and they will benefit from all the jalapeño goodness that comes from cooking them.
The survey also asked what topics readers would like to have more of in 2025. Here are the results.
It looks like we are going to put our Intentergy into battling stress and anxiety as a priority and make some good, faith-filled food along the way. Thanks so much to everyone who gave their input!
Comments are always welcome, and some folks were kind enough to add a few to the survey.
As far as all of my writing being wonderful, I appreciate your bias, but I’m going to keep trying to get better. Friendship and its importance are definitely worthy topics for future posts. As for the jalapeño jelly recipe, we might be able to work something out while the bacon-wrapped alapeños are grilling.
Intentergy is energy with positive purpose. Writing for this blog has buoyed me through some not-so-positive times and having people who are willing to read and seek out the Intertergy in their own lives makes the world a better place. Thank you!
I’m excited to get the winning recipe out there for others to try and eager to publish more posts spreading Intentergy. Here’s to spicy, happy eating, and joyful, inspired reading!
By: Melanie A. Peters
P.S. Always feel free to comment… even if your Jalapeño recipe choice didn’t win.
What do you do when your buddy Timmy gives you four 5-gallon buckets of jalapeños? You get creative with jalapeño.
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Hubby took Timmy up on the offer to pick some peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and squash from his massive garden late this past summer. I was excited about the fresh produce and eager to give at least one new recipe a try. Little did I know I would soon be up to my eyeballs in stems, seeds, and researching ways to preserve the plentiful peppers.
Each day I spent 2 hours slicing and seeding peppers by hand for the first two or three days. These carefully crafted slices went into pickled jalapeños. Of course, I wore gloves to protect my skin from the spicy juices but my hands and wrists started to get a little worn out by Day 3. I pulled out my little Pampered Chef food processor and started blending away at the buckets of peppers, but didn’t make much headway because of the blender’s small capacity. Plus, I had moved on to trying a second new recipe. This time I was attempting to make jalapeño relish, and we weren’t too sure if we would like it or use it much. (*We did like it. ** We used it a lot.)
Hubby asked why I didn’t have a bigger blender. I told him because Santa hadn’t brought it yet. Well, Santa came in August with a fancyshmancy, BIG blender. It was going to be perfect for peppers, zucchini, slaw, all the things…. but it was really BIG. The jalapenos were plentiful but petite. This is when we really had to shake things up with how we sliced our peppers.
We all know about the proverbial plates in our lives. Plates that are always full of responsibilities, expectations, and commitments. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I guess our proverbial and physical plates are about to be or have been overflowing with good stuff, stressful stuff, and stuff we really don’t need.
This morning was jam-packed with rushing to try to make all my plans fit into a time frame that probably wasn’t feasible. The harder I tried and the faster I rushed, the fuller I felt with frustration.
I heard a voice ask what I was “so darn upset about.”(It may have sounded like my husband.) I wasn’t sure why I had tears in my eyes and a burning at the back of my throat that only happens when I cry. I guess it felt like crying would take away some of what was weighing on me. But crying wasn’t going to help anything, and it sure wasn’t going to clear my proverbial plate from all my commitments.
Do you include your appliances in your fancifulness?
At dinner one night, my children and husband were making light of the fact that I was drinking a glass of red wine with my steak. They continued teasing me about my “fancy” wine glass and my love for planning, preparing, and documenting good meals. (I’m not really very fancy, but I guess they have to have something to tease me about.)
As the ribbing continued about my fanciful ways, my son said, “Just look at your refrigerator.”
We all stopped.
What did the fridge have to do with me being “fancy”?
As I made my way through the recipe box, I wanted to share a variety of recipes that would appeal to diverse tastes and cooking abilities. These last 10 recipes range from appetizers to Thanksgiving centerpieces, but all are dishes that showcase turkey and its versatility.
21st Way: Turkey and Vegetable Tetrazzini
Turkey and Vegetable Tetrazzini
Ingredients: 16 oz. linguine pasta, 2 Tblsp vegetable oil, 1 lb. turkey breast cut into 1″ pieces or shredded, 2 cups broccoli chopped, 2 cups carrots sliced, 2 cups mushrooms sliced, 2/3 cup milk, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Cook linguine according to directions on package.
Heat oil and cook turkey until done.
Set turkey to side. Add broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms to pan and cook on medium for 3-5 minutes.
Add milk, cream of chicken soup, parmesan cheese, and turkey. Cook until heated through.
Stir in cooked linguine and cook till hot.
***Left-over baked turkey works great in this recipe.
22nd Way: Turkey Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients: 1 lb turkey shredded or cubed, 1 lb asparagus, 3 cups mushrooms sliced, 1 shallot, 4 cups chicken or turkey broth, 1 cup Arborio rice, 2 Tblsp olive oil, 2 Tblsp butter, 1 cup white wine, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Steps:
Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces.
2. Sauté the asparagus and mushrooms in non-skillet. Cook just until the vegetables are soft. About 7 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
3. In a large pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once butter melt adds shallots and cook just until softened.
4. Stir in the Arborio rice and mix until coated in butter. Toast slightly but do not brown.
5. Pour in wine and cook until wine absorbs.
6. Pour one cup of broth over the rice and stir consistently until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat process, one cup at a time, until all liquid is absorbed by the rice.
7. Add the shredded turkey and sautéed vegetables to the risotto, heat through. Mix well. Serve immediately.
***Left-over baked turkey works great in this recipe.
23rd Way: Turkey and Bisquick Dumplings
Ingredients: 2 cups turkey shredded, 2 1/2 cups Bisquick, 2/3 cups milk, flour to roll dough, 6 cups chicken or turkey broth, salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
Mix Bisquick and milk until in tight dough ball.
Coat rolling pin and rolling surface well with flour. Roll dough as thin as possible. Use butter knife or pizza cutter to cut 2 inch dough squares or strips. *Works best if you allow dough to dry out a bit before trying to pick up to place in broth.
Bring broth to boil in a large soup pan.
Add turkey and return broth to a boil.
Gradually add Bisquick dumplings to boiling broth with turkey.
Simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring often to make sure dumplings are not sticking to bottom of pan.
Salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowl.
***Left-over baked turkey works great in this recipe.
24th Way: Short Cut Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients: For filling: 2 1/2 cups cooked turkey shredded or cubed, 2 Tblsp veg oil, 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups pre-made poultry gravy or poultry gravy mix, 1 15 oz can black beans, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper For crust: 2 1/2 cups Bisquick mix, 2/3 cup milk, flour for rolling crust or use pre-made pie crust
Steps:
Preheat over 350 degrees.
In large skillet heat oil. Cook turkey until done.
Drain and rinse black beans.
Add frozen vegetables and black beans to turkey and set to side.
Heat gravy according to directions on package.
Mix gravy, salt, and pepper into turkey and vegetables.
Mix Bisquick and milk. Once dough is mixed, use rolling pin and flour to roll dough flat enough to cover 9×13 baking dish.
Pour gravy/vegetable/turkey mixture into 9×13 backing dish.
Cover dish with crust and tuck edges around inside lip of pan. Use knife to cut two or three slits in center of crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
***Left-over baked turkey works great in this recipe.
25th Way: Fancy Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients: 2 Tblsp butter, 1 onion chopped, 2 stalks celery chopped, 3 carrots chopped, 4 Tblsp flour, 4 cups chicken or turkey stock, 2 potatoes peeled and diced, 2 cups shredded turkey, 2 Tblsp chopped parsley, 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed, 1 prepared pie crust (*or use Bisquick trick from Shortcut Turkey Pot Pie Recipe), 1 egg lightly beaten
Steps:
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in sauce pan and cook chopped onion until tender.
Stir in celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Add chicken or turkey stock and bring to a simmer.
Add potatoes and simmer until tender.
Stir in turkey, parsley, and peas.
Pour mixture into 9×13 baking dish.
Top with pie crust and brush with egg.
Bake 30 minutes unit crust is golden.
Remove from over and let set for 5 minutes prior to serving.
Here is the 2nd installation of “Turkey 30 Ways.” These are all turkey recipes that my family enjoys and I hope you will too!
11th Way: Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Turkey
Ingredients: 2 lb. turkey breast chunks, 1 Tblsp olive oil, 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup soy sauce
Steps:
Mix pineapple juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl.
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Lightly brown turkey in skillet before adding to crockpot.
Place turkey in crockpot and cover with pineapple juice mixture.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with warmed rice.
***If the dish looks too soupy, fry turkey and sauce in skillet until sauce is at a light boil. Boil until it thickens.
12th Way: Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Turkey
Ingredients: For the turkey: 2 lbs. turkey breast cut into chunks, sea salt and black pepper to taste, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 2 large eggs beaten, 1/4 cup olive oil
For the sauce: 1/2 cup brown sugar packed, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp garlic minced
Steps:
In a large bowl, whisk sauce ingredients until well blended.
In a separate bowl, season turkey with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch and eggs. Mix until turkey is coated with egg and cornstarch batter.
Heat olive oil in large skillet and cook turkey until it is golden brown, usually 4-5 minutes.
Put turkey in crockpot and cover with the sauce. Stir evenly until turkey is coated.
Cook 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Serve over warm rice or noodles.
13th Way: Cashew Turkey Stir-fry
Ingredients: 1 lb. turkey breast sliced into thin strips, 1 clove garlic minced, 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms, 1 medium green pepper sliced, 1 cup carrots thinly sliced, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp. granulated sugar, 1 Tblsp cornstarch, 1 cup chicken broth, 4 Tblsp vegetable oil, 3 scallions sliced, hot cooked rice, 3/4 cup cashew nuts
Steps:
In small bowl, mix soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth. Set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet. Cook turkey in oil until done.
Add garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and scallions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir frequently to keep from uneven cooking.
Lower heat and stir in sauce. Cook until sauce thickens.
Serve over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with cashew nuts.
***I like to add my cashews before plating. Having a little extra sauce on the cashews is extra yummy.
14th Way: Apricot Turkey
Ingredients: 2 lb. turkey breast sliced 1 – 2 inches thick, 1 – 10 oz. jar of apricot preserves, 1 bottle Russian dressing, 1 package instant Onion Soup Mix, 1/4 cup flour
Steps:
Coat turkey breast with flour and place in 9×13 baking dish.
Mix preserves, dressing, and Onion Soup Mix in a small bowl.
Pour preserve mixture over turkey breasts.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.
I guess you could say I am grateful for opportunity this week because I am embracing two new ventures with Intentergy. First, I am starting a Monday’s Message video series with my new YouTube Channel. Please give my video a watch and let me know what you think or let me know if you have any suggestions for upcoming Monday Messages.
Second, I am starting a feature called “From the Farmer’s Table.” I plan to use this feature to share recipes from my own kitchen. This week I am beginning a three part series on ways to make turkey. We eat A LOT of turkey here on the farm and I’m sharing our 30 favorite ways to fry, bake, grill, or crockpot turkey. I’ve cleverly called the series “Turkey 30 Ways.” I hope you will try and enjoy the recipes. Let me know how they turn out!
With Thanksgiving in the forefront of our focus, reminding ourselves that there is always, always, always something to be grateful for is important. Not only because we have many blessings in our lives, but because we can also be positive reminders for others. We have the opportunity to help them remember they have much to be thankful for.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read Intentergy! I hope you know that your support is something I am sincerely grateful for. Please comment and let me know for what you are most grateful or how you help others remember to be thankful.
By: Melanie A. Peters
P.S. Putting a video of myself out there is terrifying. Thank you for being here for me!
The sound of the alarm clock is not the most pleasing to my ear. The cool air hitting my skin when I finally do roll out from under my quilts is less than reassuring. The fussing of my tired children as I attempt to rouse them less than inspiring, but the possibility of a new day is a smell that I can’t resist.
Today I would like to give you a sensory challenge. Consider the sights, tastes, touches, sounds, and, YES, smells that this day has to offer. Find ways to appreciate all you can physically experience. The joy you find may come in the softness of your socks, the smell of a shop as you enter, the calming noises of nature as you walk to your car or the hard rock blaring from you car speakers, the sight of someone’s smile, or the taste of your favorite snack. It is in the words, bites, hugs, high fives, fresh brewed coffee, and morning breezes that we know we are alive and that the day offers us possibility. And there is nothing I love more than the smell of possibility in the morning.
By: Melanie A. Peters
P.S. If you’ve lost your sense of smell, you know what a gift it is.
Doritos are not allowed in my house. Not in the snack size, family size, or the party size. Doritos are not allowed in my house in any size, shape, flavor, or package.
Why?
I will eat them.
That’s why.
If I have Doritos, I will eat them. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
On a camping trip this summer, I splurged and bought a bag of those delectable Doritos and said to myself, “I’m going to be on vacation. I want to eat like I’m on vacation.”
And I did.
A large portion of that bag was consumed by me. And a large portion of the next two days were drug down by a terrible stomach ache. (My stomach apparently does not share my love for those triangular treats.)
Intentergy 