Springfield Nature Center Experience

Today's blog is not about food, but rather healthy living.
I truly believe, as part of our healthy living, we should spend time in nature every single day.

The Springfield Nature Center is close to my home and just down the road from Harter House on Republic Road.  So visit the Nature Center, then come visit Harter House!  

After the rains of this past week, I knew I wanted to walk at the Nature Center.  I love when the creeks are up and the streams are flowing.

It is still cloudy today and perfectly cool while walking.  We saw 11 dear today scattered out along the trails.

The Nature Center features eighty acres of forests, fields and creeks, along with frontage on Lake Springfield, and nearly three miles of trails,
as short as a fifth of a mile, and as long as two miles.

Experience the wildlife, including deer, foxes, mink, muskrat, raccoons, squirrels, birds, turtles, turkeys, frogs, bugs and just about everything else that lives in the Ozarks

 





Follow the boardwalk over the marshy shallows of the lake.
This is the Boardwalk

See a map of the all the trails here
Springfield Nature Center Trail Map.

This area is on the long trail, on the back side of the bluff.

Can you hear the sounds of waterfalls as they flow downstream?  It's absolutely lovely!

 I love watching the little kids on the trail.

                                      They love seeing the wildlife so up close and personal.
                                              Their pure joy and enthusiasm is contagious.

It's nice to walk with someone.
Today, bring a friend!
~Shelly 


Learn More Here
Springfield Conservation Nature Center

4601 S. Nature Center Way
Springfield, MO 65804-4920

Phone: (417) 888-4237
Fax: (417) 888-4241     

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

Well, I'm ready for some spicy grilled jalapenos for my upcoming party. 

My favorite Jalapeno Poppers are stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and a little garlic powder.  Then Bacon Wrapped and cooked in the oven 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.  YUM.

Cheese-stuffed jalapenos are always popular. There’s a flavor explosion in each crisp and tender pepper.   There are many ways to spice them up.   I also have made a bacon-wrapped version.  If you scrape the jalapenos clean, they won't really be spicy, just a little heat afterwards but definitely not 'burn your mouth run screaming for a glass of water.. The trick with these is to grill them slowly. If you try to cook them over the hottest part of the grill, you'll end up with crispy bacon and raw peppers.  

If you're not into grilling, (But who is not into grilling?) you can bake these in the oven, I'd say about 15-20 minutes at 350, then you can finish them under the broiler if you want. 

You could also cook them in the smoker.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika or paprika
• 10 jalapeno peppers

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Cut a lengthwise slit down each pepper, leaving the stem intact; remove membranes and seeds. Fill each pepper with 1 tablespoon cheese mixture.
• Prepare grill for indirect heat. Place peppers in a disposable foil pan. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melted. Serve warm. Yield: 10 appetizers.

 Note: You may want to wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

********************************************************

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Peppers

5 large jalapenos (or more if they're smaller)1/2 c cream cheese
1 c shredded cheddar

1 teas salt

pinch of pepper

3/4 teas smoked paprika

1 clove garlic, crushed

5 slices bacon

Slice your jalapenos from stem to tip of the pepper. Carefully open the peppers, and scrape out the seeds and white membranes. Gloves again recommended. Set the cleaned peppers aside. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic. Stuff each pepper with as much cheese mixture as you can. Wrap each pepper tightly in a slice of bacon, and secure with toothpicks or on a skewer.

Grill on the side of the grill, where it's not too hot, for anywhere from ten to twenty five minutes, depending on how hot the grill is. You can grill them on foil, so you don't ruin your grill grate with cheese. These peppers need slow heat and a little time. Let them cook so that the peppers are cooked.

Serve with ranch dressing. Or just eat as is, they're perfect.

 ********************************************************

Here's a different idea;

Beth took a few recipes and combined them to make these. She mixed cheddar cheese and cream cheese to stuff in some Jalapenos and put a little smokie in some of the others and then covered them with cream cheese. The first picture was taken before the ones with smokies had cream cheese on them and they were wrapped in bacon. She grilled them and then put them under the broiler for a bit to crisp up the bacon.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

jalapenos

cheddar cheese

cream cheese

little smokies

bacon (cut each slice in half)

Cut jalapenos in half, taking seeds out. Mix equal parts of cream cheese and cheddar cheese and 'stuff' into peppers. Wrap with bacon. For the ones with smokies: Put the smokie in the pepper, cover with cream cheese and wrap with bacon. Grill until bacon is crispy.

 ***********************************************************

 OK, so this isn't grilled Jalapenos exactly, but it looked SO GOOD I thought I would share it also.

Grilled Jalapenos and Corn

with ParmesanThis is an extremely easy yet tasty side dish to prepare. This is only fun on the grill, when you can just toss all the ingredients into a strip of tinfoil, wrap it up and toss it on.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cup corn (frozen corn works great)
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon diced scallions
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon red pepper

Cooking Directions

• Heat a grill to medium heat.
• Add all ingredients to a long strip of tinfoil and fold the foil up around the ingredients. It should look like a big Hershey’s Kiss.
• Set on the grill’s top rack and grill 12-15 minutes, until ingredients are nice and hot.
• Stir and serve!

Salmon Avocado Poke Bowl

 

Salmon Avocado 
Poke Bowl

(pronounced Po-Kay)

Hawaiian poke is a rice bowl topped with fresh fish and lots of fun toppings, like avocado.

A super simple, light meal, using sushi-grade or Sashimi-grade salmon.

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients

For the poke bowl:
1 cup short-grain white rice
1 pound sashimi-grade salmon
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Other toppings for your bowl

Sliced cucumber
Sliced radish
1 large avocado, cubed
Red pepper flakes
Wasabi

 
Method

Cook the rice according to package instructions or in a rice cooker.

Cut the salmon into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the salmon into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and garlic powder. The garlic powder and sugar will not dissolve completely, but that's fine.

Divide the rice between each bowl and then the salmon. Top with the rest of the sliced scallions, sliced cucumber, sliced radishes, diced avocado, and red pepper flakes, if you like. The poke bowl is best enjoyed immediately.

FROM:
SimplyRecipes.com

Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf

 Do you have a favorite meatloaf recipe?

Growing up, my mom made meatloaf and sour cabbage.  I did NOT like it as a child.  Of course I do now.  But it was the only meatloaf I remember being introduced to when I was young.

So, when my mother-in-law served us meatloaf for dinner, it was instantly my favorite meatloaf.  My kids still ask for me, or Grandma, to make it for them.

I also published it in the first edition of the Harter House Cookbook,
Recipe by Barbara Kauffman.



This recipe makes two loafs.  Tomorrow I'll enjoy a meatloaf sandwich

2 lbs. Harter House lean Ground Chuck
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2/3 Cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 Tbl. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbl. Worchestershire
1 tsp. salt
1.4 tsp pepper
2 eggs
12 strips Harter House Double Smoked Bacon

Combine all ingredients except bacon.
Mix well.
Divide mixture in half.
Shape each in a roll.
Wrap in Bacon.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
Do Not overcook.
Allow to rest before slicing.