Tag: food and beverages

Easter Egg Cookie Dough Truffles Recipe

Easter Egg Cookie Dough Truffles Recipe

No Easter dinner is complete without a delicious dessert to finish things off. These Easter Egg Cookie Dough Truffles look delicious! Prep time is about 30 minutes. The recipe makes 6 servings. “From EmpoweredCooks.com and FabulesslyFrugal.com CEO Cathy Yoder, author of the best-selling “Easy Air Fryer Recipe Book: Best Airfryer 

Tie Dye Cocktail Drink Recipe

Tie Dye Cocktail Drink Recipe

Wine isn’t just a stand-alone drink option…it’s fabulous as the foundation in cocktails as well— many perfectly suited for Easter! Far beyond Sangria, wine is a versatile base for a variety of other specialty cocktails delivering unique and complex flavor profiles. This cocktail recipe is 

Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey Recipe with Home Canning Instructions

Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey Recipe with Home Canning Instructions

Last month I decided to get the 2 bags of frozen whole tomatoes out of my freezer and cook them down to make pasta sauce. In case you didn’t know…YES, you can freeze tomatoes from your backyard garden! I cut the stem out, rinse them with water to remove the majority of seeds and lay them on a baking sheet to air dry for 2 hours. Then I pack them all into a large freezer bag. You can open the bag and add more tomatoes as the growing season goes along…until you have enough to do a big recipe!

You’ll need a pressure canner and basic canning supplies for this recipe. It will make approximately 8-9 pint size jars of pasta sauce. If you don’t like ground turkey…you can substitute with lean ground beef or lean ground pork. Looking for more home canning recipes? We have over 100 canning recipes right here on the TCC blog!!!

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Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey Recipe with Home Canning Instructions

Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey Recipe

30  lbs. tomatoes
2 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 cup sweet green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning blend
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. olive oil

For this recipe you’ll need approximately 30 lbs. of tomatoes…fresh or frozen. Blanch them briefly 1-2 minutes to remove the skins. Rinse them under tap water to help remove the seeds. By rinsing them under the tape water I can remove 80% of the tomato seeds. Once I have the skins off…I toss them into my NINJA Blender and blend until smooth. If desired, you can pour the sauce through cheese cloth or press through a food mill to remove seeds.

In a large frying pan brown up the ground turkey until it’s done. Drain off the excess fat. Add in the garlic, onions and green bell peppers. Simmer over low heat until the veggies are slightly fork-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey Recipe with Home Canning Instructions

Next, you’ll need a large saucepan or stock pot. Combine the tomatoe puree with the meat mixture. Stir in the parsley, Italian seasoning blend, brown sugar, oregano, salt, ground black pepper and olive oil. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low.

You want to ladel the hot pasta sauce into hot glass mason jars leaving a 1″ headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jar clean with a cloth. Add your hot seal and the ring until it’s fingertip tight.

Place the jars in the pressure canner. Adjust the water level (according to the canner’s instructions)….mine requires 2″ of hot water in the bottom of it. Lock the lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close the vent. Continue heating to achieve 10 lbs pressure. Process the pint jars for 60 minutes. Once it’s done, turn off the heat and let the canner cool down on its own. Don’t open or touch the lid until the pressure reaches ZERO. Then unlock the lid and remove it.

Carefully transfer the hot jars to your kitchen countertop. I lay a clean, dry towel down on my countertop and place the jars on top. They need to sit there undisturbed for 12 hours to cool down. Don’t touch them. After 12 hours have passed check the seals to make sure that all jars sealed properly. If any of them didn’t seal…refrigerate and use.

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How to Experience Authentic Cuisine Like a Local

How to Experience Authentic Cuisine Like a Local

When travelers find themselves in new locations, they frequently wish to sample authentic local tastes. Genuine food provides insight into the spirit of local culture and heritage. You can taste a destination by stepping out of tourist spots and interacting with local dining. This guide 

Strawbunny Strawberry Flavored Cocktail Recipe

Strawbunny Strawberry Flavored Cocktail Recipe

Wine isn’t just a stand-alone drink option…it’s fabulous as the foundation in cocktails as well— many perfectly suited for Easter! Far beyond Sangria, wine is a versatile base for a variety of other specialty cocktails delivering unique and complex flavor profiles. This cocktail recipe is 

Hunger to Health: Exploring Food and Grocery Benefits Available to Families in Washington D.C.

Hunger to Health: Exploring Food and Grocery Benefits Available to Families in Washington D.C.

Hunger to Health: Exploring Food and Grocery Benefits Available to Families in Washington D.C.Try to imagine gathering your loved ones together for a meal, but when the time comes, you’re unable to provide food. Unfortunately, for many families living in Washington, D.C., this is the sad truth. The nation’s capital, with its diversified economy and culture, is still home to many families who find it hard to access healthy food.

Such food insecurity poses dire consequences that extend beyond the physical well-being of an individual and now affects their mental health, educational outcomes, and even self-sufficiency. To help alleviate this problem, many government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community initiatives have started to provide food and grocery benefits for families with low income.

The State of Food Insecurity

Food Insecurity Rates

A study by the Capital Area Food Bank’s Hunger Report 2025 claims that in Washington, D.C., nearly 1 in 5 households suffer from food insufficiency. This amounts to over 1,00,000 people, including children, elderly, and working families, who are hungry and unable to feed themselves.

Unaffected Demographics That Carry The Most Weight

The report shows that the intersection of race with other factors, such as income and place of residence, has a greater effect on food insecurity among already marginalized communities compared to the general population.

The Consequences of Food Insecurity

*      Poor Health Outcomes: Food insecurity is linked to a range of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

*      Limited educational opportunities: Children who experience food insecurity are likely to struggle in school and have lower academic performance.

*     Economic Instability: Increased healthcare costs, reduced productivity, and decreased economic mobility are some factors that add on due to insufficient food and grocery.

Food and Grocery Benefits: A Safety Net for Families

There are programs and initiatives in place to support families struggling with food insecurity. Some of the famous food and grocery benefits available for families include:

Supplemental Nutritional  Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP offers financial support for eligible low-income households to purchase food. Advantages include:

*       Issued Electricity: SNAP benefits are provided through claimable EBT cards, which allow parents/guardians to buy food conveniently at Target supermarkets and farmer’s markets.

*       Flexible: SNAP aid includes all types of foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy food, and cereals.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program

WIC targets nutritional support services for pregnant women and children up to five years of age. Also includes the group’s education and benefits:

*      Nutrition Education: WIC targets nutrient- and food-specific education services that aim to feed their children appropriately and achieve ideal growth.

*      Supplemental Food: WIC is responsible for offering and supplying nutritious foods like fresh fruits, grains, and protein-rich foods to help the children grow and develop.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

TANF gives economic aid to needy individuals and families to meet their food and grocery needs. The specifics include:

*     Cash assistance: TANF provides cash support to cover the fundamental needs of beneficiaries, such as food and shelter.

*      Job training and education: There are programs aimed at employment for participants to help learners achieve self-sufficiency.

Innovative Solutions and Community Initiatives

Besides the government-funded programs, there are other initiatives and solutions that people are trying to work on in order to satisfy the food and grocery needs of families residing in Washington, DC.

*      Urban Agriculture Projects: Urban agriculture projects supply local residents with healthy food.

*      Community Gardens: These are private plots shared among community members for growing fruits and vegetables.

*     Rooftop Farms: These are commercial farms found on building rooftops that supply fresh vegetables to nearby restaurants and residents.

*      Food Recovery Programs: These programs aim to minimize food waste by collecting excess goods from supermarkets, eateries, and other vendors and distributing them to those who need them.

*      Food Banks: Charitable organizations that provide food for the needy collect food from different sources.

*      Food Pantries: Local charitable organizations that offer food support to people and families.

*      Meal Delivery Programs: This program offers healthy meals for seniors and other individuals with special needs.

*      Meals on Wheels: A service that delivers food to the elderly and persons suffering from some form of disability. This service is provided all over the country.

*      Soup Kitchens: A service that is localized to further assist the needy by providing food and grocery aid.

A Safety Net for Families

The programs and projects that exist serve as an important safety net for families in need. From WIC and SNAP to TANF and community-based programs, these benefits are not a handout. They are the lifeline for individuals and families to obtain healthy food to become healthier and better informed about their economic security. They allow families to make smart food choices, deliver nutrition education, and facilitate job training and education.

With food and grocery benefits for families, everyone can do this together and make a better future for the community where all families can enjoy healthy, nutritious food and live with hope and dignity. Let’s create a fair society where each person has access to everything that they require.

Sweet and Savory Pork Chops Seasoning Blend Recipe

Sweet and Savory Pork Chops Seasoning Blend Recipe

We make pork chops at least once for dinner every 2 weeks. To keep things fresh and interesting…we’re always trying out new recipes. Last month I decided to mix up our own seasoning blend for pork chops. I recommend that you mix everything together in 

Homemade Italian Seasoned Dry Bread Crumbs

Homemade Italian Seasoned Dry Bread Crumbs

We’re empty-nesters and can never go through an entire loaf of bread before it goes bad. Same goes with hamburger and hot dog rolls too. Every week I toss our leftover bread and rolls into a large bag in my freezer. It’s a mix and