Pajeda's

A Stunningly Beautiful Video

Lesley — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:31:07 +0000

Called “Temporal Distortion”, this is South Dakota-based photographer Randy Halverson’s time-lapse video of the Milky Way. It is absolutely stunning.

Thanks to Geek.com for the link.

Easy Spicy Chili Recipe

Lesley — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:24:52 +0000

Winter is definitely chili season! Whether you’re enjoying it at home or letting it help keep you warm while tailgating, chili is delicious and easy to customize to your own personal taste. To make sure they meet our expectations, we make every recipe we post here on our Pajeda’s website and this easy chili recipe is no exception:

Easy Spicy Beef Chili

1 3/4 pound ground beef
1 small white onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, stem & seeds removed, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can + 1 (15ounce) can diced tomatoes, un-drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, un-drained
2 jalapeños, finely chopped (or add to taste)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or stockpot over medium high heat, cook the ground beef just until it starts to brown. Drain. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one minute more, or until beef is browned and onion & pepper has softened.

Add the un-drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, jalapenos, bay leaf and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

For added crunch, top with crumbled Pajeda’s Corn Chips immediately before serving.

* Cooking Notes

For a healthier chili, use lean ground beef, or substitute the ground beef with ground turkey.

For a vegetarian chili, omit the meat and add 1 can each of black beans and great Northern beans.

Boost Your Immune System During Cold and Flu Season

Lesley — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:31:58 +0000

It’s that time of year again; cold and flu season. The Washington Post ran this article recently about great, natural ways to boost your and your children’s immune systems:

1 Limit refined sugar. Sugar suppresses our immune system by causing a 50 percent drop in our ability to fight off bacteria and germs. This immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than 30 minutes after digestion and may last for five hours. So every time your children consume sugar, imagine their immune systems slowing down to a crawl and letting all those germs take over. Something to think about as holiday cookies appear everywhere!

2 Increase healthy fats. Just as the ground outside dries out and cracks as the air looses moisture, so do our bodies. Our skin dries, our lips chap and our digestive tracts get dry, which causes our bodies to produce more mucous. Where there is mucous, there are colds and flu. To prevent this, hydrate from within by consuming more healthy fats such as the omega-3s found in salmon, walnuts and flax seeds. We love Walnut-Crusted Fish Fillets (find the recipe at washingtonpost.com/recipes). Slice them into fish sticks if your child will eat more this way! And always have a bowl of raw nuts, pistachios or pumpkin seeds on the table for easy snacking.

3 Add onion, garlic, and ginger to everything! These are natural immune boosters that I even add to my homemade baby food. Most winter soup recipes include onions and garlic, so whip up warming soups for your family dinner. A little crushed ginger can be added to anything, including your baked goods, to give them a little extra flavor and you extra immunity.

4 Drink water. When our bodies are dehydrated, we are much more susceptible to colds. Water also flushes bacteria and viruses from our throats, stomachs and digestive tracts before they can settle and wreak havoc. Kids often unconsciously slow their intake of water in the colder months, so to prevent this, send your children to school with water bottles they can keep on their desk.

5 Avoid dairy. Diary prompts our bodies to produce mucous that becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. We can’t avoid the bacteria and viruses floating in the air, but we can help our bodies to ignore them.

You can read the whole article here.

Bearded Dragon playing Ant Smasher

Lesley — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:21:04 +0000

I don’t think you can watch this little guy in action and not crack a smile…

Easy Recipes

Lesley — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:42:02 +0000

7 Layer Taco Dip

The holidays are upon us, so it’s especially nice to have a few easy recipes to turn to for last-minute invites or surprise guests. Well, look no further than our Easy Recipes page! Easy salsa recipes, easy dip recipes and even an easy chili recipe! We’ll be adding to these recipes as time goes by and if you have any of your own you’d like to share, pass it along.