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Curry and Cranberry Stuffed Bell Peppers for a flavorsome segue for colder weather
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Curry and Cranberry Stuffed Bell Peppers made by Kelly Larson are just out of the oven in her Austin, Texas, home on Oct. 9, 2017. - photo by Kelly J. Larson
Stuffed bell peppers have year-round appeal and endless possibilites to concoct unique combinations quinoa, rice, sausage, turkey, ground beef, Indian curry and Italian and Mexican flavors, to name a few.

A flavorsome segue into autumn, this version combines multi-colored bell peppers, ground turkey, rice and dried cranberries.

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Curry and Cranberry Stuffed Bell Peppers

Makes: 8 stuffed bell peppers, 364 calories each

8 firm bell peppers (self-standing is the preferred shape)

2 pounds ground turkey

1 large onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

teaspoon pepper

teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons curry

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

cup uncooked white rice

1 (14-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, plain or herb-flavored

2 cups water

8 ounces Gouda, Colby or pepper jack cheese, freshly grated

cup dried cranberries

Slice the tops off of the bell peppers. Discard seeds, stems and insides of the peppers. Save the tops to chop and the bases to go into boiling water.

Heat a large pot of water to boil, then add the bases of the bell peppers. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, then remove from heat. Drain excess water, then sprinkle salt inside each bell pepper.

Chop the bell pepper tops. In a large skillet, cook ground turkey along with the chopped bell peppers and onions on medium high.

Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and curry to meat mixture.

When meat is no longer pink (and is done), add Worcestershire sauce, rice, tomatoes and water and cook until it starts to boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover with lid for 20 minutes until rice is tender.

Turn off heat. Stir in dried cranberries and most of the cheese. Reserve some to add on top of the bell peppers.

Place the softened, cooked and salted bell peppers into a baking dish. Spoon each bell pepper cavity with meat filling, dividing evenly among all the peppers. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve while hot.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.