LifeNet Gets Cookin’: Peach-Nectarine Cornmeal Cobbler (Gluten-Free!)

Summer fruits are wonderful to use in cobblers. We love the following cobbler because the tang of the nectarines is a great balance to the sweetness of the peaches. We don’t mean to sound presumptuous, but we bet you will too! And don’t worry, it’s good with ice cream!

What you need and what you do:

-3 C sliced nectarines (about 1 ½ pounds)

-3 C sliced peaches (about 1 ½ pounds)

-2 T lemon juice

-1 ½ T sugar

-1 ½ t cornstarch

-Mix together.

-Stir gently and put in a 9” square baking pan or a deep pie dish.

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Combine ¾ C flour (for gluten free, use brown rice flour or flour mix and ¼ t xantham gum), 1/3 C sugar, ¼ C cornmeal, 1 ½ t baking powder, ½ t cinnamon and ¼ t salt.

-Cut in 3 T butter (chilled), cut into small pieces until mixture resembles coarse meal.

-Add 1/3 C fat free milk, stir just until moistened.

-Drop dough onto fruit mixture to form 9 mounds.

-Sprinkle with sugar (1 T at most).

-Bake for 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.

-Cool slightly and enjoy!

Miss the first part? Click to catch up on this article about Florida indexed annuities!

An attempt was made by American Equity Investment Life Insurance to separate indexed annuities from securities in 2009, when they sued the SEC. As a result, Rule 501A — which would give the SEC permission to classify Florida indexed annuities as securities in 2011 — was overturned. This Rule 501A would have affected annuities sold in all 50 states.  Now, the federal appeals court vetoed Rule 151A, stating that “the SEC failed to properly consider the effect of the rule upon efficiency, competition, and capital formation.” As for Wasserman, he is relieved.

We’re sure you’ve all heard of this viral video. But we had to post it, as it brings a smile to our faces every time we watch it!

Charlie Bit Me

Happy Hump Day!

A federal appeals court has chosen to overturn Rule 151A and side with insurance agents rather than federal regulators regarding indexed annuities in Florida. This affects insurance agents  and indexed annuity sales all over the USA.

It is no secret that the finance industry hasn’t been thriving during the economic crisis. It was due in part to this that Phillip Wasserman, a Florida life insurance agent, could not grasp why the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission wanted to handle indexed annuities like securities by regulating them.

“I chose to get involved on behalf of everyone at my own expense, because the SEC was worried about a fixed insurance product that was safe and already well-regulated by the states,” said Wasserman, president of Phillip Roy Financial Consultants. Indexed annuities have long been sold through insurance companies, and are therefore not under the control of the SEC.

Stay tuned for more on this news Thursday!

Talk about gender wars! In this article, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America reveals a surprising concept: that women may be more apt to lend money to loved ones with medical problems than men.

“Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, says 55% of women surveyed said they had lent money to friends or family members who were in medical distress. Only 34% of men said they had done so.”

This is intriguing. Click the link to find out more about health insurance in California, Texas, Florida and the other 47 states!  Let us know what you think!

With summer halfway over, we’re trying to cram in as many blueberry-based recipes as we can. And the best part about this one? Dual purpose: you can also make them as muffins!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

You’ll need:

-8” square pan (grease pan)

-1 large egg

-½ C skim milk (we use 1%)

-½ C plain nonfat yogurt

-3 T canola oil (or other neutral oil)

What you’ll do:

-Whisk together, and add…

*2 C flour

*½ C sugar

*4 t baking powder

*½ t salt

-Stir with a spoon until just blended (do NOT ovemix or cake will be tough).

-Fold in…

*1 ½ C blueberries…picked over, rinsed and patted dry (or frozen unsweetened berries; no need to defrost)

-Put in pan.

For the topping…

-3 T sugar

-2 T finely chopped walnuts (although we omit the walnuts and just use sugar and cinnamon)

-¼ t cinnamon

Finally…

-Stir together, sprinkle over cake (we usually use about 2 T of the topping).

-Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cake tester comes out clean.

-Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes (if you can wait!).

-Serve warm.

We came across some more Florida insurance news…

The article is about complaints regarding Lifetrend — an insurance company – specifically about their increased policy costs in 2008. Many of these policies are owned by Floridians. As a result of these complaints, Conseco — Lifetrend’s owner — has been forced to create a $10 million fund for many of its customers, along with a toll-free number for any questions policyholders have.

Fortunately, this is a Florida life insurance issue with a happy ending! And it’s not strictly for Floridians; California, Iowa, Indiana and Texas are states in which the fund is also being made available.

On April 24th, more than 30 members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus, along with main cast members from La Traviata united on the Reading Terminal Market Italian Festival. Unbeknown to passersby, the group – donning normal clothes to blend in – suddenly broke out into song with “Brindisi.” The crowd was delighted (albeit surprised!), providing for a wonderful midday break for their monotonous routines.

Check it out by clicking the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zmwRitYO3w

PS: Fancy yourself a fan of this video? Then you’ll absolutely love these guys.

Yesterday, we discussed the new grandfathering regulations. But we wanted to add a little piece of information today.

The final rules were published in the Federal Register on June 17th, and here are some key points.

The grandfathered plans:
-cannot increase coinsurance percentages
-make significant increases in co-pays (or deductibles)
-change insurance companies

These are pretty significant decisions. How do you feel about them?

This article interested us, and with good reason.

Final regulations on the grandfathering provisions in health reform law were recently made, and some come at a cost.

“Grandfathered plans don’t have to comply with some new consumer protections, such as requiring 100% coverage of preventive services. But in return, these employers can make only limited cuts to benefits or increases in out-of-pocket spending.”

In addition, it has been said that these rules permit employers “to innovate and contain costs by allowing insurers and employers to make routine changes without losing grandfather status.” However, they cannot increase coinsurance percentages, nor can they make substantial co-pay increases.

How do you feel about these new regulations?