THE FEELING IS MUTUAL - Terrific Turkey Jambalaya

Mutual funds are frequently the preferred investment of choice for many novice investors. But don't be fooled. The financial benefits of mutual funds are also enjoyed by many seasoned investment veterans.

Why are they so popular? Mutual funds provide investors with a professionally managed basket of securities and may hold stocks, bonds, cash or a combination of all three. It is also important to note that these managed investments come in many shapes, sizes and flavours. Equity funds, bond funds, gold funds, real estate funds, t-bill funds, hedge funds, resource funds ... conservative, aggressive, VERY aggressive, middle of the road ... you can find a fund that invests in just about anything. So it's not a bad idea to spend a bit of time getting acquainted with your options and aligning those with your needs and your risk tolerance.

By investing in a global mutual fund, you can make a single investment that will hold a variety of securities in a number of different industries and asset classes in several different countries. This may also expose you to global currency risks. Hmmmm. Currency risks, eh?

Mutual funds are professionally managed and the investments held within the fund are regularly readjusted to suit current conditions. But if you are not comfortable with where the fund is situated, the industries, asset classes or countries that they're investing in, then don't go there.

Additionally, many investors assume that going this route means that they don't have to pay attention or learn about the markets. As such, these types of investors are really only concerned about their investments at tax time. Yikes! Wrong again.

I'm sure that I don't need to tell you - as a seasoned follower of DIG IN - that it just doesn't work like that! You still have to choose who you are going to trust to take care of your hard earned dough AND it is prudent to regularly monitor your progress.

Remember, if you want to avoid those (avoidable) financial pitfalls you should do your homework, and be aware of how mutual funds and their respective managers differ from each other. Furthermore, do your homework BEFORE you hand over your money. Mutual funds can prove to be very wise and profitable long term investments but you have to remember that there are also a lot of 'turkeys' out there.

Talking about "turkeys", here is one turkey recipe that you've just got to try. It's sure to bring you immense satisfaction through it's diversity of flavours and will be a big hit with everyone at your dinner table. Beverley whipped this up in about 45 minutes of which most of that time was waiting for the rice to cook.

We'll talk more about the world of mutual funds in the coming posts but in the meantime, let's DIG IN! and get started on this Terrific Turkey Jambalaya.

TERRIFIC TURKEY JAMBALYA

serves 4 (3 if you have a son like Connor who eats for 2)

4 tbsp butter

1 cup uncooked (brown) rice

1 stalk celery - chopped

1 med. onion - chopped

1/2 red (green) pepper - chopped

1 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes

2 cups of cooked cubed turkey

1 1/4 cups of chicken broth

Pinch of salt, pepper and a good hit of cayenne (to your liking)

1/4 tsp of sage

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add onion, red pepper, rice and celery.

Cook uncovered until the vegetables are tender (10 mins) stirring occassionally.

Stir in the turkey, tomatoes, broth and spices.

Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Now THAT is a Terrific Turkey Jambalya!

Thanks for stopping by and remember, if you have any questions about the content of this blog be sure to forward your questions to info@digestinginvesting.com.

DIG IN!

Jeff and Beverley