Stuffed Peppers

It seems everywhere I look lately I am seeing TV shows and people making stuffed peppers, so decided I would try to make up a batch.  I have only made them a couple times in my life, decades ago, so asked around on how other people make the, researched online for recipes and ratings and came up with my version below.  Joe, my son, really liked them and I did too.  (I only eat the filling, not a pepper fan to be honest) and opened up a can of peaches to even out the taste on the plate.  Joe took the rest home for his lunch tomorrow even.  Here's what I came up with.

1)  Take 3 large bell peppers, orange, yellow and red.  slice in half the height wise..seeds and membranes removed and stem.  wash.  In a large kettle heat about 6 inches of water, bring to a boil, add prepared peppers and parboil for 5 minutes or so until almost tender.  Remove, drain on paper towels and lightly salt the cavity.  set aside.

2) Meanwhile: Prepare a box of white and wild rice mix with the seasoning packet that is included as directed on the box.  (I used a box from Aldi, but Uncle Ben's would work) Set aside.

In a large frypan: Brown 1 lb. of lean hamburger, add salt and pepper and 1/2 of a smaller sized onion that is finely chopped.  Add 1 Tablespoon Worchester sauce and 1/2 of a 10 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes that has been drained.  Add 1 cup of the white and wild rice mix, a little more black pepper, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  (if you are a big bell pepper fan you can add some to this mix, finely chopped also-I did not).

Put your parboiled peppers in a cake pan and fill with the meat mixture, dividing it evenly among the 6 "cups".

In a bowl, dump in 1 can of tomato soup (Campbell's), a few splashes or Worchester sauce and enough water to make it "soup".  pour over stuffed peppers and into the bottom of the pan.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.  uncover and sprinkle with a little more cheese and bake about 15 minutes more until cheese is melted (optional).

Strawberry Lemon Blondies

I had printed off this recipe from a Facebook post and it was laying on my counter for a few weeks.  I finally picked up the ingredients and went for it today!  It is kind of putzy to put together and you need fresh ingredients like the strawberries and lemons so didn't have all the things I needed at home, thus the on-hold status.  They are worth the effort, buttery, lemony (but not too much so) and taste like spring.  If you have a celebration/holiday or pot luck they would be a great item to have there.  you may have to copy and paste the link..

https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/strawberry-lemon-blondies-recipe/

Date Ball Cookies for Christmas

I remember having these every year for Christmas when I was in my 20's..many years ago.  My mother-in-law used to love date baked goods and she introduced me to them..Once she knew I loved them she'd always make some for me.  I decided to make them this year for our Christmas eve gathering and both my son, Joe, and my granddaughter, Alana, really liked them, so going forward it might be a new/old tradition once again.  They are easy to put together, kind of sticky to roll, but I just used a small cookie scoop and managed just fine to get them rolled into a ball before rolling them in more coconut.

Grandma's Date Ball Christmas Cookies: (no bake)

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 (8 ounce) package of chopped dates
1 egg. slightly beaten
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup coconut, plus some for rolling the balls in later
1 teaspoon good vanilla (real)

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter.

Stir in brown sugar and dates.

Cook until sugar is melted.

Remove from heat and quickly stir in the egg well.

Return to stove on medium heat.

Heat, stirring constantly until boiling.

Boil and stir for one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Let cool off until easily handled.

Roll into balls, about 1 inch, then roll into some more coconut to coat.

Store airtight.

Christmas Gnomes make for a fun girls day

A friend of mine found these online somewhere and shared them with me..she actually made a lot of them-a couple different sizes for herself and had friends come and make them with her for themselves also.  Today Kim, Alana and myself made this little family of them that are getting split up and shared with others.  I made the big one for my front step.  Once you get all the supplies gathered up they go together super fast.  There are lots of online tutorials to follow..I kind of blended a few of them.  Mine looks so cute on the step and you can see him from the road.  It's an easy fun Holiday craft to put together and for us, we had the tomato cages already pulled out of a storage shed, the fleece for the hats was from Walmart-blankets that were $2.50 each, a couple packs of floral wire, some mittens from the dollar store and his nose was an old knee high nylon stuffed with stuffing I already had here. You can be creative and do whatever you want with them.  some people used real potatoes for the nose and tied yarn for the braided beard etc.  anything goes.

Margaret's Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

The kid's grandma, Margaret, always made this pumpkin pie every year for Thanksgiving, and no one since has ever made it quite as good as hers was.  It had to be the love she put into it, because even though I have the recipe written in her own hand, it just doesn't quite taste exactly the same.  Now, since she passed, someone, usually myself or eldest daughter Shellie, makes it so we have a little bit of her at Thanksgiving with us.  This year it's me!  I like making it because I think about her and her personality, the way her arthritic hands worked when she cooked or baked and how much she loved her family.  She would have fought off a grizzly bear if it threatened any of us!  LOL.  no, seriously, she would have..Anyway, I wanted to share the recipe that she wrote down, smeared up and aged so future relatives could see it and try it if they want with their families.  (it actually was the one on the Festival pumpkin can), but she never told us and I discovered it long after she was gone)..her secret is safe with us..LOL

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes for another coworker leaving work

We have another coworker leaving..tomorrow is her last day, so I decided to try this Food Network recipe to bring to work to put in her cube area when people come to wish her farewell.  She is one of our LPN's, young, newly married and moving into a job closer to home and that will give her more experience to move up in her field.  I wish her well!  Both the frosting and the cupcake are filled up with vanilla bean paste so they look cute with the little specks flowing in them and smelled so good baking.  You can substitute real vanilla extract -just look up the ratio on the internet if you wish..the paste is not cheap, but is a real treat.  On the show they used wafer straw cookies as poles and put the Lindt candy on the top (just hollow it out a little so it sta on the straw), but my straw were not all whole and broken when I opened the tin, so I am just going to toss them on the tray with the cupcakes to make it look more festive.

Here is the recipe..I actually couldn't find it later on to send you a link-I have no idea where it went so am sharing it this way so I have it going forward for me and my family.

VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES:

Cupcake:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons vanilla bean paste-or two vanilla beans opened and the seeds scraped out

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Line a 12 cupcake muffin tin with cupcake liners
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together..set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick, pale yellow and slightly frothy.  Continue beating eggs with sugar and pour in vegetable oil; beat until combined.  Add the sour cream, milk, and vanilla beat paste.  whisk to combine.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in small batches, being careful not to overmix the batter.

Pour the batter evenly into 12 cupcake size pan with the liners..about 1/4 cup batter per muffin cup.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.  Allow cupcakes to cook completely before frosting.

FROSTING: I loved this frosting.
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
pinch of salt

(I used a large bowl so everything wasn't all over the house)_ Beat cream cheese and butter together in a stand mixer if you have one, or with a hand mixer if not.  Add powdered sugar, turn mixer on low until incorporated, then beat on high for 1-2 minutes.  Add bean paste and salt and beat until combined.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with course crystal decorating sugar.  I just put a lindt white chocolate ball candy to top it off.

Oven BBQ chicken from my "youth"

My mom used to make this when I was growing up and it was one of my all time favorites.  I could sit and eat it piece after piece.  I also made it for my family when they were growing up quite a bit and it got the same response from them.  I have been thinking about old time foods again and decided to make a mini version of it for Dave and my supper tonight with 4 drumsticks.  I most likely will kick myself for not making more for leftovers!  You can make as little or as much as you like, just double or triple the sauce recipe and there you go.  I always used cut up whole chickens..yes chickens when I made it, but even chicken breasts will work for those who prefer them.  I generally make mashed potatoes, corn, beans and buns with it, but mac and cheese, coleslaw etc would all be great.

Here is all you have to do:

wash and pat dry whatever chicken you decide to use..salt and pepper all sides.  Brown the chicken.  I use a fry pan with a little oil for small batches, but for large I put it on a broiler pan and brown each side in there.  If you use this method you can use the bottom broiler pan to bake it in also, or for a small batch use a pan that is the appropriate size.

In the meantime make the sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup catsup
1 tsp Worchester sauce
1/4 of an onion chopped well
1/2 of a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes, stem pulled out and then squished with your hand into the pot.

simmer until thickened/reduced.

pour sauce over the chicken in the baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until browned and done.