Grandma's Stuffed Pepper

Hello again! Sorry for being MIA this past week or so but life has been pretty crazy with kids going back to school, work, and getting in all those last minute family outings before summer ends. And I also start back up to school with 5 classes starting next week so I think my plate is just about full! LOL! I have cooked a little with some good recipes and some flops but I do think those "flops" are what makes a GREAT recipe in the end...right?!
        
         Well for dinner tonight I made my Grandma's Stuffed Pepper recipe that she used to make a lot when I was younger. Every time I eat this meal I just think of my grandparent's and of the many, many special memories I have of them and with them.  I don't think I can even explain how much they mean to me, influenced my life, and how they really just gave me so much love that I needed and wanted. I was and am truly blessed to have had them in my life. Thank you both. XOXO
   So here is my special memory and all I ask is for you to cook this with love.... :-)

Stuffed Peppers


5 Green Peppers ( I used locally grown...always good to support your local farmers!)
1lb of cooked hamburger meat
small yellow onion chopped
chopped garlic
salt/pepper
olive oil
Worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce
2 (8oz) cans of tomato sauce w/Italian herbs
1 can of stewed tomatoes w/Italian herbs
1 cup of cooked rice (I used brown just to be a bit healthier!)
handful of grated Parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1.) Preheat oven to 350 F. After you cook your hamburger meat reserve some of the grease and cook the chopped onion and garlic for about 6-7 minutes and then place in a bowl with the cooked meat, cooked rice, salt and pepper (to your tasting), about 3-4 good dashes of the Worcestershire sauce, a good dash of hot sauce, and a handful of the Parmesan cheese. Mix well and then stir in the stewed tomatoes well.

2.)Wash your peppers and cut the tops off and clean out the inside of each one. You may need to even the bottoms to make them able to stand.

3.) Place peppers in a casserole style dish  (a 9x13 is a good size). Now spoon the meat/rice mixture into the peppers. Then sprinkle with the shredded Mozzarella chesse over each pepper.

4.)  Now pour cans of tomato sauce over the top of peppers and all over dish.

5.) Cover with foil and bake for about 35-45 mins.

6.) Enjoy!!

Ps...My grandma (And now I do) made this a whole meal by having them with mashed potatoes drizzled with the tomato sauce over them, and slow cooked green beans. Yummm....

My relationship with food...

This blog may seem confusing to some with all my musings and then food recipes on here. One might think I may have lost my noodle a bit but no I haven’t “officially” lost my noodle, this is just me. I tend to jump from thing to thing, sometimes not finishing one before moving on to the next.  So please bear with me, my stories and my love for food because at times they just really do go together.

                Food was and always has been my comfort in life, as it is for so many.  When I was younger it was my “friend” when times were hard, times that should have never been hard.  Unfortunately it may have felt like a band aid over my heart and mind; it disgraced my body to be something of a mockery to others. A mockery that still lives with me to this day.  I thought I stood up to that though and changed myself, eating habits, and ways of coping. Sad to say it wasn’t the healthiest ways but please remember I was still a kid, a teenager, and the outside of things mattered more than the inside when you are at that age.                

                It is so funny to me how I have so many memories of food when I was a child; my favorites, restaurants, snacks, and so on. But during my teen years I have really none.  It was my enemy then, I think. I used it for survival and that was it. In fact I do kind of remember having to be reminded to eat by my mother on many occasions.  And now really thinking about it I remember it used to make me sick to my stomach for a long time. I was scared to eat for the fear of getting sick in front of my friends, my boyfriend, or even at my job (s). This lasted for quite a few years for me.  I guess I do have more memories than I thought, just not ones of fondness apparently.  What I find more interesting than all of this is when that all turned around for me.

The turning point I think was marriage and motherhood.  Food now became more of a nurturing aspect in my life and with that it became fun again. My trials in the kitchen were enjoyment to me, and seeing the looks on people’s face after they take a bite was a happy fulfillment to me.  Even if it wasn’t a hit, those looks were funny!  I even used my cooking to my advantage at times! Just ask my husband…lol! (I had to snag him some way!)

I am so glad to have found this pleasure in food again and glad it is a healthy pleasure in my life. It is hard to look back at those times and actually this blog brought back some I must have buried pretty deep inside, but that needed to come back up and dealt with.  Thank you to those who were my friends through the hard times and thank you for not trying to bring me down like some just because of the way I may have looked. I do hope that those who chose to do and say those mean things you can see as an adult now maybe there was more to the picture then my chubbiness. I was just a kid trying to cope with things the best that I could.   I do forgive though; you were just a child yourself.

XOXO,

Sarah

Summer Refresher! Sweet Tea Vodka mixer...

Okay so I was on Facebook last night and I saw a good friend of mine talking about a great drink she made with sweet tea vodka and it made me think of the drink I make kind of like hers. Thanks Jen! Lol! Well with the weather that I have been having here in St.Louis (HEAT and HUMIDITY!!) nothing would be better than this drink right about now! Just a little advice though...be careful on how much you drink, this one can fool ya!

Sassy Sweet Tea

1 1/2 oz of Jeremiah Sweet Tea Vodka (any will do, this is just my fav)
Lemonade
Fresh made Tea
Sugar
Ice
Sliced lemon

* Take a high ball glass (or even a Mason Jar would look pretty cool ) and rim the glass with sugar. Then fill with ice. Pour vodka in over ice. Then fill glass about 3/4 of glass with Lemonade, then last 1/4 with your tea. Mix, garnish with lemon and enjoy!!

Being a Mom of 4 sometimes I just have to throw a meal together, but not a meal that has the flavors of a TV dinner or nutrition of fast food! So here is a secret of mine...I get a little help from others! ;-) Well the other night I was so busy all day that by the time I got home everyone was hungry and crabby. I had to come up with something quick yet up to my standard of flavors and healthy! So here is what I came up with and it was a hit with my family.  ENJOY!
ps...I would like to thank Harry & David for the great flavor of my dinner! (Remember I said I get a little help sometimes! lol!

Grilled Glazed Chicken

6 chicken thighs with skin

1 jar of Harry & David Pepper Onion Relish

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Instructions

• Place your chicken on a platter and drizzle the olive oil over them and generously sprinkle the salt and pepper on them. Then let them sit to room temperature.
• Place on grill with medium heat and close lid.
• While the chicken is on grill take the jar of relish and put in a bowl. Then with a fork work the relish to be more smooth and sauce like. It may take a few minutes.
• When the chicken is about done then glaze the chicken with the sauce and grill til chicken is cooked through.

                                            http://www.harryanddavid.com/

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with a Port Wine Dressing

    So since I have been in the kitchen trying new things out I thought that I would share my recipes with you! Well I went to one of the local farmer’s market this weekend and at almost every stand there were beets.  I thought to myself since I am on the mission of changes and trying new things I must grab a bunch of beets! I was scared because I have never worked with beets besides opening a can (yes I’ll have to say this is a little embarrassing to admit to all my foodie friends, but I have to tell the truth!) After a little research on how to work with these little “diamonds in the rough”, I came up with a recipe for them.   I hope you try it because the time it takes is so worth it! Enjoy!!

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with a Port Wine Dressing

Roasted Beets

1.      5-6 beets with greens trimmed and washed

2.      Olive Oil

3.      Salt/Pepper

4.      One small shallot , sliced

5.      Rosemary

6.      Two sheets of foil

*Preheat oven to 400*F*

Line a cookie sheet with a piece of foil. Place the washed and trimmed beets on the foil. Generously cover them with the olive oil. Take about a palm full of each spice (salt, pepper, and rosemary) and sprinkle them over the beets. Turn the beets on the foil to make sure all sides are covered. Then take the shallots and toss them in with the beets. Take the last piece of foil and cover the beets. Slightly roll the edges of the foil all around to form a “basket” like shape.  Place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on size of beets.  When you can pierce the beets with a fork smoothly then they are done.  Once cooled then peel skin off with a knife and then dice.

*Save the drippings with the shallots for the dressing.

Salad

1.      Fresh Arugula washed and patted dry

2.      Goat cheese

3.      Diced roasted beets

4.      Walnuts *optional*

5.      Port Wine Dressing

Port Wine Dressing

1.      One cup of a dry Port Wine

2.      Two tbsp. of cherry preserves

3.      The drippings from the roasted beets, shallots included.  

4.      Dash of salt and pepper

5.      ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar

6.      3 tbsp. of sugar

7.      ¾ cup of olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil and sugar in a large pan over medium heat. Bring liquid mixture to a slight boil and boil till sauce starts to thicken. (About 5 minutes after boil) While boiling use a whisk to mixture and scrape bottom and sides. At the end of boil add the sugar and whisk.  Once sauce is done and cooled a bit pour sauce into processor and pulse for about a minute. Then pour olive oil slowly in processor while mixing.  Drizzle over salad and ENJOY!!

Loss of Words

Hello everyone! I just want to thank you all again for all the positive feedback I have received for this blog! It still surprises me that there are people even reading it! Lol! And I know that I thanked everyone in my last blog but I will always thank you for it! That is how much I appreciate the positive energy given to me.  It is so needed and appreciated, that’s for sure. So, THANK YOU!!

Truthfully I am having the hardest time writing this blog.  Do you know I tried 3 different ways and none of them felt right to me?  So as I sat here staring at my screen, blaring some Ben Folds, it occurred to me to just write that. Write about this being hard and maybe something will come to me on why I am having trouble.  I mean who really wants to spill their feelings, right? Okay, okay I usually am one who does NOT mind giving my thoughts on anything, so why now? Am I really out of things to say???!! Geez put this one down in the record books!

What I really feel that is going on is that I am working on some things personally and before I can talk about them I have to understand them myself.  I feel so good at my attempt and success at that pride thing, and yes I know it was only once but at my own words to my daughter today when teaching her how to dive, “After you do the very first one, the rest will be a synch!” And I have even been trying new things in the kitchen which is my own therapy and how I love it!! I am also looking into trying to learn the guitar…my poor family! Lol! Oh and I WILL NOT promise to not sing! Just sayin… ;-)

I am on a road to something, may it be a road to feelings of inner peace, and happiness, I can only hope, but it is a road that I look forward to walking.  So thank you for going on this journey with me, it makes a road less travelled on a little less scary when you don’t have to do it alone.  Until next time…

XOXO,

Sarah

Ps…Double post tonight! I just had to add a new recipe I tried this weekend! Enjoy!