Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

A friend had a baby and before I chose what to bring I decided to check her Pinterest!  I found a picture of Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole but the link didn't work so I searched a few recipes and came up with this! So yummy, easy and perfect to bring to someone who needs a meal (but make sure you make yourself one too!).  

Ingredients 

1-1.5 pound ground beef (or turkey)

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 small onion diced small

1-2 green peppers diced medium

1 jar of pasta sauce (I'd get one with lots of flavor)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

1/8 tsp pepper 

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (save 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Brown beef in a large skillet.  At the same time cook your rice.  Once meat is mostly brown add onions and peppers along with salt, pepper and seasoning.  

Once rice is cooked, peppers are softened and meat is cooked mix it all together a large bowl.  Add 1 cup cheese and pasta sauce to mixture.  

Pour mixture to a deep casserole pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake about 20 minutes until cheese is melted.

Thanksgiving aprons...can't wait to cook!

Our girls like any excuse to get together so each holiday we pick a craft or two and get together for a girls night!  With Thanksgiving around the corner we decided to take simple orange aprons from Amazon and make them our own!  

Each girl brought fabric, ribbon, decals and anything else to make them pop! We sit around, eat yummy food, drink wine and get ideas from each other! This time there was even some bartering going on:)

I chose to cut my square apron to round out the bottom and the scoop the top.  Then I took basic off white silk ribbon and bunched and glued it around the bottom and a skinnier version around the top.  This gave texture and cleaned up the ends.  

Then I hand sewed a pocket in the middle using a corduroy zig zag.  Also used that fabric to cover the ties in the back.  Lastly I added a flower to finish it off.

All of the girl'saprons looked great and our photo shoot on Jen's really awesome pallet coat rack was perfect!

Such a fun night with fun and wonderful friends!  Next time, Christmas craft night!

Grandma's Peanut Clusters

The holidays bring back such great childhood memories!  Like many Americans, food is at the center of some of them!   I remember my Grandma handing out tins of Peanut Clusters.  With the weather changing my craving for these simple candies emerged. 

I bag of chocolate chips (milk chocolate is best but I had semi sweet minis so that is what I used! I like working with the minis because they melt easy)

1-2 cups salted peanuts

1 tlb butter 

Simply melt the chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl.  I do one minute, stir, 30 sec, stir, 30 sec stir until melted.

Once chocolate is creamy add peanuts.  The amount of nuts depends on your preference.  

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop clusters of the peanut/chocolate mixture onto the wax paper.  Refrigerate.  Once set you can take out for short periods of time but best to store in fridge so the chocolate doesn't melt.

Quick Dinner Rolls (not made by the Doughboy)

Homemade bread is not as scary as people think and this dinner roll recipe is quick and easy!  Who needs Pillsbury;) 

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp warm water
• ⅓ cup oil
• 2 Tbsp yeast
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 eggs
• 3½ cups flour

Preheat oven to 400. Mix water, oil, yeast and sugar in a stand up mixer bowl.  Let sit for 10 mins.

Add salt, eggs and 2 cups flour to yeast mixture.  With a dough hook mix together.  Add additional cup of flour.  

Once mixed, flour surface and kneed dough a few times.  Roll out and shape into 12 rolls.  Let sit for 10 mins.  

Please on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Rub tops with a little bit of butter.  Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.  Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Great with cinnamon butter...just mix room temp 1 tbl butter with 1/8 tsp cinnamon 

Sweet Stew

First Snow Today!

I was so glad that while the white stuff was falling I had this amazing smelling stew in the slow cooker!  Full of sweet potatoes and apples this stew is great for fall or winter!

2 lb beef roast*

2 sweet potatoes

3 small crisp apples

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp thyme

2 tlb corn starch

2 tlb cold water

1.Cut beef into 1 inch pieces and place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup beef broth.  Sprinkle with thyme and cinnamon.  Cook on low for 4 hours.

2. After 4 hours mix corn starch and water in a small bow.  Once starch dissolves mix it in with the beef. 

3. Peel and cut sweet potatoes and apples into one inch cubes.  Add veggies to beef along with 1/2 of chicken broth.  Sprinkle addition cinnamon if desired. Cook an additional 4 hours.

* Would also be great with Pork!