Unstuffed Pepper Casserole

This was a very easy and filling dish!  Kudos to Kraft.  I get a lot of good recipes from their website. 

 Unstuffed Pepper Casserole

1 lb.  lean ground beef  (I used Italian Sausage)

2 green peppers, coarsely chopped

3 cloves  garlic, minced

2 cups cooked long-grain white rice

1 jar  (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce (I like Newman's Own)

1-1/2 cups  KRAFT Shredded Italian* Five Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Brown the meat with peppers and garlic in large skillet; drain.   

Stir in rice, spaghetti sauce and 3/4 cup cheese.

Spoon  into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining cheese.
Bake 25 min. or until heated through.

 Wow.  Look at all that cheese!

 

I served with a salad made of spinach, mushrooms, and olives and it all disappeared. 

Like magic! I will  be making this one again.

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Mealplan Monday #36 with Darling Darla

A pretty girl I lunched with at Panera:

 and her alter ego "Darla".

 They really aren't all that different!  Both sassy.  And silly.

Monday - Taco Rice (using up leftover rice with some cheese, taco meat, black beans), salad
Tuesday - Chicken (unsure as to how to fix...suggestions?)
Wednesday - Eggs, bacon, biscuits, OJ
Thursday - Pumpkin Ziti
Friday - Deli sammies and chips (boys camp)
Saturday - YOYO
Sunday - Leftover Thanksgiving freezer meal

 

Oh, my.

So glad both of her are enjoying college!

Gina

Mealplan Monday #35 and kitchen trees

Thanksgiving is this week!  I can't believe how quickly it has sneaked up. The menu this week is rather simple, and I have so much shopping to do. But I spent 10 minutes last week crafting something cute for the kitchen window seat:

Little potted pines!  

Monday - Scalloped potatoes with ham, salad
Tuesday - Dr. Martin's Mix, hot bread
Wednesday - Mom's Birthday!  Mom and Dad out, boys get freezer pizza and a movie.
Thursday - Breakfast is cinnamon rolls, bacon, gingerbread cocoa
                    Lunch is Thanksgiving Meal
                    Dinner will be turkey sammies
Friday - Turkey Soup for dinner, smoked brisket with all the trimmings mid-day
Saturday - Dad grill?
Sunday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, salad

  

Here's how I made my little pots:

 

  I started with a cheapo "pine table tree" from Big Lots.

Got a medium sized terra cotta pot. 

Set a can of tomatoes inside to help my little tree stand taller!

Stuffed newspaper all around it to stabilize it and fill the space.

Added in some natural moss.

 

And tied a sprig of burlap ribbon on the top. 

No watering needed, ha ha.

Gina

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Favorite Thanksgiving foods

Every year I ask my peeps: "What's the one dish you need to have to make it Thanksgiving"?  We usually have cream cheese stuffed jalapenos for appetizers and the fixings for Bloody Mary's.  We munch on Crispix Mix and pore over the sale ads in the paper.  And there's a whole lotta cookin' going on!

The Girl always asks for Green Bean Casserole.  Always.  But last year I got her to make the Bourbon and Orange Pecan Pie and I think pie-making will be her specialty!  I also make a Walnut Pumpkin Pie that has a graham crust and a buttery walnut topping.

Firstborn does love the sweet potatoes.  I bake sweet potatoes, cool and peel them, cut into chunks, then top with butter, brown sugar, and crumbled smokey maple bacon before re-heating in the oven.  Oooh, they are so good on leftover turkey Shepherd's Pie!

Bubbie loves this Watergate Salad, also lovingly called Gopher Guts at my house. 

Watergate Salad
1 small box instant pistachio pudding
1 small can crushed pineapple, un-drained
1 c. mini marshmallows
1 small container Cool-whip
Put un-drained pineapple in a bowl, add pudding powder and mix well.  (I strain the nuts out first cause we don't like the hard bits)  Add marshmallows, then fold in Cool-whip and chill, covered.

The cranberry sauce is my favorite.  I follow the recipe on the bag of cranberries and add the juice and rind of one large naval orange in with the measurements.  So good!  And the leftover cranberry sauce gets used in Cranberry Oatmeal Bars.

 Scout's  favorite is Corn Casserole that is super simple and very rich:

Corn Casserole
Melt one stick of butter in a 13x9 casserole dish.  Pour melted butter into a bowl to mix with:
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 package cornbread mix
1 small container sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
Pour all into the buttered dish and bake for one hour

We brine the turkey every year and our favorite brine calls for brown sugar, peppercorns, and bourbon.  And the dressing is always cornbread based, with lots of spices onions, and celery.  I can smell it now, the kitchen warm and cozy.

  Can't wait!

Gina

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Mealplan Monday #34, with nesting and sprucing, too

Recently I spent some time nesting, organizing, and cleaning

Behold the wonder that is the crapified bar separating the den from the kitchen.  The lighting in here is terrible unless there is bright sun outside.  On Halloween night, the boys kept complaining that they couldn't see where the pizza was.

I moved the little bedside lamps from Mom and Dad's room to in here. This is so much better, especially at night when we are in here watching TV or eating.  Not to mention cleaner, as I wiped everything down and did some clearing of the clutter.

They give off a soft gold glow, which is perfect at either end of the bar. 

Monday - Pumpkin Chili, cornbread
Tuesday - Chicken Piccata, rice, green beans
Wednesday - Turkey Sloppy Joes, tots
Thursday - Country Herb Chicken and Dumplings
Friday - Beef and Bean Burritos, corn
Saturday - Dad grill
Sunday - Freezer leftovers, salad

 

I found these pretty wooden bases on clearance and bought two small and one large matching shades to spruce up our bedroom.  The light is brighter because it doesn't have to fight the colored shade.  Now I can read in here without falling asleep after 10 minutes.

 

And when HomeGoods opens, I will go hunting for toss pillows and bed linens.  

Gina

Split Pea and Ham Soup

Soup sounds good, since the temps are now more in the Fall range. 

Here's a good one that uses up leftovers on a weekend when everyone is camping and Firstborn and I have the house to ourselves:

I start with a split pea soup kit and add cubed ham, leftover carrots, and two baked potatoes from grill night - I didn't peel them, as Hubby always seasons the outsides of them before wrapping in foil and grilling.

Just follow the directions on the package, then ten minutes before eating, 
stir in the cooked veggies.

Soup and cornbread - the original comfort food combo!
Hooray for cooler weather - one more thing to be thankful for in November.

Gina

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Mealplan Monday #33 and all that drudge...

Scenes from a Monday morning:

Grouchy kid, empty fridge

 

Halloween stuff stacked on top of said empty fridge.

Trash and recycles waiting by the front door.

Monday - Meatballs in sauce, masheds, brussels sprouts
Tuesday - Creamy Portabella Chicken Pot Pie
Wednesday - Undone Stuffed Pepper and Italian Sausage Casserole, salad
Thursday - Crock Pot Country Veggies with chicken sausage
Friday - BBQ sammies, chips
Saturday - YOYO (camping weekend) Tilapia for mom
Sunday - Freezer leftovers, salad

On Mondays I have my work cut out for me.

Gina

Omelettes for dinner

We don't do full breakfasts here...we save those for dinner!
Recently, there was a series of delish events in my kitchen...

 Freezer biscuits in a greased cast iron skillet get put in the oven.

Tater tots cook in a skillet with onion and a little butter - best hashbrowns ever.

 

Eggs, a bowl for whisking, and some toppings including our 

Camp Rustown Super Pepper Seasoning...

The bacon fat might get saved - oh, who am I kidding?  I never throw it out.

 

 A little butter in a hot skillet...

 Two eggs, omeletting away...

 oops.  I never said my omelettes were neat - but they are tasty.

Don't forget the cherry blueberry jelly.  
It's nice to have a solid breakfast for dinner (:
Chow call!

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