Wow, I haven't posted anything since April. I'm going to have to get a move on it! Does being pregnant and tired count as an excuse? I hope so :) I will try to add something new this week!

Stuffed Peppers

Ok, I admit it. I'm addicted to reading recipes... cookbooks, online, magazines... you name it... I could spend hours reading it. I recently purchased Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004. We tried the recipe for Stuffed Peppers. It was great and very easy to make. Chris and I even ate leftovers... that says a lot!

Ingredients:

1 (3 1/2 oz) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice

4 red bell peppers

3/4 pound ground sirloin (I used ground turkey)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 ground allspice (I didn't have any in the house and it was still yummy w/o it!)

2 cups bottled tomato-and-basil pasta sauce, divided

1/2 cup (2 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup dry red wine

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450

2. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Set aside.

3. While rice cooks, cut tops off bell peppers, reserve tops. Discard seeds and membranes. Place peppers, cut sides down, in an 8-inch square baking dish, cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Cool.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and next 5 ingredients, cook 4 minutes or until beef is lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from heat. Add rice, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and cheese to beef mixture stirring to combine.

5. While beef cooks, combine 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce and wine in a small saucepan, bring to a boil.

6. Spoon about 3/4 cup beef mixture into each pepper. Place peppers in a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, add wine mixture to dish. Cover with foil.

7. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Uncover, bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve peppers with sauce. Garnish with pepper tops. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed pepper and 1/2 cup sauce)

Nutritional Information:

Calories 347

Fat 7.9g

Fiber 4.6g

Uncle Tom's Bread (Challah)

Uncle Tom's bread is a staple. It always goes over great at any and all events. He worked for days to make sure that Ryan and Sandra had a lot of loaves for there wedding.

Ingreadiants:
1 cup warm water (100 degrees - less than 130 degrees)
1 package instant dry yeast
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
4 cups flour
1 egg (beaten to brush on challah)
Poppy or sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

Mix warm water and yeast together with wooden spoon. Add sugar, salt, oil and egg - mix well. Slowly incorporate the flour, mixing well until all flour is absorbed. Cover and let stand for 1 1/2 hours in a warm place.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces and gently roll into 3 long strips (approximately 14 inches). Braid strips together, gently tucking under ends. (Dough may also be shaped into 2 smaller challahs). Cover with towel and let rise again in a warm place (1 to 2 hours); or you may bake at this point if you are short of time.

Before baking, brush challah with beaten egg and, if desired, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

(**Uncle Tom orginally got this message our of the Grand Rapids Press. It was titled 'Judy Selig's Challah Bread'. I will alway think of it as Uncle Tom's bread.)

Green Bean Casserole with Mozzarella Cheese

These beans were served at Chris' cousin Keegan's graduation party. I loved them and had to get the recipe!

Ingrediants:
2 cans drained French cut green beans
8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons grated onion (Really great the onion - I tried powder and it wasn't the same!)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed corn flakes, tossed with a few teaspoons of butter

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and sugar; blend well and continue cooking and stirring until bubbly. Stir in sour cream and cook over low heat for about 1 minute. Spread beans over the botton of a buttered casserole (11x7x2 inch baking dish) Sprinkle shredded cheese over green beans then pour sauce evenly over; top with buttered corn flake crumbs. Bake green bean casserole at 400 degees for 20 minutes...Enjoy!

Bluebird Cherry Chicken Salad

Chris' Aunts served this at my baby shower. I think that it was the best Chicken Salad recipe that I have ever tasted! Yum.


Serves 4

mix together
2 cups chicken (cooked and diced)
1 cup celery,diced
3 scallions,thinly sliced
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup dried Michigan tart cherries
1/4 cup fresh parsley,finely chopped

refrigerate while making dressing
mix together
1 cup Hellmans Mayonnaise
2 tsp. Bech's Brown Mustard
1 tbl. sugar
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. Lawreys Seasoned Salt

mix chicken with dressing
chill until use

Hamburger Soup

This soup was Chris' Grandma Jean's recipe. His Aunt E.J. made it for a baby shower about 5 years ago and I fell in love with it! Watch out - it makes A LOT of soup! It is good to make on a Sunday or Monday and have for the rest of the week!


Hamburger Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound(s) 10% fat cooked ground beef
1 cup(s) celery
1 cup(s) onion(s)
1 can sliced carrots
48 fl oz Tomato Juice From Concentrate
2 cans cream-style corn
chopped cabbage, all varieties

Instructions:
Brown hamburger, celery and onion. Drain grease.
Add remaining ingrediants. (Add Cabbage until thick to stir... about a medium head.) Season to taste with Lawry's. (I like a lot, but not everyone likes it so salty!) Simmer until Cabbage is fork tender.

Microwave Pecan Bars

These are my absolute favorite Christmas 'cookie'. I would love it when my mom made them growing up. It is a tricky recipe as the microwave time varies depending upon the microwave using. It is hit or miss on the time. You just need to watch these closely and watch the middle so that they aren't too gooey. (You may need to leave the middle a little gooey so that the edges don't get to well done. )

Ingrediants:
1 stick of butter
1 lb of Brown Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup bisquick (or jiffy mix)
2 cups chopped pecans (around 8 oz)
Powder Sugar

Directions:
Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the Brown Sugar - Stir. Add vanilla and eggs - Stir. Add bisquick - Stir. Add Pecans - Stir.

Cook on high 9 1/2 minutes (The old recipe book said if 650 watt microwave cook 10 1/2 minutes). You will need to watch and if the middle is too gooey, add more time.

Cool and Slice. Shake in a bag of Powder sugar until covered. Eat :)

Make sure that you don't wait too long to slice as they will harden up.