Whatever! Stuffed Peppers

/Funny Thing: After making this dish, Hubby and I were watching Christina Cooks on Create PBS, and she made a very similiar recipe for Stuffed Peppers  However, Christina is Very Vegan and I am a very liberal carnivore.  This recipe rates a happy moderate with high ratings from Youngest Son.

Whatever Stuffed Peppers: Here's the thing, most of this recipe is made from leftovers that I had in my fridge.  But you might have something that is similiar that would work as well.  Let us see....

3 cups long grain rice (wild or brown would be good too)  I used leftover rice from a turkey kielbasa recipe that I made Monday for supper.

1 cup of cooked chicken (leftovers from Sunday Dinner)

4 Green peppers from the FM on Saturday; 4 for a 1.00 (Christina used roasted red peppers) Cut from the top and clean out well

1 small onion chopped

1 can tomato sauce

4 basil leaves from your garden, chopped nicely (don't you just love the smell of chopped basil?? heavenly...)

1 tbls chopped oregano from your garden

2 tsps parsley from  your or someone else's garden (:D)

2 tsps raw sugar

2 tsps sea salt

1/8 cup red wine

1 clove garlic, crushed

Parboil the peppers in a small amount of water (don't mine look particularly attractive in my red pot from Crazy Dee?) Parboiling is cooking/steaming just a bit to soften but not mushing the peppers; makes them pliable

Mix the sauce ingredients (in green print) I just use the can to mix it all up in then stir it with a knife. Just do it to save clean up. I know.Combine the rice and the chicken and the onion together; add a third of the sauce to the mixture; stuff the peppers with the chicken/rice/sauce mixture.

Place the peppers in an oven proof casserole and add the rest of the sauce and rice mixture if you have more than you need to stuff the peppers.  I sprinkled some Italian Bread Crumbs over the tops then added about a cup of shredded mozzarella over it all.  Bake at 350 degrees till cheese is melty and a bit brown.
Peppers will be very hot for some time after removal so be careful!
And enjoy you not-very-vegan meal!
(We added some of our Farmer's Market corn on the cob to round out the loveliness....!)

p.s.  Would you like the Turkey Kielbasa recipe too?? An oldie but a goodie....!

Farmer's Market Bag!

Every Saturday, as I get ready for the Farmer's Market, I think of how fortunate those of us in isolated Southern Indiana are to have such an assortment of fresh grown, mostly organic produce.  The FM is truly a highlight in these southern counties and I for one like to celebrate it.  While getting ready for The Retreat this summer, I thought it was only fitting that my guests should have their own Market Bag to corral all their purchases.  It was during that process that I received my first copy of MaryJane's Farm magazine.  Within it's wondrous innards, I was pleased as punch to find the pattern for the Perfect Market Bag.  Sensibility told me that to make eleven of them in time for The Retreat, was a bit of a stretch.  But maybe one.  Maybe mine, could be the first of many MaryJane Farm's Upcycled Market Bags!  It got taken out for it's maiden voyage this past Saturday.  I must say, I felt rather proud wearing an official Market Bag.  Especially when a lady in a crocheted products booth was eyeing it carefully.  I could see her trying to figure out the pattern from where she sat.  This little sweetie is embarrassingly easy and you can bet that there will be more to come.  Eldest/Admin wanted it terribly, but she saw that the practicality for her, armed with baby paraphernalia, would probably not be doable.  She did, however, order one with longer handles for her Mama Multihanded Needs.  Could I alter the pattern?  With sisal twine invested, you can't really waste for the effort!  I shall attempt this challenge!

So my Little Market Bag shall accompany me every Saturday.  I shall trade my blackberries, corn, tomatoes and wee little Amish pies soon for squash and more autumnal veggies.
But probably not the books.  As you can see, Youngest Son, scored quite a pile again this week.  He's on his own carrying his Book Obsession. 
Or maybe.  Maybe he needs a Mega Mama Made Market Bag for his book purchases.....!!

Hmmmmmmm..........

The Payoff

Low calorie dessert; frozen yogurt! (yeah, keep telling yourself, Deb....)

My Handy Hubby.....His design made with garage sale finds! (and why should he shave on Saturday?)

How I love how beautiful the little baby Shetler pies are!

Two lines full!

Farmer's Market score!

Today was one of those days that as a young mom of four children, I would dream of.

I knew with all my heart that these days would come. The image would come into my mind, but the pressing issues of the day (hour) would be seen to, and the day would end and I would be pleased to be where I was. But I knew there was a next step, a phase that would be altered by inevitable growing up and going away by the beloved children.

Take heart, young mama...

Embrace these days and know that the next phase awaiting is blissful as well...

Recipe for a Lovely Day:

1. Sleep in a bit. (normally waking up at 3 something, makes even 7, great!)

2. Get ready for the FM in the AM with the 2G's and their mama.

3. Buy an abundance of fresh vegetables and a wee little Amish blackberry pie

4. Come home to hang on the clothesline, all the linens purchased yesterday. Ahh, freshly laundered sheets! Love it....

5. Wave to the Spears out for a walk with a new stroller, guaranteed to handle our city's wonky sidewalks; Father and son follow on bikes. Good neighbors, great friends....

6. Grill burgers for lunch.

7. Take a long walk with Dixie and hubby.

8. Sit on the porch and embroider a sampler that I bought in 1974 and just recently found (I know, I know...!) post walk. Discuss our retirement plan....

9. Commence puttering: Pat making a thread rack for my work area; me, out in the garden trimming my crazy wild echinacea.

10. Thinking about supper; purchased a filet yesterday for 5.00! a 16.00 per pound filet, on the meat mark down rack at the grocery....Amish sweet corn; Pat's Amazing Tomato Salad with the tomato gift from the 2G's mama (her patrolman hubby, 2G's daddy, delivered the sack of delectable maters in the police car....Small town life....)

11.__________________________________That was the silence during the meal. Not for lack of conversation; for pure concentration of an amazing meal of grilled filet, sweet corn and tomato salad.....With a dessert of frozen yogurt and the mini blackberry pie

12. Hubby has cleaned up the kitchen while I write this.

Gotta love the Third Act of Life....

off to market

I have two little friends that I call the 2G's; Grant and Gracie. They are 2 years and 7 months. Their mama is a special friend to me and together, we enjoy sharing our faith walk, our sewing adventures and now, during the summer, we have been attending our local Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. The 2G's mama refers to it as 'doing the FM in the AM'! And I love it.

The children seem to love the bustle, the music, the aroma of fresh produce and plants and of course, the lovely baked goods. Grant, particularly literate, enjoys the 'Buck a Book/Book a Book' wagon, which generously gives each child attending, a book of their own for free. Each week, he approaches the cart like a miser with gold. He usually knows immediately which story book will go home with him and he is usually busy enough with his new book, to let Mama and I pick out one for Gracie. Her literate tastes is currently dealing with literal tasting at her stage, but we make sure to get good book to add to her collection when she is as interested in reading as Brother Grant. We continue on to see what local artists and gardens have produced during the week. We stop many times to answer questions about the darlingness of the 2G's and their two seater stroller, packed high with goodies from the market. Grant knows that we look at everything before we join the Amish children at the playground. He is that good that he patiently waits without complaint because he knows that his mama will be good on her word and take him to play on the playground equipment while his Nana Deb stays with Gracie Beth.

I love watching Mama and son play on the swings and merry go round together. I love watching Grant interact with all the children and I love it when he waves at me sitting there with Gracie and yells a friendly, 'Hi Nana!'.

Today, we purchased blackberries, tomatoes,corn on the cob, baby eggplants, a pie and a loaf of Amish made bread. We both look forward to sharing these fresh items with our families. But both of us know that the sharing of the time and the experiences on these warm summer Saturdays, will stay with us for many summers to come...