Cheesey Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers= tasted one, tasted them all. At least that is the way I feel about stuffed peppers.... that is , until you taste mine! Not only are my stuffed peppers unique in ingredients and taste, but in ease of making. The peppers are clean, cut and fill... the filling is just mix and stuff into the peppers. There is no cooking rice, sauteing ground meat, partially cooking peppers.

These are always a favorite at our home and a recipe that my guests always ask for... I often put these together in the morning , refrigerate , and then bake at dinner time. I always serve these with a side of spaghetti and homemade marinara.

You will need: 

3 large green peppers, cut in half lengthwise and cleaned out

In a bowl mix together:

1# ground beef

1 cup cottage cheese

1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 small onion, finely diced

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt 

Mix well and stuff into the peppers. Usually the mixture is in a heaping mound. 

Put in 9x13 dish. 

Bake at 350 for about 45-50 min. 

Top with some shredded cheese... You may like mozzarella or provolone... we love a super sharp on them.. bake till the cheese is melted. 

Lasagna Soup

I am way behind with my blog... I have taken pictures and intended to post the recipes when I made something I wanted to share, but I guess  Mike's procrastinating is contagious. So hopefully I will try and get caught up in one sitting.   First recipe is Lasagna soup. I stumbled across this recipe in a magazine many years ago and have tweaked it over time to make it my own. Mike and I LOVE soup in the cooler months, and living in northern NY, there are more cooler months , so I make soup a lot! The ingredients in this soup are staples in my kitchen so I make this soup frequently! 

 sweet Italian sausage links, cut in bite size pieces [or bulk Italian sausage works well also!]

1 diced onion {I have gotten so I use shallots instead} 

1 cup diced carrots

2 cups mushrooms,sliced

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

Saute together until meat is done. Then add

4 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes {I use two}

1 small can tomato sauce

Bring to a boil...then put in

1 cup small pasta {I use the mini Barilla}

Simmer 10 min. till pasta is done

Then stir in 2 cups fresh spinach till it is just wilted.

To serve, in bowl, but small cubes of diced fresh mozzarella and asiago or sharp provolone cheese.. Spoon soup over the cheeses. Then garnish soup with some grated Italian cheese. 

Turtle Brownies

The temperature has finally dropped into the 70's and for a real change, the humidity is low also, so I decided to bake something. I have really fallen in love with this brownie pan from  Pampered Chef. There are endless possibilities of things that you can prepare in it. Besides the fact that the baked goods are uniform size in it, they seem to stay fresh so much longer.

I just mixed up a brownie mix per the instructions on the box. If I am going to make box brownies, I prefer Ghiradelli brand. It is a little more expensive , but tastes like scratch brownies.
I divided the batter between the 12 parts of the pan.

Then I cut 24 Rolo's [chocolate covered caramel candy] in half and put four halves on each brownie. I topped the brownies with some chopped pecans and then baked in a preheated 325 oven for 23 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 min. Run a knife around each brownie then gently turn pan upside down on a cooling rack. Carefully remove pan.
Enjoy!!!!!!

Tangy Cucumber Salad

This salad is one I make frequently, once I am able to buy locally grown tomatoes. This salad was a part of our 4th of July cook out yesterday !!!

2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced  {I always use one english cucumber}
2 medium tomatoes, chopped 
1 small onion, diced {I prefer a shallot}
Combine the above in a bowl...Then mix up the dressing ingredients:
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano

Pour over the cucumber mixture and toss. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Turkey and Swiss salad

I just made one of my favorite summer salads for the cook out this afternoon. This is one of the easiest salads to put together and I love it that there is no mayo in it , when you have to serve it outside.

I am just guessing at the measurements..... add as much or as little of the ingredients as you like!

 Half of a 1# box of elbows {or any pasta you love... I used Pipettes!}-cooked & drained
1 slice oven roasted deli turkey , sliced 1 inch thick, then diced up
4 oz. swiss cheese, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 jar diced pimentos, drained
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Mix all together , then chill... I use my favorite salad dressing which is Garlic Expressions, that I buy at Hannaford ... and we fight over the cloves of garlic in the bottom.....

Candy bar Chocolate Chip cookies

This recipe makes a BIG batch but they will be gone before you know it!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Cream together with mixer till well blended . Then add
2 eggs, beating after each
1 tsp vanilla
Then comes all of the dry ingredients... slowly add them, mixing well after each addition:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats, that you pulverize in food processor ,till powder like
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
4 oz. Hersheys chocolate bar, finely grated {I toss it in the Vita Mix!}
1 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

When well combined, roll into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 min. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on racks..

Italian Chicken Soup

This soup is one of my favorites... not just because it is super easy or because it so delicious. It is one of my favorites because it has a history. I came across a similiar recipe in a magazine 25 years ago and with some tweaking, made it my own. It became my sister Bonnie's favorite soup. She battled breast cancer for 12 years. In the final years when eating was often difficult, she would request this soup , sometimes several times a week. This is not your typical chicken soup but I believe it has comparable healing qualities!!!
A friend had surgery yesterday so this is what I took over for their dinner today. The all powerful quick and easy chicken soup!!!!!

In 2 Tbsp. of olive oil  saute
2 chicken breasts that have been cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced 
until the veggies are tender and the chicken is done.
Then add:
1 tsp basil
1 cup water
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer , covered for 5 minutes. Add
1 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup vermicelli, broken into pieces
 Cover and simmer 10 minutes more

 Garnish with grated Italian cheese ...