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stuffed.pepper.bake.
Simple weeknight dinner for those cold, snowy nights in early January for you all tonight.
So stuffed peppers are a common dinner in our area. Meat, rice, cheese, sauce, stuffed in a bell pepper and baked until done. Pretty simple. But kids don’t always like the look of big green bell peppers coming at them. So we try to spice things up, and tonight, went for a bit of a deconstructed stuffed pepper bake, and it was a hit!
Basics:
- 5 green bell peppers
- 1 lb. organic grass fed beef
- 2 bags of microwave ready jasmine rice
- 1 28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes (if not avail – petite diced Hunts will also do)
- 2 medium sweet onions
- 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Spices
- salt. black pepper. white pepper. garlic.
- paprika. cayenne.
So we have fun just kind of cooking by instinct – i.e. with no set plan or recipe. So we took a traditional stuffed pepper and deconstructed it to make it more appealing to the kids.
Chop the peppers & onions. Saute on medium high with lid cracked to also steam them (to soften). Remove lid after soft to create some browning. Scoop from pan, and then brown the meat. Drain. Add butter, peppers, onions, rice, and stir. If pan gets too dry, add a little more olive oil.
After a few moments, add the meat, crushed tomatoes, spices, and mix. Remove from heat, sprinkle with an even layer of shredded parmesan cheese, and bake in 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes, more for extra crispy rice and less for a “wetter” dinner.
If you’re like us, you can also set the oven to the warm setting after about 20-25 minutes and just let it hang for a bit while we’re having fun with the kids.
We served the meal with some buttered toast and a Caesar salad kit salad with Olive Garden dressing. Easy.
Probably about 10-15 minutes of active cooking, and the rest just letting it bake and hang.
We do meals like this quite a bit, so I’ll try my best to post when we come across an experiment gone right, especially if it’s an easy one to put together.
jess.
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christmas.day
The big day has come and gone. The wonder and excitement on the kids faces, the warmth of family conversation, and a good meal help to put a stamp on every Christmas season.
Sometimes, when the day is done, a wave of sadness hits knowing that one more year has passed, one more Christmas for our little babies, one less Christmas with the being so little. I know as New Years approaches many people take time to reflect on the year and what lies ahead, and it is natural to feel a yearning for time past, for time to slow down. Those feelings hit me hard this year, with knowing Natalie will be 10 (10!) already next year and her single digit Christmas days are in the rear-view mirror. But then I look at the excitement our 6, 4, and 2 year old have, and know that there will be many, many more special Christmas memories, and while they may be different as they grow, they will still be cherished and beautiful.
Santa was very generous this year, but with 4 little ones, we were pretty happy that our house wasn’t completed overloaded with presents. The girls got a new Barbie House, lots of new Barbies, American Girl dolls, sand art, and lots of fun games to play. Cameron saw his day filled with excavators, big and small, a new red tractor to ride on, and lots of rough and tumble toys to play with.
We always do an aromatic breakfast of uncured bacon, scrambled eggs, orange juice, and some form of bread (this year we had Pillsbury Crescents) after all the presents have been unwrapped. Tom has had that tradition since he was young, as have I, and it is amazing how smells can trigger your memory – to this day, the smell of bacon & eggs reminds him of Christmas morning.
Since the kids were little, we have hosted our family at our house, so upwards of 20 people or more can show up. This year, the gathering was a bit smaller, but still north of 12. We had two hams which went in the oven shortly after breakfast and slow cooked for about 4 hours, just in time for a 3:30 dinner call. We also made 10 pounds of mashed potatoes, 12 pounds of green beans, and 10 pounds of corn. Needless to say, there was plenty of food, and plenty of leftovers to send home with everyone.
Another fun tradition we do in our extended family gathering is “now you have it, now you don’t,” or some variation thereof, to add some fun to the evening. This year, we did a pass the potato style, with everyone passing their gift until the music stopped. At the end, everyone had a shot to trade their gift with someone else prior to unwrapping. It was a lot of fun, and made for some great memories.
As we close out 2021, and say goodbye to another wonderful Christmas season, my wish for you is that you have many memories of Christmas, and many blessings for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!
jess.
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favorite.tradition.
As the big day approaches, we continue to check major milestones off of our “must do” list for the season. Of all the traditions, one of the simplest but most special is our annual Christmas light hunt.
It really is as simple as it sounds. We pick a day on the calendar, wait until dark, get our comfy PJs and some hot chocolate, possibly make a quick detour at Starbucks, and put on some of our favorite Christmas tunes, and drive around the streets, neighborhoods, and towns near our house for a night of Christmas joy.
Tonight, we sampled new music from Ed Sheehan and Elton John, timeless favorites like The Carpenters and Neil Diamonds Christmas Album, some 98 Degrees, Mariah Carey, Polar Express, Ben Rector, and more. We do our best to sing along to every song we know by heart, and muddle through the ones we don’t with gusto.
It did seem that more houses were “dark” this year than usual, and our hope is this is a temporary malady caused by the strains of the past two years. Even though some homes weren’t fully in the spirit, we did catch a full light-show spectacular at one home that included a radio station tuned to the lights, with lights timed to TSO, Alan Jackson’s ‘Let it Be Christmas,’ and more.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, our beloved Chocolate Lab, Brody, turned 13 today. We celebrated him with a birthday serenade, silly pictures, and special dog bone treats to help him ring in the new big year. Our other dog, Milo, also has a big day coming up, turning just 14 in a few short weeks.
Even though dog years has our dogs pegged as “seniors,” they still provide us with lots of fun and enjoyment. We are thankful for the years we have gotten to spend with them, and are hopeful that we still have some years left before they leave us.
With only 48 hours until Santa starts his special flight, we pray that everyone stays safe, healthy, and gets the chance to enjoy this Christmas with full hearts.
jess.
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5 more sleeps.
So at this point in the year, things are wrapping up (no pun intended) quickly, and the excitement and anticipation of Christmas has taken full-on hold of the house. Morning calendar movements and chocolate calendars, Charlie the Elf hiding spots, Christmas movies and even board games have pretty well taken over daily life at this point.
In addition to the usual fun, we had the chance to visit Dutch Wonderland, a kids theme park designed for the very small and the small at heart crowd, complete with festive lights and a very cold afternoon and evening. Those two elements helped to reinforce the season nicely, as the so-far mild December weather has been a bit of a damper on the usual chill Christmas air.
Can you believe it is only 5 sleeps until Christmas morning? Each night, as the kids fall asleep, I try to think back to my childhood, and reminisce about that feeling, that special childhood excitement that comes at this time of year. Is it just about the prospect of gifts? Is the the cookies? The songs? Candy canes? Outings? Clearly, the season of Christmas is all of these things and more, wrapped up in a shiny, twinkling package that can be just as exciting for adults as for those precious children currently snuggled in their beds.
Earlier in the season, we made a short-list of “must see” movies this year, and it had the usual suspects, like The Santa Claus, Home Alone, Elf, A Christmas Carol, Charlie Brown, The Grinch, and the Polar Express, but has also expanded now to the likes of “Christmas Chronicles” and “all Hallmark movies” (which is a big number). While Cameron and Autumn will sit some, the movie watching is definitely more geared towards the older girls, who loves to stay up after the little ones go to bed and hang with mommy & daddy to watch a show or movie.
We have gotten through most of the movies on our list, but Charlie Brown, The Star, Home Alone 2, and maybe even Miracle on 34th Street still beg of our time. What Christmas classics does your family have on their must see list, and to that end, which ones have you saved for the final run-up to Christmas?
In spite of all the bad news in the world at this juncture, our goal with this blog is to stay positive, light, informative, and hopeful. We are hopeful that this post finds you well, not too stressed, and exciting for the final few days of this joyous season.
Wishing you and yours a joyous Christmas season.
jess.
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dinner & a show
The Christmas season keeps rolling on! Last evening we had the pleasure to do dinner and a show – Miracle on 34th – at Dutch Apple Dinner Theater. A typical central PA buffet style meal accompanying friendly wait staff and a nice, welcoming environment made for a good meal for us and the kids.
The real star of the evening, though, was the show. We visit Dutch Apple from time to time, and have see two other Christmas shows there over the year, but this year was special in that the girls’ best friend had the lead role, Susan, for children actors.
It was really special to watch one of the girls’ friends come out of her shell and shine on stage beside many skilled actors and hold her own. It was also good for our girls to her up on stage with the spotlight, owning her moment and the hard work that it took to get there.
Besides Susan, Kris Kringle and Doris (Susan’s mom) were standouts in front of a full house. Overall, we had a great evening with food, song, dance, and a pleasant environment. Highly recommend the facility for a low-key (or high-key) date night.
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December.1st
December. It has been a long year, but we have made it to the final chapter. And what a grand chapter it is shaping up to be.
We started off the 1st day of December with the theatrical production of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, the Musical. We typically enjoy these shows with the kids regardless of the show quality, as just time spend with our kids makes events worthwhile. We, however, were blown away by the show. The acting, singing, costumes, puppeteering, and overall adherence to the original movie was nothing short of spectacular.
The kids had fun taking turns sharing our laps and were enthralled throughout the performance. The show wrapped up with Rudolph flying through the air and the entire crowd and cast doing a Rudolph singalong.
We have lots of fun plans for the upcoming month, so keep tuning in and I will keep you updated on all the latest happenings.
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deck the house. the beach house.
A getaway weekend to the beach. Windy and cold, even some Grinch! The girls had some extra time off school, and we took advantage with a getaway to the beach house. We usually try for a getaway around Thanksgiving, and this year we were blessed with cold but sunny days to enjoy some Christmas spirit.
Yesterday we spent some time decorating the tree, putting out some decor, and then took a trip down to see the Winterfest lights, a nice 3/4 mile stroll through thousands of lights to really kick things off.
Today, we had a nice, low-key day with a trip to the Inlet and beach where we enjoyed some snacks and played frisbee. We wrapped up the day with a stop at the park and baking Christmas cookies (Sand Tarts / Butter Cookies) to give to the neighbors in our community. The girls always love helping with cookies, especially with decorating the sand-tarts with colorful sprinkles.
Matching jammies, as always, brought to you by Pat-Pat, my go-to for matchy match.
