Stuffed Peppers, Tonight!

Seriously, this is a NO FUSS Stuffed Pepper Slow Cooker Recipe!

We had recently moved, and wanted people to come visit us in the new house. Actually, it was the house I grew up in, but for us, as a Married Couple, it was new to us. My Folks had retired and moved to Cape Cod. So, we moved form a small apartment into the family home. We had a newborn and one on the way, and space was rapidly shrinking where we currently were.

1 pound (450 grams) Ground Meat (I used Ground Turkey, but, Pork, Beef, pretty much any ground meat is good)
1/2 cup uncooked Jasmine Rice
8 ounce (abt 250 ml) Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup (abt 60 ml) lemon Juice
1/4 cup (abt 60 ml) brown sugar
1 finely chopped onion
sprinkle some cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

• In a bowl, Mix the ground meat, uncooked rice, tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and chopped onion. Salt and pepper to taste (I don't use either for the peppers)
• Cut tops off of 5 peppers, remove seeds inside and ribs
• fill peppers, with stuffing mix
• place into slow cooker
• depending on size of cooker, add water around peppers to fill the cooker
• sprinkle cinnamon over top of peppers

I cooked my peppers on 6 hours low, for the day. I check on the donen-ness of the rice, about 5 or so hours into cooking.

Into the basement to my grow lights for some fresh cut ButterCrunch Lettuce!

Green Salad, w Buttercrunch and Romaine Lettuce, Carrot, Cherry Tomato, and Celery

Fresh baked rolls!
I actually buy these rolls, in the bakery section, and they are, Bake Fresh! Take them home, pop them into the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. These are Sea Salt Ciabatta Rolls

The things with our Apps Nights? we had a standing open house. UNLESS we let you know otherwise, it was a a drop in, bring what you wanted, kind of night. We had invites open to a dozen couples and a half dozen singles. People simply showed up, we never truly knew who was coming... or when. Sometimes the night ended early, by 7 or 8. Sometimes, it went longer into the wee hours. It was just that, a relaxed, open night.

For me, I am never happier than when I am cooking and preparing food for friends and family. And when the food comes from my garden? DOUBLY Thrilled! It's driving me crazy, these middle of winter, snow on the ground, cold days and nights. I want to wander to my garden and pick fresh food for my family and my cooking.

I guess, settling for a few simple herbs and a bit of greens for the salad is the best that I can do, during these LONG winter nights!