Sausage stuffed peppers

Tonight's dinner was a keeper so I am writing it down to remember it.

Sausage and rice stuffed bell peppers

5 bell peppers (I used red, yellow and orange ones)
1 onion
1 package of spicy sausage meat (I had to use links, I used 5 and took them out of the casings)
About 3 cups of cooked brown rice
I can of Rotel, excess liquid drained off (I bought it in the states and new I would use it!)
2 cups of frozen corn kernels
Mozzarella cheese
Salt and Pepper
Oil

1.  Cook the rice.  The recipe I adapted used white rice but I liked the brown in this dish.
(When I had Gestational Diabetes I realized that I have a tough time with white rice so I don't make it much anymore)

2. Dice and saute the onion in a bit of oil.  When onion is soft and translucent, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

3. Cook the sausage (remove it from the casing first) and crumble it well.

4. Once the sausage is cooked, add the onion, corn (frozen is fine), 1 can of Rotel and the cooked rice to the pan.  Cook for another 10 minutes or so until the corn is warm and the excess liquid cooks off.

While the pan of corn, sausage, Rotel and rice cooks, heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the peppers in half from stem to bottom, clean out the seeds and place on a baking sheet.  Salt and pepper the pepper halves and place them in the oven for 10 min to start to cook.  After ten minutes, remove the peppers and spoon the sausage mix into them until they are heaping full.  Bake for 10 min at 400 degrees then remove from the oven and add mozzarella cheese to each one, bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese melts.

I served these with sour cream and they were very, very tasty.  We have left over mix and we will have it in wraps tomorrow for lunch with cheese, lettuce and sour cream, salsa would be good too.

Enjoy!!

-E

Pumpkin Patch 2012!!

We did our fourth annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch today!  It is still awesome and still very odd.  We met our old neighbours there and the kids had a great time.  They have some awesome displays in the wooded area and a ton of pumpkins and they still have all of the farm animals and the tractor rides.  A great deal for $4 a person!!

This is our attempt at getting a picture of both Maelle and Loic anywhere near pumpkins.  Not a success!!  She was tired and he was ready to go home.  Next year!

My "I can't smile when I am told to" child :)

The not so politically correct "Indian" display...

Our awesome tractor ride

Happy Loic

It was so very cold out today but it was lovely and sunny out too.  Maelle napped in the Ergo for most of the visit - unlike our first visit there with baby Loic when we showed him everything - we just chased 3 year old Loic around today and let Maelle nap.  Ahhh second babies :)

-E

Cookies

Well, these last 5 baby pounds (from Loic (!) not Maelle) are not going anywhere anytime fast if I keep making these cookies:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oatmeal-chocolate-coconut-chewy/

Now, to make these even BETTER I don't add one cup of chopped nuts but instead I add one cup of these amazing caramel bites - I got mine at Gourmet Warehouse.  Oh my gosh, these are good cookies. They are also good without the caramel bites but they do add something extra.

I am almost out of flour and chocolate chips and I figure if I don't restock for a while I can't make them either :)

Enjoy!

-E

Garden Update and a few pics

Today, in the pouring rain, we got a lot accomplished.  Loic was at Yma's house for a few hours so I worked in the garden and Rob helped me when Maelle took her morning nap.  We did the following:

-planted the apple tree we dug out of a client of my Dad's garden (it was in too much shade).  We put it in the back, by our shed, where it will get a lot of sun

-planted 38 cloves of garlic (I feel like I need to plant more but this my first year planting garlic so I might see how it goes with this many.  I made a chart for you Ryan so that I can report back on the 6 varieties you gave me that I planted)

-planted 3 dwarf blueberries - also from the client of my Dad's, she is such a nice lady.  I put them in the front yard in front of the row of raspberries I put in this spring.  I can't wait, we can pick berries next summer!

We were also given 4 large blueberry plants but haven't decided exactly where to put them yet.  They will go in the front yard but we are in the process of figuring out exactly what to do with the front yard. We know we are going to rip out the lawn and put in raised beds for veggies but haven't decided where to put them.

CSA veggie box veggies - I served these on Monday for our Thanksgiving dinner (two kinds of carrots, beets, red onion, parsnip, potatoes and brussels sprouts)

The delicious spider cake my mom made

Cute baby alert!!

The dogs are doing well.  I have been taking them on Thursdays for a hike up Lynn Headwaters, which they have enjoyed.  We have also been going down Mosquito Creek and to our old standby, Bridgeman.  Tyler goes with Emma on Wednesdays for a group hike - which he loves - and it gives me a day off!

-E

Ham 3 ways (For Erin)

We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend.

Dinner Sunday night was at Dave and Linda's house - Erin, you missed an awesome dinner!  Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, TWO kinds of stuffing and a deep fried chicken.  The chicken was a test chicken to see if Dave liked the deep frying method; I am not sure if it will become the tradition or not.  Dessert was made by my mom and was equally delicious - her German apple cake was one of the best desserts I have tasted.

Dinner Monday night was here for my folks and Don, Peg and the 3 boys.  We had another great night!  I made a roast ham and a huge plate of roasted root veggies (two colours of carrots, potatoes, red onion, parsnip, beets) and roasted brussels sprouts.  All the veggies came from our CSA box.  We also had two types of roasted squash (just brushed with a bit of butter and brown sugar) and a tomato salad.  YUM.  My mom made an awesome spider cake - I will add the photos soon - and it was TASTY - apple, toffee deliciousness.

So, we had leftover ham to use and I decided to make two dishes: split pea soup and scalloped potatoes with ham and onions.

The soup was delicious, I have made it before and got the recipe from Chatelaine.  Erin - this is an EASY soup to make and if you don't have a ham bone left over to use, buy a ham hock.

In a pot in one tablespoon of oil sautee:  two diced carrots, two diced stalks of celery, one diced onion, two cloves of garlic (diced), two bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Cook for about 5 min then add in your ham hock (or left over ham bone) and 4 cups of chicken stock (I used homemade but any reduced sodium stock will work) plus three cups of water.  Add in two cups of dried split peas and you are good to go!
Simmer on low for a few hours until the peas break down.  Then, take out the ham hock and remove any meat and remove the bay leaves.  Then blend half the soup in a blender or use an immersion blender to make the soup slightly creamy with some veggie pieces left.  Add back into the soup any pieces of ham you have left and heat through then serve.
I served it with homemade garlic bread and a green salad.  So delicious.

Tonight I made scalloped potatoes with ham and I just invented the recipe.  Also super easy but it did take a long time to cook.

You need:

5 large russet potatoes (Erin - baking potatoes)
One onion
left over ham, diced (optional)
2 cups of milk
4 Tablespoons of butter
4 Tablespoons of flour
Pepper
1 teaspoon of dried mustard powder
Cheddar cheese (I didn't measure, a lot)
Cheese whiz (gasp!  I stole the ingredient from my Mom's scalloped potatoes) a few Tablespoons

Peel and slice potatoes quite thinly, a quarter of an inch maybe?
Slice the onion the same thickness.

In a pot melt the butter then add in the flour.  Stir until bubbly and heated through.  Add in the milk and stir until thickened (a few minutes).  Then add in the pepper, cheddar cheese, cheese whiz, and mustard powder.  Once the cheese has all melted, taste it.  If it tastes cheesy and delicious you are good to go!  If not, add in more cheese until it is just right.

Then - make your scalloped potatoes.

In a large lasagna sized pan put some of your cheese sauce then a layer or two of potatoes, a layer of onion slices and some ham.  Add more sauce then repeat - sauce, potatoes, onion, ham, sauce etc.

Bake at 375 forever.  No, until the potatoes are done :)  It took at least 2 hours but it is quick to assemble and then you just throw it in the oven and forget it.

So there you have it!  Ham 3 ways :)
Erin, I would like you to report back what you make!

- E

Happy 6 Months Baby!

My tiny little baby is 6 months old - where did the last 6 months go?!

She is still such a happy baby :)  We are slowly introducing her to solid foods, she likes baby oatmeal and a few fruits and sweet potatoes, plus she likes those baby rice crackers.  

She makes the cutest little sounds and has started to say "Mum mum mum mum mum!" which is adorable.  She also still LOVES Loic and watches his every move.  She is quick to laugh and smiles at everyone who looks towards her.

Rob hated this outfit but I love the little layered skirt and snazzy bow!!

Look at those thighs!!!  And those huge eyes!!! Adorable.

Sweet sleepy baby

Blurry shot but shows off her personality :)

Happy 6 months baby!  We love you so so much.

-E