Green Pepper Bake

Every once in a while we will make a meal that will last at least two days. And since I love casseroles that’s one of the more common items we make if my husband isn’t cooking. We have a great recipe for a shrimp casserole and have used it consistently. We usually serve it with rice, then a baked potato, and even with pierogi. And of course it’s always great with mashed potatoes. We came upon another great recipe called green pepper bake. And it is exactly what it says but without the trouble of carving out several green peppers. It’s more of a chop up the green peppers and mix them on the stove top with onions and garlic, along with ground meat, Italian seasonings, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, rice, cheese in and on top, and a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Then you dump it all in to a pan or two and bake it uncovered for twenty minutes. It’s well worth the effort which is not much at all - my favorite kind. My husband usually does most of the cooking and I really like everything that he makes. He just throws things together and doesn’t worry about exact measurements. I, on the other hand, have to follow the recipe to the nth degree and get all nervous about even the slightest deviation. So we made the green pepper bake this week using just green peppers (rather then green and red) this time and it really tuned out well. It was very tasty and enough for two and a half meals. Just add a bit of bread and a salad and you are set. 

The Vegetable Garden

In Wisconsin we always had a garden. There were several flower beds, pots, and window boxes. We have a nice sized patio garden here. Since we moved, we planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and eggplant. Some years have been more successful than others. Because the space was getting overwhelming to manage, we decided to put in some grass against the wall, but still maintain enough garden space for perennials, a couple pots for annuals, and a little space for vegetables. Our one tomato plant is thriving in the usual spot. Those early girls have two tomatoes in process and several buds. This year we  We attempted planting a pea vine. It started out in a pot next to a trellis but started to lose its freshness after a couple weeks. So we transplanted the vine to the fence side - in the dirt - and made a stringed trellis for it to grab on to. It doesn't matter if it grows anymore since we have at least one pea pod in sight. My husband would be devastated if it didn't do well. He's a man of few rather than many things, and each one is dearly cared for - even if it's a tiny pea pod.