Well, let me start off this morning by saying to everyone who dropped by the kitchen Monday morning, it was apparent my husband Dub gave quite an account of himself. I like to use the term…running his mouth!
So this morning, I took the liberty of lining Dub up with a few “projects.” I’m sure all you ladies out there know when it comes to your “men folk,” you have to “trick em,” in order to accomplish the things you really want done. So to you younger, or newly married ladies, pay close attention!
My favorite, and what works best for me is, “Make em think…it’s their idea!” Honestly, it hardly ever fails. That said, Dub’s messin around out in the yard, instead of standin under my feet, while I’m in the kitchen with ya’ll, and to be honest…life is good! Once again, you cannot let them feel it’s something you want done, it is imperative they believe it’s their idea, and a darn good one at that!! To hear them tell it though, we can’t live without em, can we?
For today’s recipe we’ll do stuffed peppers. Once more a hamburger dish, but again, hamburger is the most versatile dish out there in my opinion, and cost efficient. In these times, especially with a family still at home, it can supply you with many different meals at a reasonable cost. Hamburger is one source of meat that can help you as our theme here in Miz Judi’s Kitchen states, to ride out the recession!
As we’ve said earlier, I use our food saver a lot. The quantities used in today’s recipe, is yet another example of why I’m such a fan of the food saver system. Once you place the product to be frozen into its bag, the food saver then extracts all the air from the bag, vacuum sealing it, a heat strip then seals the bag up. That’s it, “chunk em” in the freezer and you’re done.
With today’s recipe, using the amounts described below, Dub and I actually have 3-4 meals prepared after cooking. What’s left, I food saver and freeze to use another day. Unexpected guests… thaw em out, there’s your entrée, simple as that!
I’ve decided if I’m going to spend time prepping a meal to cook, why not just take a little more time and prepare 3-4 meals? You mess up your pots, pans, bowls and other kitchen utensils just the once, with literally the same cleanup time.
On top of that, you’re oven, or range pull a considerable amount of power, so with basically the same cooking time you’ve prepared several meals instead of just the one, which means…savings! As Dub likes to say, “Pennies make dollars,” and that’s very true.
Deb’s Stuffed Peppers:
- 3-4 lbs. hamburger
- 2 cups rice
- 5 bell peppers
- 1 large onion
(Optional stuffing’s: my other half like’s canned succotash (corn and green limas) in his. But you can use mushrooms, diced tomato, whatever you like)
While rice is cooking you can be cutting up your onion, and splitting your peppers in half, removing the seeds and washing them well. Many people cut the top out of a pepper and stuff the whole pepper, though I personally like to halve them.
Once your rice is cooked and has set a few minutes, I then mix the rice, peppers, onions and hamburger in a large bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
I then line a baking pan with aluminum foil and set my pepper halves on the pan and stuff them with the mix. I overfill the pepper slightly and then spoon over tomato sauce.
Preheat your oven to 350. I then cover the peppers with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on the number of peppers. Oven times vary with different ovens too, so just keep an eye on them.
After the appropriate cook time, take out peppers, uncover, and the bake an additional 15 minutes. This will brown them just a little. After taking the peppers out of the oven, I then spoon tomato soup over them this time and serve.
Dub also loves stuffed tomatoes, done exactly the same way!
While putting up the recipe I got tickled thinking about our husbands, sons, just basically men in general!!
I can’t emphasis enough the high regard men have of themselves, as I’m sure you already know from your own experiences dealing with our…opposite sex. Dub and our sons as well, sometimes act as if I don’t have enough sense to git in outta the rain. My bunch, sometimes nearly drive me crazy with their opinions, mannerisms, and what I’ve come to name their “know-it-allisms!” Anyway, you know what I’m talkin about.
Well, if Dub and I go to town…he drives. If one of our sons takes me to town…they drive. If one of our sons and his family come and we ALL go to town…Dub drives. In other words if I’m with anyone of the men in our family, you getting the hang of it here…I don’t drive!! Don’t ask me why, but they always say, “I got it!”
Well, our oldest son Josh was down with his family awhile back. Josh and Shelly have three boys, Devin, Landen, and Gavin. Well, they needed my Yukon moved, so Josh hollered and asked if I’d move my truck. I grabbed my keys, went out the gate and noticed our grandson Landen right beside me, step for step. The young-un was almost six at the time.
Anyway I got in the driver’s seat, cranked the truck, looked down outside the drivers widow, and there stood Landen, looking absolutely dumbfounded! I rolled the window down and asked, “Landen what’s wrong honey?” As long as I live I’ll never forget the awe in that child’s face as he declared, “Nana, I didn’t know you could drive!” Then it did dawn on me I’d never been off with him by ourselves, just the two of us, so in all honesty, he didn’t know I could drive.
I looked down at him and told him, “Yes baby, your Nana can drive…but you wouldn’t know it if you keep listenin, to your Daddy, Uncle Mark, and your PaPa, would ya!” I laugh about that to this day, that young-un was literally shocked by seeing his Nana behind the wheel of that truck!
One quick tip, if you haven’t tried the Mr. Clean eraser I think you need to. I use mine for scuff marks on my floors, cleaning my bathtub and kitchen sink, counter tops, etc. It works well for me, I was impressed.
If you have any tips of your own, I’d sure appreciate you sending them to me, for my benefit and everyone else as well! Thanks for dropping in!
Good afternoon all!
I can see already ole Deb ”fouled” me this morning by keeping me busy all morning doin chores! Only reason I agreed to it was I was needin the fresh air!
I’d like to speak a little bit today on a more serious note.
We all know the type of economic environment we’re faced with. It ain’t a purty sight, by a longshot, so let’s talk about it a few minutes, and understand, this is just my opinion. Maybe I’m right…maybe I’m wrong, but I do know my heart’s a hopin for the latter, which is my bein wrong!
I watched Stuart Varney this mornin, out in the BARN Deb, and he was discussin the economy. He spoke on gas prices in California being $4 per gallon by summer. He also mentioned food prices continuing to rise.
This is serious stuff people, and although we’ve known times are tough, if we’re not real careful we could wake up one fine mornin and be in trouble big time. As but one example, just take a peek at the amount of floodin, ice storms, tornados, etc. What if the trucks that haul our food products couldn’t for any number of reasons, deliver to our super markets? Or the cost of fuel to run these trucks goes outta sight? How many out there stop and really think about this? I hope a bunch!
Food today, to Deb and I, and a great many other people for that matter, has literally become an investment. Honestly it has, and I look at it from exactly that standpoint, and if you don’t, then I seriously feel you might want to reconsider your way of thinkin.
The time is fast approachin when you’ll not buy next week for the same price you paid for it last week, in regards to food products, heck any products. In reality, that’s fact already. I ask you to think very hard as parents, to what I’m sayin to ya.
Take for example dried beans, dried peas, rice, flour, cormeal, sugar, and if ya live in the South then grits too. These are all staples we rely on as consumers in feedin ourselves and our families. In order to live…ya gotta eat, right?
My suggestion to everyone within ear shot, start pickin up a few extras! These items are cheap, at the moment, but if inflation starts raisin its head, these products are goin to continue to get higher and higher, no doubt. My main reason to single these items out first…they’re fillers! If at all possible, once again, pick up some extra each and every week. Once again, the prices are goin up. Make an investment!
Sore bought canned goods, such as green beans, peas, corn, even canned meat, like ham, chicken, or spam are good to just “have on hand.”
Watch for sales, but watch for good sales. For example if Deb and I see hamburger, the last sale we caught was $1.39 per pound…we bought 40lbs., then vacuum sealed (food saver) it into 1 lb. packs. We catch sales, or used to, of can vegetables, 20 cans for $10, although I’ve got buddies who shop at Aldi’s and say they’re cheaper there most of the time. I’m not sure, but you git my drift.
In closing this discussion out, please pay attention to the times, and if at all possible, please try to put up any extra food products you can. I know money’s tight, believe me, but if you can squeeze even another 10 bucks a week into your grocery budget…do it. Look at it this way…if the economy takes of tomorrow, and it’s smooth sailin ahead, what’s the worst case scenario here? You’ll still eat the food you put up, plus you’ll have bought it for cheaper when you bought it than you could buy it today. It’s an investment!
We here in “Miz Judi’s Kitchen” would like to thank our readers for already sendin in some comments and tips as well, and we’d like to share em with ya! Thank you so much, and look forward to more!
Reader Tips:
Not being much of a cook (always let my wife handle), I need to know at what temperature to set the oven. Both receipes sound great and I would like to try them but don't want to burn or over cook. -- Richard
Richard: Thanks for joinin us! We’re sorry for the miscue in regards to oven temp., but I gotta put the blame where it belongs…Deb! No it was me…just kiddin Deb, love ya… Dub!
I have a suggestion about cooking for people who don't like onions; My older son growing up didn't like them, so what I do now (my little one doesn't like them now) is cook them until they are soft and put them in the food processor, OR just put them in the processor before cooking them. As long as they don't see the onions, they don't complain and they love the flavor. It's a good trick. -- Diane
Diane: That’s a great tip! Our children didn’t like them either while growin up, but I’ll be sure and let our kids know how to “trick” our grand-children in this regard! Thanks! Please stay in touch, and send just about anything!
Welcome to CFP Deb & Dub; what a fun column!
Where in central Florida are you?
Kathie
Kathie: Thanks so much, we’re glad to be here! We want it to be fun. Southwest of Orlando! It seems as if you may have a little “fun” in your system too! Here’s a little video, sorry I meant tip, Kathie sent to us. Our apologies though, your link wouldn’t post for some reason, but it’s same
video…Kudos Kathie, it’s a hoot!!! Keep em comin!!
The subject matter is good, But golly gee and hyuk hyuk, I feel like this ersatz redneck talk is coming from Maybury please tone down the fake folksiness.
Thank you. -- Daniel
Daniel: Thank you for your appreciation of the subject matter !
I kinda like ole Andy and Barn…
How bout a quick joke?
The Wild Dog:
When a man in Macon, Georgia came across a wild dog attacking a young boy, the man jumped from his car and throttled the dog with his bare hands.
A reporter saw the incident, congratulated the man, and told him the headline the following day would read, “Local Man Saves Child By Killing Vicious Animal!”
The hero, however told the reporter he wasn’t from Macon.
“Well then,” the reporter said, “the headline will probably say, “Georgia Man Saves Child By Killing Dog!”
“Actually,” the man said, “I’m staying in a hotel down the street. I’m here on business, but I live in Connecticut.”
The reporter turned, and walked off, not uttering another word.
The next morning, while checking out of the hotel, the man saw the town paper and the headlines read, “Yankee Kills Family Pet!”
I LOVE this idea. Might I add that some simple backyard gardening (in ugly black pots thrown out by nursery’s, filled with free compost from the county recycling center) can help feed a family. I grow green beans, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cabbage and lettuce for a fraction of the store price. I also grow all my own herbs. I look forward to digging through my recipes and sharing them. This is just a wonderful idea. I think it brings out the best in what makes our nation great. We pull together in the tough times and find that we have what it takes to make it through! Well done, both of you! -- Wendy
Check out her suggestions in regards to “simple” backyard farming, at very little cost. This is good stuff people, exactly what many need to know in order to help each other out.
Thanks Wendy for supporting this idea of doing all we can, to help out our friends and neighbors during these tough times! You’re right on the money in your statement, “We pull together in the tough times and find that we have what it takes to make it through!” Well said!
Thanks again, and we all here in “Miz Judi’s Kitchen” look forward to all your future contributions!
Thanks for comin, and God Bess!
