For Sarah
Sarah, This was my first time--I used a Betty Crocker recipe as a guide. I took two lbs of ground beef browned it with onions, pulled off the grease, added 1 14 1/2 can of seasoned diced tomatoes (undrained), 2/3 cup of long-grain brown rice, some seasoning, some salt. Brought it to a boil and simmereduntil the rice was tender (30 minutes or so)
Meanwhile, I cut the tops of the peppers, scooped out the seeds and the white stuff and blanched them for 3 minutes. When the beef/rice mixture was done, I filled the peppers (4 of them), put them in a casserole dish with the leftover meat mixture.
I combined a small can of flavored tomato paste, with flavored tomato sauce and some Italian seasoning until the consistency was smooth, but not saucy. I topped each pepper with this.
I cooked them in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until heated through and the tomato paste mixture was slightly carmelized.
Plus
I had a pretty decent weekend...that is, if you don't count the fight we had Friday night. We'd been out and had a great time, and then something happened when we got home--I'm not even sure what at this point, but I was upset about our relationship--or lack of certain aspects of it. "Do you want me to leave?" he said. I said yes. So he did and said on his way out, "you can just keep all my clothes."
I fell alseep right after that. At 1:30 I woke up and he, of course, wasn't there (we broke up, after all), but it was FREEZING in my house, so when I went downstairs, I took stock and he hadn't left his key, so I figured he'd be back. I stayed up for a little while, figuring he was first at the liquor store and then at the boat. I decided NOT to call him, figuring that he'd be home eventually.
I fell asleep reading with the light on and he woke me up when he came home, "Sweetie? Let's go get some breakfast." God, I saw THAT coming from all the way at 2 am. "What time is it?" 6:20.
We went to the Eat-Rite and DAMN if there wasn't a WAIT. So, we went to Chris' instead, where I had corned beef hash, and I remembered why it is I don't like corned-beef hash--it tastes like cat food.
Then we went home and went to bed. I love it when you can do that; come home in the morning from some place and snuggle down in the blankets. Later that afternoon, we went to the Cat's Meow, where the POB went nuts buying drinks for everyone and their brother...he ran up a $60 dollar tab in just a few short hours--that's quite the feat at the Meow, trust me. Then we went to the Boat and had dinner. He gave me 50 bucks to gamble with; I won 10 at Baccarat and decided to get up from the table. I lost an easy $20 at one of the poker machines next to him and then grew increasing bored and tired, so I took a cab home. The POB showed up around 4. I wasn't mad or anything, but I had been awake for awhile between about 1 and 3 worried that he'd driven off the bridge or something and then felt guilty because I should have driven home and he should have taken a cab. Anyway, we slept in until about 11.
I was VERY industrious yesterday; I had decided to make stuffed peppers and baked mashed potatoes with cheese for dinner and figured as long as I was cutting stuff up and buying ground beef I might as well prepare a meatloaf as well. So, I have a meatloaf ready to be cooked tonight, plus I pulled off the peppers.
I even had time to sit and read for a few hours and drink Bailey's and coffee. I drank an entire pot of coffee. This is a LOT of caffeine for someone who drinks no more than 20 oz. of iced-tea a day and doesn't eat much chocolate or drink much soda. By bedtime I was a jittery mess and didn't think I'd ever feel like sleeping. Finally my pills kicked in (I had to take an extra one though). We had the windows open last night so it was VERY cozy under the comforter this morning; I didn't want to get out of bed and if it hadn't been for my bladder, I might have called in late.
Oooh, Leesa's here...