Stuffed Pepper Casserole

…it’s what’s for supper tonight!
Ingredients

• 4 large green bell peppers
• 1-1 1/2 lb  ground beef
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (12-14 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1/2  pound raw bacon
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 2-3 chopped tomatoes (or a can of tomatoes)
• up to 2 cups shredded cheddar (optional)

Directions
Cut tops off peppers and set aside (for later use).  After removing seeds/membranes, cut each pepper into 8 pieces.  Cook peppers in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.  Remove and place in the bottom of a casserole dish.  (A 7x11 pan would be a good size.  This dish is EASY to add to if you want to use a 9 x 13)

Brown ground beef and onions.  Add salt, pepper, rice, corn, tomatoes and sauce.  At this point you can also add black beans if you like them…or pinto beans…and we really like it with jalapeno peppers sliced into the mix as well. Heat through.
Spread hot filling on top of peppers. 

Top with pepper tops, (only 4 pepper tops is never enough to cover the whole casserole, but it looks nice)  raw bacon slices and cheese (or cheese and then bacon…whichever you prefer.)

Bake stuffed peppers at 350° for 30 minutes, or til the bacon is done.

ENJOY!

Wow. Just….WOW!

It’s August, and I’m not ready.  Mentally…I think it must be, oh, about June or so.  I really, really, REALLY want to flip the calendar page over and discover that it is June again. 

It was really such a wonderful summer here this year.  Cameron was home and manager of the pool.  Rachel worked as a lifeguard.  We had no traumas, no sickness, no hospital visits, no deaths this summer.  Instead we had our niece Jenna’s wedding to the amazing Justin Brown (We’re SO glad you are now officially part of our clan!) and a graduation (Congrats to Adam!)  Caleb was able to be home for a long weekend or a week at a couple of different times.  Ron and I got a couple day trip in to a lake side hotel along Lake Michigan in Wisconsin (the trip also included some beer brewery tours and some shopping)  Ethan enjoyed low key time vegging out with his friend Uriah.  They ran a LOT this summer.

We all spent time alternately loving our dog to death and being frustrated by some dumb dog behavior (why does he want to run away from us?  He LOVES us!)

So, since it was such a nice…pleasant (although the hottest summer on record in a long time!) summer, I’d just like a do-over.  I know that reality won’t allow that.  I know that God has plans for my next few months (and years), and I need to joyfully walk toward that future and not spend too much time dwelling on what I WISH I was still doing.  But really….I do wish it were always summer, always sunny and I were always sitting by a lake …clear…blue, beautiful lake.

Part of my not wanting to face the year ahead is that it is Rachel’s last year home.  I’ve promised her already that I’ll cry at the silliest (to her) things. But that I won’t be able to help it.  She’s making big decisions, doing great things.  Running Cross-country…(I’m going to miss watching her run in those things!) Drum Major in marching band (she does AWESOME, and I love watching her), playing beautiful music on our piano(might the the thing I’m going to miss the most!), and her playing the organ at church.  She’s at a point in our lives where she isn’t stressful to be around.  She’s just a joy to sit and visit with and work with.  I’m going to miss her terribly.  But before I miss her terribly, I’m going to enjoy every moment we have together!

So….no pictures in this post (I don’t have my pics all on this computer yet, but had to give up on my old one til I get it cleared out).  I’m sure there will be some senior pictures posted soon, as well as band, cross country, music performances and who knows what else!

Praying that Jesus helps me to keep a positive outlook on what He has planned for me this week!