National Eat Your Veggies Day

I love veggies!  Favorites though include:
potatoes any shape, form or fashion;
asparagus;
mushrooms;
lima beans;
corn;
peas;
okra; and
cherry tomatoes.

Least favorites and will hardly or never eat include:

rutabaga
brussel sprouts
turnip greens;
radishes; and
beets.

When Corey was small, I had problems getting him to eat his vegetables.  When I felt like he needed a good veggie fix, I would take him over to Mom and Dad's house and for some reason he'd eat theirs.   So, if I let them know that we were coming for dinner and needed veggies, they might make fresh homemade vegetable soup and he eat it with no problem, including soups with okra.  I think the most favorite vegetable dish that Corey likes for me to cook is my Stuffed Bell Peppers.

Start with fresh bell peppers that can sit on their own without tipping over.

Cut off the tops and scoop and wash out the seeds.

I usually use ground beeft, but to add more lean meat use ground chuck.  I usually make my stuffed peppers using a large roll of ground beef - no less than 10#'s.  Place in a large bowl for meat "goop" to be mixed.

To the meat, add some chopped onions...

add various spices, i.e. Italian seasonings, salt, pepper - anything you want to add flavor to the meat goop.

Pour in any type of INSTANT rice into the meat goop.  Add as much or as little as you want so that you can still mold the meat goop.

Add some spaghetti sauce in with the mixture to add some moistness as well as ...

two - four eggs depending upon the amount of mixture you are making.

This is what it will look like when all items have been added.  Now, you get your hands in there and mix it all together.  No spoons!  No utensils of any type!

Anticipation, anticipation, Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

Somebody appears to be very happy I'm making the Stuffed Bell Peppers!

Remember...NO utensils, only hands!

Note to self...Get Nikki some BIG bowls!

Add more rice if you feel you need to.  It's a guessing game.

When thoroughly mixed, begin stuffing peppers with meat goop.  Fill the cavity all the way to the top.

Once the peppers are stuffed, place them in a slow cooker next to each other.  Then, take the leftover meat goop and fill in the empty areas.  (Nikki introduced me to the disposable slow cooker bags which means you don't soil your cooker so badly since you throw away the bag).

I then take the end of a wooden spoon and poke holes in the goop.  Then I pour spaghetti sauce all over the top and down the holes.  This will help the rice to cook.  No other liquid is needed.

Cover and cook according to the amont of time you wish.  If I'm gone all day, I will put it on low.  Cook until the bell peppers turn a light color and will basically fall apart with pierced with a fork.  When they are done, the meat should be cooked also.

Getting ready to check out this latest batch.

Anticipation, Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

Oh yes, another satisfied customer!  (He's so glad we came to visit).

Corey refused to eat tomatoes and I always felt that it had to do with the fact that I ate cherry tomatoes constantly during my pregnancy.  I ate them like someone might eat popcorn or peanuts - constantly popping them into my mouth.  He's eventually gotten around to eating his veggies and hey, I did get him to eat bell pepper!