Oh, this past week our household has been a whirlwind of volunteer activities! Spring is always a very busy happy time at the 5 museum complex - the Springfield Museums - where I give tours to groups of students who are visiting on School Field Trips. History and Art are fascinating! The Springfield Museums is a beautiful complex with large life size bronze statues of Dr. Seuss and of Horton on the green. Yes, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was born in Springfield, MA and his work is honored with these sculptures and with many more.
This past weekend our Town Green here in Longmeadow was filled with talented crafters and artists, food and local history. Visitors enjoyed themselves while chatting with friends. Long Meddowe Days is in May and my hubby was on the planning committee.
Dinners have been quick, easy and nutritious. With all of the bustle on the home front, I was so pleased one night to locate 2 Cups of the "leftover" Rice, served two days earlier, in my fridge. It was the beginning of Spanish Rice. Was that ever a time saver after a non-stop day!
Spanish Rice
Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Beef, browned
1 can (15 oz.) Tomato Sauce
1 can (15 - 20 oz.) Tomatoes - whole or pieces, drained
1 Green Pepper - cut into strips, optional
2 Cups cooked Rice
1/4 tsp. Oregano
1/4 tsp. Basil
1 Tablespoon chopped Parsley
Method:
- Brown 1 lb. Ground Beef.
- While browning Beef, combine Tomato Sauce, Tomatoes and cut Green Pepper in large pot and simmer.
- Add browned Beef and stir.
- Add in cooked Rice, Oregano, Basil and Parsley. Stir well and simmer 30 minutes.
- Stir occasionally while simmering.
This quick and easy meal simmered while we watched the 6:30 PM news. After dinner was finished there was "some" remaining Spanish Rice that was placed in a small bowl. It made a great lunch for my hubby the next day.
Do you use leftover Rice in another meal?
Enjoy!
Yummy!
After these 10 large green peppers were placed on my countertop the song/book "Five Little Pumpkins" quickly came to mind. It's the song that young children learn during the month of October. For younger tots there is even a board book or two containing the cute verse and illustrations with bright colors depicting the adventure of the bright orange pumpkins.
However, the bright green peppers on my counter would take the journey into my freezer. During the month of August the local roadside stands sell and home gardeners grow nutritious, delicious green peppers. It is at this time period each summer I purchase, prepare and then freeze these veggies after they have been cut into strips. Later in the year and into 2011 whenever I want to add green peppers while preparing a main dish, I'll reach into my freezer and voila, they will be ready to use. Sweet!
The process I follow is easy. The peppers are washed in cold water and dried. Then, each pepper is cut into strips. I place a handful of the cut strips into sandwich bags (that fold). Then, each sandwich bag is closed, rolled and placed into a gallon sized Ziploc Freezer Bag. For me, about 7-8 sandwich bags of pepper strips fit in one Ziploc Bag. After labeling & dating the Ziploc Bags, they are stored in my freezer.
These veggies are now ready to be added to my slow cooker or into any main dish that I will be preparing when the local fresh green peppers are not in season any longer. In the winter there is no walking past imported green peppers in my grocery store - wishing for our local summer crop. They are waiting in my freezer!
Do you freeze pepper strips when the green peppers are in season? Do you like to stash veggies away for the colder months?
We enjoy them!
Yummy!
