Peter Piper's pick

This recipe is a unique twist on stuffed peppers. It's chock full of vegetables and color. It's as pleasing to look at as it is to taste. And it's healthy and easy to prepare.


THE RECIPE:

6 large bell peppers (any color or a mix), washed
1 c. instant brown rice, uncooked
1 c. water or chicken broth
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can corn, drained
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 10-ounce jar Classico sun-dried tomato pesto
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring water/broth to boil in saucepan. Add rice, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Meanwhile, slice around tops of peppers, then scoop out seeds and membranes. When rice is cooked, add beans, corn peas and pesto. Mix thoroughly. Stuff peppers with mixture. Place in oven-safe dish and cover with lid or foil. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how thick and stiff your peppers started out. The result should be a pepper that slices easily with a butter knife. Top individual servings with shredded cheese.

Get out the milk

These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have a little spice, which makes them different from your everyday chocolate chip cookies. They're tasty, and you can't go wrong with oatmeal.

THE RECIPE:

3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. rolled oats
1 1/4 c. chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking powder, soda and spices. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Spoon dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 60 cookies.

Somebody stop me

Our recipe for bacon-wrapped smokies absolutely rocks. These babies are so addicting. I simply cannot stop eating them, no matter how full I am. A lot of people make them with barbecue sauce, but that just won't do for us. A simple mixture of ketchup and brown sugar gives the smokies just the right zip. We have never had a bad review. In fact, we have never had a less-than-glorious review. Try them.


THE RECIPE:

1 16-ounce pkg. cocktail smokies
1 16-ounce pkg. bacon (sliced into thirds)
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. ketchup
Toothpicks

Wrap each sausage in bacon and secure with toothpick. Place on foiled cookie sheet (be sure your cookie sheet has edges to catch the grease). Cook at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar and ketchup. Remove smokies from oven and coat with sauce. Bake at 400 degrees until bacon is cooked and crispy on edges. Divine. Absolutely divine.

Comforting food

As in, it's nice to eat food that comforts you the day after you made food you didn't like.

And that's what brings us to mac 'n' cheese. But this isn't just any mac 'n' cheese. This is Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese. Who is Chuck? We may never know. But at least we know his favorite mac recipe.

Marie whipped this little number up from a recipe we stumbled upon at allrecipes.com. I think we each polished off two bowls of the stuff, possibly more because three-quarters of the pan is gone.

I added a dash of salt to mine.

THE RECIPE:

8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
12 ounces cottage cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9x13 baking dish, stir together noodles, cheeses, sour cream and salt and pepper. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over noodle mixture. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, uncovered, or until top is golden.

A real patty pooper

"I don't know what I'm going to do with these patties," Marie says.

Geez. We have like 12 Lentil-Rice Patties left, meaning our first recipe for this blog was a flop. But that's why we're here: to warn you.

Don't bother with this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Our goal here was a noble one: to try something new, different from the norm. We thought it would be nice to incorporate lentils into our lives.

Our apologies to the Vegans out there, because we're pretty sure this is stuff you eat all the time.

THE RECIPE:

1 14-ounce can chicken broth
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. uncooked regular brown rice
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 c. regular rolled oats
2 slightly beaten egg whites
1/4 c. snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or almonds, toasted

In medium saucepan, combine broth, water, onion, rice, red pepper and garlic. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Stir in lentils. Simmer, covered, 25 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Add garbanzo beans. Use potato masher to mash mixture. Stir in oats and let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine egg whites, basil Worcestershire sauce and salt. Add to lentil mixture. Stir in nuts.

Coat skillet with nonstick spray. Heat to medium. Place 1/3 cup mixture onto hot skillet and flatten to a half-inch thick. Cook until light brown, turning once.

Serve patties with chopped tomatoes and sour cream if desired. (But why you would desire any of this we can't imagine. If you do desire, we have plenty of patties to go around.)