Sweet Potato Bread

This is a very easy bread recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com. I haven't made any changes to it at all. I do sometimes swap the sweet potato for puréed pumpkin or any winter squash I have at hand. My husband loves to snack on it, so there is always some in the house.

Sweet Potato Bread

1½  cups white sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup water

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes       

½ cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs and beat. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts.

Pour batter into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan (or 2 small loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about one hour.

Peppers Stuffed with Beef and Rice

I had two lovely, big orange peppers in the fridge, that I knew were going to go bad soon, if I didn't use them, so I decided to try making Stuffed Peppers. I couldn't really find a recipe I like, so I decided to make one up as I went along, and the results were really nice. Nice enough for my husband to ask me to write down the recipe, so that I can make it again. I ended up using a can of tomato soup because I didn't have a can of tomato sauce in the house, and I think it was even better. If I had used sauce, the tomato flavor would have overpowered the herbs. 

Peppers Stuffed with Beef and Rice

2 orange/ red/ or yellow peppers, top and seeds removed

1 lb beef mince

½ cup rice, raw

1 can tomato soup

1 tomato, chopped

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp rosemary

½ tsp marjoram

 1 tsp thyme powder

1 onion, chopped fine

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Heat a little oil in a pot, and brown the onions. Add in the garlic, and tomato and cook for a minute or so. Next add all the spices, including some salt. Stir well, and add the beef mince, breaking it up as it cooks. When it’s half cooked, add the rice, tomato soup and some water (One tomato soup can full). Cover and simmer till the rice is cooked.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a slotted spoon, fill the peppers with the beef and rice mixture. Place in an oven proof dish, and pour the leftover beef and rice around the peppers. If it’s dry, add in a little water. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the peppers are soft and cooked, adding a little water if needed. In the last 5 minutes, place a slice of cheese over each pepper, and allow it to melt. Serve immediately.