Yum – Stuffed Peppers!!  Now I have to admit that this is not a new dish for me.  In fact it’s one of the few meals I do well!!  If you read my last UnKitchen Diva post – you know that moving forward with this cooking project I have two rules. 1) Everything must be able to be broken down into individual servings that I can freeze and 2) it must look pretty.  That’s it – pretty simple.  I’m such a visual person I thought I’d show you a meal that I think fits the rules perfectly – stuffed peppers!!

Stuffed Peppers

1 1/2 lbs ground beef                          1 onion, chopped

1/4 tsp salt                                            1/4 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp oregano                                       can of tomato sauce

4 peppers

1) Brown the ground beef.  While this is going on I measure the spices and put them in one of those small glass bowls.  Except this time I couldn’t find the garlic salt but I did find garlic powder – what the heck, couldn’t be that different, right?? I then chop the onion – or at least hack at it until it’s in several different pieces….

2) Add all the ingredients (but not the peppers!!! – for those of you who are literal like me…). Mix well.

3) I kind of let it bubble and stew a little bit here – no idea why – getting the flavors to blend better?? Really, I don’t know why.

4) Clean and cut the top off the peppers.  Wash out the insides of the peppers.  Is any one as fascinated as I am that there can sometimes be a small pepper like thing growing inside, no?  Anyway, once they’re washed place them in an oven safe dish.

5) Stuff peppers with meat mixture and bake for 1 hour @ 350˚.

6) I usually start the wild rice at the same time I put the peppers in the oven.  They roughly take about the same amount of time.

7) Place cooked, wrinkly pepper in the center of the plate.  Spread rice all the way around the base – making a ring of rice.  - so pretty!!

*Here’s how I make it fit rule 1.  I only fill and cook one pepper. I also only make enough rice for one serving.  I use 3 cup size tupperware pieces to freeze the rest of the meat mixture.  Viola – single servings and pretty!!

I’ve been traveling back and forth to Maryland lately.  When there, I stay with friends who are a HUGE hockey family!!  As I walked in the door Tuesday night I was told “The Big Game” was that Friday night.  The show down was to be between the Gators (girls team) and St Paul’s (boys team) – bragging rights were on the line.  I’m not sure exactly when the idea for me to go and shoot the game came up – but I whole heartedly agreed.  It was going to be a challenge – weird, low lighting and fast moving subjects – plus it was “The Big Game”!  How could I miss that!?!  Action sports are not typically what I shoot – but I’m really, really happy with what I captured!  Gators Girls you played with your hearts and I love that!!

I’ve also posted a few more images to the Lil Blu Dragonfly Facebook Fan Page in the album Gators Hockey.   Gator Girls – take a look, become a fan and tag yourself to share with friends and family!

*Parents* – if for any reason you’d like me to take down an image – either here or on Facebook – let me know and I will take it down immediately!

I’m sitting here spinning a ring around my pinky finger.  It’s the turquoise ring I saw my Grandmother wear everyday.  In fact, I so closely associate this ring to my Grandmother that for the first two years after her death I didn’t take it out of the drawer.  I rarely wear it, but lately I’ve been drawn to it.  It called to me to pull it out of the drawer and wear it this past Christmas and on my birthday – almost as a way to have a part of my Grandmother there to share in the joy.

This January I went to a photo seminar in Mystic, CT – Mystic 5 – where I heard the fabulous David Williams speak.  He asked a question of the audience – “Think of a loved one.  Do you have every photograph you could ever want of them?”  This question reminded me again of my Grandmother.

You see my Grandmother was the champion of all my dreams.  I was able to be an exchange student to NZ because of her and go to photography school.  She bought me a brand new 501c Hasselblad to take with me – a film camera I will never part with!  She loved art and film and we would make dates to go see the latest art/foreign film release.  David’s presentation helped me remember these wonderful things about her and reconnect with some of the reasons why I became a photographer.

Two of the first images I ever took with the 501c were of my Grandmother sitting in my parents living room.  Portraits were very important to her.  She dressed up, put makeup on and donned earrings for this sitting.  Interestingly enough it’s one of the few times she’s not wearing the ring.  I love these two images.  Of all the images I’ve taken they rank amongst my most favorite.  To me they are the complete essence of my Grandmother and how in my mind she still lives.  So with this post I honer her – the woman who was always the champion of all my dreams.