Not to be Negative...

It was -11 when I woke up this morning. NEGATIVE ELEVEN!!!! That is just wrong. WRONG WRONG WRONG. Clearly I am living in the wrong half of the United States. Anyone want to send me somewhere warm and tropical? I will give you a nice write up.

What the what? 

Joy and I quickly ran one errand today and beyond that we stayed in the house.  I know I sound like a big baby but it is just too cold to be outside.

After homework was finished I showed the girls the Aristocats on Netflix this afternoon. Watching old Disney films is like watching Pixar films today in that they seem to recycle their actors.

As you can see it was a very low key day. My Beauty made another 100% on her spelling pre-test so she does not have to take the actual test tomorrow.  I think this makes 8 in a row for the pretests and her 12th 100%.  She has never made less than a 90%. It astounds me how quickly she learns her spelling words.  For someone who does not have the physical capability to "sound out" a word I am amazed. Although, I have no idea what she hears in her own head. Perhaps she is sounding the words out.

Dinner tonight was Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers. I pinned the recipe from Quick and Easy Recipes.  As I am still trying to cook mainly from my pantry I had a couple of tweaks.

Also, I am allergic to raw onions, so I very rarely use them in something like this. Onion powder is my go to substitute but today I tried something a little different. Cooked onions are OK but they have to be cooked completely clear (think French Onion Soup onions).  I did not feel like cooking an onion for 30 minutes, so I winged it a bit. I drained a can of French Onion Soup and used those onions. We liked they way they came out and it added a nice bit of flavor.  I am going to include the fresh onion here but know there is a tasty substitute if anyone has the same problem. (I did not waste the soup. I saved what I strained. Tomorrow I will have french onion soup with no onions for lunch which is how I like it anyway! (silver lining)

Cheese Steak Stuffed Pepper

2 whole green peppers
1 onion
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 package thin and lean roast beef
8 slices provolone cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Thinly cut onion. Saute over medium heat with olive oil, mushrooms and a little salt and pepper. Saute until onions are caramelized. About 25-30 minutes.

While onions are cooking cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds. Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese and place in a walled pan. Next cut roast beef into thin strips and add to the onions and mushrooms once the onions have caramelized. Allow to cook 5-10 minutes. Remove mixture from heat.

Fill each pepper with meat mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

Cover your pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese. Bake uncovered another 8-10 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.

Note: I added a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce to mine once I added my roast beef to the onions and mushrooms.