I just can't believe that it is already November! It amazes me how fast the Fall season always seems to pass me by. I love this time of the year. But I just can't believe that it will be Thanksgiving in just over 2 weeks....and we really do have so much to be thankful for. I have already started planning my menu and I'm looking forward to spending the morning in the kitchen cooking a special feast for my family. And of course I'm especially excited that Greg will have a 4-day weekend! I just wish that more of our extended family lived nearby. It will be just our little family and Grandma. But it will still be nice.
Speaking of cooking, I made this soup from one of my Taste of Home cookbooks the other day that I just loved! It was super easy and makes great leftovers. Rachel's Grandma Watson asked me to post it here on the blog... so here it is:
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STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 package (8.8 ounces) ready-to-serve long grain and wild rice
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups chopped green peppers
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 jar (26 ounces) chunky tomato pasta sauce
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (14 ounces) beef broth
Directions
- Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the beef, green peppers and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pasta sauce, tomatoes, broth and prepared rice; heat through. Yield: 6-8 servings (about 2 quarts).
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1-1/2 cups) equals 238 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 917 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 14 g protein.
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Rachel is still doing well in school, and I'm having so much fun teaching her! Math and science seem to be her favorite subjects. She especially loves learning about patterns in math. For science we have talked about the 4 seasons of the year, weather, and seeds. Right now we are doing a unit about zoo animals and animal habitats. I'd say her biggest area of struggle is writing...though the advisory teacher that is working with us told me that Rachel's writing looks great for her age. We have to send in a packet of Rachel's work each month and the advisory teacher reviews everything and sends it back with comments. We just got a packet back and her teacher is very happy with Rachel's progress. It really helps me to have that feedback.
Yesterday Rachel had ballet and she did really well. They worked some more on the dance for the winter recital...and by the end of class, Rachel was able to perform the entire dance from start to finish by herself - twice! She was just glowing with excitement. At the end of class they let her put on a tutu and a boa and then just let her do some free-form dancing. I sat and watched my little girl happily running, twirling, and jumping across the dance floor, and I wanted to freeze time. She looked so happy...and oh so beautiful!
And finally, here is the tired reindeer girl after the party.
