Introducing: The Peacoat

Finally, it's done. I'll no longer have night terrors about it. I can't even begin to explain the burden that has been lifted off of my shoulders. It's hard to imagine just how much time and effort I've put into this project. In my advanced clothing construction class we had to make peacoats with notched or built-in collars. Unfortunately the pattern I wanted to use with my really cool wool didn't meet the requirements, so I had to choose a very basic pattern and very simple wool. I decided to design the ruffle. At first I had three tiers, but it ended up looking like a Betsy Johnson tutu gone wrong. So I ripped it off and created one slightly ruffled layer. Then we had to create a lining. I had no idea just how much work went into lining something. I can't imagine I'll ever do it again, but I've certainly enjoyed learning all of the tricks and techniques. I feel like I have learned so much in this class, I wish there was more, but that's it, I've reached the end of the road. I'm sad that I won't be around to take the swimsuit class, because I'd love to learn how to make them, but who knows, maybe I'll be daring enough to try one out on my own.

Disclaimer: 

I know this is a HORRIBLE picture and view, but it's the best I could do considering
I was in class and now the coat is in Florida. I promise it looks much better on!

Stuffed Peppers

So a couple days ago I mentioned we were going to try out the southwest stuffed bell pepper recipe from Our Best Bites. Well, we did, and it was pretty good, but I decided to alter the recipe a bit to make it even better. So if you're looking for something relatively quick, healthy and filling... here it is:

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers- adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

1/2 C white rice (I used Uncle Ben’s white rice that you boil in a bag for 10 minutes

and it turned out just as good as any other rice I’ve made)

2 Tbs olive oil (or vegetable oil)

1 small onion, diced (white, yellow or purple)

3 garlic cloves, minced (I used ½ Tbsp minced garlic that comes in a jar)

1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced

1 whole Anaheim chile, diced

14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned or frozen corn (whole)

2 links of Aidell’s Spicy Mango with Jalapeño sausage, cubed

1 green onions, sliced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted)

1 cup pepperjack cheese

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 6-8 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain. Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes (or boil in bag for approximately 10 minutes if using Uncle Ben’s). Drain thoroughly. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and Anaheim chilies and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, sausage, green onions, onion powder, garlic powder and kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese (a mix of the pepperjack and cheddar), and cilantro. Stir to combine well.  Add additional salt, pepper, and seasonings to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers. Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there).

Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes. Serve with chips and salsa.

Leftover stuffing makes great burritos for dinner the next night- just add a diced avocado to mix!