Stuffed Pepper Soup

Summer is my favorite time of year. The sun is bright, it's not rainy all the time like the other seasons seem to be and our schedule just becomes a little less hectic and crazy. It's a time to relax and play. With that said, I feel fall coming upon us. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and our schooling "schedule" loooms in the distance.

The best way I have found to gear myself up for the fall months (or any coming change) is with food. (Let's not have a pyschologist analzye that statement, okay?) As August comes to a close, I start working some of my favorite soup recipes into the mix. It's just a comforting reminder of all the wonderful things that fall has to offer as well.

I could live off of soup. My boys aren't huge soup eaters, so I have to find amazing recipes that appeal to them. Otherwise they're forced to live off of peanut butter and jelly. While tasty, it's probably not nutritionally sound in bulk. But I digress.

One of our favorite soups is Stuffed Pepper Soup. It's a thick hearty soup that even the most hurly burly preteen boys can wrap themselves around. It's also a quick dinner which automatically makes it a favorite for me. So give this a try when the weather cools down and see what you think. It's almost as good as Grandpa's stuffed peppers!

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
14 1/2 ounce can of italian diced tomatoes
15 ounce can tomato sauce
32 ounces beef broth (those aseptic cartons are awesome!)
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup cooked rice

In your soup pot, brown the beef, garlic, pepper and onion. Drain off fat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth and tyme. Simmer at least 20 minutes. Add rice and serve.

*I like to set out extra rice at the table. My oldest has entered the garbage disposal phase of his development, so he likes to scoop more into his bowl. Also, this is great simmered in the crockpot all day. Add the rice right before serving.