Cherishing the Gift of Time + A Little Look at Stuffed Peppers Around the World

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Psalm 90:12 says, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Time is a gift bestowed upon each of us by our Heavenly Father. It is a treasure more precious than money or material possessions; while these can be regained if lost, time once lost is gone forever. Fortunately, as long as we are alive, we have the opportunity to make the most of the time we have now. Every minute, every hour, every day offers another chance to maximize this valuable treasure.

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Here's how I spent some of my time today.

I've been craving stuffed peppers and finally made some on Thursday. I made enough that I had leftovers, and I've been enjoying them. I made these with ground sausage, rice, diced onions, and Mozzarella cheese, along with seasonings - salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. It was a simple, quick way to make them, and they turned out better than I expected. They would have probably been a little better with less rice, but still really good.

However, my curiosity about stuffed peppers and how others enjoy them led me to do some research today, uncovering fascinating details. Stuffed peppers have a rich history, likely dating back to the 1890s. Typically, they are filled with rice, vegetables, cheese, and meat. I found it amusing that one recipe suggests seasoning them with onion juice. Various cultures have their own versions of stuffed peppers. Some examples include -

China - Filled with fish paste and fried

Spain - Features Manchego cheese, chicken, or cod in a red sauce

Italy - Contains breadcrumbs, herbs, cheese, tomato, and occasionally hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, or ground meat

Egypt - Includes rice, herbs like parsley, cilantro, and dill, along with seasonings such as cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper, cooked in a pot lined with onion rings or tomato slices, and simmered in a seasoned tomato sauce

India - Comprised of cooked meat, potatoes, and onions, seasoned with chili, turmeric, coriander, cilantro, salt, and lemon juice

Guatemala - Consists of shredded pork and vegetables, coated with egg batter and fried, served with tomato sauce or inside a bread bun

Romania - Stuffed with ground pork, rice, onion, vegetables, spices, and boiled in a sauce made from cream, tomatoes, and spices.

I love the views from my favorite walking place.

From the great big sky and mountains . . . .

. . . . to the little flowers, God's creation is beautiful. It was interesting to me that so many of the flowers were yellow, with just a few other colors scattered in between.

I created the daycare schedule for next week and compiled the YouTube playlists for each day. I also selected the crafts and activities we will do, but I haven't printed or prepared them yet. I hope to get to that task tomorrow.

Chris pulled a bunch of weeds in the garden and planted cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers.

And I listened to some excellent podcasts and spent some time reading.