What I've been cooking...Stuffed bell peppers

Top: Stuffed and ready to bake.
Middle: Clean, rinsed and cut peppers.
Bottom: Place in 1-inch water
and coverwith foil.

1 lb. of lean, ground meat
1 sm. yellow onion
2 cups of cooked Spanish rice
1 15 oz. can 50% Less Sodium Black Beans
1 15 oz. can Rotel Tomatoes
6 large bell peppers
1 tablespoon garlic

Believe it or not, I like to cook. And, with the state of our economy, I like to eat well and save money doing it. The best way to accomplish this is to cook for yourself. This way, you know exactly what you are putting into your body and how it was made. With a little practice, we can all become excellent cooks.

Lately, I have been trying to mix things up by trying to cook new things. I have my favorites, but I thought I would start with Stuffed Bell Peppers. They're easy to make, super-delicious and you can reheat them with little-to-no effort. I prefer orange, yellow and red peppers over the green – the green give me heartburn.

This experimental dish came out so good, my room mate Jeff and our neighbor Karen were both asking for more. You can easily save them and reheat them for dinner the next night, if you want.

Choose your favorite pepper(s). Cut off tops and carefully clean out the peppers. Boil the peppers in boiling water for about 5-6 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Brown and cook your favorite long grain rice, add water along with the Rotel Tomatoes, cover and simmer until cooked.

In a separate pan, brown and cook a pound of your favorite ground beef, sirloin or pork – whatever makes you happy – with garlic, onions, and season to taste. You can chop and add the tops of the peppers to the beef or you can save them for presentation. Add the cooked rice to the meat and stir well.

Fill the bottom third of each pepper with black beans. Carefully stuff the meat/rice mixture over the beans and into the bell peppers. In a pyrex dish, add about an inch of hot water and place the stuffed peppers in the water, open face up. Cover the dish with foil and back in a preheated oven at 350˚F for approximately 1 hour. You can remove the foil at 50 minutes and sprinkle your favorite cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes for a crispy top.

Remove from pyrex dish and let stand for 5 minutes to cool. Serve and enjoy!

Hollywood community – Having great neighbors

Hollywood Hide Away

Penny (L) and Leili (R) are two of my favorite neighbors.

Los Angeles really works when you find the right place to call home. Whether you like modern high rises or something more historic, L.A. is a muse to a myriad of architectural styles from which to choose.

If you're lucky, you can find a place that feels more like home than home ever did  – everything just seems to work.

Luckily for me, I found my Hollywood Hide Away and I didn't have to look far. A 1920s building with only four units, a private patio oasis and the best neighbors you could ask for. Oh, and Penny, too (she's the neighborhood doggie).

As important as it is to find the right place to live, having great neighbors is really what makes a neighborhood a community. However, having great neighbors – and being a great neighbor – seems to have become a lost tradition in the city of broken dreams.

I remember growing up with my cousins who lived on the same cul de sac for most of our youth. There were other kids on their block who went to the same schools as we did, including Jr. High and High School, and my aunt and uncle were friends with their parents. At least, they were friendly. So, why do so few people in L.A. get to know their neighbors?

It could be risky, but it could be great. At a time in history when things are changing immensely and the American Dream is, at best fuzzy, why wouldn't you take the time to seek out the neighbors that you might actually click with? You have way more to gain from a good neighbor than you have to lose. I know because I have great neighbors and I am grateful for them. They brighten my day and I know they are always there.

Great neighbors do exist in Los Angeles. You just have to reach out and say hello. After all, you never know who you are going to meet and what they will mean to your life.