I consider myself pretty lucky in that when stress at work is high, my home life is very calming and mellow. By the same token, when life at home gives me stress, then things at work seem to be smooth sailing and easy. Today, I was not so lucky. Stress was coming at me from all sides, and it wasn't letting up. I thought when I got home with the kids, I would get a bit of a reprieve, but something was going on there, and the stress kept coming. Not only that, but it followed me home from work as well. Times like this are when I have to give myself a time out, and focus on all the good, and all of the things I have to be thankful about. Today I was thankful that I put dinner in the crock pot and did not have to cook with the avalanche of stress aimed at me. I was also thankful that tonight I had Toastmasters. That meant I could get out of the house, and have some time to myself. Working on things for myself.
I didn't get to eat dinner at the table with my family, which is sad, but I think that it was probably best for all of us that I got away. I prepared a yummy and healthy dinner for them to enjoy, and I felt good in knowing that.
Sloppy joes are very simple. It doesn't get much easier than ground beef - or whatever, chili sauce, some bell peppers and onions. However, I know that sometimes even that can seem like a huge undertaking. You still gotta eat, and it's better to eat healthy and minimally processed, than to just throw your hands in the air, and order a pizza, even though I know that is the easiest, and probably cuts way down on that stress level. I am pretty good at tuning in to my stress levels, and schedule, and I can judge when I should probably bring out the slow cooker, or enlist David's help during the week, so I don't go crazy, and then end up spending more money to order out, and waste food, by throwing out something I've defrosted, but didn't end up cooking.
Tonight's sloppy joes went into the crock pot, and I didn't have to worry about a thing. Except for my family saving me a serving to eat after Toastmasters. The thing about sloppy joes, is that whenever I am fixing them, whether it's in a skillet, or in the crock pot. I can't help but to sing the lunch lady song that Adam Sandler sings. Getting to the chorus of, "sloppy joe, slop sloppy joe. Sloppy joe, slop sloppy joe." I tend to sing it out loud, and often times will find the song on youtube, and play it so I can sing along with it. The problem then becomes that the song will get stuck in everyone's head, just like it's stuck in yours right now. So if I make it in the morning and put it in the crock pot, then I will be singing it at work, and I'm sure the kids are singing it at school, thus inflicting that song onto everyone we come in contact with. Or, if I make it at night, then there is no dinner conversation, only a bunch of silly fools, myself included, singing the lunch lady song at the dinner table. So good luck with not singing the song the next time you make sloppy joes.
Campfired-up sloppy joes
Makes: 4-6 servings
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 C chopped sweet onion
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 C catsup
1/2 C barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 can (8 ounces) baked beans
6 Kaiser rolls, split and warmed
shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
1. Brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic 6-8 minutes in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat. Drain and discard excess fat. Transfer beef mixture to crock pot.
2. Combine catsup, barbecue sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and chili powder in a small bowl. Transfer to crock pot.
3. Add baked beans. Stir well to combine. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 hours.
4. To serve, place 1/2 C sloppy joe mixture on bottom halves of rolls. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, if desired, before covering with roll tops.
Enjoy
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