Monday, July 25, 2011

Menu Monday, Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes and Weekend in Review!

Today's blog is all inclusive. I have lots of news to share, including my weekly menu and a delicious recipe we made last night that will forever change your opinion of sloppy joes.

Weekend in Review

  • Sweet, adorable baby Beckett had to make an overnight visit to the hospital for jaundice. Although it is common in newborns, it added another level of stress to my sister-in-law's week. She and Beckett stayed overnight Saturday, and fortunately, he was doing well enough to go home Sunday. However, just about the time Mandy was coming home, Justin was leaving for New Orleans to take his bar exam. It's been a crazy week for them. I'm hoping they can settle into a routine very soon.
  • Upon Beckett's arrival, our church wanted to put a large stork in the yard welcoming its newest member. Problem is, the church had Mandy and Justin's address as our address. It was an easy mix-up since they lived with us for several months. The stork deliverer was on his way to our house when he called Ty and said we needed to water the lawn so he could stick the stork in the ground. I'm glad Ty was available to answer his phone and give the guy Mandy's new address. A giant stork in our front yard would have been a head scratcher for our neighbors!
  • Since Mandy has had her hands full with Beckett, Mimi and Pop have been looking after Ruby Belle for the last several days. Yesterday, they requested a few hours off, so Ty and I took Ruby Belle for the afternoon. We swam for about an hour, tee teed in the potty (I take pride in this one specifically), took a bath, watched cartoons and went down for a nap. It was a good trial run for me and Ty. Now we know we can be guardians in four hour increments!
  • We also got some good family news ... my brother and Ashley have a contract on their townhouse! In the next several weeks, we'll be packing up boxes and looking forward to seeing where they settle in. I'm couldn't be happier for them as they cross this milestone!
Menu Monday

Ty and I have a crazy week ahead of us, so there won't be much cooking going on this week. But I do have some one great meal planned. How sad is that? Sorry for the slim pickens for Menu Monday!

Monday: Grilled Tilapia, Roasted New Potatoes and Squash. I originally planned this meal for last week, but it didn't make it to the table once we found out our nephew was on the way.
Tuesday: I'm out of town, so hopefully Ty will finish off some leftovers.
Wednesday: I get back in town, we have band practice at the church and will probably grab something while we're out.
Thursday: Guys Night with church friends, and I don't cook for one!

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes


To make amends for my lack of menu items for this week, I want to share this delicious recipe I finally got around to trying last night. I pulled it out of Southern Living more than a year ago, but just hadn't made it yet. I don't really like the idea of sloppy joes. In my mind, sloppy joes are synonymous with Manwich. I guess that's good marketing on their part. Even though it's just a sauce, Manwich grosses me out!

I understand it's an easy solution for feeding a family on busy weeknights, but we can all do a little better than that! This recipe took me less than 30 minutes to make, and is single-handedly responsible for the revival of sloppy joes in my household.

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)
1 tablespoon liquid from pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)
1 (11.25-oz.) package frozen garlic Texas toast
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Return to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, next 3 ingredients, and, if desired, jalapeño peppers and liquid. Cover and cook 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare Texas toast according to package directions. Serve beef mixture over Texas toast; sprinkle with cheese.
My two cents: 1. Include the jalapenos. It'll give the recipe a little kick without being too spicy. 2. Shred your own cheese. So much better! 

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