Easy Supper - Sloppy Joes

While we had the little girls for the weekend, I tried to cook things that I knew they liked. Sloppy Joes are a favorite and it's also easy to make. I got this ready early on Friday morning before they arrived. This recipe has been a family favorite for many years.

If you have a Manwich phobia, this doesn't take like that. Try it. Make it to feed your family, to feed the church youth group, to fill the freezer. One friend of Mommy's told me that this was her favorite meal to take to a new mother. She got the recipe from Mommy a few years ago. She takes the Sloppy Joe mixture, buns, chips, slaw or baked beans and a simple dessert. And she said that nearly every new mom had called to ask her for the recipe.

I've made it so many times that I never need to look up the recipe any more. It's so simple that you probably can remember it, too. It's just ground meat, ketchup and the four seasonings—a tablespoon of each.

To make this more fun for the little girls, I served this on slider rolls this time. Little food for little hands. And we were happy to have leftovers for our supper the day after they left. That's how I made these pictures. Needless to say, there were no food photos happening while they were here!

SLOPPY JOES

1-1/2 lbs ground beef or turkey (I've made it with a 1 lb pk, too.)
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Brown meat and drain. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Spoon over toasted hamburger buns.

It's A Lovely Day

We had little visitors for the weekend. Mommy and J-Daddy dropped them off at the farm on Friday on their way to a wedding. (Big Sister spent the weekend with a friend.) Fortunately for us, Jessica had already planned to be here the same weekend. This was an all-hands-on-deck kind of weekend.

There had been plans to visit the Dr. Seuss exhibit at a nearby museum. But the little people had zero desire to leave the farm. They had two days of playing outside, riding everything with wheels. That included their little pink car, the big wheel, the scooter, and the red wagon. It also meant rides through the pasture in the big green John Deere tractor and the classic old blue Jeep. Things they don't get to do at home.

Remember that there were two little girls and three adults here for the weekend. Then how could we be so tired when the weekend was over? My days went something like this:

In the kitchen:
 I sit down.
"Mimi, I want a snack" "But you just finished dinner (or lunch or breakfast or another snack.)" "Pleeease! I'm hungry." "I'm starving."
I stand up and go to the kitchen and peel an apple.

I sit down.
SPLAT!!  The dinner plate hits the floor. "Mimi!"
I stand up and clean up the mess and make another plate.

I sit down to eat.
A fork hits the floor. "Mimi!"
I stand up and get another fork.

In the den:
I sit down.
"No! No! That's Mimi's knitting. You can't play with that."
I stand up and move the knitting to the mantle.

I sit down.
"Mimi, can I draw with this?"
I stand up and put the permanent marker on the mantle and find the washable markers.

I sit down.
...Silence...
I stand up and go see what's going on.

In the bedroom:
I get in the bed.
"Mimi, I need to go potty."
I get up and take care of that.

I get in the bed.
"Mimi, where's my bunny? I need my bunny."
I get up and find the bunny.

I get in the bed.
"Mimi, I spilled my water."
I get up and mop up the spill.

You get the idea. All of us were doing the same kind of thing. But with three grownups here, we did manage to keep the littles fed and entertained and safe.

After everyone had left, we talked about how the newly-turned-three Baby Girl sounded so grown up now. She looked up at her adored Aunt Jecca, who had taken her out to swing, and told her, "It's a lovely day." And Little Sister sneaked up behind me on Saturday and stuck this pink note on my shoulder. It truly was a lovely day and a wonderful weekend.

When the house was quiet, after all the cars were loaded, and the visitors headed down the road, we picked up the dollhouse with its million tiny pieces of furnishings, the plastic princesses, the farm set, the checker game, and the crayons and coloring books. We emptied the mantle which had filled up with confiscated items. We deflated and rolled up the air bed—which Little Sister prefers to a bed. Then we sat down. It might have been more like a collapse.

And then we thought this is what grandparenting is all about. There are many reasons grandparents are important. One of those important things is making memories. We usually think that we are making memories for the little ones. But every bit as important is that we are making memories for us. Memories that will be the springboard for those, "Remember that time...." conversations that Daddy-O and I will have later. Memories that will keep us company when we don't see these little girls for many weeks and we miss them terribly. Memories about that "lovely day"—the lovely weekend—we had with family.

Exploring The Instant Pot - Teriyaki Chicken

I promise I'm not going to bombard you with Instant Pot recipes because I know many (maybe most) of you don't have one. But this was really good and it's making me think that the Instant Pot is worth adding to my kitchen. Understand that I have plenty of storage space, so I don't have the issue of where to store it. That might be a real problem for some of you.

And if you are a fairly competent cook, you can make this recipe without an Instant Pot. You could mix the sauce, pour it over the chicken and put it in the oven. Or, it could be done in a regular pressure cooker. And I imagine it would be fine in a crockpot.

Using the Instant Pot did free me to prep the rest of the dinner. From the time I pushed the button to start the cooking process until the pressure released at the end, it was 21 minutes. Add about five minutes at the beginning to measure out the sauce ingredients and another five minutes at the end to thicken the sauce. So dinner was on the table in thirty minutes. For us, that is faster than any takeout food that we could have picked up.

Now, oven cooking and slow cookers also give you a "hands off" way to make dinner. You must do a little prep work, but the cooking itself with any of these methods does not require your attention. An hour in the oven, about eight hours in a slow cooker, or twenty minutes in a pressure cooker. Any of these will give you teriyaki chicken for dinner. Pick the cooking style that fits your day. It's nice to have choices.

Tonight it was the Instant Pot that worked with my schedule. I started cooking at 6:00 pm and we sat down to eat at 6:30. That's pretty quick. I am not ready to declare that the Instant Pot has "changed my life" (yes, there are people who say that) and I am not using it every day, but so far I'm glad I gave in and ordered one.

If you are cutting back on sugar in your diet, this recipe is not for you. But it was delicious. The food rule around our house is "all things in moderation." So this won't be a weekly meal, but I will make it again.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN (Instant Pot)

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 lbs thawed chicken breasts

Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, and garlic in the Instant Pot. Add chicken and turn in sauce to coat. Close lid and set vent to pressure.
Set Instant Pot to Poultry setting and set time for 5-7 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
Remove chicken from sauce and set aside. Stir in cornstarch to thicken sauce. (I turned on the "saute" function to do this.)
Slice chicken and add back into sauce.

Serve over rice, with plenty of sauce.


The chicken breasts I had were large, so I cooked for 7 minutes. Smaller ones or thinner ones might take the lesser time.

The Bed Had Wheels

I just got home from official Mimi duty. (It's nice to be needed.) Baby Girl made a trip to the hospital on Monday morning. She told me, "I'm going to get my ears cracked." In adult speak, that's called getting ear tubes. Everything went smoothly and quickly. She was back at home by mid-afternoon, sleeping off her hard morning. By suppertime, she was wide awake.

I asked her to tell me about what happened. In between bounces and twirls and spins and tumbles, this newly-turned-three-year-old told me, "I went to the hospital." And again I asked her to tell me about it. "The bed had wheels!" "The nurse told me I had to be very patient."  She spread her fingers and put her hand over her nose. "They put a big thing on my face." Then she ran to the table beside her bed and pointed to the mask on her nebulizer. "It was like this. I think they gave me a breathing treatment." She ended with, "And I ate a popsicle." All in all, she had a good day.

Her mommy said that Baby Girl's nurse called a few other nurses into her room to see this happy little chatterbox. Most of the other little ones there that morning for the same procedure were not having such a positive experience. They could hear the unhappy contingent down the hall. No doubt about it. A happy toddler was the exception.

And while Mommy and J-Daddy were busy tending to the little patient, I was the chauffeur for the big sisters. There was a quick breakfast before school that morning. Little Sister asked for honey toast, her current favorite breakfast. And then on the way to school, she proceeded to tell me how to make it. "Mimi, you should try it. You could make this." So I thought I'd share her recipe with you.

Here's the recipe...in Little Sister's own words:

HONEY TOAST

bread
honey

First you toast your own bread.

Then you drizzle honey from side to side. You can drizzle it from front to back, too. But Mommy won't let me have that much honey.

And then you eat it. Enjoy!

Quick & Easy Cake

"What? It's MY turn to bring the dessert?" If that's ever happened to you—finding yourself in need of a quick dessert—here is an entirely reasonable option. The Publix bakery is good, but for me, this is even quicker that a trip to the store. (Oh, the joys of rural life.) And I do like a homemade cake best.

We have baked this cake for years. The recipe came from a cousin who has gone on the glory. It wouldn't surprise me if she's baking her cakes for the angels in heaven now. I have paired this cake with chocolate frosting and caramel icing and, like we did on Palm Sunday, topped it with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Strawberry shortcake is the perfect springtime dessert.

If you aren't in need of this recipe now, save it for later. It only takes a few minutes to mix together. There is no sifting the flour, no softening the butter, no creaming butter and sugar. None of that. Just dump everything in a large bowl and beat it with a hand mixer. And then it's ready to pour into a baking pan.

QUICK & EASY CAKE

2 cups self-rising flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup milk (I use whatever kind I have in the refrigerator)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat until well mixed. (I use an electric hand mixer.) Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

It can also be baked in layers or used for cupcakes. Just adjust the baking time accordingly.

On occasion I cook a real Sunday dinner. 

In The Company Of Extraordinary Women

For the third time, I'm back at home from the annual Knitting Pipeline Retreat in Georgia. Each one has been wonderful, but maybe because it WAS the third time, this retreat was truly special. It was different than that first year when I arrived not knowing a soul except for one person that I only "knew" through Ravelry messages. That first day was tinged with anxiety when I walked in alone. So many new faces.

This year I was late getting there because we celebrated Baby Girl's 3rd birthday that afternoon. But when I walked into the big gathering room last Sunday, it felt like I was coming home. In an instant, I was enveloped in hugs and shouted greetings and love. These are people I know now. Someone slipped a tiny gift into my hand. A "just because" gift. Another brought me "Mimi socks"—a treat from one Mimi to another. How good it made me feel to hear, "We're glad you finally got here!"

I've written before about the wide range of interests that these knitters have outside of the yarn world. And I'm always amazed that they gather from every corner of the country to spend a few days together in the middle-of-nowhere Georgia. One even comes from London each year to be there among this group of creative women.

But this year in particular, I felt that I was in the company of extraordinary women. Women who know so much about goodness and kindness and caring. They had much to teach me about generosity and being gracious. As I knitted, I took note of how they listened to each other and how they encouraged one another. At each mealtime—in defiance of the law of human nature—knitters looked for a seat at a different table, wanting to sit with different people. Wanting to make sure everyone was included in the conversation.

I have come home finding myself challenged to be a better me. To be more aware of those around me, to be kinder, to be more generous, to see who might need a hug or a whispered encouragement. To let someone gently know, "I see you. I know you are there." To be quicker to do good.

Possibly because this conference center is in a remote location where phone service is spotty, WIFI barely works and there is no television, friendships have grown deep here. I had a few minutes of conversation with the retreat organizer. She said there are two kinds of retreats—those that are organized around classes and learning new skills and those that are designed to let knitters be together, away from everyday activities. She chose to let her retreats to be the latter, to be occasions for building relationships.

And yet there is still plenty to be learned as you sit next to a knitter who knows a thing or two that you haven't tried yet. Or, you'll find someone sitting on the porch who has already encountered the problem you are having at the moment. The collective knowledge of the craft and the skills possessed by these women is enormous. But the magic of this retreat is in the relationships that have been created.

We now know the names of grandchildren. We know who left a sick cat at home. We know who takes care of elderly parents. We know the knitters traveling to Australia and Iceland and India this year and we look forward to seeing pictures on Instagram later. We know who will have a new baby in the family by this time next year. We know whose son will graduate this spring and whose son is getting married soon. These knitting friends may live several states away but each one is as close as a text message.

Yes. Of course, it's about the yarn and the knitting. That's what got us here. But, oh, it is so, so much more now. Thank you, Paula, for making this happen. And thank you, Missy, for sending me a message on Ravelry that first year, "This isn't far from you. You should come."

Now, I cannot end this post without mentioning this year's weather. It will be part of the retreat lore forever. We spent nearly an hour sheltering in a basement hallway on Monday while the tornado sirens were going off outside. It was just another place to knit and visit. And two days later, the second weather front passed through on the day the retreat ended. Several knitters ended up spending the night at the airport (the lucky ones got hotel rooms) when hundreds of flights were cancelled. Those driving home had some white knuckle moments as they carefully maneuvered through Atlanta highways in torrential rain and high winds as they headed to other states to the north, south and west.

Some of us left a little early hoping to get out of harm's way. It was hard to miss a minute of retreat visiting, but we were glad to be off the road when the worst hit. It was a relief when we learned every knitter finally made it safely to their next destination, whether that was home or another knitting retreat in different state.

Until next year, ladies! I'm already looking forward to it.