Sloppy Joes, Cookbook Countdown #80 and Cookbook Wednesday!

It's Cookbook Wednesday!

And this is  #80 for me!

As  I said the last time I posted a cookbook for the countdown,  

this isn't even making a dent in my collection.

And it's #80!

This will keep me busy until I die. (posting from each cookbook)

I'm so glad I have a purpose in life!  A goal!  I can never give up!

Check them all out here!

Then swing on over to Marjie  host of Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet to see other Cookbook enthusiasts. 

She's hosting for now, while Louise is on a break. (Hey Louise!)

For this week's countdown, I used this cookbook:

 From Goodreads:

 Fun, fellowship, and great food-these are the ingredients that make for a successful social gathering when supplied by people like you and the Taste of Home Test-Kitchen experts. Packed with 506 delicious, home-style recipes for bite-sized snacks, refreshing beverages, tasty appetizers, spectacular side dishes, hearty entrees, and delightful desserts-each recipe serving eight or more. You are sure to find a dish to suit any occasion-church breakfasts and suppers, potlucks, reunions, family gatherings, or any other event that draws a hungry crowd. Each recipe uses everyday ingredients and is designed to travel well.

And I really took my dish to a church supper!!

We had a potluck after church on  Sunday,

 I made Sloppy Joes!

 I didn't get any good 'food' photos.  

Just some photos at the church supper.

I made them at home in a frying pan,

then transferred to a slow-cooker

I usually just open a can of Manwich Sauce, but today I did Sloppy from Scratch.

and it was really good!

Before I knew it,  the slow-cooker was empty!

(and we thought we'd have leftovers for supper that night)

This little guy loved them so much that his mom asked me for the recipe.

Notice the Handyman?

His plate is empty.

(truth?  He hates potlucks, so he only ate my sloppy joes. Me?  I love a potluck.  He misses out on all the good stuff!) 

 

Church Supper Sloppy Joes

7 lbs lean ground beef

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 T mustard

6 cups tomato sauce

1/2 cup white vinegar

2-3 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

hamburger buns

In a large skillet, brown beef, onion and celery. 

Cook in batches if necessary. Drain any fat.

Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese, cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in cheese, cook until melted.

Serve on buns.

Yield:  50 servings.

I will be making these again!

But probably cutting down the serving size.

It's a great cookbook.

Given to me by my friend Mitzi, who  really IS THE BEST COOK  I know!

Church Potluck!

 

Sunday

The Handyman and I went to church this morning---this is nothing new, but, well----

bear with me a bit...

Gathering Time:

Pew #1

Pew #2

The Pastor 

(who happens to be my daughter-in-law, giving her first sermon at her new church)

We had a great time as we skipped attending our church in town and gathered with friends (my DIL'S aunt and uncle, cousins) to watch as her sermon and church service was live-streamed on the Internet.  We had our coffee cups, donuts, some fruit.  

She did a great job!  She always does. We're very proud of her.    And....I think the  Handyman liked going to church in a living room a little too much.  (we'll see if he's in a pew next week or a living room sitter/watcher)

And this picture below is of "The Children's Time" in the service.

Not a great pic  --- but they are all taken of a TV screen downloaded from a computer--  but my grandbabies are in there!  So, of course I had to share.....and you can't see a thing.

~smiles~

It was a fun Sunday morning.

Other Sunday happenings:

I finished a book.

Now I'm going to make some  Summer Corn Fettecine.

You?

Being invisible

I have lost my anonymity.



Let me backtrack.... I live in a small town, where everybody knows my name. Or if not my name, my husbands name. And our faces. Everybody knows everybody. For the most part, it's good. It's comfortable. It makes you feel part of something.


Without going into a lot of detail tho, there are times when you just want to be invisible. It doesn't happen often around here.


I have to do a lot of community events and service with my job. So I'm at things, involved in things, doing things. At heart I am a homebody and introverted. I know, that's hard for some of you to believe, but it's true. My dream holiday would be for a couple of days ALL TO MYSELF. No phone calls, no invitations...just walks and books and old movies and a glass or two of wine. Chinese food or pizza of MY choosing.


Just for a couple of days of course...I know it would get lonely after a while. But it sure sounds good.


We attend the Methodist Church here in Winnemucca. Everyone knows our name. We can't just go to church and be invisible. Ironically, we could go to any church here and people would know our names, as we would know their's. It's a small town. A cliché but true. In fact, one day a man came into the Dry Cleaners (which we own) and said to my husband, "I haven't seen you at Mass lately". The Handyman had to inform the man, that he wasn't Catholic. The man said "REALLY? Huh. I could have sworn you were."


TRUE STORY.


It's because in a small town, you see everyone everywhere, at every event and in the grocery store and out to eat. One gets confused as to who does what, goes where and belongs to which club. It all intermingles somehow.
Like I stated, this is usually a good thing. If you have a lost child, or are sick, or need help of any kind, people are there for you. They hold fund-raisers, search parties, cook dinners.


But....sometimes...they also know your business before you do.


When my oldest son was a teenager, a policeman came walking into the cleaners and handed my husband a "ticket" our son had gotten the night before. He had failed to give our son his copy.


Another time, the Chief of Police found us at a restaurant where we were dining with other friends (yep the Chief was our friend too) and took my husband outside to tell him that our son's car had been found deserted and banged up in the desert a few miles out of town. Our son had just sold it and bought a new car....but the Chief didn't know that, and was concerned and wanted to let us know before we heard it somewhere. He wanted to make sure our son was safe.
Our son's OLD CAR had been stolen from the Used Car Lot.


All this is nice and comforting and such, but there are times when you don't want the whole community or neighborhood to know your business.
Like when the Handyman is working in the backyard---moving the dog house from one side yard to the other. A big dog house. A big huge dog house, that is awkward and heavy. Very heavy. And the Handyman has a bad back.
And it's a nice spring day, and the birds are singing and the butterflies are twittering about and the neighbors all around are also out working in their yards, planting gardens, enjoying some lemonade. And you are happy it's warm and the tulips are coming up and you step outside and notice your Handyman moving the heavy, awkward, big dog house and you say, "What are you doing?"
And the Handyman answers, "I'M MOVING THE F***ING DOG HOUSE, WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE I'M DOING?"
The birds stop singing, the butterflies stop twittering, people stop shoveling dirt in their gardens, the ice in the neighbors lemonade glass stops clinking. There is total silence in the air... because...they have all heard the Handyman. (sigh)


Yep, sometimes it's nice to be invisible.


So, I like it when I drive into Reno to go to my daughter-in-law's church. The 1st Methodist on the river. It's a huge old church. I am anonymous. I like it very much. Sometimes I just want to sit in silence and have 'spiritual' moment, a contemplative moment.


This Easter Sunday when the Handyman and I slipped into the pew I was so looking forward to that contemplative moment, that anonymity, and then, the man next to me started talking to me as if he knew me.... about the neighborhood my kids lived in. He said he had almost bought there years ago. He went on and on and on. His name is Ralph. He introduced us to everyone around him.


It seems he does know me now. I've attended too often for him not to notice. We are not anonymous anymore. We are visible. They'll probably put me on a committee soon.


(sigh)

This is the church on Sunday morning. I was taking the picture, sitting by Ralph. I was trying to capture the balloons on the ceiling--from the children's minute.

This is my story---and I'm sticking to it.

I have been missing in action for the past week. It's been crazy/fun at my house. My youngest son and his wife and twins have been with us for the past two months, since graduating from Grad School, and transitioning into jobs. They packed up and moved this past weekend.
Our oldest son and his wife and baby girl came up to visit for a week--beginning this past weekend. 
My parents "didn't want to miss all the babies", so they too came to visit this past weekend.



I have a lot of stories to tell, recipes to share and book clubs to talk about, but for now, I'll just leave you with my church story.


Remember this post about Sundays?
Well, let me tell you about this past Sunday.


First of all, my middle son, changed the ring tone on my cell phone to play an Eminem song when it rings.
You know....the notorious Eminiem ----singing
The way you shake it, I can't believe it
I ain't never seen an ass like that


Yeah, that's him. My middle son thinks it's FUNNY.
And I don't know (or haven't had the time to figure it out) how to change the ring tone back, so I just have it on vibrate.


Early Sunday morning, the Handyman was a bit annoyed with me and said, "you never answer your cell phone when I call," then he took my phone and said, "it's on silent!" He handed it back to me and I didn't give it another thought.


We all go to church. My husband, my parents, my oldest son, his wife, their daughter, me. We take up a whole pew.  I am happy.  I have a lot of family, and I get to show off my grandaughter.


The Pastor asks us to bow our heads to pray. We do. And all of the sudden Eminem breaks out in song... The way you shake it, I can't believe it
I ain't never seen an ass like that


THE HANDYMAN had set it to "ring" so I wouldn't miss his calls!!


I started hitting buttons on my cell phone and it stopped right away. For some lucky reason I had my cell phone in my hand, so I don't think many people actually heard "I ain't never seen an ass like that".
And perhaps the preacher was preaching about Jesus riding as ass into Jerusalem.


My oldest son, elbowed me in the ribs and was laughing silently.
I guess that at the moment my cell phone rang and Eminem started singing, the Pastor's prayer was saying "don't ignore the call......"


I am sure she meant the call of God, not Eminem.




** a disclaimer. whatever you do, don't look up the lyrics to that song "Ass like that". It's horrible. Awful. And probably should be outlawed.


And I played it in church.

What I love about Sundays

These are the things I love about Sundays:



1. Getting up early and either going outside with my coffee cup and book, doing a bit of yard work while the dew is still on the ground, or in the winter, grabbing my coffee cup and book and watching the snow fall outside while I am warm and toasty.


2. Watching CBS Sunday Morning.


3. Making waffles.


4. Going to church.


All these things I love. #'s 1 thru 3 must take place before #4, which begins at 10:00 a.m.
Sometimes it's hard to accomplish it all.
but....it's my favorite. My favorite morning of all.


A few years ago, there was a country song called "That's what I love about Sundays" by Craig Morgan. I am not a HUGE country music fan (although, I do like it), but that song I love. I love the lyrics.
Raymond's in his Sunday best,
He's usually up to his chest in oil an' grease.
There's the Martin's walkin' in,
With that mean little freckle-faced kid,
Who broke a window last week.
Sweet Miss Betty likes to sing off key in the pew behind me.


That is SO TRUE....of my church anyway. Though our church is small and provincial, it is a true microcosm to the country as a whole. Don't you love that about churches?


Anyway, I won't go into much church stuff.... I just love that song. And I love my Sunday mornings.


I'll be back later with a Mark Bittman recipe (post)  I made last night.
For now..... what I love about Sundays....

My grandson Eli came out early to pull weeds with me.

Who am I kidding....we live in the desert...we don't have "dew"...the sprinklers had been on earlier.

My book and my coffee cup.  2 of my favorite things.

The wine opener (another one of my favorite things) left on the patio table from last night.

Soon Eli's twin sister, Emerson got up and joined us.

We found a bee on a sunflower.

My daughter in law preaching 

(I am out of focus!! )

As  you leave our church, you are invited to COCKTAILS.

hahahaaa....

We live in Nevada, we have a casino right across the street from the Church.

I had a friend whose husband one Christmas Eve service left to use the bathroom.

He ran across the street because he "said" that the bathroom at the church was busy.

And he didnt' come back and didnt' come back...finally when the service was almost over, he slips back in and sits in the pew.  

He had put a quarter in a slot machine while he walked by and he won...and he won...and he won.

$500.

While his family was in church.

We laugh now....she couldn't really get mad, he won money!!!

But back to this Sunday....

An Uncle, stopping his niece from falling off the pew.

A dad holding his daugtgher

(yes...that is my son and my granddaughter)

An  uncle holding his niece

A new mom holds her 4 day old baby--little Issac Tyler

(and is in church no less)

A baby peeks over the pew.

(I know her....her name is Hannah, my grandchildren's cousin)

My grandson peeks over the pew!

All of those nieces, nephews, grandbabies, aunts,  uncles, new moms, etc?

It's my daughter in law's family!

And they're not even all in church today.

And now....I'm going to go grab a glass of lemonaide and my book.

Later make some faitjas for supper, some chocolate elcair cake.

Take a nap in the hammock.

That's what I love about Sundays.

The rest of the song....the lyrics...
That's what I love about Sunday:
Sing along as the choir sways;
Every verse of Amazin' Grace,
An' then we shake the Preacher's hand.
Go home, into your blue jeans;
Have some chicken an' some baked beans.
Pick a back yard football team,
Not do much of anything:
That's what I love about Sunday.

I stroll to the end of the drive,
Pick up the Sunday Times, grab my coffee cup.
It looks like Sally an' Ron, finally tied the knot,
Well, it's about time.
It's 35 cents off a ground round,
Baby. cut that coupon out!
That's what I love about Sunday:

Cat-napping on the porch swing;
You curled up next to me,
The smell of jasmine wakes us up.
Take a walk down a back road,
Tackle box and a cane pole;

Carve our names in that white oak,
An' steal a kiss as the sun fades,
That's what I love about Sunday,
Oh, yeah.

Ooh, new believers gettin' baptized,
Momma's hands raised up high,
Havin' a Hallelujah good time
A smile on everybody's face.
That's what I love about Sunday,
Oh, yeah.

That's what I love about Sunday,
Oh, yeah.