Sloppy Joes, revisited once again...

 

Every year I post my Sloppy Joe recipe.  It’s been a Halloween tradition in our family since the boys were little.    It was always so easy to just make Sloppy Joes earlier in the day on Halloween, and serve them with potato chips before the boys headed out for the evening.  Oh, how I miss those days, but the tradition continues and now their families have Sloppy Joes on Halloween.

So here is the recipe again, it’s my annual halloween post.  It’s just the easiest and the best recipe, ever.  Pinkie swear it is.  ~ Jan 

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped 
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 Tablespoon white vinegar 
2 heaping Tablespoons brown sugar 
1 Cup Heinz Ketchup 1/4 cup water 
Cayenne Pepper to taste

Brown meat and onion, season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

Drain, add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  If mixture gets too thick, add a bit more water. 

Note:  I usually double this recipe.  When the boys were little, they loved Velveeta Cheese melted on the top of the sloppy joes.  I would put the joes on the bun, top with the cheese, leave the top bun off, and nuke it until the cheese melted.  Velveeta is so “not cool” these days, but for some recipes it will always be the best! 

Emotional Baby YouTube Video

 

The range of emotion on this baby’s face is unbelievable.  I saw this last night and had to post.  Some of the commenters were not nice, berating the mother for doing this and not comforting her baby.  I didn’t see it like that at all, I don’t think the baby was scared, I just think that she was responding to Mom, it’s unreal how much emotion she shows at such a young age.

This will tug at your heartstrings, pinkie swear it will.  ~ Jan

Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee in the fall…

For the past two years in October we’ve trekked down to Leiper’s Fork with John and Deanna, and had so much fun we’ve decided to make it an annual event. 
It was the perfect photo op, and since I have a ton of pictures, I thought you all might enjoy the journey with us…

Of course breakfast was the first thing on the agenda, and yours truly, is not a happy camper! 

I could have tried this yummy Backwoods Benedict, made with fried green tomatoes and red-eye hollandaise sauce, but oh no, I opted for a Farmhouse Salad chocked full of chicken, roasted corn and fried blackeyed peas.  It was very good, but next year I’m having this!   I did, however,  have one of the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten.  A fluffy, light as a feather, to-die-for biscuit drenched in butter.  Ahhhhhhhh, heart be still..

Then we were off to West & Company, this unique emporium chocked full of delightful treasures.

First a family photo in front of the store.  What a wonderful backdrop they provided for people to take pictures. 
And yes, I know my bangs need to be trimmed, hubby and I were so busy we “forgot” our hair appointment the day before we left…

Then we sat down for a mother and son picture.

This is such a good picture of John and Deanna.  Hubby and I also had our picture taken sitting on this bench, but let’s just say I vetoed publishing it. 

Now, come along and look at some of the treasures in West & Company, which you can “Like” on Facebook, by linking here.

Back outside and a ride on a bucking sawhorse for Deanna.

And two darling rescue dogs that were just begging to be petted, so of course I just had to stop and say hi.

 

This jar of marshmallows and the rocking chairs by the fire pit were so inviting.

It was a cool day, temps in the low 50’s, just the perfect weather for warming yourself by the fire and toasting marshmallows

While we were relaxing, Hubby was off “shuckin’ and jivin’” with some guy he met.  Check out the retro bike.

We had to take a picture of us with this old Jeep, and it’s a keeper.  I’ve discovered that in my sixties, pictures are best taken “behind” a great prop!

Our children never really do grow up, do they?  Notice my great wrap bracelet that my friend Holly made me.  She is so talented, I love this bracelet!  And I really like this picture with BookBook covering my face.  BookBook is one of my very favorite things, it holds my iPhone.  We’re a BookBook family, Linds has one for her iPhone, too and we have big ones for our iPads.  They’re really vintage looking and the older and scruffier they get, the better!

Deanna and I had our picture taken last year in these chairs at our favorite art gallery, so we recreated the setting.

I’ve always loved pictures of the photographer being photographed.

And that was our day in pictures. 

We made some wonderful memories last weekend.
There is nothing like spending a crisp fall day in the hills and hollers of Tennessee with your family.

Leiper’s Fork is a treasure, if you live close enough to visit, it’s worth the trip…