Sloppy Joes

This is such a yummy recipe with such good flavor! It is so easy to make and just put in a crockpot for a few hours.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound lean ground Beef (I will sometimes do a mixture of Ground Turkey and Beef)
1/2 cup COOKED Breakfast Blend (see below)
one medium onion, peeled and grated
1/2 cup water
6- ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, but it give such good flavor, try it!)
1 big squirt of ketchup (to taste)
1 squirt mustard (to taste)

Brown meat. Add everything, simmer for 5-7 minutes or put in crockpot, ON LOW, for 3-4 hours.

Serves 6-8 (I always at least double or triple this for my little family of 7, it leaves us a little leftovers!)

Enjoy!


Breakfast Blend is something I pick up at my local health food store, Kitchen Kneads. However, you can make your own. It is just a blend of grains, using equal parts of each of these grains; buckwheat, barley, brown rice, millet, and oat groats.

To Cook this: Add 2 parts water to 1 part Breakfast Blend (2 c. water, 1 cup blend)
Bring water to boil, add in the Breakfast Blend, COVER, and cook for 30 minutes ON LOW or until the grains are soft and absorbed by water.

This is a yummy hot cereal for breakfast as well, put a little honey or brown sugar on it, num!

Exercise, People!

I just visited my doc this last week for my 6 week check-up after having Ruth. She was shocked to see I'd lost 30 lbs! I gained 25 lbs during this pregnancy. I completely owe it to exercise and watching my diet. I didn't have this success with my other 4 children. I went back to the gym 2 weeks after Ruth was born. It was hard! I took it easy, but even still it has been challenging.

I religiously started exercising after my second baby was born in 2000. I didn't exercise during pregnancy only in between after that. It was such a hard thing to begin! I had to do it at 11:00 a.m. I couldn't get up early and after I'd exercise I'd eat and then take a nap. That's how much it drained me! Within 4 weeks I was running a 5k and had lost 15 pounds. I was hooked. I felt stronger, more confident and happy that I'd achieved something. In 2007 I began lifting weights. Wow! It completely changed my body. I've always struggled with my last 30 lbs and still do, but I'm fitting into a size in jeans that I fit into when I was 30 lbs lighter, if that makes sense. I feel so much better doing it!

If you hate exercise...find something that you enjoy. It could be as simple as dancing with your kids, riding a bike, skateboarding, hiking, swimming, etc. Exercise can be enjoyable. Over the years, I've found many friends to exercise with, this helps as well! ALWAYS bring good music or books. Find a good environment. If you enjoy being home, find something to do at home, if you need a gym, join one, it's worth the money. If you love being outside...go outside! If your excuse is kids, bring them along...again the investment in strollers is worth it. At one point I had a double running stroller. The kids loved our daily run. The investment in you is worth it!