Sloppy Joes and Macaroni Salad

Well, I had lentil burgers again for lunch. I told you that recipe makes a lot! Tomorrow I'll eat something different, I swear! For dinner, however, I made sloppy joes, and Kiddo helped me make a macaroni salad! He was super cute, I let him try one of the noodles as I was cooking, and he said "Mmm good good!" as he chewed it! He's awesome! He got to help me add the ingredients into the salad and stir it! He loves to cook with me! When he sees me in the kitchen, he grabs a utensil from the drawer and comes up to me, saying "Cook! I cook!", and gets very mad if I'm chopping or am finished so he can't help me! I swear that boy is going to be a chef! At my parent's house, he whisks handfuls of cat or dog food into the water dishes, and when we go out to eat, he mixes all of any sauces that may be on the table together. He's silly! Husband had some of the jalapeno Cheetos on his last deployment and came home telling me how much he liked them, so I picked some up for him to have with his dinner, and I got myself a bag of Zapps potato chips. I love their Jalapeno, Spicy Crawtater, and Voodoo Gumbo flavors! This time, I got the Creole Tomato one! Yummy!!

On a side note, my sister got me in love with Pringles' Spicy Guacamole crisps. They are SO hard to find, but if you find them, get some! They are the best Pringles ever! Next time I'm at the commissary, I'm going to ask them to order some for me.I need them!!


Okay, so I broke my whole wheat only rule with the macaroni. The reason being that it's what we had. When we lived in Ohio, my mother-in-law gave me a box of macaroni, since there's no need to waste, and we did use whole wheat buns, I used them. I only have a cup remaining, so once it's all gone, rest assured the next macaroni I buy will be whole wheat.

If you want to make a sloppy joe as awesome as mine, you need;
This takes 30 minutes to prep and cook

1 pound lean ground beef, pork, chicken, or turkey (I used 93/7 turkey. Don't tell husband! It's cheaper than beef of the same meat to fat ratio!)
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (If you're using beef you'd be fine with 1 tablespoon, but since turkey is so mild in flavor, it needed an extra boost.)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (I wanted a pretty smokey flavor, but if you want less, use 1 teaspoon)
1 to 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (Again, if using beef, you're good with 1)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash hot sauce
4 to 6 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
freshly grated Parmesan

This serves 4-6 (Depending on how sloppy you like your joes! For my family, it makes 4.)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add meat and grill seasoning and brown. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and saute until tender. Drain off any remaining fat (If using lean meat, there shouldn't be enough to need to drain, however.), and stir in tomato paste, sauce, water, chili powder, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Serve on toasted buns and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

To make a macaroni salad fit for the master of my house;
Prep time - 30 minutes Chill - 4-24 hours

1 cup whole wheat elbow macaroni
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard or horseradish mustard
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 dill pickle spear, chopped or 1/4 cup relish
3/4 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes (about 4, depending on size)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
additional milk (if needed)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse twice, until cool.

In a large bowl, whist together mayonnaise, milk, mustard, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stir in relish, cheese, celery, peas, radishes, and green onion. Gently fold in pasta and chopped eggs. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Before serving, if necessary, stir in more milk to moisten.

This serves 6