Sloppy Joes for a Crowd and Surprise Gifts

Hi everyone,

This morning has been a busy one at Ten Gables. I am making Sloppy Joes for 40 people! It is for tomorrow for my church senior group, of which I am leader. We are having an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social, and dinner.Before ice cream,will be Sloppy Joes on buns with slaw and chips. Then everyone is bringing a choice of ice cream, topping, fruit, whipped cream etc. for the making of sundaes, banana splits, etc. Yum!
The first thing I did was to chop some green pepper, onion and celery and saute. To speed things, I used my little"Chop Chop" machine which you will see later.











Then I set the saute mixture aside and browned about 6 lbs. of hamburger in 2 different pots. You can see it on the stove, just beginning to brown. After it browned, I drained all the fat from it, mixed in the pepper, onion and celery and added some other ingredients. Recipe will follow.

Here it is simmering on the back of the stove, which will do for 2 hours. Then I will cool it, refrigerate it until tomorrow and then heat in a big crock pot for 2-4 hours until taking it to church. We usually only have about 15 to 20 people, but I wanted to have plenty. Any that is left can be frozen for future use.

This is my little chopping machine that really makes chopping onions easy and tear free, is great for celery and peppers as well.

Then when the mailman came this morning, I had surprise cards and birthday packages! What fun! My birthday is on the 30th, but of course I had to open and see what was sent.

From a sister-in-law, Shirley, I received a beautiful scarf made into a purse, with a pretty pin attached to it. It is really nice and the scarf is so luxurious! She also sent a little pocket lipstick case with mirror and two dish towels made into....yes....bloomers! You untie the strings that hold it together and then you have 2 nice dishtowels.

Dishtowels made into bloomers! So cute and useful, too. Just untie the strings.

Then I got a special birthday package from my daughter who lives in Northern Ireland. She has a talent for finding small mailable things that are so cute and novel!

Her packages are always a real treat. This one contained a package of beautiful napkins with a little ornament that says "Forget diets...eat cake. My sentiments exactly!

Also in the package was some nice bath salts scented with rose, my favorite scent;a very sweet magnet that says "If mothers were flowers, I'd pick you". Also, there is the cutest little charm for a bracelet, of a little miniature china tea pot!

It is so much fun to receive packages and gifts and cards....makes getting older quite bearable!


Also got a really nice card and a newsy letter from my sister-in-law Geni and brother-in-law Cliff, which brightened up the day. Love getting mail!

Recipe for Sloppy Joes for a Crowd

5 or 6 lbs of ground beef

1 large pepper

1 large onion

2 or 3 celery stalks

1 and 1/2 bottles chili sauce

4 cups ketcup

1/4 cup vinegar

1 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs. Worchestshire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the pepper, onion and celery. Brown beef and drain well, add saute veggies. Add rest of ingredients and simmer 2 hours. Add extra ketcup if too thin and water is too thick. Serve on buns with cole slaw. Serves 40