Sloppy Joes, Fall Fests and Bathroom Stunts

9.29.2007

I love Friday evenings. The subject line of nearly every non work-related email I write on Fridays is TGIF!!! I enjoy my Friday evenings so much because I have two whole days ahead of me to fill with things that are all about family, friends, and some good 'ole R&R.

Friday night I made one of our favorite meals: sloppy joes and baked beans. Since we don't get home until about 6:30, this is a delicious meal that takes only minutes to prepare. For the sloppy joes, I brown a pound of ground sirloin. When done, I add a can of chicken gumbo soup and let simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. While the sirloin is browning, I cut up half a pound of bacon and half a large onion in a metal baking dish and brown until onions are transparent and the bacon is nearly crispy. Add a can of your favorite Bush's baked beans. (We like homestyle or vegetarian.) Cover and bake for about 30 minutes. Add a side of chips or veggies and dip and it's a delicious "semi-homemade" meal.

I must add... by the time our wonderful meal on the deck was drawing to a close, Adam was "vacuuming" the kitchen floor wearing only a shirt, a diaper and his red crocs on the wrong feet. Whatever works.

Saturday morning we left the house bright and early for the Duluth Fall Festival. Over the course of 11 years that I've been going, I've watched it grow from a small craft fair into a large event with lots of artists, vendors, food and fun.

And speaking of fun, you can see how excited our kids were...

I felt a sore kind of "twinge" in my lower back this morning while I was getting ready. I thought it was just an early morning kink since I am mere weeks away from turning 40. It didn't seem to work itself out though, and when I got out of the car at the Festival, it was really hurting.

We stopped to use the restroom right as we entered and I am here to report I got locked in the stall. First time it's ever happened to me. I couldn't get the circular knob to turn to unlock the door. Kendra and another lady were in there, too, and I kind of joked about it. Then I just got down on the floor and slid underneath the door on my back. It was my only choice, trust me. The other lady said, "Very impressive girl! You did that as gracefully as anybody could!" If only my lower back hadn't been gripped with pain, I could have done a triple 360 over the top of the stall.

I hope y'all are having a great weekend. If you haven't done so, please comment on my post below by leaving me a question for Interview Jill.

I'm off to take some Advil.

17 comments:

Leah in Iowa :

We love Sloppy Joe's, too! It was so strange to me when I moved here all the things the ladies called them: taverns, beef burgers, made rites, barbeques, and loose meat sandwiches. Talk about weird!! I will forever stick with good ole' Sloppy Joe's! =)

A fall festival - what fun! I hope you enjoyed it, even with back pain. We moms can suck it up when we have to, right?

The girls and I went to the F.D. apple orchard this week and had so much fun! (Did you go when you were here for Labor Day?) Besides eating yummy caramel apples and apple turnovers, we brought home stuff from the craft barn, local apple cider, and, of course, apples!

jeanetta :

that recipe sounds great for bothe dishes. i have been in frantic search for new things that are easy and hopefully the differing pallets of our famly will enjoy. i willhave to give this a go.

Dianne :

Sloppy Joes sound good...I may have to put that on my menu for next week! About the bathroom thing, UGH! You were funny about the triple 360. That whole thing sounds just like my luck!

justabeachkat :

Hope your back is much better. Getting older sucks, doesn't it?!

I haven't had a sloppy joe in years and years, but I used to love them.

Hugs!
Kat

Given Grace :

Gotta love a fall festival! The bathroom episode sounds like something that would happen to me. Im sure it was an impressive move.

Hope your back is better soon. I have back problems often so I will be praying for you!

Love the picture of the kids...you can see the emotion, a real life shot. Gotta love it

Knit-Wit :

I can so tell you are from the Midwest simply because you called them "Sloppy Joes"! They are referred to many things around the country, but I think only the Midwest calls them that. (I could be wrong)

Turning 40 was the best day of my life! I finally felt that I could be taken seriously as an adult and I had a sense of freedom that I had never known before. I hope your 40th is a great experience!

Nadine :

You even made getting stuck in the bathroom sound like an adventure. You're a better woman than me. I would probably still be there.

Susan :

What? No picture of that feat!!! hee hee
Susan

Steph :

Oh my gosh... I have a major, yet probably irrational, fear of getting stuck in the bathroom!
The fall festival sounds like fun!

Tonja :

Too bad no one took a picture of the "bathroom adventure!".

We love sloppy joes, too. It was always one of my boy's favs.

Sue :

Oh you poor thing having to get out of the stall like that. And with back pain! I hope it's feeling better soon.

Looks like the kids were so excited. :) It sounds like a lot of fun though.

Love the visual of Adam vacuuming.

Shawna :

Those are some fancy sloppy joes!! They sound great! And I can just picture you shimmying under that stall!! Ick! I hope your back feels better.

Susan :

Oh Jill the picture of you going UNDER the stall door cracks me up! I once had to go over the top of one to get one of my DSs unstuck.

I hope your back is feeling better now.

Hugs,

Susan

Happy Working Mom :

Your dinner sounds great!

And good for you getting out of the stall!!!

Tracey Kirksey :

girlfriend, I feel your pain! Except I was having back trouble long before I turned 40!

Speaking of...I'm headed to the Chiropractor today...if I put it off too long, I end up bed-ridden!

Love sloppy joes! That's some good comfort food!

And don't you just love this nip in the air?! After many weeks of triple digit temps, I'm loving the low 70's!

Have a great week!

Sonya :

I cannot imagine having to slide on the floor out of a stall. After I threw up in my mouth a little, maybe I could have done it! Kudos to you! I probably would have still been in the darn stall!

Vader's Mom :

I'll really really late, but I hope that your back is better!! And I like the kids photo. It's moody, but very good!!

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