My husband always helps with the barbequing, and sometimes he helps in the kitchen on the weekends, but he’s rarely available to help at any time during soccer season. But last night I asked him to whip up my quick and easy Sloppy Joes, and he did a fine job!

My friend Anne shared this fast, simple recipe with me awhile back, and it’s a kid-pleasing meal for sure!

Fast & Easy Sloppy Joes
Brown your beef or ground sirloin and drain off fat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. (We like to add Costco’s Steak Seasoning.)

Then add 1:1 – ketchup and barbeque sauce. (Meaning if you add 1 cup of ketchup, then you’d add 1 cup of BBQ sauce.)

That’s it! Anne’s right, the flavor it delicious and you don’t have to go through all the trouble of cooking onions, green peppers, and simmering all day.

Serve on yummy buns – and you’ve got a great meal!

And speaking of yummy, tasty meals, this last week I did some more SWAPPING!

I swapped a meal with my friend **Vicky. I made a “beef” potpie (one for her, and one for me to bake the next night).

And she made our family her specialty “Thai” food – which she has become widely-known for in our Rogue Valley! Were we a lucky family, or what?

I swapped my apple butter with the Lakin family (Lakin twins devouring Coughlin apple butter).

For a jar of their homemade blackberry jam (Lakin jam, no longer in existence in the Coughlin home).

And another surprise last week was a visit from my friend Vinnie, who passed through our town with her husband on their way to California.

Vinnie was one of my mom’s childhood friends. And I can see why. What a lovely person, and so fun to catch up and hear more stories about my mom in her younger days.

Vinnie’s visit, more food swapping, and our amazing fall weather last week were enough to remind me of what’s really important in life:

To be thankful for God’s blessings, which often come through food and friends!

Don’t forget about the idea of swapping a meal with another family! Don’t overcomplicate it – it could be as easy as cooking this Sloppy Joe meat and taking a package of fresh, healthy, whole-wheat buns! A family with kids will love you!

** Btw, my food swap with Vicky happened very quickly, as we decided late afternoon to make the swap! I love spontaneity!