If you’re like me, sometimes you don’t want to put the time into making a “real” batch of Sloppy Joes, but you don’t want to do the Manwich thing either. (Well, if you’re really like me, you think Manwich is nasty, but that’s beside the point!) Never fear, there just so happens to be a quick and easy way to whip up a batch of Sloppy Joes, and I like them almost as well as I like the “real” ones.
All you need is hamburger meat, mustard, brown sugar, and ketchup. I don’t have ingredient amounts for you, and that should tell you how easy it is. I am the Queen of wanting exact measurements. Let me show you just how easy it is.
First, you’ll need to brown your hamburger:

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Along with learning to cook, I’ve also recently begun playing around with bento. I think the first step is to tell you exactly what bento is, but that’s not as easy as it sounds. Personally, I think a bento is different things to different people. You could come tell me that’s not true, but then you’d just be proving my point. (Do you see how nicely I did that? hehe)
Here’s what I understand bento to be: a portion controlled, healthy meal, creatively packed into a small container. Some people think sticking to the original Japanese traditions and foods in the bento is really important. Others think that the creativity part ranks highest on the scale.
For me, bento is about packing a functional lunch to bring from home, and one that is healthier than what I’d purchase from the cafeteria at work.
Currently I have two bento boxes. My first bento box is the Natural Leaf bento set:

It has a matching bag that didn’t make it into the photo. My second bento box is smaller, but very cute:

I packed a few lunches in the Leaf bento, and was still hungry. The last couple of days I packed the frog bento with veggies, and added a sandwich on the side, and felt like it might have been a little too much food. I think I’ll find a balance eventually, something that works for me.
And I may or may not have purchased more bento supplies this week. Don’t tell, but I think I might like purchasing bento supplies more than I like packing my lunch.

The plan for today is to balance my checkbook so I know how much money I’m working with, and to put together a shopping list for the grocery store. I can’t even make a peanut butter sandwich with the ingredients I have on hand!
Grocery shopping is always a challenge for me because I don’t plan ahead as to what to make for meals. That tends to leave me a little lost as to what I need to buy. I make a list out of the ads or things I know I’m out of, but I have to make as comprehensive a list as possible. If I don’t, I will walk up and down the aisles and come home with things for one meal, and a bunch of junk food! It’s also challenging for me because I live by myself, so a lot of things go bad before I get the chance to use them, and that’s frustrating for me.
Today I’m going to get the ingredients for Johnny Marzetti and Taco Salads. I know, Taco Salads aren’t exactly branching out, but they save and heat up really well. That’s important when you’re living by yourself– you always end up with a lot of leftovers!