Sloppy Joe Sandwich Filling

Sloppy Joe Sandwich Filling serves 6
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1 Pound Ground Beef
2 Tablespoon Onion, minced
2 Tablespoon Green Pepper, minced
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Mustard
3/4 Cup Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Salsa
6 Each *Hamburger Buns


Instructions
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Assembly Directions:

Brown ground beef, onion, and bell pepper together over medium heat. Cook thoroughly until no pink color remains in the meat. Drain and discard the pan liquids. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool. Package the Sloppy Joe Sandwich Filling in family size quantities, or package into individual servings.



Thawing and Serving Directions:

Thaw in the microwave or in the refrigerator. Reheat over very low heat on the stove or microwave on medium high until heated through. Stir the mixture several times during thawing and reheating. Heap the sandwich filling onto opened sandwich buns and enjoy.

Things we have learned

1. It snowed in Minneapolis. I thought this was funny. It's getting cold here but not that cold yet.

2. They drive the speed limit here. However, the speed limit on the freeway is 70 miles per hour. I have to set my cruse control to keep up.

3. They wear their shoes in the house. This is hard for me to comply with. We have been to at least 4 different homes now and each one says...Please keep your shoes on, really, we wear them in the house. Kylie, have you learned to do this yet?

4. No tax on food in WA but cheaper sales tax in ID.

5. Mostly conservative in political choice

6. Hunting is huge here. Everyone seems to own multiple guns and bows.

What a busy week

What a busy week it has been and I think Dan told me tonight that it's only Wednesday! As I said earlier, we arrived last Wednesday. My parents stayed with us on Thursday. We toured the town, found the Wal-mart, Post Office and of course the Library. There are two malls in town, I'm looking forward to buying a couple new pieces of clothes soon. My parents went home early Friday morning. Thanks Mom and Dad for coming with us. Friday night we went to a really good seminar on Spiritual Warfare. I thought this was very interesting because my mom has been teaching me about Warfare since 1991, it was nice to have so much confirmed by someone else. And it interested Dan enough for him to start reading the book I bought. I'm looking forward to hearing what he thinks. The seminar continued on Saturday as well. Church was fantastic on Sunday. We got here just in time to start a new series on the Sermon on the Mount. After church we were invited to two different places. First breakfast at Larry and Ronnie's and then lunch/dinner at Doug's sister-in-law's. Both were great opportunities to start meeting people. I went with Dollee on Tuesday night to the woman's Bible study. We are going through a book on Ecclesiastes, it should be interesting. Tonight we were invited to one of the many growth groups at church were we again had the opportunity to meet some new people. Friday we are having dinner with some leaders of the college age group. Like I said, it's been a busy week.
Dan started work this week as well. He said it will be a process before he is off and running. So far, it's been talked about Dan getting involved in the college/young adults group which has a service on Thursday night...hmm, I wonder if we are going to that tomorrow night? He had a meeting today with about 15 other area pastors and Western Seminary. They are trying to start some lay leadership training classes (CD & DVD) to help grow there leadership in the area. This might be something Dan will help out with as well.
I'm in the process of learning how to do some cooking with a Microwave. I've been given a couple of books and tried to make some chicken pasta last night. The chicken tasted like chicken in the microwave tastes like. :( Perhaps 6 minutes was too long...next time I'll try 4 minutes and see if that helps. A few of you have suggested getting a toaster oven, I love this idea however, we have one in storage back home... The neighbor said she has two crock pots and said I could borrow one anytime I want. I might look into that as well.
Below are a couple of picture I took from my desk in the living room. :) Nice huh.

We Made It

Well, we made it to Idaho without any problems. Our cars did great over the mountains even in the snow we passed through. Yep, there are places with snow already. But not here in Post Falls, ID. It's been very pretty looking out here but it's a bit on the cold side. However, I just checked the weather for today. 49 in Minneapolis, 54 in Post Falls, so not too bad. :)

We are living in the lower level of Jack and Dollee's house. We have a very large living room area which we separated into two parts. The first part is where the TV is, it has two couches and a lazy boy. On the other side of the room we put a desk for me to work at and I'm hoping to find a 6 foot table to add to it so I can have room for my work laptop, a second monitor and perhaps even my personal laptop. Too many computers. We are a bit sad that Dan will most likely be taking his nice computer to the church...not real sure about that yet though. We also have a "kitchen" area. Table and four chairs as well as cabinets, sink and a microwave. I'm going to try to check out a book at the library on how to cook with a microwave. We are welcome to use the kitchen upstairs any time we like but it would be nice for us to have some Independence as well. We brought our Select Comfort mattress with us so we can "sleep in our own bed". I have slept better the last two night then I have in the past 3 months. Very nice. There is a guest room down here as well that we are welcome to use if we receive any company...so come on out. :)

Dan and I both start work on Monday. I'm looking forward to working from 6:30-3:00. Which will be 8:30-5 in MN. I think it will be great, I can roll out of bed, throw some clothes on then come out to the computer. I won't need to take a shower before work, make lunch or drive! And the best part is that I will be done by 3:00 in the afternoon! Not sure what I'm going to be spending my time doing after 3:00 but it sounds fun anyway.

Dan will begin Monday morning as well. First meeting at 9:00. We don't know yet what he will be doing. I'm already looking forward to hearing how his first day goes. Dan and I both attended a really cool Spiritual Warfare class both Friday night and Saturday morning, and Dan got up early this morning to attend the 7:00 men's breakfast. It sounds like Dan might need to learn to be a morning person. hehe.

Tomorrow is Sunday, our first day at church. I'm looking forward to this. So far everyone we have met seems excited to have us here. Hopefully it won't take long to make friends. We are invited to Doug and Linda's (pastor and wife) for Monday night football. I've been told they project the HD TV onto a 22 ft screen. Go Vikes!!

Contact Info

Some of you have asked for new contact info, I now have it.
Dan and Jamie Henderson

21761 W Riverview Drive

Post Falls ID 83854

Dan Cell: 612.991.5478
Jamie Cell: 612.868.2391
New Home phone: 208.773.1468

We are getting down to the end. It's now Wednesday and there are still many items in the living room that need to be cleared out. We rented what we thought was a large storage room for our furniture and things we have decided to leave behind for the next year but not all of our stuff fit in it...this was after we got rid of about 6 bags, 4 boxes and 2 large items of stuff to goodwill, PLUS threw away anything I could get in the garbage without Julie putting it into the goodwill box first. Where did all the stuff come from? Anyway, my uncle volunteered to take all the rest of our stuff to store in their basement. Thanks Rick and Michelle! If my camera worked I would show you the mess we have. I'm hoping camera battery shopping is on the long list of things to do tomorrow with my dad!!! He's coming to town tonight. I don't think I've seen him since last November! It will be so nice to have him here helping me get all the last minute things completed...this is his specialty.
Today is my last real day in the St. Louis Park office! Yahoo!! I'm back in for an ALL day meeting on Monday but we won't actually be "working" during the meeting but planning the next year. So, today is spent cleaning my office, setting my out of office greeting and all that jazz. Should be fun. Speaking of work...I should go there.

Things to pray for:
Easy closing on Friday
Get everything packed and cleaned before the closing
Have a great time visiting with family and friends over the next 6 days.
That we will get all of our items in the three cars we are driving to Idaho
That our 14 & 15 year old cars will make it over the mountains.

Starting back up

I'm going to try to get this blog going again. My work blocked the site and that is where I was entering stuff in the past but now that I only have 4 more days in the office I thought I would try to blog while at home. So many of you have asked us to stay in touch, this may be the easiest way to do that.
An Update:
We sold our house about 3 weeks ago and will be moving to Post Falls, Idaho next Tuesday, September 29, 1009. We are so very excited about this. We have been given free housing with Jack and Dollee Meredith so all of our furniture and many other things have been moved to storage for the next year. We are only taking what will fit in our two little cars and a rented mini van that my parents will drive to help us move.
A few things on our list to bring: Clothes, books, 42" TV, golf clubs, sewing machine, computer...
I found out last week that my work has approved me to work remote until the end of the year. What an awesome blessing this is!

More Stuff

I'm in the process of finding out that I am having some problems with my thyroid. I've had tests run and had an ultrasound and now tomorrow I'm being sent to the endocrinologist. I'm not sure what is going on or how good or bad it is. But I do know that it's creating some additional emotional stress to be dumped on top of all my other stuff. I'm fighting an urge to crawl in bed and cry but I know that doesn't do anything so am doing my best to deal with it. If you think of me, can you please pray that God would grant me some peace at this time in my life.

I was reading in Ezekiel this morning, totally not my book of choice, but I felt God bringing a passage to life for me. Ezekiel 33: " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'
Idaho came to my mind when I was reading this. What an awesome promise for God to make. I started praying that I wanted God to use me in making this promise come true for Idaho. I don't know what it would look like and who am I to do anything great, but Lord I'm here to go if you want me. Then I read the next verse:
37 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, 38 as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Why would anyone not want to serve this God!