Hawaiian Sloppy Joes

(adapted from Carlsbad Cravings) Servings: about 6  I'm going to Hawaii this year!  Yippity do dah!  Sloppy Joes, a childhood favorite, take on a  Hawaiian twist with the addition of pineapple and a sweet/spicy sauce!  I paired these with Hawaiian macaroni salad and Alexa potato puffs.  Yum! INGREDIENTS: 1 pound lean ground beef or lean ground turkey 1 medium onion, diced 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground ginger 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¾ cup ketchup 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple (in 100% juice), undrained Salt and pepper to taste *hot sauce to taste (optional) DIRECTIONS: ·         Add olive oil to large skillet and brown ground beef and onions over medium heat, until browned and crumbled.  Break up chunks to crumble into tiny crumbs.  Drain any excess fat. ·         Whisk together all remaining ingredients, combining well and add to the beef mixture. ·         Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low. ·         Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. ·         Taste and add additional cider vinegar for tangier or more brown sugar for sweeter if desired. ·         Season with salt and pepper to taste. ·         Serve on Hawaiian sandwich buns, slider rolls, or traditional hamburger buns. ·         Garnish with pineapple rings and/or red onions if desired. ·         Enjoy! Note:  Slow cooker option:  Brown the beef and onions and add to slow cooker. Whisk together sauce ingredients and pour over beef, stirring to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

The Old Boy's Strawberry Pie

It's strawberry season, one of my most favorite times of the year!  What could be better than The Old Boy’s Strawberry Pie?  If you're looking for an old fashioned recipe that has a crumb topping rather than a top crust, try this!  It's easy and delicious!  Top it with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and you'll smile!

 (from Allrecipes)

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

·         3/4 cup white sugar

·         3/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         6 tablespoons butter

·         1 pinch ground nutmeg

·         4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced

·         1/2 cup white sugar

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a drip pan on lowest shelf to catch pie juices.

2.    To Make Topping: In a medium bowl, mix until fluffy the 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, butter, and nutmeg.

3.    Place cleaned strawberries in a deep bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and cornstarch. Gently coat berries with this mixture; be careful not to crush berries.

4.    Pour berries into prepared pie crust. Cover berries with crumb topping and top crumbs with about 15 pea-sized blobs of butter. Wrap edges of pie crust with foil to prevent burning.

5.    Bake pie in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. When there are 10 minutes left of baking, sprinkle a little extra sugar over crumb topping and then finish baking.