Recipe Friday: Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes

In honor of Veteran’s Day, make your special GI Joe (or Jane) a hearty meal with this recipe for Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes.

Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 (16 ounce) jars salsa

3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (8 oz.)

1 ½ cups shredded carrots (3 medium)

1 ½ cups finely chopped red and/or green sweet pepper

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 – 8 Kaiser rolls, split and toasted

Directions: 

• In a skillet cook beef over medium heat until brown, stirring to break meat in pieces. Drain fat.
• In 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker stir together beef and remaining ingredients (except rolls).
• Cover; cook on high-heat setting 4 to 5 hours or low-heat setting 8 to 10 hours. 

Happy Eating!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

BESTeam Etsy Finds: November 11, 2011

Are you starting your holiday shopping yet? Why bundle up in your heavy winter coats and go to a jammed mall when you can purchase gifts in your pj’s all from the comfort of your own home?

Come look at some of the great products we found on Etsy this week presented by the Boosting Etsy Shops Team that would make wonderful holiday gifts.

Mixed Bracelet from BeaderBubbe

A perfect gift for a teenage girl, mom, aunt, or special female in your life.

This bracelet is made with memory wire. It wraps around any wrist and consists of tiger's eye beads, silver spacers, green glass beads and black glass beads. It is very unusual and one of a kind.

Handmade Crochet Lace Flowers and Ribbon Christmas Ornament from GMaEllen Crochet Gifts

Image a holiday tree decorated with handmade ornaments. 

This beautiful 3 inch satin ball ornament is adorned with lace, flowers and ribbon whose beauty will last forever and  surely become a family heirloom!

Flower necklace with stones from RioRita

Calling all husbands!! Show the woman that you love just how special she is this year by purchasing this beautiful flower necklace with stones.

This necklace is combined of 12 three-dimensional flowers with 5 petals each.  The flowers are connected to one another with stylized links and small flat rings. On one of the flowers is a soldered 4mm Citrin cabochon stone and a 4mm Iolite cabochon stone; on three more flowers are soldered small pieces of 9ct Gold. Size of each handmade silver jewelry item flower is about 0.9" x 0.8".  Length of the necklace : 19.6"

The Creativity Bugs love the opportunity to promote other artisans including their fellow Estians but especially the BESTeam group. These friendly, talented, and very hardworking individuals work together to promote their shops and help others with marketing, advertising, and tips and tricks for running an online business. If you are a seller on Etsy, have a blog, and either FB or twitter, then you might be interested in joinging the BESTeam: Boosting Etsy Shops Team or the Etsy team page. You can find information about the team, as well as apply for membership HERE!

Happy Shopping!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue  

Veteran's Day 2011

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Veterans Day National Ceremony begins at 11:00 am ET on November 11, 2011 at Arlington National Cemetery  and includes a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns. This annual ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.

We want to personally say thank you to all the men and women who serve, have served, and have died protecting the United States and its people. God bless you all!

Creativity Bugs ~ Sandy and Sue