The packing has begun, which means that things are disappearing at an alarming rate. Things like my address book, which my sister-in-law was shocked to learn was one of the first things Rockford packed. Sometimes he subscribes to the “sweep everything on this surface into a box” method of packing. This move seems to be one of those occasions.

With such chaos unfolding, it’s likely that this menu plan won’t actually come to fruition. There’s a good chance that the Crockpot, for example, will be boxed up by Thursday. If that happens, we’ll order pizza.

Monday: Chicken enchiladas

Tuesday: Beans and rice

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes (recipe follows!)

Thursday: Tofu coconut curry

Rockford is aware that if he packs all of the pots and pans, he won’t be eating. So if nothing else, we’ll be eating Rachael Ray’s Super Sloppy Joes for the next three weeks. It’s one of my favorite one-skillet meals.

Rachael Ray’s Super Sloppy Joes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.