Healthy Alternatives - Sloppy Joes

I have a vague memory of sloppy joes. It seems like I may have had it once or twice as a child - but my memory, vague though it is, was not at all favorable.

However, I stumble upon an online conversation about sloppy joes, and started thinking that I could totally make that into a yummy whole foods meal. I had a feeling that sloppy joes could be a very kid friendly meal. So, I took on the challenge ... and this is what I came up with. I have only made it once, however, so tweaking will come. On this particular night, I made homemade spelt/hard white buns, *organic corn, and **grass-fed beef with onions and the "special sauce".

The sauce:

1 Cup of ***organic ketchup (we happen to think Heinz is the best there is)

1 1/2 heaping teaspoons of prepared mustard

1 Tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar

1/4-1/2 teaspoon of powdered garlic

1 heaping Tablespoon of BBQ sauce (the kind with NO HFCS)

I threw in a little bit of filtered water to thin out the sauce a bit.

I sauteed 2 lbs of grass fed beef with minced onion (1/2 of a small onion chopped finely)

I mixed up the sauce seperately and added it to the sauce when the meat was done browning.

What an incredibly easy whole foods meal!

Also, I chose to make sloppy joes on a day that was already a planned breadmaking day. So, it didn't require anything more of me than usual. Because freshly baked buns are so incredibly awesome . . . I would only make this meal on a day that I am already making bread. I always make two loaves at a time. So, I divide the dough in half, and knead it into a loaf. The other half I use to make about 14-16 buns.

This would freeze well - for those of you that do freezer meals - you can make this ahead and freeze it!

The children loved it! SCORE!!

*organic corn - has not been genetically modified

**grass-fed beef - cows that have not been given antibiotics, hormones, and eat a diet of grass and hay as opposed to corn and soy.

***organic ketchup uses evap. cane juice instead of HFCS