Last night I had the pleasure of dining with some friends {who happen to be mothers}. We had a lovely time, dining outdoors at Chili's {at the Arboretum}. Conversations ranged from recent books we have read {a top pick being The Help}, to favorite movies to the latest episode of Modern Family that had us cracking up. We also talked about the kids {what dinner with mother's would be complete without some discussion about their kiddos}.
At one point, the conversation got sidetracked onto homemade spaghetti sauce and who actually had time to make such things. Too embarrassed to admit that I make my own sauce {since I appeared to be the minority}, I sat and politely smiled and let them chat. Granted, I don't have kids, but even with holding down a full-time job, I like to take the time to make my own sauce. This may stem from always having homemade sauce that my mom would whip up.
If I had my way, my spaghetti sauce would be rich in vegetables: zucchini, squash, mushrooms, {fresh} garlic cloves and onions. Not being a fan of meatless dishes, Daniel begs me to include ground beef, but I will occasionally change it up and use chicken or Italian sausage. For the tomatoes, I am not adverse to using a can of diced or crushed tomatoes and a little bit of {canned} tomato sauce is good for thickening it up. Toss in some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and simmer. Soon your sauce will take on a more flavorful version of anything you could buy in a jar.
As I get older and experiment more often with my recipes, I am finding that I really detest food that is out of a can {or box or jar}. Not that canned food is bad, it just isn't as good as it could be. Especially when you take the time to use fresh ingredients and stir in a little bit of love.
At one point, the conversation got sidetracked onto homemade spaghetti sauce and who actually had time to make such things. Too embarrassed to admit that I make my own sauce {since I appeared to be the minority}, I sat and politely smiled and let them chat. Granted, I don't have kids, but even with holding down a full-time job, I like to take the time to make my own sauce. This may stem from always having homemade sauce that my mom would whip up.
If I had my way, my spaghetti sauce would be rich in vegetables: zucchini, squash, mushrooms, {fresh} garlic cloves and onions. Not being a fan of meatless dishes, Daniel begs me to include ground beef, but I will occasionally change it up and use chicken or Italian sausage. For the tomatoes, I am not adverse to using a can of diced or crushed tomatoes and a little bit of {canned} tomato sauce is good for thickening it up. Toss in some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and simmer. Soon your sauce will take on a more flavorful version of anything you could buy in a jar.
As I get older and experiment more often with my recipes, I am finding that I really detest food that is out of a can {or box or jar}. Not that canned food is bad, it just isn't as good as it could be. Especially when you take the time to use fresh ingredients and stir in a little bit of love.
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