It has long been established that I'm in love with food. The planning, preparing, chopping creating, and eating of it - yes - but food, to me, like Christmas to The Grinch, is about a little bit more.
We were given five glorious senses:
Touch...
The feel of a cool ripe tomato pulled fresh from the vine.
Hearing...
The sound of a beautiful sauce bubbling on the stove.
Scent...
The smell of fresh sweet basil right from the garden.
Sight...
The beauty of a lovingly prepared plate of food.
And taste...
That inexplicable feeling you get when you take the perfect bite!
We take so much in life for granted.
Our relationships, our circumstances, and even the food we eat.
We rush through meals standing up or watching tv without much thought to the miracle of sight, sound, texture, smell, taste, and abundance available to each one of us blessed enough to live in a society where food is plentiful.
Instead of taking the time to savour the many gifts a well prepared meal has to offer, we hit the drive through, dial for take out, or pop something pre-packaged and frozen into the oven.
I've been as guilty of this as anyone.
But, over the years, as my conscious appreciation for the little things has increased, I've come to discover that the little things actually contain the biggest blessings.
And that the old classics. like a slow simmered pot of sauce and meatballs, are a wonderful way to bring your family together at the end of the day.
To sit around the table...
(I like to use my vintage 1950's dishes and glassware for spaghetti and meatball night)
Eating, talking, and laughing with the people I love the most.
I've been making the following recipe for over twenty years. I don't remember where I got it, but it's one of those tried and true dishes that just tastes like home.
If you don't already have a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs, then by all means, try this one.
My husband, after all, gives it his stamp of approval.
Old Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs
For printable recipe click HERE
Ingredients
Meatballs
* 1 pound extra lean ground beef
* 1 cup dried bread crumbs
* 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
* 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 egg, beaten
SAUCE
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 (6 ounce) can herb and spice tomato paste
* 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1/4 cup fresh basil (optional)
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 45 minutes more.
And serve sprinkled with fresh basil (optional)
Boo!
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