Everyday Spaghetti Sauce {a recipe}

I haven't bought spaghetti sauce in I don't know how long.  We just make our own.  Like most great recipes, this one isn't my own, I got it from my mother-in-law.  It's in the woman's ministry cookbook I got for Christmas MANY years ago.  Two thousand and four, to be exact.  The page is splattered with sauce.  Page sixty-three is another page that I frequent, there you'll find her Chicken Taquitas recipe.  I'll share that recipe another day.  Today I'm sharing the spaghetti sauce.  

Everyday Spaghetti Sauce 

PRINT HERE

2 lb. Hamburger, browned & drained

2 (16 oz) cans tomatoes, diced

2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce

2 (12 oz) cans tomato paste

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. basil

1 C. sugar

¼ tsp. pepper

2 C. water

Simmer on low for 2 hours or longer. Yield: 1 gallon

I make a few changes to the recipe.  I leave out the meat and lower the sugar by half.  I lower the sugar just cause without the meat to cut that sweetness, it is way to sweet.  (And if you don't want it to be so chunky from diced tomatoes, swap those for crushed.)  Now I've got a GREAT spaghetti sauce to use as a starting place in lots of recipes.  Chicken parmesan, meatball subs, rigatoni, spaghetti and meatballs or Italian sausage and peppers (pictured above).  ETA: We divide this up in quart size bags and freeze.  We always have a stash in our freezer. 

And this sauce is kiddie approved. 

Is it me, or does having sauce all over his face make him all the more cute? 

Linking to:

Today's Creative Blog

Someday Crafts

Thirty Days Handmade

Tip Junkie

I'm Topsy Turvy

Seven Ingredient Granola {recipe}

Do you like super crunchy, highly addictive snacks?  Well then this granola is for YOU!  Do you also like EASY recipes that don't require an extra trip to the store just for random ingredients?  I've got you covered.  

This granola is seriously DELICIOUS and so, so easy!

You can eat it on yogurt, with milk as cereal (Ben's favorite), topped with chocolate bark drizzle (yep, I said it) or even on ice cream. 

But really it's best just eaten by the handful.

Seven Ingredient Granola

• 8 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 2 cups coconut flakes
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup oil (I use coconut)
• 2 tsp vanilla

Dump oats, cinnamon and coconut flakes in BIG bowl.  Give it a little stir.

Combine brown sugar and water over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.  Turn up heat and bring to boil, lower heat and stir for 1 minute.  Remove from stove and oil and vanilla.  Stir to incorporate. 

Pour your simple syrup over your oat mixture.  Stir till completely coated. 

Pour out onto two large jelly roll pans that have been greased.  Spread out granola, but don't press down, you don't want to pack it. 

Bake at 275 degrees for 60-70 minutes until lightly brown and toasted.

Let cool in pans about 10 minutes then run a spatula under granola to break up into big chunks.  

After completely cool store in a handy cookie jar that is easily accessible to all who might need a snack.

Some pointers:

•  If using coconut oil you will have to stir the syrup just a bit more to make sure it is all melted. 
• If you don't like coconut just leave it out.  You really can't taste it much and often I just use what I have, my last batch I only had about a cup so I dumped that it and it still tasted great. 
• Melt chocolate bark and drizzle it on the granola after you take it of the oven. YUMMO!
• Seriously, this stuff goes quick!! I made our last batch on Friday, we have crumbs in the bottom of the jar this morning. 
• It's a great road trip snack!!
• Oatmeal increases milk supply, so eat up nursing mommas!

ENJOY!!

Linking to:
Today's Creative Blog
Someday Crafts
Tip Junkie
Blue Cricket Designs

Better Late than Never....

Our fourth of July in pictures.

  Sunday night we celebrated with our homegroup.  Hard to get a picture with all twelve sweet faces looking at the camera.  I love these kids (and their parents)!

We had quite the spread.  Super delicious ham and cheese sliders.

Layered drinks, like these.

Stars koolaid ice cubes

With fancy red, white and blue straws.

Fun cupcakes.

And jello.
Also had red, white and blue popcorn (you can kinda see it in the background behind the jello), cake balls, and covered pretzels.
What can I say, we like to eat.

Kiddos on the Fourth.  It was this picture that made me realize how long Mason's mop really was and that it needed trimmed.  ASAP.

Happy {belated} Fourth of July!!

I can Can

You can all call me June or Betty or Martha.  I learned to can today.  Now I do it all.  I cook, I clean (sometimes), I sew, I bake.
And I can. 

source
Ball sent my friend Donna a huge stash of canning paraphernalia so we could all learn.  She had a House Party last week but Lisa (Donna's SIL and my homegroup buddy) and I couldn't make it, so we went today.  It was so fun!  And NOT AT ALL over-whelming like I thought it would be.  

Lisa mashing away at our strawberries.  Donna in the background cutting berries.  We made freezer jam and cooked jam.  Both of which were super easy.

For our freezer jam we did strawberry/blueberry mix. 

Lisa in a vintage Wendy's apron that was Donna's mom's.  

I am excited, I mean SCARY excited about my new canning skilz.  Watch out world!  My mind is reeling thinking of all the things I need to can.  More jam, apple butter, salsa, bread n' butter pickles, and on and on and on. 

Stirring jam, topping off jars and getting bubbles out.  Strawberry jam almost complete.  And see that cool white & green collapsible funnel, we got to take one of those home, along w/ a recipe book and TONS of coupons.  SCORE!

Our assistant underfoot.  The rest of the kiddos {all seven of them} ran wild in the basement while we were making jam.
The jam turned out so yummy.  Now all I have to do is head to the store and pick up some bread.  Yes, it's true we have no bread.  What can I say?  It's summer and Ben is gone.  At least I have fruit and milk in the fridge.

Do you can?  Have any great recipes I need to try?  Tips & tricks to pass along?  

Summertime Cake Balls

Our summer usually gets kicked off by going to the annual Memorial Day party at my husband's work.  This year we had just made it home from my sister-in-law's wedding on Sunday, so I needed to make something easy.  I decided to try my hand at cake balls again.  Don't remember if I ever shared my traumatic tale of me trying to make Lego cake pops for Mason's birthday party last year.  Here's a recap: woman 8.75 months prego has emotional break down when cake pops don't turn out.  You don't need to know the gory details, just that it was a major FAIL.  Months later, I was reading on Bakerella and realize I had left out one very important step.  You must put some candy coating on the stick before you insert it into the pop.  If you don't, you might end up crying or cursing under your breath because cake balls will not stay on said stick w/out that "glue".  Don't ask me how I know. 

Ok, so I was brave enough to give these another go.  And it worked.....for the one I did.  Then I realized that was just going to be more work and we were in a hurry so I just made them cake balls.  But I have mastered the cake pops and will be doing them again.  Sometime soon.

Here are my festive red, white and blue cake balls.  They turned out so yummy!  But beware, if you don't like sweet, you might steer clear of a cake ball, they are super rich!!  And here's a little secret, I used Almond Bark for the coating, cheaper I think than candy melts and easier to get my hands on. 

Pic taken w/ my EVO edited w/ Vignette App for Android

Linking to: Somewhat Simple ~ Tatertots and Jello