Sauced

10:30 at night on what turned out to be a hectic day.  And instead of hitting my keyboard, I should be penning those final 30 or so graduation announcements.  Or slapping on the rest of the sample-color paint on the dining room wall . . . 'Interesting Aqua' from Sherwin-Williams.  With my mother-in-law here just weeks before my daughter's high school graduation and party, it is wise to harness her energy, coupled with her enthusiastic offers to execute any decorating and home projects I might have on my list, and get a few major chores out of the way.  Brighten up our abode.

Instead, sandwiched in-between my pondering of the turn of significant events in the lives of two very good friends which have shaped these past almost 24-hours, my train of thought returns again and again to the spaghetti sauce I simmered up with whatever I could find in the pantry, fridge, and contained within the terra cotta pots on my back porch.  My niece practically inhaled a hearty serving of the stuff ladled over penne pasta and pronounced that though she did not care for such sauces most of the time, mine was both delicious AND the best she had ever had in her 17 years.  Everyone else was also suitably respectful of its flavor as was evidenced by the empty plates which witnessed two servings cross their surfaces.

My habit is to invent and create in the kitchen; my other habit is to neglect copying the successes for future use!  To avoid that tragedy today, I thought posting it into perpetuity would ensure that it endured for a good long while?!

HEARTY MEAT AND RED WINE SAUCE


BROWN 1 LB. OF LAURA'S LEAN GROUND BEEF OR SIMILAR, DRAINING FAT.
SPRINKLE WITH 1/2 TSP OF GARLIC POWDER/SALT/ONION POWDER.  SET ASIDE.

IN A 3-QUART SAUCE PAN, SAUTE OVER MEDIUM HEAT:
2-3 TBSP OLIVE OIL
1/2 MEDIUM WHITE ONION, FINELY CHOPPED
4-7 MEDIUM CLOVES OF FRESH GARLIC
1/2 TSP. THYME

COOK UNTIL ALMOST TRANSLUCENT, ADDING GARLIC JUST BEFORE ONION APPEARS DONE.  TO THIS, ADD THE FOLLOWING:

1 15 OUNCE CAN TOMATO PUREE
2 SMALL CANS OF TOMATO SAUCE
1 SMALL CAN OF TOMATO PASTE
1 15 1/2OZ CAN OF MINI-DICED TOMATOES
1-2 TSP DRIED OREGANO
1/4 CUP CHOPPED FRESH BASIL
1/2 CUP CHOPPED FRESH ITALIAN PARSLEY
1 MINI-BOTTLE OF SHIRAZ RED WINE
1 8 OZ. CARTON OF CHICKEN STOCK

STIR AND SIMMER ON LOW HEAT.  PILE IN THE HAMBURGER, MIXING WELL. TASTE IT PERIODICALLY, SHARING CAREFUL SPOONFULS WITH THE CHILDREN OR, DIPPING THE 'TEST BREAD' FOR A VISCOSITY CHECK.

A FEW MINUTES BEFORE SERVING OVER PENNE PASTA OR SPAGHETTI OR WHATEVER, ADD 3/4 LARGE CAN OF LARGE RIPE OLIVES, SLICED, TO THE SIMMERING SAUCE.

THEN, ENJOY.  THE FLAVOR DEEPENS AND INTENSIFIES WHEN LEFT OVER NIGHT.

Eating Her Way Back Home

Vaya con dios, Ollie, Olivia, Grandma, 'Ami,' Mom!  After a two-month stay in our fair city, moving back and forth between the homes of her boys, my mother-in-law returned to Colorado late this afternoon.  Nervous though she was concerning the flight, flight in general, she was a trooper all the way and landed safely at good ol' DIA.  As is customary in our household, we said our goodbyes and rehashed our good times over -- what else -- food.  Though, to be fair, food has permeated just about every moment of our days and nights.  The woman baked fragrant cinnamon rolls, shaped tender tortillas, and whipped up comforting dinners in my California-trip absence.  And let's not forget the extravagant birthday surf n' turf bonanza in her honor last month.  Or the dining out for meals both large and small, in town and in a few neighboring 'burgs: Greek, Italian, seafood, Chinese, and American.  Oh, and JoZoara's Coffee House and Starbucks.  I'm getting full.  Yet again.

But the fond farewell feasting was my subject here. 

There was the last minute homemade chicken enchilada dinner that she actually prepared for us at the request of her youngest son.  With the help of her sous chefs, of course.  Lots of talk over the chopping and dicing and clinking of silverware and plates.  Think dark and flavorful red sauce draped over corn tortillas stuffed with savory shredded poultry and red onions, intermingled with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, topped with crisp lettuce, sour cream, avocado, and fresh salsa from my garden.  My son, the budding comedian, a young man in need of constant attention and laughter, competed for top billing with his uncle.  Both were in excellent form.  Before we all retired for the evening, a quick run to the local Dairy Queen was in order for a round of chocolate-dip 'torches' (cones, but the alternative name came about within the larger family circle, and it stuck) and banana splits.  Olivia is quite fond of that crunchy outer coating over vanilla soft serve.

Breakfast involved one of our favorite special meals: whole grain crepes filled with berries set atop sweetened sour cream, rolled securely, drizzled with Mexican crema (basically a thick but not whipped cream) and dolloped with spray whipped cream.  That's a whole lotta dairy goin' on there!  For the hubby it was turkey sausage links, pork bacon, and basted eggs with buttered bakery Farmhouse White toast.  All during this preparation, Olivia was also putting together an enormous batch of potato salad to help me out with a wedding reception meal at our church tomorrow.  That woman gets down to business and gets it DONE!  The table chit-chat centered around the 4th dimension, aliens, hauntings, etc.  The grandpup and our old girl, Panda, meandered about the kitchen but never acted untoward concerning the victuals.  Outside, we could see the neighbor and his two young boys stretching atop their folding chairs to catch butterflies flitting about the top branches of my sprawling butterfly bush.  Just another Saturday morning at the Valdez house.

Through a sudden deluge of almost horizontal rain at times, and lightning which seemed to strike near the truck with each shattering display, we managed to deliver her to Southwest Airlines in plenty of time.  (And this after the half hour we spent rearranging her luggage to ensure each bag weighed no more than 50 pounds; she's bringing back an entire kitchen collection of cutlery and such in them there bags!)  It helped that her flight was delayed by an hour.  My boy fought his tears valiantly; he doesn't like goodbyes and he deeply loves and enjoys his grandma.  He said if she lived around us, he'd be fat from all of her homestyle cooking.  I imagined her reading and rereading her WE'LL MISS YOU card with its cache of pictures and spending money, alternately smiling and crying just a bit.  She had herself a great time and the collection of stories in her heart will keep her going until next she comes.  It's a good thing to make a mom happy. 

Now, all of us left behind return to our normal.  School starts with one of those infamous 2-hour days next Wednesday . . . also my husband's 44th birthday.  Whatever shall we do?  Suggestions?  Anyone?