December 25, 2011
October 28, 2011
Lazy mama homemade pasta sauce
I've always loved making spaghetti during winter, don't know why but its just easy cooking. A few years ago, a friend taught me how to make homemade pasta sauce as I always plant a few bushes of tomato plants. My all time favorite tomatoes are the celebrity. Prior to making pasta sauce, I would give away extra tomatoes as there is only how much tomato a person can eat at a time.
I thought making pasta sauce would be a big task as I googled it once and saw how much work was put into it. Here is the easy version that I've learnt. If you have someone that can't digest tomato seeds, you may not want to use this method.
1) Remove tomato skin:
In a big pot of boiling water, submerge tomatoes, about 30-45 seconds, you will see skin rolling. Remove from hot water and submerge into cold water. That will help cool tomato and you can remove the skin. Place tomatoes in a colander. You will notice the tomato will be slowing ozzing water out. Repeat removing skin of all tomatoes.
2) If you want, you can dice the tomato and remove the seeds but still leave it in the colander. You bascially don't want all the juice/water in the tomato. I'm lazy so I skip this step.
3) In a big pot,
I sautee diced red onions and minced garlic in lots of olive oil.
Then add the tomatoes. Here with my lazy method, I just use my hand and crush the tomatoes into the pot.
Add basil ,italian herbs(my miracle: I buy the tube of italian herbs in the herb section at the grocery store), salt, sugar and black pepper and bay leaf.
After letting the tomatoes cook for awhile, I will use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes as I do not want my sauce to be chunky. You don't really need to mash too much as the tomatoes will breakdown when they get cooked
Add 1-2 cans of tomato paste (depend on how thick or runny you like your sauce).
Let the sauce simmer until most of the water/juice is gone
4) Storage:
I do not can. I just bag 2 1/2 cups of sauce into 1 ziploc bag. Lay the bags flat and freeze them individually. Once all bags are frozen, I just pack them up in the freezer. You can bag the sauce according to your family usage. 2 1/2 cups works fine for my family of 4 with abit of leftover for the next day.
If you notice, I've not give any measurements, do not worry, this sauce is very forgiving.
My kids love when I add sauteed mushrooms and meatball to this sauce. I usually will cook them in a slow cooker for 4 hrs and the flavors of the mushroom and meatball makes this sauce even tastier. I do add a can of tomato paste to the sauce when I'm preparing my spaghetti meal as my kids like their sauce thick.
Good luck trying
Note: I wasn't solicited by any business to promote the Italian Herbs. I had to go buy this item myself. I always use this when I make this sauce.
April 30, 2011
January 10, 2011
Hair Clips with legs
My dad used to claim "things in my house has legs".
In recent months, I too have notice that things in my house has legs especially my hair clips. Yesterday, I had my haircut and since I can't tie my hair, I would need to clip my front. There I go to my drawer to get me one, and there were NONE. I asked Gilly if she took my clip and with conviction, she said "NO, I didn't touch them". Now, that started to irritate my early morning. I told her she better start hunting for my clips or she would be in trouble. 30 minutes later, she comes down with a handsful of clips. It was apparently all over her room. Ha!!! Like I'm a 41 year old senile woman who is imagining her clips walking. She is banned from using my clips for now. Let see how long before my clips starts to sprout legs again.
January 5, 2011
Happy New Year !!!!
Happy New Year to you my readers the little few I still have. I had a busy 2010 doing volunteer work in school and church and that kept me from things I loved doing especially knitting. Friends and family, thanks for dropping by to see what we have been doing. 2010 was a nice year for me as we got to enjoy friends, family and we did our first major road trip all the way to Yellowstone National Park.
The year ended even nicer as I got rid of one of my volunteer jobs and that would mean I've more time to knit plus watch TV at night. But the best part of it was knowing that I've a few precious friends in my life that I know has not taken advantage of me and our friendship. They showed me in their own ways, how they appreciated me. I lost a friend who chose to leave my port and its OK. She taught me a few things and most importantly let me discover she introduced me to a better friend.
We had my aunt visit us twice this year and we had a blast during Christmas. It was nice to have family visit since we don't get that too much. It was sad when they left but there is always another visit again.
Kids are growing up quick and I just taught Gilly how to knit. My mom taught me how to knit a few years ago and now my daughter is learning. Maybe she will teach her daughter next time. Greg still loves to build things and maybe one day he will be my engineer or architect.
I hope it will be a good 2011 for all of us and we will come out happier and healthier.
Happy New Year to all that has brightened my life.
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