Italian Noodly Soup

Hello,
I would be surprised if anyone still reads my little blog - it is now back to its original intent - a place for me to post food that I make that my family likes and I don't want to forget how I did it.
This Italian noodly soup fits the bill - it is amazingly delicious.
And  very very simple.
If you have read this far I would really recommend you make this for yourself, today if possible!

Italian Noodly Soup

1lb Italian Sausage
1/2 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
either 2 TBS tomato paste or 1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 28oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 - 8 cups chicken broth
1 lb noodles - corkscrew or mafalda or fusilli pasta (I use gluten free for my serving) (cook in salty water)
spinach (frozen cube) or 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper
shredded mozzarella
grated Parmesan cheese

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and brown, breaking up. Add onion and cook until soft, add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes cook for a minute or so. Add tomato paste and cook for several minutes until it turns a little darker. Or add spaghetti sauce. Then add tomatoes, bay leaves chicken broth and spinach. (if you use fresh basil leaves wait to add them until just before serving.) Bring to a boil and then bring down and let simmer for 30 minutes. In a separate pan boil the noodles al dente. When ready to serve put some noodles in a bowl, top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

I linked this to Scratch Cookin' Tuesday.

Blender Salsa

We have a tradition in our home - Taco Tuesdays. 

It is a fairly new tradition about a year old or so. 

Everyone loves it. 

We often have beef/liver tacos or chicken tacos and occasionally steak tacos. 

Always with soft wheat tortillas and corn tortilla chips. 

(here is how I keep the tortillas warm)

When I get totally taco-ed out I will make chicken enchiladas or enchilada lasagna. 

And on my birthday we have spaghetti because, well, I love spaghetti. 

The one thing I always make is homemade salsa. 

It is so simple and fresh and delicious. 

In "tomato season" I use all fresh locally grown 'maters. 

In the winter I use canned fire roasted. 

I love to add tomatillos but they aren't necessary for yummy salsa. 

I add stuff until the blender is full. I always taste it before declaring "done" because it often needs a bit more of this or that.

Here is a recipe to start with - play with it and make it your own.

Blender Salsa

4 or 5 large fresh in season tomatoes OR 1 large and 1 small can fire roasted tomatoes (can use plain also)
1 small onion cut in big chunks
2 cloves garlic peeled
1 tsp salt
1 handful of cilantro (I leave the stems on - they are blended up so why waste them?)
1 green pepper cut in big chunks
1 lime squeezed
1 or more jalapenos - deseeded - be careful and use gloves, I have burnt my hands before and it is miserable.
Optional - 6 or so tomatillos - cook in simmering water until they change from a bright green to a dull green. (You know to peel the papery outside and rinse them first right?) When I do this I use a bit less of the tomatoes.
Optional - a handful of purslane - a delicious weed herb weed that adds lots of nutrients!

Put it all in a blender and blend away. Taste, adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for an hour at least to blend flavors.
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!
I am linking this to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday  Scratch Cookin' Tuesday and the Hearth and Soul Hop!

Enjoy Eating Saturated Fats: They are good for you!

This is a bit long but very informative and worth your time; I promise. The gentleman giving the talk a Dr. Donald W. Miller Jr. is a heart surgeon and he debunks current thought that saturated fats are bad for us.

Meatballs for a Crowd

This is spaghetti with meat sauce ;o) I didn't take a picture with the meatballs. Oops.

 Do you like your spaghetti with meat sauce or with meatballs? 

I admit that I am a meat sauce fan. 

I like to get meat and sauce in every bite. 

But sometimes you just want to shake things up. 

That is what I did today. 

I made meatballs - for the very first time. 

They were really good. 

I made a ton of them because, well in order to use four different meats it needed to be tons. 

I cooked them and then froze about two third of them to use later. 

Now you don't need to use all the different types of meat.

 I am sure these would be great without the liver.

 I am just always looking for ways to feed this wonderful organ meat to my family. 

Recycled picture from spaghetti with meat sauce post - but isn't she cute?!

Also, you could just use sweet Italian sausage and I suppose they could be made with just hamburger meat but they wouldn't be anywhere near as tasty. 

Meatballs for a crowd 

(60 or so depending on size)

1 lb beef liver ground in the blender to mush (sounds gross but trust me)

1 bag spinach added to liver and blended with it (or use thawed frozen cubes)

1.5 lbs ground beef - the best you can afford and find

.5 lb Sweet Italian sausage and .5 lb spicy Italian sausage - once again the best you can find

4 large eggs - hopefully from happy free range chickens

1 sleeve of saltines (or there abouts, I had been saving the stale ones for this) blended - or use good bread crumbs just add salt then to the mix.

1 onion diced

2 TBS Italian Seasoning

2 TBS garlic seasoning

2 TBS dried parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare a large pan by greasing it - I used those butter wrappers from my freezer.
3. Put in a huge bowl and mix away. I put my hands in empty bread bags turned inside out to do the squishing and mixing.
4. Take a small handful of the mix and gently roll into a ball and place on your pan, repeat until your pan is full. 
5. Cook for 20 minutes and then check and make sure done by either cutting in half or using a thermometer.

 I had planned on adding Parmesan cheese but forgot to add it, I think they tasted fine without but you could certainly add it.

Linking this to Gallery of Favorites @ Premeditated Leftovers and The 21st Century Housewife. And Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade. Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday.

6 Pictures to Keep in Your Phone

I forget lots of things. I blame it on "Sometimers". That and I have to keep lots of information about a lot of people in my poor little brain. I recently heard of the most wonderful hint that has changed my life (well maybe not that drastic, but maybe so).

Use my phone to take picture of things I need to know but don't have memorized.

My top 6 (plus) suggestions:

1. Take your kids photos when you are going out so that if (hopefully never) get lost you can just show the picture to the police so that you won't have to remember what he/she was wearing that day. They love to have their pictures taken so this is perfect. And if you have ever had to come up with what they are wearing in an emergency situation you will be so grateful for this tip.

2.  Picture of the razor and refills my husband likes - I can't tell you how many times I have stood in front of the bajillion choices.

3. A picture of my printer cartridge so I buy the right ones!

4. Travel confirmation numbers - just take a picture of your computer screen and voila'.

5. A reminder of where I have parked - this is wonderful when you are in a big parking lot or in a big city.

6. Picture of poison ivy so I can be sure I am not touching it or attempting to forage it!

Poison Ivy

bonus - picture of Christmas/birthday gift possibilities. I think this would be a great way to let your sweetie know what you want (forward the picture to him/her).

If I was traveling abroad I would use it for things like the street my hotel is on, a picture of my passport, insurance card, and a current picture of myself and anyone traveling with me. Oh, and a copy of my itinerary.

Be careful not to put too much information in your phone in case it is lost or stolen and there would be the possibility of some less than honest person using it for evil gains. 

Tell me how do you use your smart phone to make your life easier??

Homemade Ketchup

I have to admit this is not a frugal recipe, at all. 

Especially if I use all organic ingredients. 

But sometimes frugality has to (if possible) take the back seat to nutrition and health and taste. 

It.just.does. 

Ketchup is more than a condiment to many people, I remember reading somewhere that the ketchup on the fries at McNasty was really the only thing worth eating. 

Well, that was obviously before we realized how horrible HFCS is for us. 

There is however some truth to that.

I have attempted ketchup in the past and it was always not quite right. 

Maybe it is because we have been using different organic ketchups for several years.

Maybe our palates are more refined and used to good foods.

Maybe, just maybe this is a delicious recipe - I am sure this is true!

Homemade Ketchup

• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves (you don't want whole)
• 1/2 tsp powdered mustard 
• pinch of cayenne pepper (if you want a little kick)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1  28 - ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (6-7ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 TBS unsulphured blackstrap molasses 
• 2 TBS honey - raw if you have it
• 2 TBS apple cider vinegar (I uses unfiltered, raw) 
• 1/2 cup liquid - water, chicken broth, or I used 1/4 cup of my tomato juice I drained from the diced tomatoes plus 1/4 cup water

Don't forget to be your own sous chef - mise en place really makes this go quickly. 

Chop your onions, drain your tomatoes, measure your spices. 

Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot. 

Add onion, the cumin, clove, powdered mustard, sea salt, and your 1/2 cup liquid and then saute until translucent and the water is mostly evaporated. 4-5 minutes or so. 

Remove from heat and add to a blender along with remaining ingredients. 

Blend until smooth. 

Pour ketchup into glass jars - this makes about 3 cups. 

I haven't tried this but I am sure it could be frozen. 

So, what about you? Do you make your own condiments? Do your kids know you do crazy stuff like make your own ketchup? Do they care? 


I am linking this to Mrs. Dull's Scratch Cookin' Tuesday

Ted Talk: Dan Phillips - Creative homes from Recylced Materials.

This is another great Ted video - this guy makes the most amazing homes from things headed to the land fill.  This is the type of creativity that takes upcycling to the ninja level!