Thinking Out Loud.....

sheila888

chris I'm sorry but can't stop LOL about laying low today statement.

Feel better and you are doing more than enough for your family.

So it's OK not to want to be in the kitchen.

I hope you continue eating Salmon......♥

sheila888

It got so chilly hear 

Actually heat is coming.

I hate being cold

blondiex46

Thanks guys and yes Shiela you are correct about the insurance.....it is not just the twins it is all 5 of them....glad you guys are here.......

Makratz

xoxo Sandy

Chris, I have winter sauce and summer sauce.  Winter sauce is made with pastene kitchen ready ground peeled tomatoes.  Summer is made with tomatoes for my garden.  There is no recipe....you just throw it all together.  My familys secret was always the lamb to flavor the sauce.  I'd like to try your sauce ducky!

Sheilas mind is in the gutter again.

sheila888

Linda......In the gutter again ????????????????????

Makratz

DM

sheila888

NO DM...I really don't know the meaning of in the gutter again. I goggled it but still didn't understand it.

Makratz

you mind in the gutter means you have a DM.  The gutter is always dirty....get it???

Good night!

sheila888

Thanks Linda  

My mind is pure.  

Good Night ♥

deborye

That's my brother, my SIL is trying to wipe the poop off his shirt.

Meece

Ducky, I'd like to hear more about the recipe.  I am like Linda, I have no set recipe and put lots of good stuff in mine.  On Monday, we had the kids, my parents and my brother & SIL out after work.  I needed something to fix quick and get to visit with everyone.  I did something I have never done.  I bought a huge bottle of Ragu and a package of "First Street" meatballs and put it together.  We have those who won't eat mushrooms, those who hate olives, and those who aren't fond of onions, so I just took the easy way out.  Everyone must have like it since there was very little left.  I liked the meatballs and may use them again, but I like my homemade sauce much better.

Meece

I missed Sheila's milestone!

chrisct

Aw - can't find if First Steet meatballs are sold around here.  All I can find are stores out west that sell them. 

Makratz

Congrats Sheila!

 If you don't like making meatballs, I found a great brand at BJ's wholesale.  They are big, 2 ounce size, and are angus beef. made by Rozzano.  All the kids love them.

duckyb1

Ok, ladies here goes........it is very simple, you will be surprised.......remember adjust what goes in, by how much meat your using..........I'll do it for 1lb

1........1 lb. beef, pork, veal ( sometimes called meatloaf mix)

2.  .2 eggs

3.  Garlic..(generous helping of fresh, or powder)

4....Salt and Pepper....according to taste

5....Cheese...(the grated, stinky kind Locatelli, and be generous)

6.   Seasoned italian bread crumbs......(enough just to hold the meat together0

7....Parsley.......dry or fresh (if you have it...not necessary..

After mixing fry in a good oil....do not overcook..just brown lightly not cooking through.

Sauce

1....Tomato Puree........( 2 cans, good italian, add 1 can of water to each can of puree, plus another 1/2 can.

2......Fresh Basil/or dry if fresh not available.........several leaves.

3.....1 onion (cuts down on the acid from the tomatoes)

4....Salt and Pepper

Put on stove, bring to a boil, but stir so it doesn't stick on bottom..................then turn down to simmer.........add meatballs............that is it............cook till it thickens....the smell is heavenly.

Also if you add a piece of Pork, or Italian Sausage, the gravy will be way better............

Enjoy......................Now if you don't like to make the gravy from scratch, you could just do the meatballs, and put them in your "jar" sauce, but remember, you won't get the complete flavor of the meat.......................

Also try the meatballs alone as a meal (fried).............but cook thoroughly, but do not burn, keep the outside light brown, and soft.............................that with a good tomato, onion, olive oil salad, and some mashed potatoes..........pure heaven.

blondiex46

excellent!!! thanks Ducky!!

duckyb1

Hey Blondie, how are you...................Hope all is better............not a good couple weeks for a few of us huh..............

Enjoy this recipe........it is a good one.......have to admit.....didn't like my mother-in-law much, (she had her favorites, and my husband wasn't one of them), but the woman was an excellent cook........................hugs

chrisct

So how long is the minimum I'd need to make sure I simmer the gravy to make sure the meat is cooked through?  I always overcook everything because I'm paranoid. 

sheila888

Ducky...I'm so happy you are back and started finding yourself again.

I know how miserable <feeling low> can make you feel.

chris....the meat balls will be practically cooked before you put them in the gravy.

Thanks Meece...it shows how much i talk...but i used to play the games all night at one point.......

Linda...I'm still pure.....:)

Makratz

Yeah, me too Sheila!

Thanks Ducky.  My family called it gravy too! No one else I know does.

Chris, they will cook while its simmering, adding more flavor to the gravy.  I think the great thing about gravy is it only gets better with age!

sheila888

walked...shopped...cooked...ate a very tasty and healthy dinner.

I bought GF & half price Easter candy only one.  Cadbury hard shell mini egg chocolate. i know i shouldn't but i did and not sorry.

chrisct

Enjoy your chocolate, Sheila.  Running out of our Easter M&M's - sad that next bag I get probably won't have the pretty Easter colors.

I know the meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce, but I didn't know how long I needed to make sure I simmered it to make sure the meatballs were fully cooked - 1/2 hr - one hour? If I'm in a hurry to get food on the table, how quick can I finish the meatballs in the sauce?  I usually put them in the sauce for an hour - but I thought that was longer than I needed.  AND I can't get the sauce to simmer right - it boils too fast, I turn it down and then it does nothing.  So frustrating.  And I'm too impatient to keep checking it so I've been burning the ones on the bottom of the pan lately.  Told you I don't belong in the kitchen.  Seems the harder I try, the worse I screw things up. 

Cut open a package of havarti cheese earlier - was very careful not to cut myself...  Wounds seem to be healing.  My ankle hurts though.  Do you ever have pain that just keeps bugging you and bugging you until your entire body hurts?  That's how I was after my first biopsy.  I hurt all over from the neck down.  Like all my nerves were firing pain signals in sympathy with the ones that actually needed to.  Ibuprofen helped back then.  It isn't helping today.  Sigh.

Makratz

Glad you didn't cut your finger again!  An hour simmering should be fine.  You can always take one out and cut into it.  Meatballs in sauce are hard to overcook since the sauce keeps them moist.  You can do it Chris!!

duckyb1

Chris..........remember your frying the first, so they will finish in the gravy..............also, if your making your gravy from scratch, it has to cook for a couple hours..........otherwise it will taste like "tomato water"..................simmer, and stir, that is all that is important, and everything will go right.

It is so easy.........and remember, if your doing more then a pound of meat, you need to put in at least one more egg for 1 1/2 to 2 lbs................otherwise things will be dry............not rocket science................you can do this........my 11 year old grandaughter mixed, and rolled the meatballs for my daughter on Sunday......and she did it all.....my daughter did nothing......so you can too................

You can also put the meatballs in the gravy in the beginning "raw"....................I'm sure you just passed out when you read that....................but its true................a lot of italian women do it that way in Philly, remember the gravy cooks for a couple hours.......................nothing could survive in that "hot pot"....... good luck

chrisct

lol - no, I didn't pass out - that's how I do it - must not be healthy - all the fat from the meat goes into the sauce - but I do use lean meat if that helps...  I wish I had my grandmother's recipe.  I think she incorporated some bacon in there somewhere.  She wasn't Italian, but my grandfather came over on the boat - so maybe she got her recipe from his family... 

Makratz

Happy Friday!

sheila888

Happy Friday to you too.

My Internet is so messed up.....new gmail came back again...I can't even stroll it up & down.

There are other problems...i guess i have to live with it.

Just when my MH feels better something else breakdown. LOL

Going in the shower and letting you know I'm still pure...didn't eat any of my goodies yet.

♥

Judy67

Ducky thanks for the meatball recipe, sounds yummy. 

Linda, my mind is definitely in the gutter most of the time, life is funnier there. 

Makratz

Then I'll see you in the gutter Judy, I agree 100%!

chrisct

Oops - went to the new Panera's in the next town - been waiting for it to open all winter.  They had a "pre" opening practice today - raising money for a charity, but you were supposed to have an invitation that you were supposed to get from a radio station (which I found out when I looked it up online to see what was going on there tonight - after the fact).  Oops- we thought they were just open for business.  They let us give money to the charity and get the deal on the food anyway even though we didn't have the inivitation...  Oh well.  They should have had clearer signage if it was invitation only.  The sign on the door, which I saw when we left - not when we got there -  said the official opening is Monday.  Oops.  Now I feel stupid.  Trying not to worry about it.  We go to Panera's all the time - so they will get enough future business from us to make up for it, so I'll try not to feel too guilty.