April Vacation Adventures

I made it to April vacation. I. Am. Exhausted.
I made homemade sauce. And jarred it. Because vacation.
My district's April break is unusually late this year and disappointingly is not the same week as my mother's so I've been up to my own devices. Normally she'd come down to the condo for a few nights and we'd go on day trips, cook yummy healthy dinners (read: she'd cook healthy dinners, I'd eat the healthy dinners). But she's already back to work, my friends are inundated with stuff that doesn't involve me, my dear friend Ashley just HAD A BABY! EEEE! And I'm saving up for a new house. So a staycation it is.

Thankfully my friend Elizabeth and her sweet baby girl Isabella are down for regular walks, doggie play dates, and lunch- my three favorite things. So far we've hiked our favorite state park trail, nibbled the most amazing turkey blts, and made a Target run. If vacation ended tomorrow, I'd be OK.

I've done a bit of baking and cooking already. On the menu so far: giant blueberry muffins, peanut butter stuffed brownies, my favorite cinnamon raisin bagels, baked ziti, Rice Krispies Treats, Italian chicken orzo soup- wow, I have been busy. ::pats self on back:: Today, though I want to walk you through making my mother's pasta sauce.
My mom is the cutest.
My mom does not have an ounce of Italian in her, but good Lord can the woman cook a good red sauce. We use it on everything: pizza, lasagna, ravioli, baked ziti... It's such a good base for everything that calls for a red sauce. She likes to add pork to hers, but I don't, simply because I have a lot of vegetarian friends.

I live in constant fear that my mother's going to die in a terrible accident and take all of her memorized recipes with her. And not tell me where she hides her good jewelry. A few weeks ago, I was experiencing a rather severe bout of anxiety and called my mother late at night demanding she give me her sauce recipe RIGHT NOW IN CASE YOU DIE IN YOUR SLEEP, MOM. She did because she loves me, just as I am.

You won't believe how stupidly easy making homemade sauce is. Maybe you already know because you've been doing this whole adulting thing better than I have. All I know is I will never buy sauce in a jar again. Even if you don't go through the process of canning and processing it like I do, you should still make this sauce. Pour it into containers and freeze it. That's what Mama Pris does because she's too busy adulting to find time for canning.



Prissy's Sauce

Ingredients
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 onion
About a handful of carrots (or 1 tbls. sugar)
Seasonings: fennel seed, oregano, basil, parsley (notice there's no garlic: my mom and I are both allergic)

Directions: Heat up some olive oil over medium heat in a big pot on the stove. Finely chop some onion and throw it in. (If you have picky eaters, maybe try a mini electric food chopper - see my pictures above - to chop/puree it really small.) Let that onion get all sweaty and sweet smelling. If it starts to brown turn the heat down. Now, I don't like added sugar so in lieu of white sugar, I finely chop, almost puree some carrots. Throw that in with the onion and let them soften.
Sweating onions
Puree the carrots
At this point, it might smell a little bit like a soup base. That's ok. Find your seasonings and go to town. Sorry, guys, but I don't measure here. Maybe I use about half a tablespoon of fennel seed and dried basil, a sprinkle of oregano, and fresh parsley if I have it. If you have fresh, know that you can use more. Dried herbs are stronger.

Once the herbs have combined with the onions and carrots, it's time to add your tomato products. Lower the heat for a second here (or else brace yourself for some very hot sauce splatter), and gently pour your crushed tomatoes in. Scoop out the whole can of tomato puree and toss it in. Stir, stir, stir.
This is one recipe where you shouldn't use house brand ingredients
Getting ready to process (i.e. sanitize)
Cover the pot and let the sauce come to a nice simmer. Once you see it start to bubble slightly, take the lid off, give it a stir, lower the heat, and cover it again. Let this sauce cook on super low (like level 1 or LOW) for at least an hour. Mine went for about three this morning before I jarred it.

Optional: Add browned pork chops or ground beef/turkey/sausage after you toss in your tomatoes.

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