The Joys of Leftovers and Fresh Veg...

At 9:00 last night, just as Josh (my very patient, loving Canadian hubs) was about to fall asleep, I remembered that I needed to find the Velveeta to make the "Spaghetti and Cheese" using the spaghetti leftovers from the spaghetti and meatballs last night for tomorrow night (the first day back at work). He groaned but so thoughtfully went to find it. I know I bought it before we made THE MOVE, and most of the stuff in the cupboards is disorganized from the move, so I didn't know for sure where it was. And Josh doesn't want me attempting to climb on a chair to reach anything up high because of the unborn.

While he was at work today, I "pieced up" the Velveeta (because of its delightful mushiness it's difficult to dice as it sticks to the knife) but noticed that the recipe I was going to use called for 4 cups of milk. So, I had to wait to make it until after Josh got home (because he had the car). So, I busied myself with making a grocery list for salad and meatball sub toppins (tonight's dinner).

When Josh got home, we went to Kroger and bought the Italian loaves for the sandwiches as well as some salad and sub toppins. There is something so soothing about processing (slicing, dicing stripping) veggies for use. I love the colorful piles it makes. Josh, my hero, did the washing of the veggies and prepping of the onion. Josh and I did a build-your-own-sub thing because both of us like different things on our subs. I chose the full Subway works (minus the lettuce): mayo, brown mustard, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, tomato, onion, olives, green pepper, cheese, pickles, and jalapenos (plus the meatballs, of course). Josh had lettuce but no pickles or jalapenos (or mayo, mustard, oil, or vinegar). I remembered about halfway through eating mine to take a pic. Half of it was also all I could eat; I cut up the rest to heat in a near casserole for lunch tomorrow.

Josh also made his wicked avocado treat that he learned from one of his customers at work: sliced avocado topped with salt, fresh ground (cracked) black pepper, lemon juice, and lime juice.

After dinner, Josh peeled cucumbers and carrots to help me prep for the salads to accompany the spaghetti and cheese tomorrow as well as his salad for work tomorrow. I went on another slicing and dicing rampage and made his work salad for tomorrow. I mixed up a special salad toppin with dehydrated peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, Mrs. Dash tomato and basil, freshly ground pepper, sunflower seeds, bacon bits, and sesame seeds (among other things). I also made the spaghetti and cheese (pics to come tomorrow of the spaghetti).

My Innaugural Post

This blog will be my place in which to detail my musings about life (and my musings about my successes--and failures--in the kitchen).

Today, after several days of putting off making spaghetti and meatballs, I decided to hunker down and do it. I still do not have an uncluttered pantry (HA!), and so, despite my hubs's insistence, I could not find the bottles/jars of spaghetti sauce. Instead, I had some cans of tomato product, and WAY too much time on my hands.

The meatballs were frozen, add to sauce after the sauce is done, meatballs. I had three garlic cloves, a can of mushrooms, 3 cans of Italian diced tomatoes, and a can of whole peeled tomatoes that I pulverized in a blender. While that was going on, I took more garlic, granulated, onion flakes, a few varieties of Mrs. Dash, basil, parsley, oregano, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and sauteed in olive oil (a few good glugs). I then tossed the tomato mixture in and heated the mixture.

I had some sparkling wine (the California equivalent of Brut champagne) that I added to the sauce as well. Then, I doctored the sauce with sugar. When hubs came home from work, I made him taste the sauce. He kind of made THAT face and set about adding his most favorite kitchen ingredient...ketchup.

My mom was out all day with my aunt, so we invited my dad over for spaghetti. Thankfully, hubs boiled the spaghetti, since I'm clueless with all grains and pastas that have to be boiled. In a pinch, I made a variation of garlic bread: lightly toasted whitewheat bread covered with a paste of mayo, olive oil, shredded cheddar, parmesan, pepper, garlic salt, and more Dash. I then browned the product in the oven (a bit too much perhaps?) and served the spaghetti and sauce with creamed English peas (with parsley).

This was probably not my best culinary effort, and hubs's ketchup really saved the day.