Weather can make you do some crazy things...in my case, a week straight of being confined in my apartment due to illness and snow/ice days (in Texas of all places) has caused me to start this blog!
Aside from working from home all week, I spent many hours of the day reading over some of my favorite food blogs (The Pioneer Woman and Burnt Lumpia) and discovering new ones (Let Me Eat Cake and My Baking Addiction). All this time looking at food gave me an insane itch to get back in the kitchen and bake my life away. Side note, I had taken a bit of a hiatus from baking/cake decorating due to a new position at work and trips back home and abroad. Wanting to get back into it, I thought to myself, "Why not blog about the cakes I do?" to supplement my "Cakes.by.Anna" side biz I have going.
So here I am...
Since I don't have any cake orders in the near future, I'll leave you with some "memories" from Snowmaggedon 2011 in North Texas:
A view from our balcony, got about 6 inches overnight. It looks very pretty out - so serene. But it can go away now, I'm ready to join the world again.
This has nothing to do with cake, but who cares? It's still food. Today, I believe I made my best batch of Bolognese sauce. You should know this about me - aside from baking, I love to cook. I just love food in general, tasting new flavors and re-creating them at home. I'm getting distracted again, apologies. Back to the Bolognese!
I went off this recipe from Better Homes & Garden which is actually called "Spaghetti with Best-Bolognese Sauce Ever" - at least you know it holds truth! The depth of flavor is so great, the sauce is thick and hearty deliciousness.
I should add that this sauce caused quite the argument in our household today. I gave Spencer a taste and he gave it a big thumbs up. I make him up a plate when it's all done, he takes a bite, sets down his fork and walks over to me with a stern look on his face.
I knew what I was caught -- I tried to pull a fast one on him, giving him whole wheat pasta. Yep, this was the argument. Over pasta! It went so far where I had to vow to never buy whole wheat pasta EVER again. And I mean EVER. He may even have me add it to my wedding vows...whenever that day comes. ;)
So give it a try and let me know if you love it as much as me. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs. 85 percent lean ground beef chuck (I did a combination of ground chuck and ground pork)
- 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup half-and-half or milk
- 1 cup chicken broth (I did a mixture of chicken broth and red wine)
- 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar (I chose to omit this)
- 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed (In addition I added some dried basil, parsley and oregano)
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 14- to 16-oz. pkg. dried whole wheat, multigrain or regular spaghetti
- Grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese (optional)
- Fresh oregano (optional)
directions
1. In 12-inch skillet brown ground beef, onion, carrot, and garlic until meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Drain off fat.
2. Add half-and-half. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until half-and-half is nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, then vinegar. Return to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, seasoning, pepper, and salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until thickened.
3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti, with 1 tablespoon salt added to water, according to package directions Drain. Serve spaghetti with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and oregano. Makes 8 servings.
