Spaghetti Sauce

My friend Sheri at Graham Family Ministries has a winner with this recipe!

• Pasta of your choice
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 4 8-oz. cans tomato sauce (can use diced tomatoes or mixture of both to equal 1 quart)
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground sage

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook pasta of your choice according to package directions.

To make sauce: In a large saucepan, brown ground beef, drain.  Add the tomato sauce and spices and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve sauce mixed into pasta or serve noodles and sauce separately.

Serve with Parmesan cheese and/or cheddar cheese on top.


Mommy finally found a homemade spaghetti sauce I am happy about.  I have tried several and they have all been okay, but not great.  This one is super yummy!  Daniel and Ezra especially like this.  I am so glad that Sheri shared this recipe on her blog.  
Love Always,
Mommy

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I saw this online and decided to try it.  Yum!

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped or 1 TB dried celery 

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth 

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix arrowroot powder with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

One chilly day a couple of weeks ago Mommy saw this recipe online and we decided to try it.  It was great!  All you children loved this.  Put enough cheese in something and everyone will enjoy it!  :)  Often we will bake up extra potatoes for Baked Potato Bar night.  Sometimes we cube the leftover potatoes and freeze them.  That makes this meal super fast to make.  If the potatoes are already cooked add them when you add the broccoli and everything will be finished cooking at the same time.

Love Always,

Mommy

Tea Party Mints

Found on Pinterest.  


4 1/2 tablespoons reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon mint extract
food coloring (optional) - i used a few drops of yellow to get a very soft butter color
6 1/4 cups confectioners sugar

Beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the mint and food coloring, if using, and mix until blended.  Add the confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a stiff mixture.  Form balls with about 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture.   Flatten with your thumb or tines of a fork. Store in the refrigerator.


Mommy and Hannah made these for Hannah's 12th Birthday Tea Party.  They were very good and super easy to make.  I think Hannah and I ate a bunch of them before the party.  :)  These are definitely on our "make again" list. Yum!
Love Always, 
Mommy