Homemade Spaghetti

You will never be served spaghetti out of a jar in my house! This afternoon I put a big pot of it on to simmer for the rest of the afternoon.

Recipe? There is no recipe! But here is what I put in it:

olive oil
6 or 8 cloves garlic, chopped
one large onion, chopped

Heat the oil in a large cast iron dutch oven. Then cook the garlic and onion for a few minutes.

Next add a pound of good quality ground beef (at least 95% lean)

When the meat is brown, add a large can of tomatoe sauce, medium size can of tomatoe paste, and a large can of tomatoes.

Stir to combine.

Now add basil, oregano, 4 bay leaves, salt, brown sugar, and a dash or two of ground cinnamon.

If I have red wine [today I don't], I will add about a half a cup of that.

The longer it simmers, the better the flavor.

A committee that I co-chair is having a pot luck dinner meeting in a few weeks. Several of the participants responded that they would come but due to time constraints, they would just stop at the grocery store and bring something. I certainly understand that and don't think less of them for doing it. [After all, not everyone shares my love of cooking and baking]. But, on the other hand, I think it is sad that our world has become so complex and busy that more and more people have turned away from a good homecooked meal.