Tasty Tuesday: Easy, Delicious, Real Food Spaghetti Sauce

I love to teach. I love to kayak and hike, but I also LOVE cooking and eating yummy, REAL food. If you haven't checked out 100 Days of Real Food's blog yet, you just simply must. It started me on the path of enjoying cooking and homemade, REAL food. To honor this love in my life and because, heck, all people, even teachers, have got to eat right?! I am starting a weekly post called Tasty Tuesday!! I would have preferred something with the word yummy, but there are no days of the week that start with y, sigh. For my first Tasty Tuesday post, I simply must post about homemade spaghetti sauce because it was the first REAL thing I learned to make besides tacos and cereal :) I love homemade spaghetti. In my husband and my early years as 1 bedroom apartment inhabitors who lacked money, we ate spaghetti at least twice a week. The kind of spaghetti made with 99 cent pasta and jarred sauce. I grew tired of spaghetti because of these crummy meals and stopped eating spaghetti for a long time. One Sunday though I got a craving for spaghetti and wanted to make my own sauce. It could not have been easier, tasted better, or made my house smell better. It made spaghetti a much more sensory rich experience than a jarred sauce can ever provide and made me feel much healthier and connected to the Earth. Plus it is more cost efficient (you get loads more sauce for the same price as one jar). No high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives, no food coloring, just real, pure food. Now we only eat homemade sauce and it is one of my favorite indulgences that is quick, easy, inexpensive, and savory. Bonus: We used leftover sauce as dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks and it was delish!
 Ingredients (organic preferred but not required for all ingredients):
 * one 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
 * one can of tomato sauce
 * one can of tomato paste
 * 1 pound of ground beef
 * one yellow onion
 * a handful of mushrooms
 * garlic
 * olive oil
 * salt
 * pepper
 * basil
 * oregano
 * sugar
 * oregano
 * thyme

 Directions: 1) Chop onion, garlic, and mushrooms. I dice the garlic cloves in half and quarter the mushrooms. You could also add any other veggies you have on hand such as bell peppers, carrots, or squash.

 2) Saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and ground beef in olive oil. It smells delicious! I don't add any seasoning at this point. Cook until the meat is still slightly pink (almost done) and the mushrooms and onions are tender but not overcooked.

 3) Drain and put back in pan. Then add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. I use this great brand, Simple Organic, that Fred Meyer has. The products always have comparable prices and are organic!

 4) Add seasoning. I didn't put exact measurements because I always eyeball and taste test spices and everyone's tastes are different. I would aim for 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme. I also put in a pinch or two of sugar to cut down on the tomatoes acidity and then generously salt and pepper. If you are brand new to cooking, start with 1/2 teaspoon of everything and then taste test. Adjust accordingly to what your tongue tells you it likes :)
 5) Turn heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for an hour. Make sure the sauce is barely bubbling and doesn't get too hot. Check it once in a while and move the lid over a bit allowing steam to escape if the sauce gets too hot.
 6) Now you can serve with your favorite pasta, refrigerate, or freeze. Yum!

Happy Day!
Jenn