Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is similar to Spaghetti and Gravy, but just different enough to be special. Making meatballs takes a little more work than is required for gravy, but the effort is worth it. While you can buy pre-made and pre-cooked meatballs, freshly made meatballs are so much better. So take the time to make them from scratch. You won't regret it.

Mom had two different recipes for meatballs. When I made this recipe, I used some aspects from both recipes, which appear below. The recipe allows for plenty of variations that you can easily adopt to your preferred taste. Both of Mom's recipes called for using ground beef, which I used here, but you could also use ground turkey or Italian sausage. The seasonings are fairly basic: onion, garlic, oregano, and basil. Other seasonings, such as rosemary, could provide a different flavor. I used canned tomatoes, but fresh tomatoes would be delicious. Because these meatballs are so good, I know that I will make this recipe again.

Spaghetti and Meatballs 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 2 tsp. basil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• cooked spaghetti

Combine meat, bread crumbs, cheese, milk, egg, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. basil, 1 Tbsp. garlic. Form into meatballs and place on baking pan. Brown meatballs in oven at 425 for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, the remaining garlic and onion in the oil. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix in the remaining oregano and basil. Place meatballs in the sauce, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over spaghetti. Enjoy!

Sage Biscuits

Biscuits are easy to make and can be a delicious addition to any meal or a snack all on their own. While you can buy biscuit dough at a store, it is so easy to make your own dough, I think you should always just make your own dough. The basic ingredients include items you probably keep around your kitchen, such as flour, baking powder and butter. Then, you can customize your biscuits with seasoning or specialized ingredients like buttermilk to get different flavors.

The addition of sage makes for a lovely savory biscuit. I have tried biscuits with rosemary, but I had not even considered using sage. When I saw this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I knew I had to try it. The resulting biscuits were delicious. And the next time I make them, I might add a little more sage for a stronger flavor. The recipe calls for powdered sage, but fresh sage would work as well.

Sage Biscuits 

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp. powdered sage
• 3/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Add milk, stirring quickly until dough forms,  and is soft but not sticky. Turn out dough into lightly floured surface. Knead about half a minute to shape into a smooth ball. Roll or pat out until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into biscuits. Bake at 450 for 12 minutes. Enjoy!

Armenian Yeast Bread

Here is another bread recipe from among the many in Mom's bread recipe box. I don't specifically remember eating this bread as a kid, but this recipe makes a delicious bread. The resulting bread can be served with just about any type of meal, but I think it would be really good with soup or a meal that has sauce that needs to be sopped up. The bread is somewhat flat, but is hearty and strong enough to absorb a good amount of sauce.

When I made this recipe, I cut the amounts in half because I did not want to have too much bread around. I shouldn't have worried about that. MDS and I ate the bread within two days, so next time, I won't hold back, but will instead make the full recipe.

Armenian Yeast Bread 

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 envelope yeast
• 1/3 cup lukewarm water
• 4 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• sesame seeds
• olive oil

Mix together in a bowl butter, boiling water, salt and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in lukewarm water (about 120 degrees) and stir into butter mixture. Beat in two cups of flour and blend thoroughly. Add remaining two cups flour. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for about ten minutes, adding more flour as needed or coat hands with olive oil is dough is too sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place free from drafts for about two hours or until doubled. Punch down; divide and shape into four balls. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, flatten and roll out to a circle about seven inches in diameter. Used fingers to create dimples or pattern on top of bread. Brush tops with a mixture of milk and one tablespoon of sugar. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Put bread on ungreased baking sheet. Let rise again for about 90 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!