Macaroni and Cheese

2 Cups elbow macaroni
1/4 C margarine or butter
1 small onion chopped-- ---if making for children that don’t like the texture of onion, (like a few of mine),  
    add 1 1/2 tsp of onion powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp flour
2 Cups milk
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
8 oz cheese (I use an 8 ounce of Velveeta ---you can use American,
    cheddar, a mixture of cheddar, brick, mozzarella or whatever you have available).

Cook macaroni, according to package directions, using the least amount of cooking time.
Drain macaroni, saving 1/3 cup of the cooking water to add to cheese mixture.
Melt margarine in a large saucepan, add onion salt and pepper.
Cook over medium heat until onion is slightly tender.
Blend in flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. (About 4 minutes).
Remove from heat.
Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add cheese and reserved pasta water,  and stir until melted. Stir in the macaroni. Put all into a slightly greased 9”x9” baking dish. Bake uncovered in 375° oven for 25 minutes.

This dish is a favorite of our 2 boys, and on their birthday it would be a request for their special birthday meal. As an added treat, I cut up cooked chicken and add it to this cheesy dish. The kids love it. (Just add the chicken to the cheese sauce mixture). I know that the convenience of store bought, boxed macaroni and cheese is easily available, but you can’t match the taste of homemade. Nick and Sam will vouch for that.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Bev’s Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

1 28 oz. can tomato puree plus 1 28 oz can water
1 18 oz. can tomato paste plus 2 18 oz cans water
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 tsp. sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese

Place the puree, paste and 3 cans of water in a Dutch oven and cook on medium high heat until a slow boil starts. Reduce heat to low and place remaining ingredients in sauce mixture. Do not put a lid on pot, because the water has to evaporate a bit to thicken the sauce. Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Now, if you like meatballs with your spaghetti, then while the sauce comes to a slow boil, mix all of the below ingredients together. Form into 1 1/2 inch size meatballs and drop into the hot sauce as you form them. Do not cook the meatballs in any way before you add them to the sauce (Look below for the story and the reasoning behind this tip).

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 C. seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese

The first time I ever made homemade sauce and meatballs for my husband (then my fiancee) was in my first apartment. When I combined all the meatball ingredients, I fried the meatballs in a skillet before putting them in the sauce. At dinner, he was gracious enough to compliment my cooking. The only comment was that the meatballs tasted like meatloaf instead of the meatball taste he was used to as a child. When I told him I fried them, he told me then that the meat should cook right in the sauce for over 3 hours, making them soft and tasty. While I was upset at the time after all the hard work I went through, I’ve since realized that cooking them in the sauce is the only way to go. In the 3 hours it takes for the sauce to get done, the meatballs absorb all the sauce's flavors. Now, he swears that this is the best sauce and meatball recipe he’s ever tasted. And, I agree.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!