Nana's Spaghetti Sauce

This is a recipe that came from our Nana. She would make this recipe all the time. Our dad remembers her making it about once a month. She would serve it on Rigatoni pasta and homemade rolls. Our dad remembers her making this, and it would take all day to make and so their house would smell really good all day. Our mother now makes this same recipe just as often. All of us children love to eat it. When our mother makes it she will freeze what is left for a later day. :)

Put following ingredient in a big kettle:

3 can whole tomatoes (1lb 12 oz. size) I usually use more because it is too much meat for the amount of tomatoes.

1 small can tom ato paste

1 1/2 tomato paste cans of water

1 clove garlic or more if desired

1-2 tsp. salt

Olive oil (pour the olive oil into the pan) (You measure it by going around the pan 2 times in a circular motion as you are pouring the olive oil out)(Nana's accurate instructions.)

Begin cooking tomato sauce mixture

Meatballs

2 lbs hamburger

2 eggs

1/2 can Parmesan cheese ( yes half of one of those regular size cans)

1/2 can bread crumbs (she means the kind you buy in the store, actually if you buy those that are seasoned, they make the meatballs taste really good)

1/4 cup parsley flakes

Mix meatball ingredients, make into balls and fry in frying pan until browned.

Add to spagetti sauce mixture you made earlier.

Brown 3 pork chops in the same frying pan and add to the tomato sauce mixture.

Cut up a large onion into dices. Put them into the same frying pan and saute them with a little olive oil if necessary until they are slightly cooked and they have cooked enough to get all the browning stuff off of the frying pan. That is where all the flavor is and then add the onions to the tomato sauce mixture. Sometimes I add a little water to get all the browning off of the frying pan and add it to the mixture.

Cook sauce on low heat for 7-8 hours, stirring about every hour.

I usually put a lid on the pan for a few hours to get it good and hot and cooking and if it looks like it's going to be too running I take the lid off so some of the liquid will boil off. It takes 2-3 hours for liquid to boil off.

Best Lasanga Ever!

A family favorite recipe our mother makes for us very often for Sunday meals. She got this recipe from a friend. The recipe is very easy and has become a recipe we can turn to for last minute meals. Our mother has taught her children how to make this meal so they can make dinner for the family.

1 lb of ground beef, cooked and finely chopped
1 onion diced
1 quart (28 oz. can) tomatoes
1-12 oz. can tomato paste
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t oregano leaves
1/2 t thyme leaves
1/4 t garlic salt
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
1 lb (14 oz.) lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 qt cottage cheese
16 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Combine the seasonings with meat in large saucepan and then add tomato paste and tomatoes. Get a large glass pan (9X13). Put half the m eat/sauce mixture to bottom of pan. On top of that put half of the noodles. Next, add a layer of the cottage cheese with mozzarella cheese. Repeat.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours.