Caitie: Saturday Evening Post

Michael is feeling under the weather this weekend, so he's getting lots of TLC. One can never get enough of that station. Just kidding, you know what I mean(i know, i know, that was lame). Don't worry, Caitie and I are giving him lots of real TLC.

While Michael was resting I played around with my camera and took a few pics of Caitie out back; I also took a few pics of her drawing at the kitchen table while I made dinner. I made quick and easy spaghetti with Ragu Sauce for dinner - recipe below.

Her hair is blowing slightly in the breeze; I love that look.

I got a couple of pics of her out back with the cats. This is the only time the cats are allowed outside. You should see how they go after the green grass, they eat it like there's no tomorrow. I've read that grass can help a cat's digestive system. Maybe this is the solution to their 'spitting up' problem. Our carpet looks awful due to so much cat spit up. A story for another time, or maybe never. ha

Here she is with Holly-Hoo.

Here she is with Molly-Mae.

Here she is with her lizard. Oh wait, that's not a cat... but it is her new favorite toy. I got it for her at the grocery store yesterday; she picked it out. She loves that thing. I loved baby lizards when I was a youngster, I used to capture them and put them in a box for a while, then set them free. This was back when my grandmother, affectionately known as Nannie, first moved into her trailer park... many, many... ummm... many years ago. There were open fields all around her at that time; it was a newly developed area.

I took a pic of the evening sky; I thought it looked interesting.

Here is my jar of Ragu Sauce. Bold, bright colors, don't you think? I felt like cookin' outside, but ended up in the kitchen.

Caitie was drawing at the kitchen table while I cooked dinner.

Haven't seen a pic of me in a while? Well, today is your lucky day... Here ya go; this is me according to Caitie. Cute, eh? :)

Here's the quick and easy Ragu Sauce recipe. (i like to add onion, garlic, and seasonings to the sauce instead of just heating it up straight out of the jar. i find that jar sauce is usually pretty sweet, and adding the extra seasonings, etc., helps take some of the sweetness away and also gives it more flavor)

Here's what you need:

Olive oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in order to sauté the white onion and garlic)
Half white onion chopped
Two garlic cloves chopped

Ragu Sauce, obviously. I used Robust Garlic flavor.
One can of whole tomatoes
Garlic salt to taste

Black pepper to taste
Onion powder to taste
Oregano leaves to taste

Pour oil into skillet, heat on med-high then add the chopped onion, let it become translucent, then add the chopped garlic, sauté for a couple of minutes. Then add the Ragu Sauce. I sometimes add browned hamburger meat, but didn't have any on hand this time. I added a can of whole tomatoes to help thicken the sauce, which usually comes from adding the hamburger meat. I drain the can and chop up the whole tomatoes before adding them to the sauce. After adding the chopped canned tomatoes, I add the seasonings, then let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes or longer.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil; I always use bottled water. Follow the directions on the spaghetti package to figure out how much water you'll need. Once the water comes to a boil, add the spaghetti; let the water come back to a full boil, then take the pot off the burner, put the lid on, and let it sit for 20 minutes; stir with a fork occasionally. This is how my mom has always made spaghetti; it's a fail-safe way to make spaghetti.

Don't forget to the take the pot off the burner when it comes to a second boil, then put the lid on.

I love anything that's fast and easy... yes, this includes canned vegetables, which I think tastes better than some of the frozen vegetables. I decided on canned organic french style green beans to go with the spaghetti and Ragu Sauce. Just pour the can of beans in a pot and heat it on the stovetop. Then drain, add some butter, salt and pepper, and you're all set.

A quick and easy meal.

You can have just plain sauce...

or add some shredded cheese to the sauce, which is what I like to do. I like to use shredded cheese instead of the kind in a can. I usually use the Mexican Style cheese, or sometimes just plain ol' cheddar cheese, instead of parmesan cheese.