My Bolognese Recipe

Bolognese is a classic  go-to that is versatile and convenient. It's fun to make, too. I love chopping the soffrito into tiny tiny little pieces before throwing it all into the pot to cook up. Did I mention that it makes the house smell so yummy! Here it is! Oh, and I rarely even add the mascarpone cheese at the end. I do sometimes add it to pasta I've cooked to the al dente stage and bake it off for 30-45 minutes at 350 with mozzarella on top and sometimes even throughout, depending on how much cheese I have on hand. Top it with freshly grated parmesan and enjoy!!

Bolognese

Ingredients

2 lbs ground meat

2-3 carrots, minced

2-3 celery stalks, minced

1 med onion, minced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp fennel seed (if not using Italian sausage)

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 cup red wine

1 cup beef stock

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup mascarpone or cream cheese

Method

In a bit of olive oil on med-high heat, saute the onions until they begin to they begin to turn clear. Add the carrots, garlic and celery and saute until vegetables are softened. Add the meat slowly, breaking it into small pieces with a potato masher. Cook until browned. Add tomato paste and cook one minute. Add the remaining ingredients except cheese. Reduce heat to low and cook the sauce for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Serve with fresh parsley garnish and grated parmesan.

Notes

This is great with polenta, pasta, lasagna, and probably anything else you can think of. I often freeze leftover sauce for later. Its really good with pork & venison, but you can use practically any ground meat you have. Buon Appetito! 

The end of the world as we know it?

So, the day I've secretly dreaded is almost here  the end of the Mayan calendar is tomorrow! (Maybe that's why I am blogging for the second time in as many days). While I really don't feel like I should be worried about it, there were years of my life that I was pretty concerned about end of time prophecies.

 I grew up in a fundamental Christian home in the Bible Belt. My parents had Bible study weekly in our home, and I repeatedly overheard end of time speculations and prophecies. One memory really stands out. I was in the 4th grade when my class was in the library listening to a presentation about space exploration and how the space shuttle was due to takeoff the following year. I should've probably been excited about the progress that represented, but all I could think of was that it was a sign of the end of times - that the world was going to end. I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to grow up and have a family and nice adult life - the American dream - because it would all be over before I had the chance. Yeah, I know. Pretty heavy stuff for a 10 year old to worry about.

But, the world did not end then, and life went on. I did get to have my family (yay).  Though if I'd known then what I think I know now, perhaps I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to ;-) In the years since my childhood, I have studied and read up on many different and sometimes opposing opinions on why we're here. Perhaps my religious upbringing did serve to give me the propensity to seek out the spiritual, the mystery, purpose in life. I'm still not sure what the Mayans prophecies really meant to them, or what they should mean to us. Perhaps we will never know for certain. I do pray that we can all go on living and loving and seeking fulfillment. Tomorrow's solstice isn't the first prophecy date that we've lived through, and probably isn't the last, either.

 I'm feeling the need to be connected to God and my loved ones, but ironically I'm alone for a couple of days. Maybe it's a great time for me to connect with my own spiritual center as well...

I'd love to know what your thoughts are in the comments below.

Blog Post 2, Year 3

Today is a great day. I've been alone catching up on a few things that I've fallen behind on, and enjoying the snow outside. I read a writer friend's post today on Facebook about the procrastination of writers. I thought of my blog here, and the fact that I've had it nearly three years, and decided to stop procrastinating. So here it is. My second post. ever.

It feels like I have so much to say, but then the words just do not come out! When I stop procrastinating for real, I plan to post snapshot stories about my life, boring as it may seem to me. What about you? Tell me a story about what you've been up to in the comments below.

I also plan on posting recipes I've made, or made up, along with their pics. But that takes a certain amount of planning ahead, and practice, I think. The good news is that I have been practicing with the pics! What about you? Share a recipe below! I  love to try new foods!

baby blogging steps

So I've been thinking about "blogging" ever since I moved out to big sky country, and apparently I've just set up my blog. Will it be interesting to anyone besides me, or even me? We'll see... For now I must get outside to see some big skies and add to my birding life list. Ciao!