Spaghetti Sauce From Scratch

This isn't a picture of mine because I was dumb and didn't take one. It is the closest to what mine looked like though. I got it here :

One time, I was really wanting pasta, but I didn't have any sauce in the cupboard, so I decided to try to make my own. It turned out pretty good I thought. I was even smart ish enough to write down what I did.

• 1c. hot water
• 1 boullion cube
• 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp. dried onion
• 2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 Tbs. basil
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 3 Tbs. brown sugar
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (14 ish oz.)
• 1 can tomato sauce (14 ish oz.)
  

It's easy. Disolve the boullion in the water, pour in a pot, or crockpot, add all the other ingredients and cook till it boils. You can let it simmer for a while or use it as soon as it heats up. I like mine to simmer for a while, because the flavors mix together better. When it is done, pour it over your favorite pasta. If you want to add a pound of browned hamburger or shredded chicken you can. I didn't this time because I didn't have any left, but usually I do put meat in.

Chicken Parmesan

I've made breaded fried chicken a couple of times in the last little while and it turned out really good both times, so last week I decided to give it an Italian twist and see how it turned out. It turned out really good. I was dumb and didn't write down what I did and measurements or anything and was kicking myself afterward. So of course I had to make it again and write it down this time. It was easy, and really didn't take a long time.

3-4 c. cornflakes

4-5 chicken breasts (depending on size)

1/2 c. pancake mix

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. season salt

1/2 tsp. sage

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 pinch black pepper

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

3/4-1c. oil (depending on the size of the pan)

Pour cornflakes in a large ziplock bag. Use a rolling pin to smash them till they are almost powder, but there are still some pieces. Add all other ingredients to the bag except the chicken, milk and egg. Shake bag till everything is evenly mixed together. Put the egg and the milk in a container large enough for the largest piece of chicken to fit in. Put each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and cover evenly, then immediately place it in the ziplock and shake until the chicken is evenly covered with the mixture, then place each piece of chicken in a hot frying pan with about a 1/4 in. of oil in the bottom. Cook on Medium till each side is golden brown and crispy and the inside is fully cooked. If the chicken is frozen when you put it in, it will take longer to finish the middle so you might want to put it on a lower heat so it won't burn the outside. When fully cooked, you can pour marinara over the top, and sprinkle with parmesan and grated cheese.

We had spaghetti and salad with ours and it was sooooooo good. I know it kind of sounds like a pain, but aside from the chicken cooking, (which took about 15 minutes using thawed chicken breasts) the part that takes the longest is mashing the cornflakes. If you are in a hurry, you can mix all the dry ingredients in the blender or a food processor and then pour in a bag. I promise you won't regret trying it.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

These took like 10 minutes from start to finish no joke! And, they are soooooooooo much better (in my opinion) than store bought ones. You can make a big recipe and then freeze them for up to 6 months, or you can just make a few and then eat them right off the griddle. There is not a special technic or anything. I don't think I'll buy tortillas from the store again. Ok. Here's the recipe:

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. oil

2/3 warm water

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, then separate into the portion sizes you want, (you can make them as big or as small as you want). Roll each one out to the desired thickness, then place on a hot frying pan over medium heat sprayed with cooking spray one tortilla at a time. Heat each side for about a minute to a minute and a half (depending on thickness). This recipe makes about twelve thin 10 in. tortillas. (I halved mine and made six).

I used mine for a chicken twist of this recipe: http://deliciousezdishes.blogspot.com/2009/06/best-beefy-melty-cheesy-enchiladas-ever.html

I did everything the same, except I used pulled chicken instead of beef and instead of baking it in a casserole dish, I broiled it on a cookie sheet on low for about 6 minutes. It was to die for good. It is totally worth a try and well worth the time and effort to make. Grace even gobbled one up herself.