Best Spaghetti Sauce

Recipe From: Kathy Miller

(I have a few things I do differently, in parenthesis)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 button garlic finely chopped (I use minced from a jar)

1 medium onion chopped

1 pound ground beef

30 ounces tomatoes, plus juice cut up

15 ounces tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

1 cup water

4 ounces mushrooms drained (I prefer fresh)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sage

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar ( I do 1 Tbsp, cuts down on the acidity)

1/2 teaspoon oregano flakes

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

Brown garlic pieces in oil; remove dry pieces (unless you've used the jarred stuff - just mix in with the spices). Brown onion and hamburger in garlic flavored olive oil (I don't use the oil at all). Add tomatoes, sauce, paste, and drained mushrooms and blend. Add all spices and mix well. Simmer approximately 2 hours. Before serving remove bay leaf and if needed, thicken with a little cornstarch solution (about 1 T. cornstarch). (Note: If you 're going to let simmer in a crockpot omit the water, otherwise it will be too watery.)

This is an excellent recipe to double and freeze the leftovers.

Manicotti

Adapted from recipe by Linae Pickard:

Manicotti noodles
1 container of ricotta cheese
mozzarella cheese (grated)
parmesan cheese (grated)
1 egg
Pasta sauce*
Garlic (chopped or garlic salt, not too much)
Grated zucchini and carrots (maybe 1/2 cup of each)

1. Cook the noodles but only until they are a little soft, undercook them
2. mix ricotta, mozzarella (maybe 1 cup?) and some parmesan cheese, not
as much as the mozzarella
3. Add the egg to the cheeses and mix
4. Add zucchini and carrots, salt and pepper and garlic
5. Stuff shells and put in baking dish. Pour sauce all over and sprinkle
with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes. YUMMY!!

*Use "Best Spaghetti Sauce" recipe