Snowed in...

What a beautiful snowy day today...and it just keeps on coming. Living in New England, you get used to the snowy winters. I woke up this morning to a blanket of snow overflowing my backyard, everything glistening white. Some people hate the snow...I tend to embrace it, because there are lots of folks out there that haven't even seen it before. I feel like we have an advantage living here--it may be a pain in the butt sometimes but overall in general, I think its a beautiful thing. No work today which was wonderful, its too dangerous to be driving in these conditions anyways, but some offices (like my mother's down in Hingham) refuse to close. She had to make the venture out in her big blue Jeep to probably sit at her desk for a few hours. My dad on the other hand, had the option of going to work today. Being the man that he is, he went to work. God love him. I've been stocking up the woodstove and shoveling the walk every now and then as instructed, to keep him happy while he's away. 

The kicker of this lovely snowy day--we lost power at 8am. No coffee, no microwave, no nothing. The upside of no power at my home? We have gas. The first thing that came to mind...I can still cook! I was talking with David's sister-in-law Kerri yesterday about what we wanted to make during the storm (we work together, also). I had mentioned I wanted to make a sauce. "A sauce?!" She said. "That's a GREAT idea. That's what I'm going to do!" What's better than the smell of a big pot of italian sauce and meatballs simmering away on the stove all day? Nothing, if you ask me.  


I decided to start cooking early this morning to pass some time while the power was out. The sauce recipe is my Nana's, but my own take on it. Everything I cook is simple, with simple ingredients. Cooking doesn't have to be complicated! The best dishes come from fresh ingredients. If I can get organic products, I will, but its not necessary. I happen to love Trader Joe's. They have amazing produce, meats and cheeses, as well as there own line of products that you can tell are simply made and delicious. I made some meatballs first in a cast iron skillet to get them nice and crispy. The meatballs are simple--parmesan cheese, lots of fresh grated garlic (if you don't have a microplane, finely chopped is perfectly fine) salt, pepper, bread crumbs, italian seasonings, and an egg to bind. Onions and garlic go into a big pot with a small amount of oil. Two cans of crushed tomatoes go in, along with the drippings from the meatballs. Red wine, italian seasonings, fresh basil, parmesan and romano cheese, and a few other simple ingredients. I don't really measure while I cook, I use my own judgement but thats just another perk to cooking in your kitchen. You should feel comfortable with your food and ingredients when you cook! I prefer smooth creamy textured sauces, so I like to use an immersion blender when I make my sauce. It's a great tool. I add about half the meatballs to the sauce, and simmer on the stove for a few hours, so all the flavors meld together and you get a wonderful, delicious smelling aroma throughout your entire house. I came back in from shoveling and the scent filled my nose immediately. Instant comfort food.


The power finally came back on...2:00 and I'm drinking my coffee relaxing on the couch in my slippers with my sauce simmering away. Enjoy the snow today, and whatever else you might be cooking up... :)