Dilbert and Fishing

Jeff has decided to provide Friday blog posts this month. With no further adieu, here he is.

Hello! There is a new member joining our family later this spring and he really likes fishing. My thoughts about fishing are explained very well by Dogbert:

Have a good weekend! Jeff & Stefanie

My View Yesterday...

... included jello. We rediscovered jello just before Christmas and love it as a retro and nostalgic treat. 

Mid Week Pick-Me-Up

Classic Marinara

I always have marinara sauce in my freezer, frozen in 2-cup containers. On nights when I have no inspiration to cook (which happens often!), it is an instant supper added to pasta and meatballs. It's also wonderful to have on hand for any dish that calls for tomato sauce. We use it for eggplant or chicken Parmesan  chili, stuffed peppers, lasagna, minestrone, baked ziti and so on. I make this recipe in triple batches in my stock pot every few months. The trick? To avoid dried basil. An Italian friend once spit out my marinara because it had dried basil in it. After regaining her composure, she gently informed me that every Italian she knew put fresh basil (or no basil) in their marinara. You know what? She was right. It makes all the difference.

1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil
half a large onion, chopped
2 quarts of canned tomatoes (or 2 - 14.5 oz cans of crushed tomatoes)
1 - 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 gloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1  sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of white wine

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent - do not let them brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the wine and stir well. At this point, I use my immersion blender to blend the sauce but if you prefer it chunky, leave it as is. The marinara keeps well in the freezer for up to 6 months. Add a handful of chopped fresh basil to the sauce whenever you serve it, if you prefer. Enjoy!

More Creative Organization

I need a bulletin board in my office/sewing room. I was originally going to cover an old bulletin board in fabric and paint the frame, but I recently came across an alternative idea I think I prefer.

Image courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Wordless Prayer

The great thing about sacred choral music is that it's not happy all the time. Sometimes, it puts words to the moments of life that are filled with despair - those moments when we loose words ourselves. I heard a piece written by Craig Courtney this week that captures this so very beautifully.

Dilbert and Aromatherapy

Jeff thought this might provide a good note on which to start the weekend. Have a good one!

Oxford in Voice

Over the past six months, The University of Oxford released a wonderful documentary (in six parts) about its all the factors that contribute to it's world class choral music- and Oxford choirs make some incredible music. We really enjoyed it and hope you do, too. 

The Choir

The Organ

The Mind

The Composer

The Voices

Christmas