Muse Breaks

Hi guys!

I'm sorry about the break - I was sort of swamped for a long time.  I also revamped the blog, in case anyone remembers it, heh.  My fiance (eeee!) and I moved into a bigger apartment and I caught the flu right before moving day.  Combine that with some nasty job-hunting failures and loads and loads of boxes to unpack, and I've been a busy bee!

I'm back, though, and I hope this blog is as exciting as I am envisioning.  :)

I found a terrific marinara recipe the other day, and I tweaked it just a bit.  AJ (the man-creature) has been raving about it since, so I thought I'd share the recipe here!  One batch goes over about two-three plates of pasta or chicken, so if you're serving a bigger crowd I'd double or even triple it.  Just remember to use a big enough pot!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped

1 can crushed tomatoes (I'm sure fresh would be even better!)

1/2 cup red wine (I used merlot and really recommend it)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp white sugar

3 fresh basil leaves, torn

Sprig or two of parsley, torn

Directions:

1.  Put oil in a large saucepan or skillet and heat on low.  Sautee garlic until it just begins to brown - about 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to burn it!

2.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Add tomato, wine, water, salt, and sugar, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

3.  Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes

4.  Remove lid and continue to simmer (reduce, really) until you've reached your desired consistency, then remove pot from heat and either serve or can.

Voila!  It's so simple, but it's absolutely delicious!  I made extra and put it in jars in the fridge for future use.

Enjoy!