Bettejane's Spaghetti Sauce

Today I've also posted over at Inkspot about banging the keys on my laptop until the letters wear off.

Two 3 x 5 inch recipe boxes are stacked on the shelf by my cookbooks. One belonged to my great-grandmother, Essie, and the other belonged to K's mother, Bettejane. Both have some classic recipes which I turn to on a regular basis. This is the recipe for Bettejane's spaghetti sauce, which we use for all sorts of pasta and also as pizza sauce.

Since it cooks on the stove for quite a while, I usually triple this and freeze it in meal-sized containers for quick meals later.

Bettejane's Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 puree can of water
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 Tablespoons fresh, chopped fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or 2 Tablespoons fresh, chopped fine)
• A dash of crushed red pepper
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 small celery ribs, sliced thin
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered Romano cheese
• 2 Tablespoons bacon drippings (see why I love this woman I've never met?)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer in a covered pan for about 2 hours. Stir frequently. All seasonings can be adjusted to taste. Dilute with water or tomato juice of desired. At the end you can add a pound of browned ground beef and 2 Tablespoons minced onion if desired.

Or, of course, you can add anything else -- meatballs, sliced olives, capers, mushrooms, more onion, etc.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to everyone!