Remember, I'm Not Italian!

So don't make fun of me for my pathetic sauce, here!

This was the best our sky looked all weekend. Notice the bird trying to find safe haven as the clouds gather after a peek of blue in the sky - a peek which was not big enough to allow actual sun into our yard, nor to raise the temperature above 42 degrees.

So, It's no surprise to you that I wanted to cook something warm and filling. And it occurred to me this morning that I've never written down my sad excuse for meat sauce. One of my daughters has a friend whose parents immigrated from Italy, and she was here one night when I was serving this meal. She was horrified that I had not gone to the supermarket to buy the right kind of tomatoes, peel them, cook them, and do whatever else is considered proper and correct by real Italians. But she ate the pasta anyway, and told my daughter that it was actually pretty good.

So, here it is....

MARJIE'S PATHETIC ATTEMPT AT MEAT SAUCE

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic
12 ounce can of tomato paste
3 cans of water
14 ounces of canned diced tomatoes
salt to taste
2 tsp dried oregano

Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic, and a little salt, breaking it up as you cook it. Drain the meat, and stir in the tomato paste. Add 3 cans of water, one at a time, stirring well after each addition, and the tomatoes. Simmer while the pasta cooks. About 2 minutes before serving, add the oregano, taste, and add salt as desired. It's pretty good, even if it's not "real".