Lessons Learned over TOMATO Sauce...

I relearned many things while trying to prepare fresh, homemade tomato sauce with my BB toms last Saturday.  I say relearned because all these things I already knew but obviously needed reminding:

1)  Always read all the way through a recipe's directions prior to beginning.  Do not just read the prep time and cook time; they might be wrong!  

2)  Don't start homemade sauce at 6:30 pm, when you plan on getting your kids in bed at a decent hour.  Especially if you didn't read all the way through the recipe.

3)  Always remember that it always takes longer than I plan when I am cooking.  Maybe I am just slow. It seems that I tell my husband it will be 10 more minutes which usually turns into 20-25.  Does everyone find this happens?

4)  Don't add meat to fresh pasta sauce.  There is something about the fresh basil, parsley, and tomatoes that just tastes so fresh and light all by themselves.  The meat tastes good, but it takes away from the freshness of the dish.  

5)  Add a little crushed red pepper at a time, taste, and repeat until it seems the right temperature for your family.  Always remember it seems to get a little spicier as it simmers on the stove.  

6)  If you start dinner late, you will get it on the table after 8 and your family will be far too hungry to wait for you to take a picture of the yummy dish.  :(  

With all of that said, I really liked the tomato sauce and would make it again in the future.  I did add some fresh garden tomatoes to my BB toms, because there is just nothing like a fresh garden tomato.

Here's the recipe I used.  I will use it again.    Just remember to read the recipe all the way through because you'll see that it will take longer than it says it will. 

**You can ripen all those tomatoes we get in our baskets by setting them in a windowsill for a few days.  What a difference that makes. I usually let them sit from Saturday to Saturday so we use them a week after we get them.