Tag Archives: homemade sauce

Mission Wives Relax: Cooking Dinner for Your Spouse

20 Jan

This post is dedicated to my amazing sister-in-law, Stacy. She is a woman who really does it all. She helps her dad with work, she works herself, she takes care of her husband and her three amazing children (Hi, Karissa, Kayla and Christopher) and still finds time to comment on almost every single one of my blog posts! And not only that, she keeps up with the five Facebook pages that PoppaNut and I have … and she comments on those too.

Plus, she texts us through the week and tries to schedule SKYPE calls with us too. She is just always there when we need her, and I know she generally cares about what we having going on with our lives … and I’m forever grateful for that.

Stacy and Chris

So, when Stacy emailed me an idea for my blog, I was all over it. It’s called “Mission Wives Relax” because wives certainly need a break from time to time. I mean, look at all the things I listed that Stacy does … this woman needs a tall glass of wine STAT!

Stacy and I are both lucky enough to have amazing hubbies that love to cook and will cook for us all the time. My dinner pick is always homemade sauce, and PoppaNut is always happy to make up a batch from scratch. It’s just a wonderful thing that PoppaNut does that reminds me how much he loves me. And Stacy is married to Chris, a chef who makes the most amazing food for his family and friends.

PoppaNut and I were lucky enough to try Chris’ homemade watermelon salsa when we visited Stacy and Chris last summer. Boy, was that yummy! And Stacy recently shared with me photos from a dinner Chris made for her, and I want to share them with you.

Chris made roasted pork with a raspberry sauce, sautéed corn with onions, broccoli with olive oil in garlic, and cous cous with sunflower seed and red peppers. If your mouth is not watering, you must have just ate lunch! I’ve requested a recipe to share with you guys, so look for that in the comments! I’ll share it as soon as I have it.

The point of this post is not to make you hungry … even though my tummy is talking to me at this very minute. It is to remind the men out there to pick up a spatula and get to work in the kitchen every now and then. My hubby certainly pulls his weight in the kitchen and he knows how much I appreciate that (and how much my tastebuds appreciate it too).

With Valentine’s Day coming up, this might be a good idea for you men to try. Cook up a specialty meal for your sweetie. Then, take pictures and send them to me so I can share them as well!

And that’s life in a nutshell … making dinner for the one you love works up quite an appetite for dessert!

MommaNut

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Sundays Are for Sauce

28 Oct

PoppaNut often tells me stories about his childhood. And one of his favorite memories is Sundays at his mom’s house. His mom would make sauce all day long, while Anthony watched football.

For those of you who are not Italian, let me explain this sauce concept. Before I met PoppaNut, I bought my marinara sauce in a bottle on the grocery-store shelf. And honestly, I never considered another option.

Well, that changed when I attended my first Christmas party at PoppaNut’s father’s home. My father-in-law made the most amazing marinara sauce (just called “sauce” by Italians) I had ever tasted. And still now, his vodka sauce haunts my dreams! I literally count down until I can have another bowl! So, that is when I first learned about “sauce.”

 This homemade marinara requires a skilled chef to execute. There are secret recipes and hidden ingredients, and I certainly haven’t mastered this art. I have tried, but I know I just don’t make sauce like my in-laws.

 

When my mother-in-law was in town last, I tried to spy on her and watch how she made it. She slowly stirs the sauce all day, carefully tasting it along the way. But try as I may, I still can’t master it when she leaves.

Luckily, PoppaNut has taken mercy on me, and taken his hand at making the sauce. And it is unbelievable! He tends to it the same way his mother does, so carefully and skillfully. He takes such pride in every pot he makes, and he loves to see me light up when I take the first bite.

 

So, every Sunday, PoppaNut carries on his family’s tradition of serving pasta with homemade sauce. It’s a wonderful tradition that we can incorporate into our home, and it makes us feel closer to his family as well. Plus, it allows me to stick with what I do best … making dessert!

And that’s life in a nutshell … while your extended family might not live right down the street, you can find ways to incorporate their traditions into your family.

MommaNut

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