Comfort Cooking

Tonight I felt the need for some comfort cooking. I had a hard morning in court that didn't last long, but felt ugly. The best thing to do when life outside the house gets nasty--whether it's work, extended family, bad news, or financial worries--is plunge into domestic work, and what better than a nice dinner, preferably something that needs a lot of handwork?

Meatballs and sauce: mixing, rolling, and simmering are all very calming activities, and things are better now.

*Schoolhouse Meatballs*

Mix (latex gloves are handy here):
2 lbs. ground round or sirloin
1 c. breadcrumbs
2 eggs
3 T. Italian seasoning
3 T. dried onion flakes
1 t. salt
lots of fresh ground pepper

Shape into 1-inch balls, and fry til brown and crispy in small amount of olive or canola oil. When brown, drop into pot of bubbling pasta sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

These are dairy-free for Giles, but are delicious served with pasta, sauce, and Parmesan cheese.