The Return of the Cook

I spent Monday at the home of Alejandro's family.  His sister had prepared dinner a day ahead... chicken soup and a tasty vegetable dish made with zucchini, tomatoes, onions and kernels of corn.  

I, however, went ahead and prepared something for the family to eat on Tuesday.  Alejandro's little nephew, Ezra, loves meatballs, so I made spaghetti and meatballs.  Lest you think that I spent the day toiling in the kitchen, I took a lot of shortcuts.  I bought meatballs at the store.  I just browned them and then let them simmer in the sauce.  For the sauce I used a carton of Hunt's spaghetti sauce that Alejandro had in the cupboard.  I doctored it up with sautéed onions, bell peppers and mushrooms, some diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and spices.  By the time I was done, the sauce tasted as if it might have been home-made.  

I cooked up a package of spaghetti, and threw it in with the sauce and meatballs.  

I put it into a container, and into the refrigerator, and dinner was all set to simply reheat on Tuesday.

I have not yet heard any reviews of my efforts, but I have made this before for the family.  Last January when Alejandro's mother was in the hospital, I did a lot of the cooking.  When I was going to make Ezra's favorite, meatballs in tomato sauce, Alejandro started to tell me how his mom made the sauce.  I said to Alejandro, "Let me do it my way."  And I didn't get any complaints from Ezra that "Grandma's sauce is better."