Simmering Sauce

I left myself about 50 pages of my book to read over coffee this morning, but changed my plans. I read about 10 of them, then cleaned some clutter, and set the table (once I could see it) and made myself breakfast (brunch I guess, since by this time it was 11). After breakfast I sat back down with a Bloody Mary and finished it. I loved it. It was brilliant.

Then, without even having to make any deals with myself (you can have another cocktail if you clean the kitchen), I started cleaning...catching up on shredding, getting recycling organized, scrubbing toilets, and--yes--cleaning the dreaded kitchen. Eventually I sat down and revisited my budget, and decided I might want to cook. Why not mess up the kitchen I just cleaned? I didn't have a particular food or recipe in mind, and wasn't hankering for anything in particular. What I wanted more than anything was to perform the act of cooking. So I went with what ingredients I had on hand to work with, and decided on a basic red sauce. It's still simmering now, and I don't plan to have any for dinner tonight, but I love that I can make a fra diavolo some night, or use it for meatballs later this week (I took ground beef out of the freezer today, tomorrow or Tuesday I'll make meatballs) or to make a putannesca another night. I'll freeze pint size portions and go from there.

As soon as it's done I need to head to the supermarket for a couple of things I need for the week, and I may swing by my parents' with a pint of sauce, but that's my only other plan for the day.

I wonder how your day is going, and how your weekend was over all.
xo,
Barb