Baked Ziti

1 package of ziti, cooked to box directions. 

1 T olive oil

1 onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1 lb of hamburger meat

1 large jar of meatless spaghetti sauce

1 cup of beef broth  

pepper

Emeril's Essence Seasoning

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook onion in olive oil until clear, add garlic, cook for another minute.  Brown meat in onion and garlic.  Be sure to drain the meat.  Add spaghetti sauce, broth, salt, pepper and season salt to season.  Put 1 cup of the sauce into the ziti and mix.  

Pam a 9x13 pan, put a little sauce in the bottom to cover, then layer 1/2 ziti, 1/2 sauce, 1/2 cheese, repeat, holding out just a little cheese to put on top.  Cook covered in 350 oven for 20 minutes.  Then uncover, add remaining cheese on top and brown.   Let it set for a few minutes before serving.

The original recipe called for chicken broth...why would I put chicken stock in a beef meal?   It also called for onion powder and garlic powder.  I had neither and both were in big bottles for about $4.00 each and I did not find it worth the $$ as I would probably not use much of it, ever.   And I had the Emeril's Seasoning and I figured how could I go wrong?  It's EMERIL!!  But I figure that any kind of season salt in moderation will work.  So basically, I followed a recipe sorta but then substituted what I had.  And the truth is, it's pretty good!!  I seriously think the secret is the beef broth.  It made it juicier and I think it will be even better reheated, as a lot of pasta is.

It makes a lot....I put 3 servings in the freezer, am taking 4 servings to school tomorrow to feed my posse and sent 2 servings home with John.  And they are big servings.  I'll probably half the recipe next time but the first time is full force recipe time for sure.

Thanks to Budget Savvy Diva for the recipe!!

Four Daughters, Four Wives, Four Mothers

On Sunday I watched  a series of 3 movies made in 1938, 1939 and 1941 based on a short story by Fannie Hurst who was seen as the Jackie Collins of her day--you know what I mean:  It's no 'War and Peace'  intellectually but it's infinitely more enjoyable.  The screenplay for 'Four Daughters' was adapted by Julius Epstein who, among other things, wrote 'Casablanca' just 3 years later.

The name star of the day was Claude Rains who actually looks older than he did in 'Casablanca', as a music teacher at a local college.  He has 4 musical and beautiful daughters played by 3 real life sisters Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola Lane and a non-sister named Gale Page.  I read there was an actual 4th sister named Leota who was "deemed unsuitable by the studio".  Add in hysterical Aunt Etta and handsome suitors (later husbands and fathers) and it's a delightful and loving family.  Aunt Etta was played by an 81 year old veteran actress (per IMDB) named Mae Robson.   The suitors were a very handsome Felix (Jeffrey Lynn), rich Ben (Frank McHugh, who I remember from 'State Fair'), a florist with hayfever, Ernest (Dick Foran) and a charming doctor named Clinton.(Eddie Albert, one of my favorite actors, in his very first role) and John Garfield as Mickey whose life in this movie almost mirrors his real life according to his bio on IMDB.  John Garfield earned an academy award nomination.

You can probably guess I loved the movies as I AM writing about them!!  Except for the singing, which was the nails on a chalkboard kind, I liked all of the characters very much.  I thought the dialogue was pretty witty, the performances good and all of the fellows handsome and charming enough to catch there eyes.  Not a whole lot of plots and problems to be sure but they  faced suicide, financial ruin, infertility and infidelity but nothing too harsh that love could not cure..  There is one scene where one sister adopts a little girl and then finds out she's pregnant so  her infertile sister just takes over the adoptee but other than that...

I especially like movies set in this era, before the war, when life was much more innocent.  I love the big old houses with the white picket fences and loving families.  And as usual, when I think about, I am amazed to figure out that everyone in the movie is no longer living but will be forever young on film.    None of the real sisters' careers made it out of the 40's but maybe they were billed as a package set or something.  Claude Rains went on.  And Eddie Albert is an actor that I always loved except he should have said "Hell no" to 'Green Acres'

What an enjoyable Sunday morning!!

I lost another friend that I didn't even know

I read today in an Entertainment Weekly magazine that author Maeve Binchy died at age 72 on July 30.  I guess she was not high profile enough for anyone else to even notice but I'm glad EW noticed. According to her official website Official website here she wrote 17 novels along with 4 books of short stories.  I probably read half of them.  She was an Irish writer who told a gentle story and created characters that you'd like to meet in real life.  Her most famous work was "Circle of Friends" which was made into a movie starring Minnie Driver and Chris O'Donnell.  I thought I had one of her books on my shelf waiting to be read but if it's there, it's hidden.  So, Maeve, thanks for some beautiful stories and may you RIP.

Here is a great article about her: Great Article