Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

Mom's Meatballs
2 to 3 packages of sweet Italian sausage (sausages cut in half)
2 TBS olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 carrot, shredded
1 large can mushroom pieces, drained
2 large cans tomato sauce
2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 TBS Italian seasoning (or more to taste. If sauce is bitter later, you can add sugar to sweeten)
2 bay leaves
Parsley flakes
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

First, make Mom's Meatballs. Then, brown Italian sausage pieces in oven and drain on paper towels.
Next, put oil in bottom of sauce pot. Add onion, pepper, celery, carrot, mushrooms. Saute until soft. Drain oil. Add tomato sauce and whole tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with your fingers. Add meatballs and sausage pieces. Add Italian seasoning, bay leaves and parsley flakes.
Cook for 4 hours on stove top, uncovered so sauce thickens. Leave wooden spoon in the pot while you cook. About 2 hours into cooking, sprinkle in grated Parmesan cheese. You will know when the sauce is thick enough when the wooden spoon stands up unassisted in the middle of the pot.

Cheese Ravioli with Crabmeat Cream Sauce

I borrowed this recipe from my brother-in-law's brother's website, Mr. Mom Cooks. It was really delicious, and I even used the leftover sauce to make a sort of Crab Eggs Benedict the next morning. I added some chopped red peppers with the butter and shallot when I made it, just to get some extra veggies into our diet.

Ingredients:

1 Dozen Fresh Cheese Ravioli
1/2 Shallot, chopped
2.5 oz unsalted butter
6 oz heavy cream
3 oz tomato sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp sugar
2.5 oz can of lump crabmeat
Fresh Crusty Bread

Directions:
This is quick and easy and should take 20-30 minutes depending on how thick you like the crab cream sauce.

Boil ravioli until about a minute before they are done. Arrange on a platter so they don't stick together.

Put butter and shallot into the pan on med heat. Cook until shallot is soft. Add crabmeat and cook for a few more minutes. Add oregano and sugar to tomato sauce. Add heavy cream and tomato sauce to the pan. Reduce (stir) the sauce until your desired consistency. I like it thicker so it takes about 20 minutes of stirring. Pour the hot crab cream sauce over the ravioli and have at it.