how come all the vegetarians get all the good veggies?!

this is something i noticed just this past week.  yeah, i know, i'm kinda slow.  but i've been trying to incorporate more fruits and veggies in our meals.  sometimes it's easy, but other meals that i would serve solo (such as spaghetti), because they do have a vegetable in them, it's just not much of a serving.  so, i thought about store-bought spaghetti sauce, because i bought some recently for a chicken parmesan recipe.  at the store, i thought the tastiest spaghetti sauce (or marinara, whatever) was a garden combo sauce.  when i poured it on, it was loaded (well, loaded for a 20 oz. jar) with chunks of veggies!  and, of course it was good.  so i thought, how come i don't put veggies in my spaghetti sauce?!  well, i don't because it's not called for in my recipe.  and, well, i AM a recipe follower!!!  so, that's when i thought about it.  garden combo spaghetti sauce is good.  i KNOW that vegetarian lasagna is good.  most vegetarian dishes are good!  we do love veggies... why don't we make more things vegetarian way?!
so i did.
i made vegetarian spaghetti... with meatballs.  :)  because i'm clever, that's why!  ;)

i cut up all sorts of goodies:  zucchini, squash, carrots, celery, cucumbers, i may have even put an apple in there!  onions were called for later.

added it all to the barbecue sauce that is our family's spaghetti sauce recipe.

here's the recipe from granny's recipe book she gave me. 

barbecue sauce

1 46 oz. can of tomato (or vegetable) juice.  1/2 c. brn. sugar.  1 Tbsp chili powder.  1/2 c. ketchup.  1/2 tsp black pepper.  1 tsp. salt.  2 Tbsp vinegar.  1/4 tsp of each: garlic salt, celery salt, barbecue salt, savory salt.  2 dashes worcestershire sauce.  1 lg. onion fried to brown in 1 Tbsp bacon grease.

bring to boil.  lower heat and simmer 5 minutes (at least.  the longer you simmer it, the better).  makes 2 quarts.  this is good with any meat as a barbecue sauce.  if you're making it for spaghetti, cook spaghetti 'till tender and drain.  brown hamburger and then put into the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.  remove from heat and pour over spaghetti.  let blend for 15 minutes before serving (again, at least.  the longer it blends, the better).

this is proof that i don't ALWAYS follow the directions because clearly the hamburger wasn't mixed with the sauce...  and then i didn't take another "after" picture to show you how delish it ended up being.  so you'll have to imagine that one.  but it was good.  the veggies cooked and soaked in the sauce for so long that there wasn't a change in the taste at all.  just a few different textures for your palate and more vitamins and nutrients for the body!

enjoy! 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."