Just Stroll-ing Along . . .

Yesterday was the perfect day to stay in and create. It was snowy, and grey, and I had nowhere to be, so I decided to play in my kitchen.
First, a loaf of beer bread. Delish with Stonewall Kitchen's Strawberry and Brandied Apricot Jam. Then, another batch of Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins (recipe courtesy of happythings, a new-blog obsession) - these are seriously ToDieFor. After that, I roasted some chicken (a staple in our home) with some olive oil and wonderfully sweet carrots. For supper I made Ina's Spaghetti & Meatballs. Probably the best recipe ever for this beloved dish, and easy. I left out the veal and just used ground sirloin & ground pork, but it was so tasty. The sauce - my word, easy peasy. Diced onions, garlic, red wine (though I used beef stock - no red wine in the house), a can of crushed tomatoes & fresh parsley. The only thing that could have made it better would be crushed red pepper flakes, which I will add next time. I have to say that this is probably one of the most beautiful dishes to make, as well. Twirled pasta, caramelized meatballs and the sauce it all of its rubied glory, with bits of parmesan & parsley scattered all over the top. Gorgeous. It takes a bit of time, what with making the meatballs in batches, but so worth it. We always eat fashionably late anyways; it was 9 before we curled up on the couch to eat last night.
It is beyond me how some people hate to cook - and I truly think that comes just from not knowing what to make. But seriously, cooking is therapy for me and there is nothing I'd rather do than cook a gorgeous meal for us to eat while watching the sparkling snow fall.

Tonight: Thai chicken pizza.