Happy Thanksgiving, I am making No Bake Lasagna with meatballs, freshly made tomato sauce with freshly grown Sweet Basil (is there any other kind?) My sister's in law, all seven of them And my wife, are making pies, turkey, ham and salads. Later this week I shall add the pictures after it is cooked Wednesday evening.

I love this Holiday, it makes me think more about my loved ones who have gone on and how God has smiled upon some of us and even winked now and then. It keeps me from thinking how far down America has sunk the last Nine years.

Recipe for Meat Balls:
2 #’s ground pork

1 # ground chuck

Several slices of bread

1-2 cloves garlic

Table Spoon of Ground or fresh Oregano

½ cup combined grated: Parmesan, sharp Provolone, Romano, and Hard Grating Ricotta

Several sprigs of fresh parsley (or dried if fresh are unavailable

Salt to taste, starting with two teaspoons

2 raw eggs

¼ # bacon cut into ½ inch squares

Cooking The Meatballs

Start a deep pan filled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil at medium flame

Soak the bread in water, squish out most of the water

Finely chop garlic and parsley

Fold all of the above except the bacon into a mound and knead until all mix well

Separate into meatballs, size is your call

Make the meatballs like a thick hockey puck rather than round balls

When the oil is hot enough turn down the flame and drop in the meatballs and bacon pieces.

Cook several minutes, then flop and cook the other side the same way

Take meat balls and bacon out and place on several layers of paper towels, we use the pure white Bounty brand, to drain. They should be a chocolate color and crispy. Hold for dropping into sauce

SAUCE

For this recipe I am using:

One quart of peeled plum tomatoes and two quarts of ground peeled plum tomatoes with Basil. I add more basil later

½ white onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, ground fine

A chunk of beef, about one half pound I use Prime, thick cut Rib-eye beef, but choose for yourself

A few sprigs of parsley

Ten good-sized leaves of fresh Basil

A cup of Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste, we use no ground pepper, some family members are allergic to ground pepper

Cubanella green peppers

Mushrooms

Slice up Cubanella green peppers and Mushrooms, chop up parsley

COOK SAUCE

Fry peppers, onion, mushrooms and garlic at medium flame with the chunk of meat until onions are transparent and meat is browned, adding salt and pepper if you want to use ground pepper, emove all from pan and drain onto a metal grid. Then drain the olive oil and add the tomatoes, more salt some ground basil, and the Oregano is optional-For this recipe I am using no oregano, stir in the fresh basil and add back the peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic and the chunk of meat . Turn down the flame and simmer at low flame for an hour or more. Then about 30-45 minutes before serving add the meatballs. When the meatballs have cooked about 30 minutes all should be ready to serve.

I boil the pasta, usually large Shells or huge Penne #28 until al dente’ for the time shown on the bags, and then remove and drain off the water.

NO BAKE LASAGNA

3 #’s Ricotta

Four sprigs parsley

‘3/4’s tablespoon salt

3 eggs raw

Mix

I use then a large electric slow cook, roast/baking pot and empty the mixed Ricotta mix into it except for the meatballs and beef, which I keep in the pot with the sauce. I pour one half of the sauce in with the pasta and Ricotta and heat at low/medium heat for 25 minutes, cut the beef into one half inch chunks, then serve in two pans one with the pasta/Ricotta, the other one with the meat balls and beef. Serve with a crisp loaf of French bread and Italian thick crusted bread and butter.

Serve with red Chianti Wine, or whatever you like with pasta, and for the none drinkers, Dr. Pepper, or Ginger ale, are my favorites.

Have a great, happy and long weekend.