Dinner & Dessert for Two

I was craving spaghetti the other day and what better way to satisfy a craving, than make it yourself. So I surprised my mom with dinner when she got home from work. I made her famous spaghetti sauce using garlic, ground beef, canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and salt & pepper. This sauce is simple and delicious. The side salad is just a spring mix, cut up carrots, parmesan and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Before I made the sauce I made homemade rosemary bread from a recipe I got from my friend Sara (Busch) Dalton. I got the idea to braid the loaf from my mom.

Sara's Easy Yeast Bread Recipe

2 tsp instant yeast

1 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup olive oil

optional seasonings (I use a few TB rosemary)

3 cups flour

Directions:

combine flour, yeast and salt and seasonings in a bowl or food processor. Then add water stirring with a spoon or the machine. Add olive oil and continue to mix for 1 minute or so, then add water by the TB if needed until a ball forms. If using a mixer, keep it on for 10 minutes. Then split the dough into three sections and roll them out. Attach them at the top and braid the pieces together securing them at the end. Let the bread rise for another 10-15 minutes on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees F. I have done this recipe with and without a food processor and found that the texture of the bread is much better using the mixer.

For dessert I made homemade strawberry shortcake, using a recipe from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

2 cups flour

2 TB sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup light cream

1 beaten egg

3-4 cups sugared strawberries

1 cup whipping cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Sift together dry ingredients and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Then combine egg and cream adding all at once. Stir only until moistened and separate into medium sized cakes and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 450 degrees F. Remove from pan and cool. Break open each cake and place ice cream or whipped cream and the sugared strawberries in between the two sides.

Overall it turned out to be a wonderfully classic dinner for two.