Meatballs Please

John Capua’s Meatballs

So yummy!

2 pounds ground beef

¼ cup water

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1 tablespoon oregano, dried

1 tablespoon basil, dried

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, dried

3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves fresh garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic chips, dried

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a 9x13 dish.

2. Combine well by hand.

Now you can not be grumpy when doing this step, for real!

So start whistling. Seriously, pick a tune and whistle.

Your meatballs will thank you for it.

3. Form into tight balls, use a little bit of water.

4. Heat ¼ cup oil in pan over medium-high heat.

5. Place meatballs in oil and fry till outside is browned.

6. Remove meatballs and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

7. Carefully add meatballs to spaghetti sauce.

8. Cook sauce as directed.

Right Dad?

My Favorite and My Best Spaghetti Sauce

John Capua's Spaghetti Sauce

One vivid memory I have is walking in the door after church and being met with the smell of my dad's spaghetti and meatball sauce simmering. He has perfected this recipe and kindly shared it with us! mmmmm!

2, 15 ounce cans tomato sauce (Hunts)

2, 12 ounce cans tomato paste (Hunts)

1, 12 ounce can tomato puree (Hunts)

3, 15 ounce cans water

1 heaping teaspoon oregano, dried

1 heaping teaspoon basil, dried

1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning, dried

1 clove fresh garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic chips

2 bay leaves, dried

1. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot.

2. Bring to a LOW boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low.

4. Cook uncovered for 1 ½-2 hours.

5. Stir every 20 minutes to prevent burning on bottom of pot. (If you discover at any point it has burned dump immediately in another pot.)

For best results cook slowly! The more “orange” the sauce looks, the better!

...

Also, if you have a little sister that you must torment,

tell her that if she is lucky enough to find one of the bay leaves she can tape

them to her ceiling and make a wish.

Then tease her about it for the rest of her life.

Right Carly? ;)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

When I lived in Iowa my favorite place to eat was a small family owned restaurant called Devotay. The menu was a fresh and delicious assortment of Mediterranean inspired tapas, entrees and desserts. The balsamic vinaigrette was used as a base for many of the dishes and served on all salads with capers and a pinch of salt. Devotay is definitely one of the many things I will miss about Iowa.

This recipe makes a lot, 20 oz. So if you want less cut it in half, duh!

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup canola oil

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1/3 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 shallots

Place shallots, Dijon, pepper, and salt into food processor and chop fine. Add vinegar and pulse. While running the processor, slowly add the olive and canola oils to emulsify. The oil may not all fit in the processor so mix in remaining oil in storage container with a whip. Be sure to run the processor until the mixture looks creamy, 2-3 minutes. Store covered in the refrigerator.

brights-beautiful inside and out!

*Happy Birthday Brighton*

You are Loved!

Beautiful Bride

Johnny-

My favorite story about Brighton is how she thought she had kidney cancer and then 10 minutes later had lung cancer and then 10 minutes later had brain cancer. "Brace Face"

Heather-

Some of my favorite things about Brighton is that she looks just like Coraline. And she has cute little freckles and a sweet smile, even with the braces! Happy Birthday ♥ ♥ ♥ ;)

Ryan-

Scattegories, terms of endearment (Wink, wink). Welcome to the family!

Amber-

No really-the first time I met Brighton I said to myself "please let this be the girl, I am in love with her." Then a few weeks later I called Tanner and told him if he didn't marry her than I was going to! I love her laugh and how she seems so fresh and, ummmm BRIGHT! Brighton you are such a fun, beautiful addition to our lives. Thanks for sharing your amazing energy! Love you!

Hunter -

she loves spaghetti and sleeping in!

Madison-

I would say that I love Brighton's knack for cooking and how she is always willing to answer my questions.

Mom-

Brighton has a contagious smile that I love and I have always loved her love of learning.

Dad-

(John is out of town but I know he loves lots of things about her, too)

Carly-

brighton. i love your tiny little body. and your fashion sense. and how adorable you look

in braces. and that you are pickier with food than i am. and how you are being a domestic

little wife. and of course, that beautiful ring of yours. and the fact that you told me first

that you and tanner were getting married. yessss! and then how perfect you and tanner

are together. jack and sally. you are a perfect fit in our family. i love you!!!

Ryan-

She is so sweet and perfect for Tanner.

Tanner-

brighton is the best thing that has happened to me she is my best friend. I love that i can be myself with her. One of my favorite things about her is the fact that she makes me laugh all of the time. Thanks for changing my life. I love you!

Danielle-

the day i knew brighton was going to be in the family i walked in on her going to the bathroom. and ever since then i've had this love for her that runs deeper then roots of a willow tree. one of the many things i like about her is that she is the SWEETEST, most NICE, and BEAUTIFUL person i could ever have in my life. thank you for being such a lovely sister and friend to me brights. i love you more then you know. happy birthday.

Vicky-

Oh our cute Brighton, we are so happy you are in our family. I love she introduced me to the best chocolate store on the PLANET right there in good old Ames. My favorite story was how she shared her wedding day with Isabelle. Isabelle was 2 steps away from you all day. She was so happy to be by you. You are darling. Good day for the Capuas when Tan found you!

John-

I love that Brighton has always seemed comfortable with us. I remember the first day she came to the house with Tannner. Her smile was big, cute, and warm. I look forward to seeing that every week when they come to dinner on Sunday. Tanner has become a better man because of you.

Azy-

my most favorite thing about brighton is her scared face. i was already in love with this girl but when she showed me that face, i died! my love for her grew by leaps and bounds! This girl has everything including impeccable style, amazing creativity, fabulous personality, & super dangerous smarts! love you girl! Have a happy happy birthday & come visit we miss you!!

Chris-

Brighton you are the best sister-in-law in the world! I like that now when ever I see a floral blouse I think of you. I love that your hair dresser shaved your cowlick. Thanks for being the first to come see Gus and always coming down to visit. I'm so happy you are part of our family and you are so amazing to Tanner. Love you Brighton. Oh and I love that you are the corpse bride couple.

Isabelle- I love that Brighton is my new aunt and she is so swet and funny! Happy birthday, I hope it is a wonderful one! =)

Esther-

ooooo pretty! i wanna see more.

Thank you for being a part of our family!

xoxoxo

Rocco

My Handsome Little Man

...

Happy 1st Birthday

Rocco

Your spirit is so big and beautiful.

...

Thank you for coming to my home.

...

Your mind is strong and sharp.

...

Thank you for being a part of my life.

...

"Oh the Places You'll Go"

...

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it all.

(I can't wait to see what happens!)

You put sunshine in my soul and a smile on my face.

-Not a gift but a precious loan-

You are loved!

xoxoxo,

Mommy

laundry is the pits

I know laundry is the pits!

But there are some things that you are going to have to do

for the rest of your life!!!

(and laundry is one of them)

So if you are mad about that, then you just need to get glad about that.

...

You may be saying "self, how do I get glad about that?"

Answer: make it

do-able.

One way to make it do-able is to cut down on the

amount of laundry you actually have to do in a week.

...

Tip: Start with your towels.

Take stock of your current towel situation

1- Sort all your towels into categories

Master Bath

Kids

Guest

Cleaning

Other

2- How many towels do you actually NEED?

* How many people are in your family?

* How often does each kid bathe?

* Can you use your towel more than once?

* How many wash cloths do you use a day?

3- Dump or donate any old, weathered,

"unhappy" or excessive towels.

4- Equalize

Make a mental note of how many towels are

needed in each bathroom and check to see

that they made it back there after showers

and baths everyday. If towels get hung up

after each use you will not end up with

unnecessary loads of laundry.

5- Assign a "Towel" day

Chose one day a week to wash all your

towels. Keeping this type of schedule

with your laundry will keep you on task

and eliminate the mile high piles of

laundry. It also feels really good to know

that all your towels are clean on wednesday

night when you go to bed, even if they

will be used again on thursday.

You too can be as happy as this housewife!

Give it a try.

-and remember It's Just an Idea.