Labor Day

Have I mentioned ever how much I wish I had a three day weekend every weekend? I feel like we got so much accomplished but also had to have a ton of fun.

Picking up from the BBQ chicken post, that night we went and saw the new Bourne movie -- the Bourne Legacy. That was pretty fun. It was nice to get out of the house past dark and go on a date!

Monday we had plans to go down to Milwaukee to use a Groupon I had gotten for a tour of the Pabst Mansion. If you haven't ever gone and live in the Milwaukee area, I highly recommend it. It is seriously a hidden gem in the city. Literally -- it's so easy to miss when driving down Wisconsin Avenue. But the woodwork and decor inside are miraculous. Rob and I kept lamenting throughout the tour that you just don't see craftsmanship like that these days.

 (yep, still can't figure out how to rotate pictures once they're in here -- any suggestions??)

Before we left, Rob put in the crock pot this delicious recipe for ragu from his Joy of Cooking book. Again, I can take zero credit for this masterpiece, but let me tell you -- it was good. The only change to the recipe we did was added peas for some extra vegetable. Oh, I would also suggest just buying 2 cans of crushed tomatoes. Why you need to buy one can of whole ones and then crush them yourself is beyond me. He also put in 2 carrots and 2 celery instead of just 1 each. And used fresh basil from our basil plant rather than dried. Served over whole wheat penne with a glass of wine from the bottle we needed for the recipe .... I'm so spoiled it was such a wonderful treat and a great end to the weekend!

 

Hearty Meat Ragú (Rombauer, Irma, Becker Rombauer, Marion, and Becker, Ethan. Joy of Cooking. 1997. Scribner: New York.) 2 ½ quarts sauce This recipe makes a large batch of chunky meat-and-vegetable tomato sauce. Serve with pasta such as ziti or penne. Freeze leftovers for another meal. Pat dry and cut into 1-inch cubes: 2 pounds boneless stewing beef, such as chuck, short-rib meat, or bottom round Heat in a large skillet over medium-high heat: 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed Add the meat in batches and brown on all dies, being careful not the crowd the pan. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a 4- to 5- quart slow cooker. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan (or add more if needed). Add: 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1 medium celery rib with leaves, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add: 1 cup dry red wine Bring to a boil, stirring to release the browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Pour into slow cooker. Stir in: One 28-ounce can tomatoes, crushed, with juice One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Cover and turn the slow cooker to the low setting. Cook, without opening the lid, until the meat is very tender, 6 to 7 hours. Season to taste with: salt and black pepper.