Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

My family decided a little while back that they don't care for jarred spaghetti sauce anymore. What??? The kids have always said they wanted their pasta plain with just a little cheese. So I guess that just leaves my husband. Now what? We eat spaghetti (or some variation of pasta) once a week! It's so easy to twist that lid and hear "pop" and pour it into a pan!! So I began to experiment........ After several trials and turned up noses, I have hit on a sauce that they ALL love!! What's great is you can leave the hamburger out and it's great over pasta with a little chicken for a Chicken Parmesan. AND it doesn't take all afternoon to prepare!! Now if you will notice as I begin to post recipes, I am not a measurer by nature. I'm a sprinkler and a dumper. I think the best recipes can always be improved upon by the person following them! So you may want to adjust these amounts according to your taste and preference! Also, sometimes I completely leave out the tomato sauce and water if I am doing a meatless pasta dish. Tastes really fresh with just the tomatoes, onions, garlic and seasonings over pasta!!

1 T. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 hambuger patties (we buy hamburger in bulk and my sweet husband spends an hour patting it all out and freezing it)
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes (or fresh if you want...I take the easy route!)
1 small can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can water (8 oz)
1 tsp. oregano
several sprinkles (see I told ya!) Italian Seasoning
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in skillet over med/high heat. Add onion and saute til fragrant (not til the onions are brown, but til they are clear). Add garlic and saute for another minute or so. Not too long b/c you do not want burned garlic!! Now add your hamburger. Cook til hamburger is done and crumble into tiny bits. Drain your grease. ***TIP***If you don't want to pour the grease down the drain or all into your trash can and run the risk of hole in the bottom, then take a paper towel and fold into quarters and then eights. Place in a cup and open it up to create a cone shape. Pour your grease into here and leave it sitting for a bit. It will solidify some and you can throw it away without the mess! Now you can add the tomatoes, sauce, water, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and taste. ALWAYS taste!!!! The worst of recipes could be saved if the cook just took one little taste before serving!!! Add any more "sprinkles" that you need!! This usually give you just the right about of time to get your bread, salad, and pasta prepared.

Enjoy!!