♥ Make Spaghetti Soup ♥

Someone asked on Facebook earlier this week, what's for dinner.  I posted Spaghetti soup and steamed broccoli and a few asked for the recipe.  But you know me, before I give it, I have to give a little background and a story to go with. 

When I was a little girl, there were many weekends I would go to my Granny's for the weekend, from age six to about twelve, at least once or twice a month.  My dad was an only, so my brother and I were cherished and spoiled only grandchildren.  It makes me sad my children, at least the younger three, have missed out on the grandparent - grandchild connection - but I digress.

My dad would often take me to my Granny's work on Friday evening and I would go home with her and my Granddaddy from there.  My grandmother worked in an office building (10 stories) on Louisiana St in downtown Houston and she was an elevator operator, back in the day when there was a handle you moved to "drive" it up or down, and stop on the right spot to line up to the floor.  When I was little, she would let me "drive" the elevator and it was fun to stop it between floors and open up the doors. It was a good job but it had it's ups and downs - ha ha.  For several years, my grandfather worked in the same building as a maintenance man - isn't that cute.

(borrowed photo)

First stop after work was a shopping center near their apartment where Granny had a standing appointment each Friday to get her hair done.  Side note, my Granny nearly always drove because she thought my Granddaddy drove too slow.  Granny DIDN'T drive slow. She navigated the Houston freeways just fine, thankyouverymuch and get out of her way please.

While she was being coiffed and curled, always wanting threatening to get my stick straight pixie cut hair permed, which thankfully my mother vetoed, my Granddaddy and I would walk a couple of stores down to the drug store and sit at the counter and share a grilled cheese or apple pie or ice cream.  Fond memories.  While my grandparents were young grandparents, she was 48 when I was born and he was 51, my Granddaddy who had a heart of gold, was someone who was always OLD.  He never acted young that even my father could remember, and he was only 19 when my father was born.  That was just him.  It may be because his father died when he was a toddler and from an early age, he had to go to work to help support his mother and baby brother and he never really had time for fun.  Sitting at the counter with him is one of the few memories I have of doing anyting with him.  He died when I was a senior in high school. He was 69.

We often stopped by the grocery store on the way home since Friday was payday for them as well.  I'm sure she made other things, but most requested and fixed was hamburgers and spaghetti soup.  Her burgers were nice and greasy, buns lightly steamed in the same skillet after the burgers were done, with a lid, fire turned off, giving them a little crunch on the bottom - with pickles and mustard.  And a cold Coke in a small glass bottle.  The spaghetti soup was a side dish.  In later years, it became a main dish for my family.

While I always thought it was something special, I later discovered it was really an economical way to stretch the leftover hamburger meat.  Speaking of hamburger meat - in New England a lot of people called it "hamburg", as in "add a pound of hamburg to your recipe".  I still find that odd and can't call it just "hamburg".  Is that just a New England thing or is calling it "hamburger meat" a Texas thing.  My grandparents were not wealthy in the least and so had to be frugal, just like we are today.

After dinner, we would make brownies or a cake, something I never got to do at home. And we would watch country music shows which back then was hillbilly music, and the Dean Martin show.  She loved Dino like I loved Elvis. Such good times and sweet memories.

But to the recipe - here goes!

Pretend you also see a pound or so of HAMBURGER (not hamburg) in addition to these simply ingredients, and forget you see the oranges.  They aren't part of the recipe, DUH, but I did make homemade Orange Soda too.  I also did part regular spaghetti and part whole wheat.

You are going to use about half of a large onion and a large bell pepper.  Chop them up. I chop them quite small because one of my dear offspring has issues with anything green, unless it happens to be a Granny Smith apple or broccoli or a cucumber or lettuce with ranch.  I probably did a little more than half and I threw some of the onions in with the HAMBURGER (not hamburg).

After I browned the meat, I drained as much grease out as I could and used a slotted spoon to take it out of the pan.  In addition to changing our eating habit SLOWLY, I am also trying to use less paper towels, plastic, etc - and be greener and not have as much trash.

While the meat is cooking, bring the water to a boil, about half a large pot, and add the peppers and onions and also a tablespoon of Crisco.  Now - Crisco is not something I use very often.  In fact, this small can which I store in my fridge, will last years.  And quite possibly it would be fine without, but she made it that way so I am convinced  need to make it that way too.  Back in the day Crisco was used quite often to grease a cake pan or a skillet since we didn't have Pam or other cooking sprays.

Add some salt and pepper and let cook until onion and pepper is soft, you can add a bit more water if it cooks down too much.

Add 24 or so ounces of tomato sauce and add the hamburger meat.

After that simmers for maybe 15 - 20 minutes, you add the spaghetti - not a whole box - maybe half to 2 thirds depending on how thick you want it.  Let that cook for another 10-15 minutes until the pasta is done.  I break the pasta in half.

This is another one of those dishes that is better the next day too. Make sure you season it well with salt and pepper.  My son likes to put grated parmesan on it. It's very filling, very easy - and very economical.  Good with grilled cheese sandwiches too.

*See the cookie jar to the right of the stove.  It was my Granny's and in her kitchen for as long as I can remember.  It's amazing it is actually unbroken and has survived my house and our many moves and many children.

And that my friends, is that.  Very very simple.  It's one of those dishes that warms my heart.