Pasta Fagioli or Spaghetti O's

So my friend Christy makes up this great looking pasta fagioli to feed her large family all the time. I had watched her make it a few times and without a recipe to guide me I wound up creating something totally different. My pasta fagioli came out looking like "grown up or really good spaghetti o's" according to John (my six year old). While mine tasted good, it definitely was not pasta fagioli. So here is my recipe and Christy's, decide if you want some really good spaghetti o's or if you want to try the real thing. Hope you enjoy....

Christy's Pasta Fagioli -

11 cups beef stock

2lb ground beef
3 tsp oregano
1 ½ cups chopped onions
2 ½ tsp pepper
1 ¾ cup shredded carrots
5 tsp parsley
1 cup chopped celery
1 ½ tsp tobacco
3 - 15oz.cans stewed tomatoes
6 cups spaghetti sauce
1 – 15oz can red kidney beans
1 – 15oz can white beans
1 tbsp Italian seasons
1 ½ cups fagioli pasta

Brown ground beef, and onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Simmer about 10 min.
Put all other ingredients in, except pasta. Simmer until veggies are tender.
Add Pasta cook until done. Enjoy!

Kirsten's Really Good Spaghetti O's

1 pound of ground beef
28 oz of canned diced tomatoes
1/2 onion diced
24 oz of marinara sauce
32 oz of beef broth
4 tablespoons of Italian seasonings
1 box of ditalini
1 can of great northern beans

Brown meat and onion together in a large pot, season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, cook until browned. Add rest of ingredients and cook on low until pasta is done. Serve and enjoy.

Everybody Needs A Neighbor Like Mine

As I mentioned in a earlier post one of my neighbors gave me a large amount of lobster stock, since she provided one of the main ingredients of that meal, I thought it only right to share some of the Lobster and Corn Chowder that I made with her and her family. Well in return, I got a bowl filled with Chicken and Dumplings. It is so nice to be able to take a night off kitchen duty and enjoy the fruits of someone Else's labor, especially when it is good food that is fitting for the weather. So a huge thanks to Renee, the best neighbor anyone could ask for!

4th of July Continued

We were lucky enough to be invited to celebrate not just the 4th of July, but the 50th Birthday of three of our neighbors. The work for the feast started at 6:00 in the morning with the smoker being lit and the whole pig started it cooking journey. The night before the pig had been seasoned with a dry rub, and rather than mop the pig, its own juices were used to keep the meat moist. When I got back to see the progress at 11:00 the pig was well on its way to being done. The pig was cooked for a total of eight hours and the end results were delicious. The pig was removed from the heat and fat, skin, and bones were removed to create a southern style pulled pork that was served with a Carolina style sauce and a regular barbeque sauce. For those who have not ever had a Carolina style sauce with pulled pork, I recommend that you try it. It is very simple to make, take some hot sauce, a tiny bit of ketchup, red pepper flakes, and cider vinegar. Mix all together and smother the pork with the sauce. The best way to eat this type of pork is on a bun with coleslaw. That is exactly what I did with the delicious meat and I must say that I enjoyed every bite and am very thankful for all the work that my neighbors put into to getting the pig, the smoker, creating the rub, waking up early and staying up late, and most of all sharing this great 4th of July feast with all of us. I hope that everyone got some great cookout food on the 4th, next year we are looking forward to a trip to St. Michael's and partaking in the festivities there while attempting to cook out on the boat.