We were supposed to get severe thunderstorms this afternoon, starting about noon and lasting possibly until 8 or 9:00 PM.
But, it was dry when I went back to work at 12:30. So, I dodged that bullet. Somebody told me around 1:30 that it was raining like hell outside. But, it stopped here about 3:30, so I dodged another bullet!
Back home, I treated the cats, changed clothes and started the Wednesday wash. I walked out and checked the gauge. I picked up just under a half inch of rain this afternoon!
When I got home, the cable was out (so, no phone, Internet or TV). I tried calling the cable company on my emergency cell phone, (several times) but all I got was a busy signal. So, I crawled under the desk and reset the modem. That brought back the phone and the Internet, but not TV.
I had decided it was time for some “real” food today (too wet to work outside), so I made “Cheese Stuffed Bacon Meatballs” (an Aaron McCargo, Jr. recipe).
First I made the meatballs:
I preheated the oven to 400 degrees F. Then I arranged eight thick-cut bacon slices on a rack in a sheet pan (lined with aluminum foil for easy cleanup). I put it in the oven and baked until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. I removed the bacon from the pan to a cutting board and chopped it. Then I set it aside.
In a large bowl, I mixed together a pound of ground chuck, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, a package of onion soup mix, 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs, a tablespoon of black pepper, a tablespoon of beef stock and the chopped bacon.
Now, the recipe called for fresh, “bocconcini” sized mozzarella balls. I couldn’t find those and so bought fresh, “cherry” mozzarella. I don’t know the difference (mine seemed to be a bit bigger than his).
I formed patties of the meat around the mozzarella to make smooth balls. I arranged the meatballs on the sheet pan with the rack and baked until thoroughly browned, (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Next I made the marinara sauce:
I added 1/4 cup of olive oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil was hot, I added one fine diced yellow onion, two tablespoons of minced garlic, two tablespoons of fresh chopped basil, two tablespoons of fresh chopped oregano (love my herb garden!) and one tablespoon of coarse ground black pepper. I sautéed that for a few minutes. I added in two (14 ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes and two (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and a tablespoon of chicken bouillon. I lowered the heat and simmered it for 10 to 15 minutes.
Then I put the meatballs in the marinara sauce to get happy while I made a half pound of spaghetti. I plated a portion of the spaghetti, topped it with some sauce and two meatballs and ate my dinner.
It was very good, but way too filling (I couldn’t even eat what was on the plate). I put the rest in the fridge to decide (later) what to keep and what to freeze.
I watched TV (it was back on) until 10:00 PM and then went to bed.
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