I got a present in the post the other day!
I love getting presents….
Especially unexpected presents.
Well, this wasn’t totally unexpected. The nice people from Ariosto sent me a message on Facebook and asked if I wanted to try their herb and spice mixes.
Of course I said yes – if they would send them to France.
Well, it turns out they are in Italy so France wasn’t quite so intimidating to them as it is (apparently) to US companies.
The very next week I got a package filled with these lovely, little packets of flavor.
There were some for fish, some for meat, some spicy packets for pasta and for tomato sauce.
I have to admit that the hardest part about trying out the mixes is keeping my hands off my own herbs and spices. To give them a fair taste test they need to be on their own, right?
So far, so good.
I added the packet for tomatoes to this meat sauce and it was delicious.
Now I’m going to have to get out my Italian dictionary and figure out what was in it!
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4oz (120gr) linguini
- 12oz (350gr) ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 cups (15oz, 450gr) tomatoes, chopped
- 1 packet Ariosta Tomato Seasoning
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
- Heat oil in nonstick skillet. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add beef and sauté until cooked through, breaking it up as it browns.
- Add Tomato Seasoning and sauté briefly.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer until sauce thickens slightly.
- Divide the pasta between two plates, spoon sauce on top, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
Remember that foolish statement that I made about having a functioning furnace?
Turns out I was sadly mistaken.
After I wrote that I could hear the pump running.
That’s fine.
Except it kept on running.
That’s not fine.
I checked…. There was an ‘Error’ message on the little screen on the furnace.
#*%^# ^%*@#
I called the furnace guy.
Turns out, when mon mari was installing the new radiators, he pulled the cable loose that connected the furnace to the thermostat.
Turns out, when the thermostat isn’t speaking to the furnace, the furnace gets all huffy and refuses to work.
Turns out, that was the problem all along.
The furnace guy rewired it all and both thermostat and furnace are chatting away happily at the moment.
Glad to hear about the furnace, Katie. We woke to weather that was 30 degrees colder than a mere 24 hours ago.
What is it about the sight of noodles of any kind that melts my resistance to carbs? That really looks tasty; it’s exactly the sort of thing we always make when we rent in France. On the subject of food packets of any kind, one thing I love about grocery shopping at Carrefour and Leclerc (and FranPrix and MonoPrix and Shopi) is the variety of packets and boxes and ready-made stuff.
Your furnace has a like a compute screen… Wow advanced. Maybe it will get a virus 🙂
First time I’ve ever commented.. love your blog.
Ok .. let me try this again with good english doing. I could claim it wasn’t my first language to justify that complete hash I made of it.
I’ve never seen a furnace with a screen on it. Seems very fancy and advanced. Hope it can’t get a computer virus. Love your blog. This is the first time I’ve commented.
There we go. I can english and so can I.
That’s a happy chatting I would hope goes on all winter long;-)
Maybe you should just enjoy that it tastes great! forget finding out what’s in it.
Just in the nick of time! Happy warmings!
Lets hope the furnace and thermostat stay friends for the duration of your winter !
Mimi, the weather turned very fast here, too. It’s fun cooking at a rental, isn’t it? Inspires creativity!
Wonky, it’s just a little tiny one… just showing a few settings… but, yes, it is modern for this old house. And thanks for visiting and commenting…. come back lots ;-))
Tanna, you’re right – just enjoy, I’ll do that!
Zoomie, it was!
Kate, I do hope so! It’s already winter here…. not happy, but warm LOL