My New and Improved Spaghetti Sauce Recipe!

Ingredients:

1kg ground beef

1kg tomato/spaghetti sauce

1 can (400grams) of Mushrooms(chopped)

1 small can of liver spread

Salt

Pepper

Brown sugar

Vinegar

Dried or Fresh Basil

Parsley

7 sticks of butter (Yeah boy!)

1 to 2 onions (minced)

4 cloves of garlic (crushed)

Melt the butter in a very large pan or pot.

Sauté garlic and onions until golden brown.

Add the mushrooms, and add a dash of salt and some pepper. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes.

ADD THE BEEF.

Sauté for 2-4 minutes, then add the liver spread. Season with salt, pepper, brown sugar, basil and parsley. Allow it to simmer for about 5-8 minutes. If it’s too dry, add half a cup of water, although by this time, the juices from the beef would have already seeped out, hence you allow it to cook in its own juices, making it more awesome \m/.

Judge if the beef is already cooked. Each of us has his or her preference of meat texture. Add the tomato/spaghetti sauce and allow the whole thing to simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Now comes the most critical part of the dish: The seasoning war.

The dish basically revolves around the balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. Therefore, it’s up to you how much salt, pepper, brown sugar, and/or vinegar (during extreme cases when the other tastes have overpowered the dish; be sensitive to changes in taste when adding this.) you want to add. I can’t give you exact amounts to add, because the best thing to do to arrive at the perfect point is to taste the dish and find out for yourself what it lacks. But here’s a rule of thumb: If it’s too salty, add sugar; if it’s too sweet, add vinegar; if it’s too sour, add sugar and salt; if it’s too spicy, add sugar and vinegar. Of course, for any general exaggeration in taste, you can always choose to add water.

If you’ve epicly failed in every attempt to arrive at a decently tasting dish, well, c’est la vie. It happens sometimes. Here’s something to keep in mind before you hit the grocery store: If you think you won’t be able to balance the blend by yourself, you’re better off getting spaghetti sauce instead of plain tomato sauce. It already tastes good to some degree, and has already been seasoned so you don’t have to experiment that much.

Now, after you’ve found the blend that best suits your taste buds, allow it to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Before turning off the heat, add more basil and parsley.

Serve with noodles and parmesan cheese. Buttered bread with garlic and parsley is also a good complement.

ENJOY:)

10 Songs to Retreat to When You’ve Had A Bad Day

Here’s a list of 10 songs that I listen to whenever my day goes to @#$%. Perhaps, not everyone will be able to appreciate them, because some are rock or rap songs. But if you’re a fan of melodic lyrics that can influence your disposition, then I strongly recommend that you give them a try:)

1.) Written in the Stars – Tinie Tempah ft. Eric Turner

A very good song to motivate or re-motivate you. Whether you lost your last basketball game, got shouted at by your boss at work, or are just looking for a song to inspire you, listen to this one. Motivation +10 points.

2.) The Fighter – Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder

Fall down 7 times, get up 8. Though the song’s a bit mainstream, the lyrics and vocals (especially Ryan Tedder’s part) are a marvel. *High five, Ryan!*

3.) Loonie ft. Quest – Tao Lang

A song by the Flip-top sensation Loonie is not something you would normally find in Bad day song lists. For those who don’t like Filipino rap, I really can’t guarantee auditory euphoria for you. What I can guarantee you, however, is that the lyrics are something to keep in mind. Its message is simple: Lahat tayo tao. Lahat tayo nagkakamali(We’re all human; we all make mistakes). I know this idea is sort of a cliché, but you’ll find it beautifully expressed in this song, especially during the bridge (My apologies to those who don’t speak Filipino.)

4.) The Other Side – The Roots

This is the typical song you would hear in a movie when the hero’s sitting on the bus at night, looking out the window, and contemplating what his next move is after the stock market crashed and he lost his job. Everything is in slow motion, and outside, he sees homeless people laying out newspapers, getting ready to sleep. He wonders if he’ll soon be joining them, but an inner voice keeps telling him to work hard. It will eventually pay off, but he has to start from zero and work his way up again. This is how the song would make someone feel. Of course, you’re free to relate in any way you want:)

5.) Pieces – Sum41

If you, for the moment, want to wallow in the pit of cow dung you’ve dug yourself in, then give this song a try. Deryck Whibley’s uncharacteristically calm voice complements the overall melancholic melody of the song. The lyrics are also good in a sense that they allow you to temporarily cocoon yourself in self-pity. But keep in mind that this song is only meant for you to “LET IT ALL OUT.”  I do not recommend listening to this song constantly for days.

6.) The World’s Greatest – R. Kelly

Some may find this song cheesy, but it can get you through some tough times. The perfect blend of military drums sounds and inspiring lyrics complement each other well.

7.) The World Spins Madly On – The Weepies

When everything’s going wrong, it’s nice to listen to something that will make you feel like you have absolutely nothing to do with it, even just for a while. This is one beautiful outcome of listening to this song. It allows you to dissociate temporarily, as if you were just here to observe the world while it spins madly on:)

8.) Click Click Boom – Saliva

No fancy description. Just let it all out. DESTROY! PLUNDER! PILLAGE! . . . but stay in your room.

9.) Saving Me - Nickelback

A perfectly good emo song! I also recommend watching the music video.

10.) My Stupid Mouth – John Mayer

The perfect song to listen to on that typical day of the month when your mouth develops diarrhea.  After finally getting hit with the realization that you’ve said the wrong thing again, or said too much, bring out your earphones on the ride home, crank up the volume, and listen to John Mayer’s awesome voice. But let me warn you.  Don’t take the recurring first line in the chorus literally. Listen to the entire song and try to decipher its message.