Sunday Gravy with Meatballs,Sausage and Baked Ziti

Sunday Gravy with Meatballs and Sausage

Baked Ziti

The Way to a Man's heart is NOT only through his stomach, but also his pishad.. That was the favorite saying of one of my most favorite patients.. who passed this Saturday. Kinda why Ive been absent for a few... Im still teary eyed..Betcha didnt know I am an RN?? Yes, naughty but nice me , helps the sick.. in these shoes..

I learned so much from my little Italian Nonni, as only I was allowed to call her, she taught me many recipes,including this one, and she also taught me many ways to please a man..She believed if a mans stomach and pishad , as she called Johnsons, were happy, they were happy..She taught me how to make a man stand at attention longer than the average bear. She taught me tricks for um sucking a rib, sometimes her dentures would fall out while she did.. No fair, I used to say, I have all my teeth, she said.. men Luvva de gums, dey luvva de gums.. but holy cow was she one pro, let me tell you...I had always thought I was THE bj queen..

--If youd like to know some of the tricks for making your man last for long long time at attention, let me know, she'd be proud that I shared.. .. she at her wise old age knew the importance of swallowing and never ceased to share that with me, and her favorite number was 69 also.. go figure.. I was her favorite nurse.

She told me so, and it wasn't because I slipped her her shots of sambuca in her milk of magnesia, or amaretto in her coffee.. or because I guarded her door with my med cart

while her and Mr.X or sometimes MRS..down the hall had a joyful visit..or for the douches I brought in for her before her escapades..

or because of the porn dvds Id sneak in..or the hot firemen calenders I got for her and hung secretly in her closet.. housekeeping would get so mad at me hee hee, or because I told her of my truck driver and home depot escapades, but boy could she cackle.. and MOAN..Holy Crap, it hurts to imagine what went on in her room, while I pretended to pour my meds.. but believe me when I tell you, things DO work until you die.. She was a roaring bundle of lifes energy, and she loved the two things I love most, food and sex, so we were kindred spirits.

I will miss my friend, my sex tip mentor, my patient who would clip recipes out for me and save them.. the woman Id like to be when I grow up.. a riot to the last minute, firm believer in eating whatever you want and as much as you want.. men dey a no really lika de skinny beetches, mind blowing as you can get it sex to the last breath, and a love for all things male with a hint of female..

She was my rock at work, I'd sit with her on my breaks, we'd swap sex stories, recipes, tales of woe, whathaveyou, she'd dare me to wear naughty things to work and bend over to embarass the doc as he came in to examine her.

Yes, I complied to her wish.. yes, more than once.. and yes to other staff members as well, housekeeping, janitorial, food service, all but administration..Pisser, she was a pisser. This posts for you Nonni, the halls won't be the same.. I miss you already...but I will honor your words of wisdom with all my heart.. and soul.. see you on the other side..

Nonni's Sunday Gravy , when 'na ya dont have a de garden tomatoes. Gather your ingredients.

Nonni always said the tomatoes MUST be San Marzano.. dem a de best..

Chop up a couple of onions, set aside. Open your whole tomatoes, place in bowl,

and crush by hand.Heat some olive oil in an 8 quart pot. Put in some hot and sweet sausage links and fry till browned.

I can hear her talking .. Yessa I then a stroke-a de sausage ,drive him a nutssa..Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Throw the onion in the same oil you fried the sausage in, brown a bit,

add your crushed plum tomatoes, your paste, some water, some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Then toss your sausage back in and bring to a simmer, simmer for 2 1/2 hours cover opened slightly. Stir occasionally.

In the meantime gather your meatball ingredients.. Meatloaf MIX, must be a mix of beef, veal, and pork, according to my Nonni. For 2 pounds of the mix you'll need 4 eggs, some breadcrumbs, I use Italian style because she said, 2 garlic cloves, finely minced as you can, parsley, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese,and a splash of milk.

Mix these all together.. but do nota' over mixa de meat, it getta to dry, like an old pishad, itll shrivel be no use..shriveled pishad, no use..

Roll into even sized meatballs, and lay on paper towels.

Heat up some vegetable oil in a frying pan, and brown on all sides,

drain on paper towels.

Throw them into the gravy the last half hour of cooking time. And look at what you get..

Now for the Baked Ziti.. she preferred to call it Baked Macaroni.

All you need is this,

some ziti pasta, and your gravy. Boil your ziti , toss it with some gravy and parm cheese in a large bowl,

and place only 1/2 in a 9 x 13 pan. Top with dollops of ricotta cheese. ..

If you do notta put dollups, you do notta taste de riccot.. most words with nonni lose the last syllable if it is a vowel.. On top of that layer place some more gravy, and thin slices of m0zzarella cheese. Then repeat the layer, dollops and all.. Top with gravy and mozzarella cheese again.

Bake at 350 till cheese is lightly browned and melted.

Have a plate!

Serve with the gravy, meatballs and sausage.

Here's a special plate for you my friend.

Oh, didnt you just hear her cackle.. I did. Tissue, someone please?? I hope my dish did you proud Nonni..... you already know it is my favorite gravy, I use it for rigatoni, manicotti, lasagne, everything. Thank you.. Nonni, I love and miss you. Dearly....

Lesson learned.. life is short, quick, and harsh. Do what you can, when you can, whether it be in a shed at home depot, a car on the parkway, a public park, in Macy's Window for crissakes.. ENJOY, live a little, live a lot, eat a lot, and swallow one for Nonni!