Fresh tomato sauce! Take a big pile of tomatoes, cut them in half, and squeeze the seeds out. Chop the tomatoes and put them in a big pot. Add chopped fresh basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes soften. Meanwhile, saute some chopped onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until the onions are translucent. If you have green peppers and carrots, you can dice them and throw that in with the onions as well. Stir the onion mixture into the tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about two hours or until thickened. If you like your sauce chunky, leave it as-is. If you like it smoother, you can puree it in a food processor. I like to puree half of it, then add it back to the rest of the sauce so it isn’t too chunky or too smooth.
Great over pasta, especially with meatballs or Italian sausage! Easy, but time consuming, but you did ask what the last thing I cooked was, and that was it!
My favorite easy, kid-friendly dinner is breakfast: Homemade pancakes topped with cinnamon syrup and served with eggs and fresh fruit. All very easy! The cinnamon syrup in particular is wonderful and so easy to make. The only trick is to not boil it too long, or it will get kind of gloppy. Still tastes good, but has to be spread rather than poured. Not boiled long enough, and it doesn’t thicken. I usually leave the flour out.
Happy cooking!