Texas Spaghetti Sauce

At the Mana Kai Maui Resort

I am an avid lover of to-do lists.  I make them on my phone, on the back of the charge nurse worksheet we use at work, and in notebooks.  I find some weird thrill in checking off the items on said to-do lists, so much so that I have actually added items I have already done to the to-do list, just so that I could check them off as being done.  It's just one of my things.  I also compulsively organize the lists: things to do, emails to send, errands to run, and things to pack on upcoming trips.  Those lists are then, in turn, also compulsively organized.  E-mails to send are organized by importance, errands are organized in the order of my drive from work to home, and things to pack are organized by which bag (carry-on, purse, checked, etc) will hold them.

Andy and me at Erin & Alex's wedding rehearsal at the Grand Wailea Resort

Andy and my trip to Maui in July was no exception.  I started making to-do lists for our trip back in February when we decided we were going to go.  I remember telling Andy, "It's only 147 days away!"  He thought I was crazy.  But a trip of that magnitude needed planning!! Having completed my packing list about two weeks before we were leaving, I thought I was ready to go.  

Sunset at the Mana Kai Maui Resort

The Sunday before we left (we left on a Wednesday), I was "flexed" (cancelled) from work.  Perfect- I needed a day to get organized for Maui!  I packed my entire pack, in the order of my packing list, all that Sunday.  Again, Andy looked at me like I was crazy. 

Erin, Andy, and me after Erin & Alex's wedding at the Grand Wailea Resort

Crazy? Probably.  Organized/anxious/ready/stoked? Absolutely.  After packing my huge pink suitcase to check, my newly acquired (from Andy for my birthday!) camera bag purse, and my carryon, it was time for some pre-Hawaii pampering.  I headed to the nail salon for a mani/pedi.  

Erin, Julia, and me at Mama's Fish House in Maui

"Do you want to upgrade to the coconut oil delux pedicure?" Linda, my nail tech, asked.  Why, yes.  Yes, I did.  Coconut oil on the feet and a Nail Time complimentary margarita in hand, I sat back to relax and daydream of my upcoming trip to paradise. 

Lunch at the Hula Grill

I came home to Andy still not packed (shocker.  I'm pretty sure he didn't finish packing until 3 mins before we left for the airport!), so I figured it was time to get the house all situated with everything in place for our almost-week-long vacay.  Andy's friend, John, brought over some venison a few weeks ago (thanks, John!), so I thought I'd try a new spaghetti sauce recipe.  Spaghetti would be an easy meal to prepare while we were busy packing and organizing, and the venison would give it a unique meaty and hearty twist.  I ended up deciding to call the dish "Texas Spaghetti Sauce" since venison and deer hunting is so very Texas-style.  So off we went- me bugging Andy to start packing, finishing last minute laundry and dishes so we wouldn't come home to a messy house, all with Texas Spaghetti Sauce simmering away- ironically, while we prepared to leave Texas far behind.

Andy and me in the ocean in Maui

Texas Spaghetti Sauce

Kate Strickland

Servings: 2

Texas Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 jar of your favorite meat-free spaghetti sauce (we used light marinara)
• 1/2 lb ground venison
• 1 tbsp tomato paste

1. Brown venison in a pan on the stovetop
2. Put marinara sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop and turn heat on low
3. Add tomato paste and allow it to melt into the sauce
4. Add browned venison to marinara sauce and cover with a lid
5. Heat until heated throughout, stirring occasionally- make sure to stir in the tomato paste so it isn't chunky in the sauce



Texas Spaghetti Sauce

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine