Home Made Pizza Sauce (Updated)

We didn't have any pizza sauce, and we had some leftover tomato sauce in the fridge, but no tomato paste.  We enjoyed a recipe from Frank Sweterlitsch on AllRecipes.com, and were able to adapt the recipe to be a lot simpler and still very tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 - 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil (optional, since the Italian Seasoning already has some)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed (optional, since the Italian Seasoning already has some)

Directions

Mix together all ingredients and let stand several hours to let flavors blend (20 minutes worked well enough for us). No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

A modified version of what Dad and Mom made for us.  Thanks for the inspiration, we now have one every day too!

Ingredients

• 2 c. frozen fruit (the blends and Sam's and Costco are perfect)
• 2 c. fruit juice (we prefer prepared orange juice from concentrate, apple is good, or you can use the juice from some opened canned fruit)
• 1 banana (essential to get a smooth consistency and flavor)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Yields: Enough for two adults and two very small kids.

Chocolate Chip Cookies/M&M Cookies

1 1/3 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 brown sugar
1 tbl. vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups chocolate chips
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Cream sugars and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Sift flour, soda and salt and add half of dry mix to creamed mixture. Blend in remaining dry mix. Add chocolate chips and nuts and distribute well.
Bake at 350 for 11 to 13 minutes.

**This recipe makes the best m&m cookies I have ever made!Use two bags of m&ms in place of chocolate chips.