| Sauce Makin’ |

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot under medium-low heat until the oil runs from side to side (as opposed to rolling sluggishly) when you tilt the pot.
2. While the oil is heating, dice your onions, and mince your garlic.
3. Add diced onions and stir until translucent and slightly golden around the edges.
4. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (i.e. 10-15 seconds, MAX).
5. Add ground beef and cook until just barely pink.
6. While the beef is cooking, chop your basil, open your jars of sauce and tins of tomatoes. Chop each tomato into 4 or 6 pieces, depending on how chunky you like your sauce.
7. When the beef is cooked, push it to one side, tilt the pot and begin scooping some of the fat out of the pot. I usually toss it into one of the tomato cans (after tossing the juice, of course). I also tend to leave a couple of tbsp of fat in the pot to keep at least some of the depth of flavour.
8. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, basil, fennel seeds, oregano, bay leaves, and balsamic vinegar.
9. Allow sauce to simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes so that the flavours can meld. Stir occasionally.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste.
11. When the sauce has cooled, store what you’re not gonna eat in the next week in jars and freeze ’em!