Spaghetti and Meat Balls

This is my all time favorite! I could eat spaghetti 7 days a week and not get tired of it! This particular recipe is a bit time consuming, but it is SO worth it!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 med. onions, chopped
• 2 garlic buds, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 4 whole cloves
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. mace
• 1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

Directions:

Heat butter in a heavy skillet. add garlic, onion and fry until light yellow. Add parsley, celery, green pepper and bay leaf. Cook until tender (about 15 minutes). Add tomato paste, juice and 1 cup hot water. Add cloves, mace and sugar. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring often. Remove cloves and bay leaf. Season ground beef and form into tiny balls. Add to the sauce and cook 1/2 hour. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

By Robin from Washington, IA