30 Days • 1000 Calories: Ravioli with "Daddy's Sketti Sauce"

Most mornings, time dictates that I eat a piece of toast while running out the door. Weekends, on the other hand, allow for something a bit more pleasing:

This is what the British refer to as Egg in a Basket, or Eggy in the Basket if your prefer. My girls love anything heartshaped, so I made the toast cutout from a heart cookie cutter. Place the bread in a skillet with a bit of butter, then crack the egg into the cutout. The egg does tend to try to coat the other side, but you end up with one side that's all nice and pretty. All in all, breakfast at under 300 calories. Added bonus: because the egg binds to the bread, it makes flipping the egg easy and therefore lends itself well to children helpers in the kitchen.

Had an apple and some orange juice for lunch.

Indulged a bit for dinner in order to use some frozen ravioli we bought some months ago. Though not technically allowable by my diet (I would need to have made that from scratch), it was purchased before my diet started so I call it a gray area, lol. Added to it my homemade marinara. Recipe follows.

1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large cans (15 oz-ish) diced tomatoes
2 large cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Basil
2 tablespoons Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar

Caramelize the onion and garlic, simmering on medium-low. The longer you cook these, the sweeter the marinara. Once you're satisfied (the onions should at least be translucent), add spices until aromatic. I haven't actually ever measured my spices before, so those measurements are a conservative best guess. I'm usually pretty liberal with the black pepper, btw. And don't be afraid of the cayenne. It's an amazing addition. Once your kitchen is wafting with the smell of basil and oregano, add the cans of tomatoes. Bring to a boil then drop to a simmer. While simmering, add the brown sugar, if you wish. If you've simmered the onions and garlic enough, you won't need the brown sugar. Simmer for as long as you can. The longer it simmers, the thicker and sweeter it gets. It can be rushed, it just won't be as dynamic. Goes great on anything from spaghetti, to pizza, to lasagna, and even the tomato sauce for shepherd's pie. It also stores great in the fridge for about a week or two, and even better in the freezer (months).