Cabbage Rolls

B:  *Happy grunting noise*
A:  That good?
B:  Better.
A:  Wow.
B:  The sauce...is soooo good.
A:  The filling is the perfect ratio of meat to rice.
B:  The sauce...makes it soooo good.
B:  Do we just sit around all day complimenting ourselves?

Obviously, I made the sauce and Aki made the filling.

Homemade Tomato Sauce
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 T each of dried thyme & oregano
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 lb fresh tomatoes, diced
1 T sugar
1 cup water

Fry up butter, oil, onion, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and garlic until onions are soft.  Stir in tomatoes and sugar, cook on low heat for 5 min.  Add water and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min. 
I like to leave it chunky, but you can press it through a strainer to make it smooth.  Some call it being lazy, but I like to call it a "rustic style" of sauce. 

Cabbage Rolls (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground sausage
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 cup water
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large head cabbage

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sausage, chopped onion, rice, water, and salt and pepper.
2. Bring a large pot of water a boil. Separate 12 to 15 large cabbage leaves from the head, and place in boiling water. Boil until soft, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from water, and set aside.
3. Into the center of each leaf, place a small amount of the meat mixture. Fold in the sides, and roll up from the bottom.
4. Arrange cabbage rolls in a single layer, top with sauce, & bake 1 hour.