Oma's Kitchen & a Spaghetti Sauce Secret

My Oma was an amazing cook.  She learned her skills as a young adult shortly before World War II when she was trained to help farmers manage their large families and workers. Her own family consisted of her constable father, her step-mother (who was actually her aunt, whom her father married after his first wife died), and their 10 other children, the oldest being at least 8 or 9 years younger than my grandmother.  They lived on the woodsy, rural farm lands of East Prussia.  She married my Opa, a soldier, in 1942, and after fleeing from the Russian army at the end of the War, they settled in the big city of Frankfurt, where my Opa grew up.  

Typical meals for us during my summer stays with my grandparents in Frankfurt were somewhat like this: 

BREAKFAST (Frühstück) -  a Brötchen or hearty rye bread with Nutella (my favorite to this day!) or fruity marmalade and REAL butter or creamy butter cheese and Schinken (a tender ham) or salami  ... maybe a soft boiled egg (always served in an egg cup) ... and tea or coffee.  

source:  http://www.lexibites.com/brotchen/

LUNCH (Mittagsessen) -  egg noodle soup (Eiermuschelsuppe) as a starter, then a "warm" meal like Schnitzel and salad, Frikadellen and friend potatoes and red cabbage.  My Oma's salads of lettuce or cucumbers with homemade oil-and-vinegar dressings and fresh dill were THE BEST!  There were many other delicious things my Oma prepared, and at the end of this post, I will let you in on her secret for spaghetti sauce.  

Dinner (Abendessen OR Abendbrot, literally Evening Bread) - slices of hearty bread again with a variety of cold cuts and cheeses.  My favorite cheeses were the creamy Edamer,  Butterkäse (butter cheese) or a French Camembert.  Sometimes we'd have a warm Bratwurst or Bockwurst with grainy German mustard (Senf).  There were also often little gherkins and other delightful nibblers.    

source:  http://www.murrayscheese.com/site/images/items/12095.0.jpg?resizeid=3&resizeh=600&resizew=600

Germans do traditionally believe in the old saying that one should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.  

Among my favorite lunches, I loved my Oma's spaghetti sauce.  It was made from a boxed sauce mix from the German brand Maggi.  

This is so easy - but so yummy.  One prepared the sauce according to the package directions and then add the "secret" ingredient:  about 1/2 cup heavy cream.  It made a rich, almost pink sauce to pour over the noodles.  One can also add a teaspoon of sugar, some roasted garlic, some caramelized onion, or even meat - but we liked the sauce just plain and creamy.