Sunday sauce! The very thing that sparked my love for cooking, family time, Frank Sinatra, and making way more food than necessary! I think the reason why I love this so much is because it has taught me to have a stronger appreciation for my Italian culture. I LOVE culture. All cultures. I just truly love when someone embraces their culture, even when they are several generations out.

Personally, I am 5th generation. Both sides of my family are Italian, and it was my great great grandparents on both sides who were the ones to come over from Sicily, Italy. To this day I absolutely love hearing stories of my family in Italy, and how they came to America. I am lucky enough to be able to still have my Great Grandfathers (hope I get their good genes haha!) who’s parents came from Italy. There have been many times that I’ve been able to talk with them about stories of their family while we all eat our Sunday sauce. I’ve been able to make meatballs and chicken cutlets with my Great Grandfather with some of the most valuable conversations that I now have close to my heart.

I started making sauce with my dad when I was about 8, and I was basically in charge of shredding the cheese! But now this has become one of our favorite traditions to make sauce together. I have definitely advanced passed shredding cheese, luckily! We even started to make our own pasta! But it wouldn’t be a Sunday sauce day if we didn’t have our Italian music playing! You guys, this is my favorite part!

I have been singing Italian opera since I was little, and it is still one of my favorite things! Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra was my sisters and I’s favorite song when we were in Kindergarten! Let me tell ya guys, if you are making some Italian food, I promise your food will be 10 times better if you play Italian music haha! Which is why, my friends, I am attaching my very own Spotify playlist that I made for Sunday sauce! If you want this link, click HERE!

I added these photos to show you a little window into what Sunday looks like! I hope that it sparks something in you to reach out to your great grandparents or grandparents and try to learn something new about your culture. I also included some photos of my family of where it all started for our family name in America! Thanks for letting me share a little piece of who I am! I hope you all enjoy!