Italian Meat Sauce

1/2 cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (16 ounce) cans tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (3 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon MSG, if desired
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup water

Saute onion in hot oil until almost tender. Add meat and garlic; brown lightly. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until sauce is nice and thick, stirring occasionally.

Remove bay leaf. Serve over hot spaghetti.

Makes 6 servings.

NOTE: Try omitting the ground beef. Brown and cook Italian sausage and meatballs. These are then added to the sauce about the last 30 minutes of cooking until they are well heated through.