There’s a lot of history behind the Circle B Ranch name - a lot of ingredients, a lot of meals, and a lot of family stories. We know our customers love hearing the behind-the-scenes of how our products came to be, so read on about the back story behind our famous meatballs and tomato sauce!
Marina: “The kitchen has always been the soul of my home, no matter what age I was or what house we were in. Growing up in a large Italian family that always gathered there, many times my Mom, Aunt Wanda, and Nana had to kick us all out of the kitchen if they wanted to accomplish anything. Somehow I always ended up sneaking back in to watch them and learn. Watching those three women work their magic and transform simple ingredients into delicious, family-centered, healthy meals was when I fell in love with food, and understood how it can bring a family together.
When John and I got married and started our own family, I took those invaluable lessons I learned from my Mom, Aunt, and Nana, and used them in my own kitchen. On Sundays I started to make my own tomato sauce and meatballs, using the recipes passed down from Nana Rina to me. Over the years I took these recipes, added my own touches, and made them my own. I was working my own version of the kitchen magic I had learned, to hone and refine these family recipes - first adding new ingredients, then taking other ingredients away. My husband and my children became my taste testers; their critiques I took to heart, and then to my kitchen to make already delicious recipes into amazing ones. After many years of this give and take, the final product is what we now know as Marina’s Italian Style Tomato Sauce and Marina’s Italian Style Meatballs!
For years my daughter and son were involved in sports that took them all around the country, and then the world. My husband and I always seemed to be going in two separate directions with the kids, but we always made time for our family dinner, even if it was brief at the end of a busy day. Meatballs and homemade tomato sauce became a staple in our home. Because the meatballs and sauce are made with fresh, minimal ingredients, our daughter and son were able to get the nutrition they needed and the flavors they wanted, without my spending hours in the kitchen away from them. This is our version of “fast food” - a fast and easy-to-prepare, yet healthy family meal!”
Every family has their traditions, and ours has become so intertwined with food that we made a business out of it! We can’t thank our customers enough that continue to support us and our family. The products we sell aren’t just meals - they’re family stories passed down from generation to generation!