Spaghetti & Meatballs: ain't no better than these

Y'all, no lie. You cannot make or find better meatballs and sauce than these. This recipe takes hours. HOURS! You will roll and cook meatballs until you think you cannot go on. You will be covered in tomatoey splatters, your stovetop will be speckled with oil. Your floor will need a thorough mopping and your hair a thorough wash.

But when you close your teeth around your first forkful of spaghetti twirled around a chunk of unbelievably light meatball, every sweaty memory will melt away into a blissful, amnesiac blur. Rather like holding your baby for the first time and remembering nothing but perfection after just swearing you were breaking in half and to death during labor.

I know. I screamed both of those things. And then I held Jack. And Ol. And then I ate these meatballs. On different days. And all was right in the world.

In addition to tonight's vat o' dinner, I now have leftovers and enormous stores in the freezer. This will all make me happy in the near and distant future. 

Whilst supping, I told Tom how marvelous I find it that any recipe I didn't create but make often ultimately becomes my own. Or you, yours. I've made this dish countless times in the years since I found it in Gourmet during a train ride to NYC.

Ol approves

And now, the ratio of beef to pork, no veal thank you, is my own preference of 2:1. The quantity of tomatoes is less than originally called for, and I find parsley to be optional while lemon zest is mission critical. I use less milk when soaking my bread, and I dice my onions fine, fine, fine. I don't wait to add my garlic.

Like Nanny's spaghetti and roast when I was growing up, these spaghetti and meatballs will be the regular Sunday, comfort-food meal I serve to my family as we grow. As it became mine, it will become ours.

PS- How stunning was this BLT, our dinner on Friday night?!

The Three Toileteers

One day left of break, and I dare say it's ending just in time. T, the boys and I decided that never again will we stay local; if we have to walk, we will migrate south! It was 27 degrees at one point today, Jack and I have bad colds, I sound like a man, and Jack and Ol are very nearly an enmeshed, old married couple.

They love and fight, snuggle and bicker. They refuse to break up, even momentarily. During the highs, they have conversations like:

"Can I marry Jack?"

"No, he's your brother and that's too closely related."

"Can I live with him and not marry anyone?"

"Sure, if that's what y'all decide."

"Jack, we're not having kids."

"I know. No kids. They're too much work."

Oliver did once say that he wanted to be a stay-at-home dad with no kids. Essentially, he wants a sugar daddy. Terrific. We are raising ambitious titans! At least he is consistently on-message.

During the lows, each blames the other for everything, including the weather.

"You are the meanest brother/bwutha ever."

And then hugs and kisses and WWF-type wrestling and displays of bare butts and putting each other's (clean, thank god) underwear over their heads and faces like Hanna Andersson-designed balaclavas. Watch out, Pussy Riot!

An easily roped-in friend (love this kid)

Our Magna-Tile collection has been repeatedly used to build castles, the floating lands of Pandora (we watched the family-friendly version of Avatar over break, and the kids loved it!) and a shocking array of highly-detailed coffins. Because I don't care to worry about the utter morbidity of this architectural foray, I have decided to simply applaud the incredibly creative designs of their funerary boxes which include hinged doors protecting the bodies and aerodynamic exterior shells should they need to be launched into space.

I mean, maybe these two should just ride off into the forever-roommate sunset together. It could be worse! I am so happy they are the best of pals.

I have been named the third Toileteer, gifted with a Triple-T cape just like the one Jack designed for both him and Ol. Apparently we are super-heroes, and my power is laser pee. Jack's is morning poo (he can build a wall to protect us) and Ol's is toxic farting (his gas can repel). 

It's great I've been included?

Ol received the coolest bat wings for his birthday and has perfected his sleeping bat pose. I find this enormously adorable.

Today we saw Cinderella (the boys and I plus Underwear-head and his sib/mom) which the kids all thought was "OK. Not as good or funny as the original." but which I loved. Seriously, I cried. Fucking fairy tales. 

I took my man-voice to the gym and really threw my trainer for a loop before returning home to make ninja shortbread cookies with the munchkins. House of Cards seems wildly appealing now- all dark salaciousness that also happens to be very real.

Three hours of spring & a hell of a meal

Y'all! I wore shorts OUTSIDE for three hours today. It was bliss, despite the glare from my fish-belly-white legs. I raked, trimmed, did some mulching and uncovered a toad. Maybe he was finishing up his under-leaf winter sleep. 

Jack thought he was awesome. Oliver asked to hold him and though he at first responded, "Ugh, he's mushy on my hand!" came around and cottoned to the little guy too. Jack stroked him gently and he croaked several times before we carefully placed him back under a quilt of wet, decomposing leaves. 

Nearly struck dumb by the beauty of sunlight glowing through a crocus's lavender petals, I told the boys to grab drawing pads and colored pencils and try their hands at memorializing the scene. I put towels down so the damp ground wouldn't soak their bums, and draw they did. I  took art for years as a child and am so happy that my boys love it too.

My cute bugs

Jack's and Oliver's crocus drawings

A dear sitter came, and I cleaned the room of my own (AROMO). It felt so good to work out there for a while, writing uninterrupted in the quiet hum of nature.

And then on to dinner.

This warm salad, my caramelized fennel, leeks and orange, never disappoints. It's such a simple combination of flavors and textures and pairs beautifully with a variety of entrees. 

caramelized fennel, leeks and orange

Tonight, more halibut plus shrimp. T made a quick marinade of red pepper flakes, orange, coriander, olive oil, lemon and salt, and we tossed everything together, pan-roasted it and topped with cilantro. Satisfying.