The Meatball Magician

I may be a modern thirty something woman living in 2013, but there are some things that bring out my inner 1950's housewife. (Complete with the dress that had a pristine white apron. I'm not sure how they kept them so white after cooking and cleaning all day. The probably washed them 3 times a day from sheer boredom. But I digress.) Sunday dinners are one of those things.

I love Sunday dinner. Granted, I'd probably love them more if I wasn't the one that had to cook them. That wouldn't be very Donna Reed of me though. There's just something about having a nice, family meal to end your week. Sitting down with the people you love and basically saying, "Enjoy it because tomorrow's Monday and we all know that just sucks." Luckily for me, Sunday dinners aren't seasonal. Summers we barbecue and colder weather has all the comfort foods (those are the ones that all the magazines tell you not to eat because they're bad for you).

Now, I like summer Sunday dinners because I can usually coerce the husband to do his manly grilling thing, thus removing half of my cooking duties. But I love the comfort food dinners because, well, who doesn't like comfort? That and they make me feel like a super hero.

If you're wondering how a dinner could possibly turn me from blah, regular old mom into Ta-Da! Super Mom, let me explain. It starts with pasta. Not the better for you whole wheat kind, but the white carb loaded kind. (I can use the excuse that I have growing kids to feed, right?) Add some sauce, some Parmesan cheese and then the finishing touch: the Magic Meatball. I don't know why it's magic, but it is. Every time I make meatballs, my family treats them like they are the finest delicacy they have ever had the pleasure to consume. Not that I don't think it's a good meatball. I just never realized it was that good. I'm not complaining mind you. If there's a meal that my family worships and makes me feel like Queen of the World over, I'd rather it be a fairly simple recipe. Think of how much I could impress them with a meal I spent twice as much time on. They might nominate me for mother and wife of the year. I'd get an award and a spa certificate.  I'd buy a new dress. I'd get my hair done. I'd give a speech. It's about time I get some culinary recognition!

The other magical part of spaghetti and meatballs? If you make a big enough batch the first night, you can disguise it as goulash the second night. It's the dinner jackpot. All the dinner of two meals with half the cooking.

Wow. Those meatballs must be magic.