Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Spaghetti, Meatballs & Family


As I sit here, my home is filled with T-H-E MOST delicious aroma! It sends my mind deep into my memory and veils me in sentimentality. The smell is a combination of garlic, onion and tomatoes. It is the unmistakable scent of spaghetti and meatballs!

You have to understand something about the family I come from. Somewhere... somehow... we MUST have pure Italian blood running in us. Don't even let your mind wander to Ragu or Preggo. It's NOT in there, I tell you! No! We're talking about freshly chopped onion and freshly minced garlic sauteed in olive oil. Add crushed and pureed tomatoes and let it simmer for hours! Mmmmmmmm.... my stomach has been growling for hours!

The memories: Growing up, a pot of homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs seemed synonymous with family gathering. It was as if the smell of that sauce simmering on the stove traveled miles around and called everyone home. Dad, Mom, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, Grandma and Grandpa- they all came.

And someone would stop by Columbus Bakery to pick up FRESHLY BAKED italian bread. I have yet to find bread that could even whisper its own name in the presence of such far superior bread. Did we even dare to put margarine on that bread? Oh please! Tell me we didn't because margarine is not worthy of being spread on such bread!

There was talk. There was play- lots of play, for we cousins knew how to play! There was laughter. It was family. And when it was time to eat, --OH MAN!!!-- it was delicious!

I give Grandma Jackie credit for the sauce. I don't know who taught her how to make that powerful sauce. Likely her mother. No matter. Grandma Jackie will always receive credit in my mind. She taught her daughters and daughters-in-law. They taught us girls. And faithful to the tradition and to the memories, I am passing the spoon to my own daughters.

Having added the tomato paste, we now watch, wait and occasionally grab a little taste. Yummy! Of course, we're missing that Columbus Bakery Bread and we're missing the whole family arriving in time to eat. But the memories are still delicious!

I hope my family reads this and I hope you all know how much I love you all!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awwww...."Jod". What wonderful memoriesgrsovudu for you and great to have the sentiments with it. Your Grandma Jackie was a very special woman and we miss her a lot! And how special to be passing on her recipe. Awesome!!!

Amen (I love how P-Dub signs off w/Amen!)
Gram

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah.......and....WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Amen,
Gram and GDude

Anonymous said...

VERY cool post!

Andrea
aka formyboys in SL land