I made this mistake once……….about 5 years ago, I made over-sized meatballs with my spaghetti and every since then it has just been what my guys love. I do mean LOVE. So tonight I made it again, and they ate till their bellies poked out, but it does my heart good to see them eat. They go through spells where they have low appetites and eat minimal amounts. This used to worry me, especially when every one kept commenting on how thin they were, but then I realized that kids with natural six packs at their age………probably healthy, and probably blessed to have been allowed to listen to their bodies. When they are growing they eat, and when they aren’t they slack off. It’s easy to track and I know after all these years to not worry to much, but still when they eat good, it makes me smile. What mom doesn’t.

The funny thing about spaghetti is that it is made the same, yet very different depending on where your raised in Louisiana. Growing up spaghetti was made one way….all in one pot. My mom used McCormick spaghetti seasoning packs blended with tomato sauce to make spaghetti, added the browned cooked ground meat, and the cooked noodles all into the same pot. We just dished up the already mixed spaghetti onto our plates and dug in. It wasn’t until 1998 that I saw, witnessed, experienced my first Italian style served spaghetti. I don’t remember whose house I was at but I felt so confused when I saw the sauce in one pot and the noodles in another. I was like what!!!!!!!! Turns out, that’s my favorite way to eat spaghetti, I truly love the noodles and sauce separated. It just makes me happy, happy, happy. Of course that’s pretty much the only way my kids have ever eaten it, so I assume one day they will end up eating some where and the spaghetti will be in one pot, noodles and all, and they too will feel at odds over this new way to have an old favorite dish that most people adore.

Now I for one cheat when ever possible. I mean it is not easy being a wife (making sure my hubby gets enough of my attention), a mother (making sure my kids get plenty of hugs and kisses), and running my own business (making sure my clients are happy, the website is upto date, the blog is done, the emails answered, the calls returned, and so on.) So when I cook this yummy dish, I use Hunts spagetti sauce that is already seasoned in the can. You know the ones, large can with garlic & mushroom, traditional, green onions, and other wonderful flavors. Of course if you know me, then you know out of the can is never quite good enough, so I add fire roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and some mild rotel to the already seasoned sauce, then I season just a little more with minced garlic, onion powder, Zatarain’s and black pepper. Yummo. For real. Throw in the over sized meatballs and let those flavors marry over simmer and it’s almost perfection…….I say almost because some good old homemade true blue tomato sauce made from real fresh tomatoes would taste way better.