Welcome to another Thursday Night Supper at the old homestead. Nothing makes a house a home like those who dwell under its roof. And there is no one I would rather dwell with than my Hubby.
Some of us are blessed enough to have experienced several loves in a single lifetime. There’s that first real all-consuming love we experience somewhere between High School Graduation and those College-age Years. While our first love will always have a special place in our hearts, only a very few of us are able to sustain that love throughout a lifetime. I think part of the reason our first love tends to fail isn’t because it wasn’t real, but because who we are at eighteen or twenty-one isn’t the same person we face in the mirror once we’re all grown up. A luck few grow together, while most of us grow apart.
If we are really, really lucky once we enter intelectual adulthood we might just find that final, lasting love. The soul mate we were made for. The person God had in mind evey before either was born.
I can remember every detail of meeting Hubby for the very first time. I can close my eyes and see the way he commanded the room, the way the sunlight filtered through the tinted glass of the window behind him. His dark hair slicked back. His crisp white shirt buttoned tight. Those broad shoulders accentuated by his tailor-made gray pin-strip suit. For me it was love at first sight. A love that has only grown stronger through the years.
Like most marriages, we’ve known our share of highs, managed through the struggles of lows and faced everything in between. We’ve also been blessed share a common journey of faith. We’ve supported one another when needed, encouraged and even nudged one another along. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like had we not recognized God’s hand, trusting Him and taken that leap together. It’s more than just a romantic heart at work.
Speaking of romance – one of the most romantic things I can think of for dinner is Spaghetti with Meatballs. It’s a throwback to my childhood notions of love so beautifully portrayed in that Disney Classic The Lady and the Tramp.
Six-Ingredient Meatballs Over Spaghetti
Six Ingredient Meatballs
1 lb Bacon
1 medium White Onion
2 lbs Ground Beef
2 tablespoons dried Oregano
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange bacon slices on the sheet in a single layer. Place in the heated oven to bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp. Reserve bacon drippings in a small bowl. Lay bacon on paper towels to drain.
Finely chop the onions. Break up 1 pound of ground beef in a large bowl. Top with chopped onions, oregano, Italian seasoning and breadcrumbs. Crumble remaining pound of ground beef on top. Set aside.
Dice or crumble bacon into very small pieces; add to beef mixture. Using clean hands, mix beef mixture, making sure all ingredients are evenly distributed. Portion into about 24 meatballs. Roll each piece into a ball.
Divide bacon drippings into two large cast iron skillet. Heat over medium-high heat Add meatballs to the skillets; 12 to each skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side or just until seared.
Transfer skillets to the heated oven. Bake meatballs about 20 minutes or until cooked through. The Meatballs are now ready to use as desired or to freeze for future use.
To freeze: Allow meatballs to cool completely, then place in freezer-safe airtight containers. Freeze until ready to use. These can be heated just as you would meatballs from the grocery freezer section.
Spaghetti
12 oz Spaghetti Pasta
Salt to taste
1 (24 oz) jar Red Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup Red Wine or as needed
1 (16 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Italian Cheese Blend for finish (optional)
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti pasta al-denta, about 11 minutes. Drain pasta well, transfer to a large warm serving platter.
While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks,. Empty the pasta sauce in a pan. Add wine to the empty jar, give it a swirl to gather up any remaining sauce, pour into the pot. Stir in the diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Gently warm the sauce.
If using stack basil leaves and chiffonade for a finishing garnish. Set aside.
Pour the sauce over the pasta, pulling pasta strands through the sauce to coat well. Serve with Italian Cheese on the side to use as desired.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of His servant David.
