Mama's Magic Meatballs

Mama’s Magic Meatballs

You could smell it blocks away. The roasting garlic, sweet basil, oregano and other secret spices. You could hear the low, sizzling of the meatballs gently being rolled in the frying pan. The big pot of homemade sauce simmering slowly for hours would make you salivate in anticipation. We had to go outside and play. “Stay out of Mamma’s way”. She was stirring up magic in her caldron. The kitchen was her sacred temple. And only when you were old enough for the rite of passage, the initiation into womanhood, you would be invited to watch, and to learn, and behold the secret recipe to her infamous meatballs.

The whole neighborhood new it was spaghetti day, on Wednesdays of course, after all that’s what the T.V. commercial said. “Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day.” Wednesday was also Scout night. Dad was a Boy Scout troop master and Mom, with the help of our aunt was the local Girl Scout Leader. So, on Wednesday’s before scouting Mom would cook a giant pot of spaghetti and her fabulous meatballs. Not only did she feed our family of eight kids, but she somehow fed half the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Everyone was always welcome at our house. There was always enough. That was the magic. With her hands she could create abundance. With simple, natural ingredients, a little imagination and a whole lot of love she could turn a pot of spaghetti and a few pounds of ground beef into a feast that fed many.

Over the many years, many mouths and young heart and minds were fed. The Girl Scouts and The Boy Scouts were wonderful, fun educational programs. We had marvelous adventures camping and hiking, learning and earning the little badges. I loved field trips to museums and will never forget the trip to Washing, D.C. The majestic persona of the Lincoln Monument. The whole troop of young girls in our uniforms, sashes displaying our badges of honor and knowledge, climbing all the way up, around to the top of the Washington monument. Exploring the Smithsonian I saw entire skeletons of T-Rex and hundreds of extinct species. You could spend an entire day spellbound in The Gem and Mineral exhibits building, there are Rooms full of precious gems, crowns of jewels and even ‘The Hope Diamond’ .

Each badge we earned was a new life skill we learned. The guidebooks were full of information and challenges. My mother mastered and taught us young girls cooking, sewing, cleaning and how to budget money. There were badges for everything: how to care for infants, basic first aid, swimming, dance, music, art, building a safe campfire, rock climbing, cannoning, horseback riding. Badges for science and technology, for just doing good deeds, for cleaning up trash on the trails and being kind to neighbors. I learned manners, respect for others, respect for myself and respect for all life.

If a boy wanted to take us out to the Saturday night scout dance, he had to come over for spaghetti and meatballs on Wednesday. He had to sit and face my dad and Mom. Of course, my parents knew their parents already it was a close neighborhood, we all went to the same school. The scout dances are some of my favorite memories. Mama taught me how to dance! She could out do anybody dancing the “Twist”. The music of the “60’s and early “70’s had the whole generation inspired to love and peace and brotherhood. Mama taught me that all people are part of the human family and that there is only one planet Earth, which we all must share and care for. She taught me almost everything I know. She taught me how to be a loving mother and a fun grandma. And she taught me how to make her spaghetti and Magic Meatballs. She taught me "The secret ingredient is LOVE! Put love into all you do."