Meatballs

We were treated to dinner at our friend Grace’s house the other night and while we were there we had a brief exchange that pointed out some of my granola tendencies…but moreover pointed out that we tend to do things as we have always done things…and that our parents teach us an amazing number of things without even trying.

We were talking about what our kids (ages 10 months for Pumpkin and 20 months for her son) have been eating.  I told Grace that Pumpkin-head had pasta and meatballs recently.  Grace says, with a smile, “I bet you made the meatballs.”  I say, quizzically, “You can buy meatballs?”  Before you become quizzical, understand I have strong Italian roots.  I am 3^rd generation.  I knew how to make meatballs before I knew how to type, drive, or put on mascara.  We’re talking over 20 years of meatball making here.

Taking the granola perspective I like making as much from scratch as possible.  In most cases we avoid preservatives, excess sodium, added fat, artificial ingredients, chemicals and the degradation of nutrients that food experiences during processing.   We are trying to reduce the amount of processed food we eat in any form and make most things from scratch.  I say “most things” because despite all my best intentions I will not likely make our bread, tortilla chips, apple sauce or other staples that are processed from few ingredients (Michael Pollan suggests 5 ingredients or less – seems reasonable to me!).

But I have to be honest, this wasn’t a granola choice.  It really wasn’t a choice at all.  I mean, meatballs?  I never gave it a thought – I was just doing what I had always done and known.  I made them.  I had honestly never thought to look for them in the store.  But this is actually a healthier way (thanks Ma!).

This simple exchange and the gentle ribbing Grace and I gave each other for making/buying meatballs really spoke to me.  On the surface it was a fairly insignificant exchange but what it said to me was: what we do is what Pumpkin will do.  What we teach Pumpkin – intentionally or unintentionally – is what he will know and do and assume to be The Way.  He will do things by rote – from recycling and reusing to making meatballs and his bed – that never hit the conscious level.  Muscle memory will kick in before he makes simple decisions – it is hard to change behavior, just ask doctors, parents, bosses…

This is a lot of pressure.  At 10 months, it is sinking in that I am already being watched.  We have a toy with a mirror in it that Pumpkin plays with in the car.  I looked in my rear view the other day and saw that Pumpkin-head was actually watching me in his mirror.  It was funny but telling.  Like this conversation about meatballs.  Some days I feel defeated – by the oil spill in the Gulf, by artificial colors added to every food aimed at kids, by toxins in our environment – but I try to keep in perspective that Spouse and I are the most important role models for Pumpkin and without ever realizing it he will learn things from us that he will never second guess.  Maybe he will even learn to make meatballs.

Easy Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (or beef and pork as you like)

1 egg

¼ cp Italian style Bread crumbs

¼ cp Pecorino Romano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients with clean hands, form into 2” balls, drop gently into simmering pasta sauce and cook for 30 minutes – Enjoy!