Tonight is spaghetti night....again

I have blogged before about how I love food.  Italian food is so comforting, soulful, rustic, and delicious.  The fresh pasta with just the right amount of a garlicky marinara, that little bite from some basil, and the salty Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of it all.  Sometimes there are meatballs, chunks of sausage, and sweet stewed tomatoes in the sauce.  Garlic bread, salad, bruschetta, wine.....but I'm not going that far.  I do not want to disrespect the Italians ("You talkin' to me?"), and I have done the, "all-day," sauce simmering and homemade meatballs.  However, most of the time in my house, "spaghetti night," is browned ground beef, a jar of prepared sauce, and a box of dried vermicelli.  One of my daughters does not like marinara sauce, so she eats her pasta with just butter.  I can literally make this entire meal, with side salads, in 20 minutes.  The best part of spaghetti night?  Everyone loves it. My kids will cheer.  My husband will say it is delicious.  Even the dog has fun as strands of pasta are lowered into his big doggy mouth.

It's not what I cook, how long it takes to prepare it, or even if it comes out of Chinese take-home containers, my family eats dinner together every evening.  We set the table, place the silverware by each plate, pass out the napkins, and make sure all the needed condiments are within reach.  The food is served and drinks are poured.  Then, we hold hands, take a deep breath, and pray.  I learned this routine from my parents.  We all sat down, prayed, and ate dinner together.  We usually laughed and talked about our days.  Sometimes we argued and dad would call a, "family meeting."  I thought all families did it this way.  I thought everyone sat down and enjoyed a meal with their parents and siblings.  I knew this was an important thing to continue when I had my children.  It is usually the one time of day that we are all focused on one thing...not the food, but each other.  I know that as the years go by the girls will get older.  The older your children get, they also get involved with more activities and part-time jobs that will occasionally leave an empty chair at the table.  Eventually, college and lives of their own will have me setting less plates on the table on a nightly basis.  The best you can hope for is that always know they can come home and have a place to sit.

So, tonight is Spaghetti Night at the Tucker home.  If you find yourself in the neighborhood, come on in.  We will make sure you have a good meal and a great time.  If you want fancy service, a bottle of Chianti, and tiramisu for desert, I can give you directions to Vito's.