Y'all, no lie. You cannot make or find better meatballs and sauce than these. This recipe takes hours. HOURS! You will roll and cook meatballs until you think you cannot go on. You will be covered in tomatoey splatters, your stovetop will be speckled with oil. Your floor will need a thorough mopping and your hair a thorough wash.

But when you close your teeth around your first forkful of spaghetti twirled around a chunk of unbelievably light meatball, every sweaty memory will melt away into a blissful, amnesiac blur. Rather like holding your baby for the first time and remembering nothing but perfection after just swearing you were breaking in half and to death during labor.

I know. I screamed both of those things. And then I held Jack. And Ol. And then I ate these meatballs. On different days. And all was right in the world.

In addition to tonight's vat o' dinner, I now have leftovers and enormous stores in the freezer. This will all make me happy in the near and distant future.

Whilst supping, I told Tom how marvelous I find it that any recipe I didn't create but make often ultimately becomes my own. Or you, yours. I've made this dish countless times in the years since I found it in Gourmet during a train ride to NYC.

And now, the ratio of beef to pork, no veal thank you, is my own preference of 2:1. The quantity of tomatoes is less than originally called for, and I find parsley to be optional while lemon zest is mission critical. I use less milk when soaking my bread, and I dice my onions fine, fine, fine. I don't wait to add my garlic.

Like Nanny's spaghetti and roast when I was growing up, these spaghetti and meatballs will be the regular Sunday, comfort-food meal I serve to my family as we grow. As it became mine, it will become ours.

PS- How stunning was this BLT, our dinner on Friday night?!

Today's One Day Deal at participating Whole Foods is: Kerrygold Kilaree Cheddar: "St. Patrick's Day approved! Rich and creamy and full of flavor. Hand-selected and aged 15 months exclusively for Whole Foods Market."

Reg. $10.99/lb, today: $5.99/lb

And, for DC-area folks looking to springify their yards, American Plant is offering pansy market baskets (8 plants per) for $11.24, a 25% savings. ~~~~ My baby is almost four. Yep, Ol, my dearest shamrock, turns four this Sunday. Hard to believe in some ways as I so clearly remember the day he was born. He came two weeks early (best gift ever), and on that Tuesday morning, Jack and I were snuggled on the couch reading. Well, as best you can snuggle with a 38-week pregnant woman. Anyway, my water broke surprising us both, and I remember Jack asking, "Mommy, did you just tee-tee?" Hah. I'd had a funny feeling all morning: had emailed two friends to ask if they'd keep their phones handy; and had told Tom, who had a meeting about 45 minutes away, to keep his phone on and answerable. In fact, I'd been nesting like a loon for the four days prior as well. I detest ironing, told Tom when we married that I didn't do it and didn't intend to. Yet, over the weekend before Oliver was born, I felt compelled to iron our guest room duvet cover. You couldn't have stopped me from doing so if you'd tried.

Anyway, my little guy came along that afternoon, and I've been wildly in love with him ever since, as has been my experience with Jack. Boys are exhausting, but man do they love their mothers. I think they'd reattach, umbilically, if they could. It's a little intense at times but you never doubt your connection, at least I don't. So, as T and I hosted a little celebration after Shabbat today at O's school, and I finish up Wonder Woman piñata party favors and get ready to make a Wonder Woman cake and Hello, Kitty! cupcakes (they are Ol's crushes) for Sunday, I'm feeling terribly thankful that I have such a happy reason to do so. ~~~~

As a complete aside, if y'all have not made the perfect spaghetti and meatballs recipe I have posted in the Entrees section, you really must. Each and every time I eat them, I am struck anew with just how ludicrously good they are. Thawed some for dinner last night and was real glad.