Extra, Extra: Harried Mama Makes Dinner!

As a single mother of two school-aged athletes, I am always on the go. A typical day finds me waking up at 6 am and not stopping until usually 11 or 12 pm. Between classes, homework, mentoring, my sons' school obligations and sports practices and activities, I am rarely home and always tired.

There is, however, a small window of about an hour and a half between the time I get out of class in the afternoon until I shuttle my youngest son to his football practice when I can cook and feed the kids. Some nights, we don't get home from their sports goings-on until after 9 pm. During the first week of school, I'll admit, we ate an embarassing amount of sandwiches. I decided, though, that there's really no reason I can't cook a "real" meal for myself and the boys, even on nights they have practice (Monday through Thursday), and I've begun planning meals on the weekends so this can be possible.

While I've always enjoyed cooking, the years since my divorce have changed the way we share our meals. We still eat together at the table, but now we eat dinner around our busy schedules. We try new things, and the boys help out in the kitchen. I don't sweat it if we end up eating eggs or a sandwich (or an egg sandwich) for dinner, but cooking supper has actually become a nice respite during my busy day.

This evening, I decided to prepare spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, which is one of my boys' favorites. It's a recipe my grandmother, called "Mammaw," created in the late 1950's in an attempt to re-create a meal she had at her favorite restaurant. It's spicy and sweet and oh so good. The sauce only takes about thirty minutes to throw together from start to finish and is even better the second and third day.

I like to listen to music while I work in the kitchen, so sometimes, like tonight, I'll prop my laptop on the counter, open up iTunes, and rock out (or mellow out, or emote, whatever). In case you're wondering, it was a Genius shuffle based on Lissie's "Everywhere I Go," and it was quite mellow. Think Bon Iver and Ingrid Michaelson.

Once the music's going, it's time to get out all the ingredients. I've prepared this meal so many times that I don't even have to think about it anymore; I've written it down so often that I know it by heart. I always spice the meat as it's browning, always put in the dry ingredients first, always the same order, always the same way. Comfortable and familiar, this is my favorite meal to craft. Before I know it, the spaghetti is al dente, the sauce has come together, and it's time to eat.

The boys are called to wash their hands and get their drinks, and we sit together and talk about our days. Some days I may learn about a new girlfriend, others about a particularly hard assignment. Almost always, there's something that's been "forgotten," such as a progress report or a permission slip that needs to be signed, or money needed for tomorrow. This is our time, though, and it is precious.