One Tough Mother

As a mom you get lots of advice. TV shows, magazines, cyber-sites, friends, your own mother (and mother-in-law) are all telling you the best way to raise your kids. But all this well-meaning counsel can paralyze you...Enough Already! Unapologetically raucous and refreshingly relevant, Julie Barnhill, (One Tough Mother author and mom to three spawnlings), offers SANE and SENSIBLE conversation to help you STEP UP and be the firm and effective mother you were meant to be.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Kick-Butt Spaghetti Recipe

My thirteen-year old, Patrick, is quite the cook. He eats up (sorry, couldn't resist) Iron Chef and a few months ago when I was checking in from a travel date he told me about a breakfast dish he had prepared for the family. "And the caramelized onions were awesome!"

Say what? Caramelized onions? "Where did you learn to do that?" I asked.

"Watching Bobby Flay," he proudly answered.

So...our goal, this summer as Mom and "only child at home" is to cook together. And Anthony's Pasta Sauce and Meatballs is our first dish. Oh. My. Word. Is it ever tasty! Right now it's simmering on the stove; the aroma wafting through the rooms and making us all drool. The spaghetti's about to drop but I wanted to get this posted so you too can enjoy.

And be sure to check back regularly as Patrick and I will be serving up more dee-lish items as the weeks progress. Now, go cook and prepare to swoon!

1 comment:

Tony's Stuff said...: Hi Julie,

This is Anthony, the creator of http://www.spaghettisauceandmeatballs.com. I am so glad to see you tackling the Sunday sauce with your son. That whole Italian recipe site is a labor of love for me. My efforts to keep my grandmother's cooking and traditions going! Thanks for the link and good words about the site. I will keep adding more recipes as I find the time. Keep on cooking with your son. it's a beautiful thing! I remember spending times with my mom and my grandmother cooking in the kitchen and spending a lot of time at the dinner table sharing laughter and love. Those are very precious memories! I'm not sure when you were last on teh site, but I have been adding more recipes lately. Check it out when you have the time.

http://www.spaghettisauceandmeatballs.com/italian_family_recipes.html; January 30, 2010 at 6:09 AM

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One Tough Mother Q& A

Q: I want to take our 3 children on vacation to a family theme park in July. The problem that I have is that my oldest is a diabetic, so the heat will be a bit of a factor in how we do things, my 4 year old has an anxiety disorder and hates crowds, people, noises etc., and my 2-year old is just like her brother but maybe even a bit worse. I am dreading the airplane ride and getting them back and forth from the park to our hotel. Any advice?

A: Um, why on earth are you embarking on this trip with all these factors at play? As the mother of three (19, 18, 13) and veteran of numerous horrific vacations and a few gems, I would recommend you down-size your trip. The crowds can be crushing and while theme parks such as this market themselves as "family destinations," let me tell you, the lack of attendee empathy for moms and dads with small ones can be nerve-wracking. (Memory circa 2002.)

Pick a smaller park within a short driving distance of home. Maybe a water park friendly to small ones. Hold off on this sure-fire Mother Lode of Vacation Angst for several more years. You'll save money and your sanity. And relax, The Mouse will be there in five years and your children will be able to remember it a lot more too.