I had David make spaghetti for dinner because he thought we had everything we needed but this time he was wrong. We didn’t have spaghetti noodles, and we didn’t have Italian sausage just half hamburger meat/ half pork I found at Kroger’s. McCormick’s Spaghetti Seasoning and the Bread but no, Italian seasoning.

Well… David made what he calls spaghetti. Because there wasn’t a spaghetti noodle in sight. Instead, David used bow-tie noodles, hamburger meat and pork, and McCormick’s Spaghetti Seasoning. He served it with Great Value 5 Cheese Bread and stuffed breadsticks.

And let me tell you something. There was enough food to feed an army. Seriously. I thought we were going to be eating this spaghetti for days. Apparently, I underestimated the family. Because by the time lunch was over today… It’s all gone. Poor David thought he was going to get some for lunch and there was nothing left.

One of the funniest parts of dinner was listening to everybody talk about David’s cooking adventure. Charlie says David needs to learn what spaghetti noodles are. Gerald? Gerald just says: “Bring it on.” If it’s food I’m going to eat it. That’s Gerald. He doesn’t care what kind of pasta it is. If David puts food on the table, Gerald is ready.

Then David announced that he is trying to learn how to cook all the pastas. And all I could think was… LORD, help us all. Buttercup. LOL. I’m not sure what pasta adventure David is going to take us on next, but apparently we’re going to find out and that’s okay as long as he is doing the cooking. Because I’ve cooked long enough Buttercup.

But Here’s the Thing… I actually love that David is learning. He doesn’t have to be a professional cook. He doesn’t have to make everything exactly the way someone else would make it. He’s learning. He’s experimenting. He’s figuring out what works. And sometimes that means spaghetti doesn’t have spaghetti noodles.

Sometimes you use bow-tie noodles because that’s what you have. Or its what catches your eye when grocery shopping. Sometimes you put hamburger meat and pork in it. Sometimes you serve it with cheese bread and stuffed breadsticks. And sometimes you make enough to feed an army… only to discover that your army has eaten every bit of it by lunchtime the next day.

I think there is something to be said for family meals that aren’t perfect. We don’t always sit down to some beautifully photographed meal with every ingredient measured perfectly. Sometimes dinner is David standing in the kitchen trying something new. Sometimes Charlie is giving him cooking advice. Sometimes Gerald is just saying, “Bring it on.”

And sometimes I’m standing there wondering what we’re going to be eating next. But we’re together. We’re eating and we’re laughing. And we’re making memories. That’s what matters. Now, I have a question for you. Does Spaghetti need Spaghetti Noodles? Apparently not in our house.

If you have pasta, meat, seasoning, and a willingness to experiment, David says you’re good to go. And honestly? It was pretty good. There may not have been a traditional spaghetti noodle anywhere in that kitchen, but there was a whole lot of food and a whole lot of love.

And judging by the empty containers today… I’d say the family approved. Now, David says he’s going to learn how to cook all the different pastas. So if you don’t hear from me for a while… please pray for us. Because I have a feeling this pasta journey is just getting started. Lord help us all. Buttercup. Let’s hope this adventure stops with David making Lasagna.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates