2020 Part II: Not more Meatballs!

   Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of Americans have found themselves trying to make ends meet on unemployment and savings (or lack thereof) as workplaces are forced to close and more people search for employment in a diminished job market. We have been no exception and look forward to the months ahead as the vaccine for Covid-19 rolls out and makes the possibility of returning to our normal lives. Or some variation of normal.

As long as that normal doesn't include meatballs, we're all good!

   We've been through prolonged unemployment before, so we knew the drill. Bills still need to be paid, insurance premiums met, school fees covered, groceries to be purchased. Groceries can be a biggie, especially since we have one high schooler and one college kid living with us and they seem to think we should feed them on a regular basis. In order to maintain a healthy balance, we have taken advantage of food drives through my husband's union.

   I'm extremely grateful for the food drives.

But if I look at another meatball, I'm going to hurt someone.

   At first, I took the 4lb packages of meatballs as a challenge. I began to research what you could make with meatballs (besides spaghetti and meatballs which we did have once or twice). Turns out there are a lot of things you can make!

   We had barbecued meatballs, meatball skillet, meatball stir fry, swedish meatballs, meatball lasagna, meatball casserole, German meatballs, Hawaiian meatballs, meatball sandwiches with marinara sauce...

Then there was the meatball taco ring...

And sweet and sour meatballs...

I think you get the idea...

   But, despite numerous meatball dishes, sharing meatballs with other families, and even trading them for other pantry items, there are still more meatballs to be had!

   

   Perhaps I should be researching alternative uses for meatballs. Like meatball billiards, or meatball bingo place holders. I could start my own line of meatball sculptures, or maybe create meatball candles. I wonder if it would be possible to use meatballs as a fuel alternative....

Well, that might be going a little too far. I should probably stick to marketing them as snowman building accessories. Snow sculpture has been a big thing this year. If I buy carrots I could make it a package.