From Anne Finn
Being the wife of a lobsterman is no easy task; being the wife and mother of two lobstermen is even harder.
I won’t dwell on the constant worry of one of them getting a foot caught in a rope, or slipping and falling overboard in the dead of winter. Those worries are a constant, sharp pain that no amount of Tylenol, aspirin, or Allen’s Coffee Brandy can dull. You just have to keep faith that the Lord and their sternmen—or a sternwoman, in Melissa’s case—will keep an eye on them.
I remember back when Jack first went to work as a sternman for Russel. Even after he got his own boat, as long as he lived here, there were times the laundry room smelled just like MacIntyre’s bait shed. I swear, the two of them must have rolled around in it. I went through just as much baking soda and vinegar in the laundry room as I did in the kitchen!
I knew I couldn't control what happened out there on the water, but I wanted them to know I was thinking of them. Even when Melissa started going out with Russel, I wanted her to know that someone cared. That’s why I always filled their lunch boxes in the morning. Sometimes I’d make fresh sandwiches; other times, I’d pack up the leftovers.
One of Russel’s favorites was when I used leftover Swedish meatballs to make sandwiches. He always swore those meatballs tasted better the second day.
I figure it’s about time I shared one of my treasured recipes with you all. As you know, here in Maine, we like to jot our recipes down on cards, handwritten in cursive so you have to have half a brain to read them. My mother always said, “If you can’t read cursive, you have no business in a kitchen.” But since this is one of those modern-day “blogs,” I will translate.
Anne’s Swedish Meatballs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ can water (Yes, use the soup can. No, don’t rinse it out first!)
1 pkg dry onion soup mix (divided)
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
½ cup fine cracker crumbs (I prefer one sleeve of Ritz crackers)
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, half of the onion soup mix, the egg, and the cracker crumbs.
In a saucepan, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, the water, and the remaining half of the onion soup mix to create the sauce.
Form the beef mixture into balls and drop them directly into the sauce.
Cook for 20 minutes (or until the beef is cooked through) and serve hot over rice.
That is all for now; stay tuned for more from the characters of the Red At Night series.
