By Cody’s parole supervision officially ended Wednesday March twenty-third, 2022. He had his last check-in with his probation officer Tuesday afternoon. The youthful-offender record-sealing process started Wednesday and the paperwork will clear in sixty days. He is, in the eyes of the state, free of supervision and trusted to keep doing what he is doing without anybody watching.
Mama and I have been quietly counting the days since he came home. Three hundred and twenty-five days clean. Almost a full year. The sentencing started in March 2020 and the parole supervision started June 2021 and the parole supervision ended this week, and the household has gotten through the whole arc without him slipping again. Mr. Garcia has had him on as a full-time painter for a year, and the work is the reason. The meetings are still weekly. The job is still six-AM-to-three-thirty.
I am writing it on the page in pen because the page is what off-parole deserves. Cody is starting to try to get clean for real this time, in the way the state recognizes is the real version: without anybody making him.
The recipe Sunday was herb-buttered baby carrots — the small bright side dish for the small bright family dinner. Aunt Tammy drove down. The five of us at the table. Brayden in the high chair eating a banana.
The recipe is below.
Herb-Buttered Baby Carrots
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby carrots
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional, for a light glaze)
Instructions
- Cook the carrots. Place baby carrots in a medium saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until just fork-tender, about 8–10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Build the herb butter. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once foaming subsides, add the minced garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute until fragrant — watch it closely so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Glaze the carrots. Add the drained carrots to the skillet and toss to coat in the herb butter. If using honey, drizzle it in now. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots are glossy and heated through.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately alongside your main course.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 118 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 195mg