Noodles over Niagara

Long long ago, in a planet far far away. Chuckie, Mikie, Mommie, and Sandy. Without the color you may not see what we're all sitting in front of; it's the flowered clock at Niagara Falls. See me wearing pedal pushers....that's right Capri's are not a new style; merely an old one given a new name. Niagara Falls was the first vacation I think we took as a family. We were there I think about 4 days or less. I remember Mom with a fold up iron ironing our clothes on the end of the bed in the hotel room. I remember her talking about how much prettier The Canadian side of the falls was. I remember having fun. Not sure how old we are in this photo.

Noodles. I remember making homemade noodles for the first time with Mom. I remember watching her make noodles before I was old enough to help her. She rolled them out with a roller, stretching and stretching the dough. Then she rolled it up like you would a pinwheel, and cut them. Then to uncurl them she'd lift them off the table over and over until she got the whole pile down, spreading them out so they would dry a bit there on the kitchen table. She made beef and noodles over mashed potatoes. Yum.

I make homemade noodles too, though I use a pasta roller. Though a different method, I always think of you Mom. Thanks for the memories!

I've kept the memory alive by teaching my daughter to make pasta, and a few years ago enlisted the help of my nephews's daughter, my grand niece. And so it continues. Mom's legacy.

Previous Memories:
A=Advice, Afghan, Apples
B=Bread, and Bernie
C=Camping, Creativity and Courage
D=Dancing and Delaware Dam
E=Energy and Etiquette
F=Friday
G=Gown (wedding gown), grape pop
H=Hammocks and Holidays
I=Ice Skating and Isaly's
J=JACKS, Mother and Daughter, childhood games
K=Kindess, something we're taught
L=Love Story
M=Memories, One Year ago Today (Making Do and Mohican)

Christmas Pasta

Don't know if there really is such a thing as Christmas Pasta; but that's what I'm calling this. Above you see pretty green spinach pasta on the drying racks. My daughter and I made a ton of pasta. Really both of us worked on it for about 10 hours solid. We were sure tired at the end. This is just 1 of 4 types we made that day. You need frozen spinach, once it's thawed (which takes quite awhile), you squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Keep the liquid though for later. The spinach is your liquid source. Blend in with fork regular flour, whole wheat flour and semolina flour. I usually add about 1/4th cup at a time as it becomes quite difficult to mix. Once you can't mix with the fork any longer, dive in with your hands. Mix and need, over and over and over again. Keep adding flour as you go. Once you feel like you can't add anymore, cover tightly and put in the fridge for awhile. It let's it rest, and you too. Or would if we hadn't been moving right into another batch of something.
You may or may not need to add a little of liquid you squeezed out. Once you remove it from the fridge you'll need to add more flour as you prepare it for the roller in the pasta machine. I have one of those hand cranks ones. I run it through each number several times and usually stop on #4 for the weight of fettucini we like. Your pasta is cut so next you hang it on the rack to dry. I had 3 separate drying racks set up in the kitchen on this day. Whew! I don't totally dry it, but enough that it's not sticky any longer. Then I store in zip lock bags in the freezer. **When you cook fresh pasta you cook it less than boxed store bought.

The meal I've named Christmas Pasta is the homemade spinach fettucini topped with red and yellow peppers, purple onion, and small pieces of ham. The veggies and ham are warmed quickly in the microwave (3-4 minutes) with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with a light Alfredo sauce and fresh ground pepper. Pretty and yummy!

Don't forget a nice bottle of wine and bread. No need really for a salad, got your veggies right with your pasta.