Goal #69: Make homemade pasta

When was the last time you had homemade pasta? For most of us the answer is probably...Never. 

I love making new things, as you can tell by the numerous new recipes I try every week. I like getting the satisfaction of eating something that took longer than 20 minutes to make. A lot of recipes are geared towards Quick and Easy. I guess I'm old fashioned but I like to take my time (kids prevent this usually). Most of the time my priorities are in other areas - Kids, cleaning, etc., and I don't get the chance too often to take all day to make something. 

Yesterday, however, I lucked out. Ryan was in a good mood, Lucas (and Jimmy) were napping. I decided we were going to make PASTA!

My sous chef, Ryan was raring to go on this recipe. He left Cars 2 to help. He's been watching that movie over and over for a week. I'm sick of it. 

So here you go. This is an easy recipe but is pretty labor intensive. It took me about 2 hours to get it all hanged to dry.

Put flour, salt, and basil (I used Italian Seasoning) into a large bowl.

Combine egg, water and oil in a separate bowl and pour into a well made in flour bowl.

Stir until combined and then pour onto a (CLEAN) floured surface. Sprinkle the remaining flour around the dough ball and knead it for 8-10 minutes working the in flour.

Let your toddler knead the dough. This keeps them very busy. We took turns every once in a while so I could make sure the flour was getting worked in. 

After 10 minutes your dough should look like this!

Wrap loosely and let rest for 10 minutes. Ryan didn't understand this part so I had to tell him the dough was taking a nap and I set a timer.

Cut dough into 4 equal parts and roll each piece out to a 12x12 and 1/16" thick square (ideally...I didn't quite get each piece square or 12x12). I found that lightly flouring the granite counter made it easy to roll out. The dough grabbed on to the counter and I thought it was going to stick but it didn't. If you use a pastry cloth it probably would stick. When I turned the dough over it was really hard to roll out because it was able to slide around from the flour. So just let it stick!

Roll up loosely and slice into 1/8" pieces.

.

Unroll each piece gently.

And there you have it. Homemade (herbed) pasta!

You can hang it to dry or place on a wire rack. 

This recipe makes about a pound. We used about 1/2 for dinner last night. Homemade alfredo sauce recipe coming soon!

Homemade Pasta
New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (2002)

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. dried basil, marjoram, or sage, crushed (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. cooking oil or olive oil

In a large bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour, the basil, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a small bowl combine eggs, water, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir to combine.

Sprinkle a clean kneading surface with the remaining 1/3 cup flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. 

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. On lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 12" square, 1/16" thick. Let stand, uncovered for 20 minutes. Cut as desired (1/4" for fettuccine or 1/8" for linguine, 2 1/2" wide for lasagna, or use a pasta machine)

To serve immediately, cook pasta according to chart below.

To store cut pasta,  hang it from a pasta-drying rack or clothes hanger, or spread it on a wire cooling rack. Let pasta dry overnight or until completely dry. Place in an airtight container and chill for up to three days. Or dry the pasta for at least 1 hour; place it in a freezer pack and freeze for up to 8 months. 

Cooking Guidelines

Use 3 quarts of water for ever 4-8 ounces of pasta. Boil water to a vigorous boil. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 T. olive oil (if desired). Add pasta a little at a time so water does not stop boiling. Reduce heat slightly and boil uncovered, stirring occasionally for the specified time. Test often for doneness near the end of the cooking time. Drain in a colander.

Bow Ties, large or tiny    2-3 minutes
Fettuccine                     1 1/2- 2 minutes
Lasagna                          2-3 minutes
Linguine                         1 1/2 - 2 minutes
Ravioli                           7-9 minutes
Tortellini                        7-9 minutes

*If homemade pasta is dried or frozen, allow 1-2 minutes more.

Goal #53: Cook 3 Things from Every Cookbook I Own

Pork Chops Calvados
America's Best Recipes: A 1994 Hometown Collection

6 (1" thick) pork loin chops, trimmed (I used 4)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups finely shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (I used less than 2 cups)
3 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 T. Calvados or other apple flavored brandy (I used plain brandy)
2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Brown pork chops in melted butter in a large ovenproof skillet (cast iron) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with salt and pepper; cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes (I baked them for 20- the author must like dry chops). Combine cheese, mustard, and 3 tablespoons whipping cream; spread mixture evenly over pork chips. Broil 5 1/2" from heat about 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Remove pork chops from skillet to a serving platter, reserving drippings in skillet. Keep warm. 

Add brandy to drippings; cook over high heat, deglazing skillet by scraping particles that cling to bottom . Reduce head to medium-low. Add remaining 1/4 cup plus 1 T whipping cream; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over pork chops; sprinkle with parsley. 

Sesame Broccoli
America's Best Recipes: A 1994 Hometown Collection

1 lb. fresh broccoli
1 T. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. sugar
1 T. white vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
1 T. soy sauce (low sodium)
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. water

Trim off leaves and tough ends of the broccoli stalks. Wash broccoli thoroughly and cut into spears. Cook in a small amount of boiling water 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Place in a serving dish; set aside, and keep warm.

Combine sesame seeds and remaining ingredients to a small saucepan; stir well. Bring to a boil; pour over broccoli. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Mushroom Stuffed Yellow Squash
America's Best Recipes: A 1994 Hometown Collection

4 medium sized yellow squash
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Garnish: sliced radishes

Cook squash in boiling water to cover 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool slightly. Trim off stems. Cut each squash in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4" thick shell. Set squash pulp and shells aside. Keep warm.

Saute mushrooms, onion, garlic in butter in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until tender. remove from heat; stir in reserved squash pulp, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture evenly into squash shells. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes. Garnish. Yield: 4 servings

(I halved this recipe)

Cream Cheese Strawberries
Eat, Bitch & Wine Just Appetizers

1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 T. sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
16 large strawberries, trimmed and cored
Slivered almonds and fresh min leaves for garnish (I used crushed graham crackers)

Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Beat well. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe into strawberries. Garnish. 

These were a hit at the cook out.

Foccacia Bread
Eat, Bitch & Wine Just Appetizers
(Also goes towards Goal# 68. Make bread from scratch 4 times (1/4)  - this recipe was not good. I'm not even going to waste time putting it on here.

Beer Cheese Fondue 
Eat, Bitch & Wine Just Appetizers
1 clove garlic, peeled
1-12 oz. can flat beer
3 T. flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground mustard seed
1 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated
1 loaf French bread, cubed

Rub the garlic clove over the inside of the surface of a fondue pot. Mince garlic and set aside. In a saucepan, stir  the beer and flour and form a paste. Add the remaining ingredients, except cheese. Heat over medium heat. Slowly add the cheese, stirring until cheese has melted. Pour into the fondue pot. Serve with bread cubes.

We also served with steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, brussel sprouts, and smoked sausage. Very good!!

Skewered Chicken and Plums
America's Best Recipes A 1993 Hometown Collection

4 large chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 T. sugar
1 T. peeled, grated gingerroot
2 tsp. cornstarch
4 wooden skewers
6 fresh plums, pitted and halved

Cut chicken into 1/2" strips; place in a large shallow dish. Set aside. Combine water and next 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Pour marinade over chicken; cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. 

Soak wooden skewers in water at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade. Alternate chicken and plum halves on skewers. Grill, uncovered, over medium hot coals (350-400 degrees) 8-10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once, and basting frequently with reserved marinade. Yield: 4 servings

Breakfast Burritos
America's Best Recipes A 1993 Hometown Collection

8 (8") flour tortillas
8 oz. bulk pork sausage
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and shredded (I used frozen hash browns)
1 medium-size green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 large eggs, beaten
2 T butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Taco sauce

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil; place on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until heated. 

Brown sausage in a skillet, stirring until it crumbles; drain and set aside. Add potato, green pepper, and onion to skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add eggs, butter, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are firm, but still moist. Remove from heat; stir in reserved sausage. Work with 1 tortilla at a time, keeping remaining tortillas covered and warm. Place about 3/4 cup egg mixture onto each tortilla. Roll up tightly, and place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with taco sauce. Yield: 8 servings.

Wild Rice Amandine
River Road Recipes published by The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc.

2 cups wild rice or 1 cup wild rice and 1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T chopped onions
2 T chopped chives
1 T chopped shallots
3 T chopped green pepper
4 1/2 cups hot chicken broth, or bouillon
3/4 cup almonds, slivered
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash and drain rice. Saute vegetables in olive oil. When tender, stir in rice until golden color. Stir in chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Add almonds and turn mixture into casserole. Bake covered in 250 degree oven for 1 1/4 hours or until done. Serves 12.

Fudge Pie
River Road Recipes published by The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc.

2 squares bitter chocolate (I substituted 6 T of semisweet chocolate chips)
1 stick butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sifted flour

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler (I used microwave). Mix flour and sugar. Beat eggs and combine with flour and sugar. Add chocolate and butter. Put in well greased 9" pie plate and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Will cut into segments like a pie.

Goal #42: Donate Blood

Yesterday there was supposed to be a blood drive at Panera Bread. I drove all the way up there and didn't see anything going on. The manager told me that it was cancelled but I could still have my cookie. Score. The blood bank was just a mile up the road so I went hoping they were open and taking walk-ins. That makes it sound like Great Clips...

I was able to give blood! Little did I know the excitement was about to unfold. 

About 2 minutes after they were finished I started feeling light headed. They flipped my chair back and told me to keep my eyes open. I've passed out a few times in my life so I knew I was about there. I told them "I'm going, I'm passing out." All the while they kept talking to me, calling my name, trying to wake me. I felt like I was dreaming. My eyes were closed and was waking up.


The room was spinning and I couldn't keep my eyes on a fixed point. 


I could hear one of the workers on the phone talking about me. She had called 911. About a minute later there were 6 or 7 paramedics, EMT's, firemen...I don't know who all it was, standing around me. Taking information. Pricking my finger. Taking my blood pressure. I was embarrassed. 


Apparently I was out for over 30 seconds and my body got really stiff. 


The paramedic asked me if I wanted to go to the hospital. Uh, no! He told me if they had to come back they would take me to the hospital. No do overs.


I was starting to feel ok. Just really tired and queasy. About 30 minutes later another wave of nausea and lightheadedness hit me. Hard. Revert to legs back in the air. Fan blowing on high, cold compresses, the works. I managed to pull through without passing out. Thank you Lord.


My neighbor was nice enough to come get me so I didn't have to wait around forever to see if I could drive. 


What a day.


I'm sorry to all the people out there who need my O- blood. I just can't do it. If one of my kids needs blood or a family member I will do it again in a heartbeat but other than that I'm staying out of the blood banks.

Goal #70: Repurpose 5 items (5/5)

Let's see if I can remember the 5 things I repurposed in the past year and a half. I don't know if I actually blogged about each one or if I just marked it off when I did it. Either way, I've repurposed a few things lately.

Shopping bag storage: I made one of these to store grocery bags neatly in the car for trash, dirty diapers, dirty/wet clothes, etc.

Fabric Flowers: Made out of a tshirt. Used them on a picture above our bed and I'm going to make some barrettes for a few girls.

Pillowcase Dress: Yes, a pillowcase! I've always thought these were cute and I just got around to making one.

Baby Food Jars: As vases or votive holders.

I can't find the first thing  I repurposed but I know I have made yarn out of tshirts. Oh, I made gift packaging for Jimmy out of an oatmeal container and I taped scrapbook paper around it. It was really cute.

Goal #61: Make a pillowcase dress for my niece

I finally got around to doing this one. I found a VERY cute pillowcase from Savers (thrift store)  for $2 and I had some yellow fabric I thought would look adorable with it.


I used the directions off of THIS blog.


I made the bias tape that I used around the armholes. Totally not worth the time and then I ended up not needing very much... I used the same homemade bias tape to make the "ribbon" (spaghetti tubing ironed flat).   I spent all that time making the bias tape and I didn't want to spend even more time cutting another strip that would just get folded in half and sewn. I just unfolded the bias tape and ironed it in half. 

I think it turned out pretty darn cute. I'm debating on adding any more of the yellow. Maybe a wide strip across the bottom? 

I wanted to get this made before she came to visit a few weeks ago so I could get her picture. Yeah, that didn't happen...

P.S. I only used 1 yard of ribbon (bias tape made into ribbon).

Goal #67: Read the 50 books on "the list" to Ryan.

I found this site through Pinterest. Surprise, surprise. It's 50 books you should read to your child before Kindergarten. There are a lot of classics and some newer books. Some I'm not sure why they were even on there...

1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
2. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel or Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott 
3. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer 
4. The Berenstain Bears series by Stan and Jan Berenstain
5. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
6. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
7. A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
8. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault 
9. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
10. Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell 
11. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judy Barrett
12. Curious George by H.A. Rey
13. Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff
14. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! By Mo Willems
15. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
16. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel 
17. Froggy Gets Dressed or Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London 
18. George and Martha by James Marshall 
19. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss 
20. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
21. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion 
22. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? By Jane Yolen 
23. I Stink! By Kate McMullen
24. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura J. Numeroff
25. Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber 
26. Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
27. Leo, the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus 
28. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber
29. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
30. The Magic School Bus Series by Joanna Cole 
31. Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh 
32. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
33. Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
34. Miss Nelson is Missing! By Harry Allard and James Marshall 
35. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
36. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett 
37. Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat 
38. Owen by Kevin Henkes
39. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
40. Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig
41. Pierre: A Cautionary Tale by Maurice Sendak
42. Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault
43. Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky
44. Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
45. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
46. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
47. Tough Boris by Mem Fox
48. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf, by John Scieszka
49. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
50. Yoko by Rosemary Wells

The hardest part was finding all these books at the library! Some of Ryan's favorites were Pete's a Pizza (he still asks me to make him into a pizza), Clifford, and of course, Curious George. 

Goal#53: Cook 3 things from every cookbook I own

I have a cookbook called "Best of the Best from Mississippi" that was compiled in 1987.


The three recipes I made out of this book are as follows.


Stuffed Cornish Hens


8 Cornish hens
1 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
8 bacon strips


Cook and drain rice. Sauté onion in butter. Mix with rice, almonds, salt and herbs. Salt and pepper hens an stuff with rice mixture. Put stop of bacon over hens. Bake, uncovered, for 1.5 to 2 hours at 325 basting occasionally with drippings.


These were moist and flavorful. I reduced the recipe to only make 2 and omitted the bacon.


Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy


2 (1" thick) loin pork chops
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
6-8 mushrooms, chopped 1 cup milk
juice of 1/2 lemon


Remove excess fat from edge of chops. Combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper; dredge chops in mixture. Set aside remaining flour mixture. Brown chops in oil and remove to shallow casserole dish. Add onion. green pepper, and mushrooms to skillet; saute until soft. Add reserved flour mixture; cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Blend in milk and cook until thickened. stirring constantly. Stir in lemon juice. Pour sauce over chops; cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Yield: 2 servings. (Bell's Best 2)


This was easy and tasty. Reminded me of home. I served it over rice.


Zucchini Bread


1 cup cooking oil
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar (1 cup granulated, 1 cup brown)
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans


Mix just first 4 ingredients. Add dry ingredients to flour and fold into first mixture. (Do not beat) Add vanilla and pecans. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until done. (Top Rankin Recipes)


I've had better, more healthy zucchini bread. This was ok. I didn't use pecans.


From "Southern Living 2011 Annual Recipes"


Chicken-and-Tortellini Salad
Springtime Pasta with Bacon
Grilled Sweet Potato-Poblano Salad (I am making this one this week)




From "America's Best Recipes"


Grilled Tuna with Pineapple Salsa


1/2 medium size fresh pineapple
1 small sweet red pepper, diced
3 green onions, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1 (1/2-inch) piece gingerroot, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt


4 (5-6 oz) tuna steaks (3/4" thick)
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3 green onions, minced
1 (1") piece gingerroot, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro


Peel and core pineapple; dice, reserve juice. Combine pineapple, juice, and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Cover salsa mixture, and let stand at room temperature at least one hour.


Place steaks in ziplock bag. Combine vinegar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Pour marinade mixture over steaks. Seal bag securely; place in a bowl. Marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, turning occasionally.


Remove steaks from marinade, discard marinade. Grill (400-500 degrees) for 3-4 minutes per side until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove to serving platter. Mix cilantro into salsa. Top steaks with salsa and garnish with fresh cilantro. Yield: 4 servings. (Claire Furman - Cooking Up a Storm, L.Z. Aerobics class, Lawrenceville, Georgia)


Delicious and pretty dish!