Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Wednesday Fun #9 - Spaghetti Sauce

So, it may be 9 pm, but it's still Wednesday, so here's your belated Wednesday Fun.

(Which, you know, may have been inspired by our quick, easy-easy supper, along with my realization that "Oh gosh! It's Wednesday!"...)

The huge wall of choices is rather overwhelming after having only like 3 varieties from which to pick in Blarney and I want to hear from you all what's good. So...


What kind of canned/jarred spaghetti sauce do you prefer?

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Wednesday Fun #8 - Mmmm...Pie!

Just a quick post due to travelling all day today. Also, sorry it's late; I usually try to get this post and the new poll up in the morning, but 1) we were trying to finishi stuff up and get on the road and 2) while the phone and internet service were supposed to get switched over yesterday, the electric guys who were at the House of 42 Doors to trench in the upgraded power accidentally cut the phone line. So, anyway, I'm posting from Gramma Pet and Grampa Pharoah's place - better late than never. And I'm making it easy on myself - the poll and question basically match:

What sort of pie and/or desserts are you hoping to have for your Thanksgiving feast? Of course, if you are answering this AFTER your yummy meal, let us know what you had.

(And if you've got a really yummy pie or dessert or turkey recipe to share, this would be a great week to do it!)

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Wednesday Fun #7 - Yummy Thanksgiving

Mmmmmm... Turkey Day is only a week and a day away.

Is the bird the star of your show? Are you drooling for stuffing? Does your mother-in-law make an incredible side dish? Is it all about some traditional recipe your family makes every year? Pie, baby, pie?

What dish are you most hungrily anticipating at your Thanksgiving feast?

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Homemade Egg Noodles

Once again, here's a recipe I got from my mom, but I've adapted it a little bit here and there. Fall is just such a "soup" time for me, so I thought I'd share this one. Diplowhat, maybe these will work for you since you can't find your thick, frozen egg noodles out there. Mr. Kluges loves these noodles in homemade chicken noodle soup.

Note: These need to be made at least a day ahead of time to allow for drying time, but can easily be made weeks ahead and kept in the freezer until needed. 1 batch of noodles is usually enough for 2 batches of soup. This are not a recipe to do if you're in a hurry because the rolling out takes a fair amount of time, as does laying out the noodles to dry.

Homemade Egg Noodles

2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1/2 - 1/4 c. water

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, then make a well in the center. Add the 3 yolks and 1 egg to the center and mix - first with spoon, then with hands to thoroughly mix in the egg. It will end up kind of crumbly.

Gradually add the water 1 Tbl. at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. (Once you've made it a few times, you can do a little more at once at the beginning, but too much water will wreck it beyond repair, so be careful.) Add only enough water to form dough into a rough ball.

Turn dough onto a well-floured (or well-floured, cloth-covered) board or table. Knead about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover, let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 2-3 parts and roll out one part at a time until it's paper thin, keeping remaining dough covered. To make it easier to cut into strips, gently fold the rolled-out dough sheet over into thirds. Cut the dough the short way into narrow strips (1/4" or LESS). Shake out the strips and place on a towel or wire rack or floured cutting board to dry. Repeat with remaining dough. Mom says to let them dry about 2 hours; I say 4 hours to overnight.

When dry, break strips into smaller pieces if desired. Store in a baggie in the freezer until needed. No need to thaw before using.

To use: Add to boiling or nearly boiling soup and cook to desired doneness. This past week I made soup in the slow cooker and added them to that about an hour before it was supposed to be done and that worked fine. Mom's recipe says you can cook them in 3 quarts boiling salted water 12-15 minutes, then drain thoroughly if you don't want to cook them in soup, but I've never tried that. If you do, let us know how it goes in the comments, ok?

Note: These noodles swell up a LOT when cooked, so cut them thinner than you think you should at the beginning and they'll probably be nice and thick once cooked. If you have leftover soup, don't be surprised if the noodles soak up even more of the broth and it gets a little more casserole-y and the noodles get even bigger.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Blah blah blah fishcakes

Oops. I accidentally posted here instead of on my blog. I blame the tap Oktoberfest. To make this on-topic, if anyone has a good recipe for walleye fishcakes, post it!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Wednesday Fun #6 - Favorite Soup

Brrr! It's getting cold out. Just the right kind of weather for soup! I made wild rice soup already this week and I think I'll be making chicken soup with homemade noodles very soon! (Because Pumpkin and I made the noodles yesterday and it's one of Mr. Kluges's favorites.)

What's your favorite kind of soup on a chilly fall or winter day?

(That is, if you like soup, 'cuz not everybody does, you know.)