Pasta

I recently bought a pasta maker, I have wanted one for years but other things like the convience of storebought etc stopped me.

I have make pasta but I would roll it out and cut it all by hand, it was good but then it took forever!
So I just decided that since we want to go back to a more basic life and that I like knowing what I put into my families bodies then I will just get one.

I bought one from a kitchen supply store in the outlet mall when I was making a Sams club trip and I am quite happy with it. I would love the one for my Kitchen Aid but not for $150, at least not right now.

I found a recipe in a Bon Appetite magazine we bought at the library, aren't those 10 cent magazines great? It is the same basic recipe I used years ago but this time they used a food processor to mix it up and I love this. The mess isn't there and it takes not time at all. It works batter than my Kitchen Aid at mixing.

2 cups flour

a pinch of salt

2 eggs

6 tablespoons warm water

That's all no MSG, no preservatives, no things you can't pronouce, you gotta love the simplicity of this recipe.

I put the flour and salt in the processor and turn it on for a pulse or two to mix it up. Then I put the two eggs and 3 tablespoons of water in. Put the lid on and turn on the processor for a few seconds to mix it up real well, then I start adding a tablespoon at a time of water thru the hopper on the top while its on. Till I have the consistancy I want sometimes I only need to add 2 more making the total of tablespoons 5 sometimes I need to add the remaining 3 making the total 6.

And that is it. I dug the dough out on a floured counter and knead it together. The recipe calls to let it set for 45 minutes but I don't. I pulled on little balls and then start running them thru the pasta maker and making wide noodles or thin noodles. I didn't get any pictures of using my machine unfortunately but you can go here  for an idea of how it works.

Here is the double batch of pasta before put it in the pot to cook.

And here is the final product well at least some of it the kids were eating some as I took this picture. Yguy made a double batch last week. I did the mixing in the processor and he did the rolling. He did the wider noodles.

I hae started doing a double batch so that Yguy can have all he wants since he LOVES pasta. This stuff is so much better than storebought. You need to plan ahead since it does take time to roll etc. But the end product is very worth the effort.

Growing and update

The chicks are growing very fast! This breed grows very fast and so they eat alot and are always hungry. Of course they don't stay small and cute and it seems their feathers can't keep up with the growth spurts either.

The Irish potatoes have been growing in leaps and bounds this week with such nice weather.

This this is the end of March and our little goal in the Real Food Challenge as we have read the pros do it has been not to eat out. Its a very small step but for us at this time it works.

For March we went out to eat once, hubby and I for our anniversary. And 3 other times we grabbed something, so a total of 4 times. Which is pretty good for us when we are on the go. I hope to have a big zero on this for April with our lives slowing some after my calling release. :0))))

I think I will carry over this goal for April. I try not to buy processed foods and make everything from scratch. Eating local is hard for some reason since the items at veggie stands are shipped in, go figure, and the local foods farmers market is 50 miles away so 100 miles round trip an all day adventure that isn't a  local thing for us.

We have found a dairy farm 5 minutes from the house that sell milk and milk products. It isn't raw since it has to be pasturized apparently to sell it off farm but it is fresh and that is much closer than the store. I am going to stop by and get some on errand day.

The chickens and potatoes are a step closer to that local eating and we are eating something we raised and we know what it was grown with or fed with. I'd say that is definately real food.

A challenging month for sure!

Well, two challenages in one month! What was I thinking? ;) I was already planning on growing some wax beans I bought from Baker Creek Seeds and saving seeds from them, so I thought since I already plan on doing this then I will jump right in. Both of the links for these are on the sidebar.

We already save seeds from some of our flowers which are pretty easy. You can't go wrong with zinnias and marigolds. But I have been wanting to step it up a notch so I bought 2 packs of beans and one I will be using for canning and eating and the other will be for growing and saving the seeds. I know overkill, we like these beans though so I wanted to make sure I had enough. :0) Plus you never know...I always plan way ahead and over plan and it works for me.

I have Red Fig, Yellow Pear, a pink variety tomato, and eggplant seed started. I used toilet paper rolls for the "pots" reusing items I already have on hand. I have been doing that alot this winter. I will post about that later.

  I cut the rolls in half and reused, see there is that word again, the drawers from those plastic cabinets on wheels you can use for dressers etc. They are really cheaply made since they don't hold up very long. I have been using them in the barn for storage in the hay loft but wanted to toss them the drawers are great for starting seeds in and I am not adding to a landfill or spending money on trays. I hope to put alot more effort into our growing of food and preserving of food this year. Upick farms for fruit are hard to come by around here I have found blueberry, blueberry, and blueberry. I am wondering if I should go into the upick farming business for something besides blueberries.

The real food challenge, for this month I want to cut out all foods from fast food, walmart, and Sams. It is so easy to grab a piece of pizza while we shop at Sam's or stop by a fast food joint's dollar menu on youth night or while we are out taking our kids to yet another activity. So I am going to set this goal this month (my family doesn't know) of no out to eat.

I will discuss this with hubby tonight and keep the kids out of it. What they don't know doesn't hurt them, right?

Next  month will be harder...I promise like no soda pops... of any kind...whatsoever! Would homemade root beer be included in this..?