Homemade Noodles

My Grandma has been making homemade noodles as long as I can remember. Her chicken and noodles are one of my favorite dishes she makes, especially on holidays. I always remember on the days she made batches of noodles, sneaking a few to snack on as they were drying. I still do that now.

A few years ago, I asked my Grandma to teach me how to make her noodles. Learning some of my favorite family recipes is something I've been working on achieving.
So this homemade noodle recipe is one that was from my Grandpa's mother, or my Grandma's mother in law.  She said that my Great Grandma had originally made her noodles using only the egg yokes and then she would use the egg whites to make up an angel food cake at the same time as noodle making. She had learned it and tweaked it some for her liking (hence the 4 whole eggs). Once I learned how to make them, I usually make up several batches a few times a year. They are pretty easy to do and since everything is already out and a mess is made, I always make up several, usually 4 or 5, batches at a time, whatever space is available for drying the noodles.

So here is how to make my Grandma's homemade noodles, who gladly said I could share on my blog :)

Homemade Noodles

4 whole eggs - beat until well mixed

add in
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
and a pinch of salt
and beat again

Add
2 cups of flour and mix well
work together with hands.

Roll out on flour board until thin.

Let sit dry for about 2 hours.

You'll want to cut the noodles when they are still somewhat moist that way the noodles do not break while cutting from being completely dry. I suggest cutting each noodle batch into 2 inch strips, then stack some of the strips on top of each other and cut the noodles off for the size of your liking, maybe 3/8" to 1/2". Spread your noodles out on wax paper to continue to dry for another hour or two. I have packaged the noodles completely dry or still slightly moist. Package into freezer bags and place in the freezer.

It is so nice to spend half a day and make up a few batches a few times a year and pretty cost effective too. The noodles are great to take out for your favorite dishes. A few of my favorites are chicken and noodles and beef stroganoff.

Enjoy!

Apple Cream Pie....my most favorite pie

I love pie, especially fruit pies! Today I am sharing my MOST favorite pie of all pies. Flavors of apple and cinnamon with a creamy texture all in one with this Apple Cream Pie. Definitely one of my favorite flavors of Fall.

When I tell people I'm making an apple cream pie, most say they have never heard of it.

This is my Grandma's recipe. It is a recipe that has been passed down and made for several generations and I have always enjoyed it. I remember the day I asked her to teach me the recipe and she was so happy to show me. We got the ingredients and I learned how to make my most favorite pie of all! I even asked her for permission to share the recipe on my blog. It is super easy and DELICIOUS!! Plus I am so happy that I have learned one of my Grandma's recipes (along with a few others).

I especially like this pie during the holidays and in the fall when apples are in season. You can use any variety of apple, although there are specific apples that are better for baking. My favorite apple to use is Cortland or Gala. I prefer more of a tart apple.

So here is the recipe:

Apple Cream Pie
makes 2 pies

Ingredients:
3 lbs of apples
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
Deep Dish pie crust - package of 2
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
Cinnamon

Homemade pie crust rather than premade crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all- purpose flour
1/4 tsp. Clabber Girl Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. butter, cold and cut into chunks
4 oz. cold water

Directions for homemade pie crust:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the chunks of cold butter and mix the butter into the flour using a pastry blender. Continue to do this until the mixture looks like bread crumbs or small pieces of butter. Add the cold water and stir into the mixture so that it all sticks together. Clump the dough all together to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You want the dough chilled and cool, but not hard. This will make it easier to work. Roll out the dough to a circle on a lightly floured surface. Lay the circle of crust dough in your greased pie pan. Then do the directions below to fill your pie crust.

Directions:
-Place your pie crusts on a cookie sheet, one that has a rim (Do this before filling your pie crusts, to prevent spillage once you pour in the cream)
-Peel, core, and slice your apples into thin slices
-Mix 2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar together in bowl

Filling the pie crusts is simply an alternating and layering process.
This is how I do mine.

-Sprinkle flour/sugar mixture on bottom - just enough to cover the bottom
-Layer of apples
-Flour/sugar mixture
-Sprinkle cinnamon - more or less for your taste
-Layer of Apples
-Flour/sugar mixture
-Sprinkle cinnamon
-Layer of Apples
-Flour/sugar mixture
-Sprinkle cinnamon

Once your pie crusts are filled, divide the 1 pint of whipping cream between the two pies, half pint on each. Pour it all around the top of each pie. Be sure to not get too close to the brim of the pie crust. When baking, the cream will rise up and may spill over (hence the cookie sheet underneath for baking).

Place in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Let cool until pie is slightly warm before serving.

PRINT RECIPE HERE

Enjoy!!!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl Baking Powder but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own.

Sometimes you just have to have a weekend to play....

When life gets busy, sometimes you need to reward yourself with some relaxing and fun. Last weekend we did just that. My family on my dad's side had planned to go on a camping trip to a lake a little over an hour away. It's always fun to spend some time on the boat, camp, with family, and cook over the campfire.

Here is Northwest Indiana, we had gotten several inches of rain close to the camping trip. What better time to go for us, as it was basically treading mud while working in the garden. 10 inches of rain in a few days is a lot. We didn't have tons of produce yet, so we decided to line up the CSA deliveries/pick ups and skip the market for that Saturday. The kids went over with my parents Friday, I set out to head over Saturday morning, and my farmer joined in the afternoon after he got off work.

What a fun weekend we had at Bass Lake. A lot of time in the water and on the boat. They have a shallow beach area that extends well into the lake. They kids loved it!

It stormed Saturday evening, but we still managed to get some s'more making done after the rain was over.

Breakfast is my favorite campfire meal to eat. Everyone pitched in and we had a wide array of choices to eat Sunday morning. Does anyone else make their toast over the fire? What about pudgy pies, what are your favorites?

A great weekend away. Sometimes you have to step away for a little R&R. It is always well received! There are a few state parks and campgrounds somewhat nearby and we will be camping hopefully a lot more this summer.

I thought I would share a few photos from our mini camping trip.

Two of our kids, my dad, and myself swimming in the lake