RUTH'S NOODLES

"FAMILY MATTERS"

Today I am posting my mother-in-law's noodle recipe.  March 1st was her birthday so it seems proper to honor her this day.  Her name was Ruth and she was a very important mentor to my life.  Among the many things she taught me, was that "family matters" and you have to go the extra mile sometimes to make each of the people in your family feel special.  The scripture also speaks about a woman named Ruth and she too understood the importance of family.  The biblical Ruth had a mother-in-law named Naomi.  Naomi's husband, and all of her sons (Ruth's husband included), had died. Namoi urges her daughter-in-law's to return to their parents homes and remarry. Ruth 1:16-18 says:

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”  When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. (NIV)

My mother-in-law did indeed show us the value she gave to family.  She did this in several ways, but one was food preparation.  If you ask any one of my children or grandchildren what they remember most about Grandma Ruth, it would be her noodles.  It made the 700 mile trip we made more bearable if you knew that at the end of road, grandma's noodles were waiting for you.  What made them so special? Other than the fact that they were the most delicious creamy expression of goodness, it was the secret ingredient she put in them,  LOVE.  

Even before I joined the family 45 years ago, I saw her spoil my husband with his favorite Angel Food Cake. Now this was before box mixes when it took almost a dozen egg whites whipped into submission to attain the high peaks required for the recipe.  And don't get me started on her glazed donuts, which I am sure Krispy Creme stole from her! After we were married she would always have our favorite pies all lined up on the counter.  There would be coconut creme, pecan, chocolate, and of course peach just to name a few. Now that I cook  for all 16 of us for the holidays, I can appreciate her labor of love.  One time when we were visiting her, I asked if she would show me how she made her now famous noodles. I didn't realize how simple it was and I will forever be indebted to her, because recently I heard one of my own grandchildren say, "Grandma the best part of Thanksgiving is your noodles!"  And so the legacy continues.  Just a side note to our biblical story about Ruth from above.   Because of Ruth's value of family, Christ was born out of that lineage!  So like I said before FAMILY MATTERS!

RUTH'S NOODLES

2 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

2 WHOLE EGGS ( after you crack one use half of the egg shell as a measuring cup)

2 EGGSHELLS FULL OF MILK (this might have to be adjusted according to the humidity)

1 TEASPOON SALT

1/4 TEASPOON BUTTER FLAVORING (OPTIONAL)

BUT DON'T FORGET THE LOVE!!

   Place ingredients in a food
processor.  Process until dough pulls away from edge and forms a ball

Roll out with rolling pin until as thin as you like.  Let dry flat on a floured surface for 10-15 minutes. Roll up and cut into thin strips or if you're lucky enough to have a pasta machine or attachment you can cut them right away.   Don't be afraid to use lots of flour.  This adds to  thickening the broth as they cook.

Dry on counter with flour sprinkled on them or hang them up on hangers like I do to air out quicker! Once dry, boil in chicken broth (either homemade or canned) or beef broth that you have cooked a roast in, until tender.  You just have to test them every so often to see when they are done!  It's one of the perks!  The outcome is this yumminess!