GRANPA MAKES EGG NOODLES WITH FARM FRESH EGGS

Barb attended a media event with our daughter Sonya. She wrote a blurb on her House of Kerrs website.
House of Kerrs
The event featured Conestoga Farm eggs and baking using these eggs.
Barb came home with a bag of eggs.
Conestoga Farms

Three different containers. 6 on the run and 6 organic eggs.
We used the dozen Free Range eggs.

I don't have the energy I used to have so Barb did the majority of the work while I supervised.

Usually one egg to one cup of flour.

In a bowl or on the counter, make a flour well and put the eggs in the middle. With a fork mix the the eggs and flour. If too dry add another egg. Do you notice how yellow these eggs are?

I helped make some of the balls of dough but Barb did the most.

Taking small portions at a time, the dough is worked through the pasta maker.
Making the flat pieces to be laid out and dried.

When the pieces are dried enough, they are made into spaghetti or fettuccine.

The pasta is put on floured cookie sheets and put in the freezer until time to cook for a meal.

Earlier in the day a ragu ( meat ) sauce was started in the slow cooker. One of my earlier posts has the recipe for this sauce, a favourite from the Lazio region in Italy.
Of course dinner was the fresh pasta and ragu sauce. Barb made some meatballs with the extra ground beef. They are made with some diced garlic, pinch of oregano- which we had dried from our summer garden and some fined bread crumbs and yes another free range egg from Conestoga to bind it all together.

The best part of the whole process is a good spaghetti with ragu sauce meal.
Of course most people know Barb types these posts, I just dictate what I want written. Writing is for Barb! The best part for this Granpa is the eating. Granpa loves to cook but Granpa loves to eat better.
#granpalovestocook#ConestogaFarms#Conestogafarmfresheggs#BarbgoestoaneventwithSonya#HouseofKerrs#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#eggnoodlesmakegoodpasta#granpa'sragusauce#lazioregioninItaly#fromacooktoasouschef#eatingbeatscooking

GRANPA LOVES BANANA MUFFINS

Barb does not do much baking. Why? No one really eats it. But she does make banana muffins. Why? Because I eat them. If the grandchildren come by, they eat them. I actually love them. Barb uses a muffin recipe from a Muffin recipe book she bought about 25 years ago.And the over ripe bananas are used. So less waste. Well I do not care about waste, I just like to eat muffins.
#bananamuffins#granpalovestocook#overripebananas#usingupfoodinthekitchen

PASSATA GRANPA STYLE

Yes I know it is an Italian-Canadian tradition to make the passata for the sauce. Do you know the folks in Italy have stopped this personal tradition and buy from the farmers? My cousins would shake their heads at the work people did here. So Barb and I have watched for sales in the Fall for the Passata the last few years.

So when Food Basics had their sale- 88 cents a jar, Barb bought us 5 cases. We still had one case from last year so with 72 jars we are well stocked. For our sauce we usually add a tin of crushed tomatoes or  whole tomatoes to one jar of passata.
Yes it was a wonderful time when my mother was alive and we would help her do her bottles. However it was not always consistent. One year- runny passata. Another year the tomatoes had too much acid. So with my favourite Aurora brand my passata will be just right. Barb says it is so much work carrying those cases from the car!!
#passata#granpalovestocook#makingpassataathome#buyingpassatafromthestore#passataforsauce#anoldItaliantrandition

GRANPA LOVES PICKLED RED PEPPERS

Red peppers are good in many dishes. I am not fussy about the average pork chop. A cheap meal! So Barb decided to make some jars of pickled peppers.

Using red wine vinegar as the main ingredient to help pickle the pepper. A 1 to 2 ratio with some water. Boil it so it is hot for the process.
The peppers are sliced lengthwise. The peppers are blanched to help with the process. Boil the jars to make them sterile before adding the ingredients.
Garlic cut in pieces is added in the jars.

Two large jars and 3 small jars were enough for our needs.

So the peppers need to pickle for about 6 weeks before they can be used.
Now for the pork chops. Braise in a frying pan with some olive oil and garlic. Add the pickled peppers with the vinegar and simmer until done.
Now that is how to eat a pork chop!! Granpa's style.
#granpalovestocook#redpeppers#pickledpeppers#howtomakepickledpeppers#thatishowtoeataporkchop#blanchetheveggiesfirst#barbmakespickledpepersforgranpa

GRANPA SAYS GOODBYE TO OUR HOUSE GUEST

Having a house guest gives an opportunity to cook nice dinners. Well Barb is cooking the dinners. Had a lamb dinner. Steak barbecue. Pizza night more than once. Barb tries to make everything wonderful for guests. Favourite drinks, Desserts and all the trimmings. I just get to eat and enjoy everything. Besides it is refreshing to have someone else to talk about all my life concerns and listen to the other person. Eating and talking. Talking and eating. What more do we need in life.? Granpa still loves to cook but also eat and talk..
#granpalovestocook#havingahouseguestmakesforgreatmeals#cookingforahouseguestbringsbettermeals.

GRANPA EATS THANKSGIVING DINNER

Barb did the usual Thanksgiving dinner with all the Canadian trimmings- bread stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy. But we do start with lots of appetizers. Everyone loves the prosciutto on bread sticks. She always adds some Italian sausage, mushrooms to please me. Brussel sprouts are loved by everyone. Our daughters love the peas the way I make them with a little oil and onion sauteed then add the peas with some water and let them simmer so the water boils down.Barb always buys a couple of extra turkey legs so no one will fight over the two available ones. She likes to makes everyone happy. I just like to eat.
My girls bring the pies and other goodies. As usual lots of leftovers for several days.I don't like leftovers. But Barb says it is a Canadian tradition to eat Turkey dinner leftovers for several days. I like the Italian tradition to get back to regular eating. Where is my pasta??
#thanksgivingdinner#lotstoeat#turkeyandallthetrimmings#pies#italiansausagetosatisfygranpa#granpalovestocook#granpalovestoeat#lotsofappetizers#toomanyleftovers

GRANPA WELCOMES A HOUSE GUEST

It is good to have another pair of ears to discuss life. Eating and talking are always good combinations. So Barb made a nice lamb dinner with rosemary potatoes, carrots and some red pepper. All baked in the oven for an easy preparation. Of course, it needed more salt. But the fresh rosemary from our garden made the lamb very flavourful.

Lamb is often an Easter dinner. But our house guest loves lamb so it was a good Wednesday night meal.
#lambdinner#rosemary#rosemaryfreshfromourgarden#granpalovestocook#granpaletsBarbcook#itneedsmoresalt#goodeatingathome