Fettuccine Alfredo with Homemade Pasta

April 25, 2009 · Posted in Updates · Comment 

Laurie asked me to post a the recipe for the Fettuccine Alfredo I made for dinner the other night.  This all started when I had so much spinach growing in the garden and didn’t know what to do with it all that I decided it was time to try my hand at making spinach pasta.  My mother makes a pasta salad that incorporates a spinach rotini, and it is delicious.  Not having a pasta maker I decided that fettuccine alfredo would be an acceptible alternative.  Two weeks ago Victoria helped me with our first attempt. 

Having a hand in making the pasta, cooking the pasta, and making the alfredo sauce (mainly testing the cheese before dumping it into the pan) helps a child enjoy the dish so much more.  During dinner I asked her if she wanted pie for dessert and she said ‘no, I want more pasta for dessert.’  

Here is a photo of our first attempt.

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On Wednesday I had another crop of spinach ready to pick, so the following night I made more spinach pasta using a recipe from a cookbook I have.  I cooked the pasta immediately and made the alfredo sauce.  It was a big hit.  The kids like green pasta with tons of cheese, and Laurie, amidst all the protests, decided it really was pretty good.  

Spinach Pasta:

Ingredients:

2 3/4 C. All Purpose Flour 
1/2 tsp. Salt 
2 Beaten Eggs 
1/4 C. Water 
1/4 C. Cooked Spinach 
1 tsp. Olive Oil

 

Directions:

Mix 2 cups flour and salt in a small bowl. Place eggs, water, spinach and oil in a chopper or blender. Chop until spinach pieces are less than 1/8 inch in size. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. 

Sprinkle a clean kneading surface with the remaining 3/4 cup of flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. 

Divide dough into 4 equal portions. On lightly floured surface, roll each portion into 12-inch squares (about 1/16 inch thick). If using a pasta machine, pass each portion through the machine according to the manufacturers directions until dough is 1/16 inch thick. Let stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Cut as desired. Cook Immediately. 

To store cut pasta, hang it from a pasta-drying rack or clothes hanger, or spread it on a wire cooling rack. Let pasta dry overnight or until completely dry. Place in an airtight container and chill for up to 3 days. Or dry pasta for at least 1 hour and place in a freezer bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 8 months.

 

Notes:  

Makes about 20 oz. of pasta.

This along with the other pasta recipe, and the recipe for fettuccine alfredo can be found in the recipes section.  (The link is on the right).

Foxtrot

April 20, 2009 · Posted in Cartoon · 5 Comments 

National Do Not Call List

April 20, 2009 · Posted in Updates · 1 Comment 

Uh, okay. So we have been getting a bunch of telemarketing calls lately, so I went to the National Do Not Call Registry website to confirm that we are signed up.  This was the response email.

Your phone number with the last four digits 3341 was most recently registered in the National Do Not Call Registry on April 21, 2009. Most telemarketers will be required to stop calling you 31 days from your registration date. 

Visit https://www.donotcall.gov  to do any of these things:
— to renew your registration
— to file a complaint

Print this email and keep it for your records.

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Please do not reply to this message as it is from an unattended mailbox. Any replies to this email will not be responded to or forwarded. This service is used for outgoing emails only and cannot respond to inquiries.

Notice the date discrepancy? It is April 20, 2009, approximatly 9:45 am.  And the email says what? Tomorrow? Does the government have a top secret time machine? Or do they just not know how to tell time?