Destiny & Homemade Egg Noodles

Do you ever find yourself thinking about all the things you'd like to do better and then realizing you just wasted a good hour and a half on thinking about it...instead of just doing it?  Ever wish you were a better person or you were in a different life season?  Yeah....me too. 

Psalm 139:14-16 Reminds us we are right where we should be...and we are who we should be:  

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them the days that were formed for me; when as yet there was none of them.

I am a little crazy when it comes to cooking...that's no lie.  And I think that has been in me, in my DNA since I was being woven together.  After Thanksgiving, mom and I made some rockin Turkey Noodle Soup.
These homemade noodles will make you cry.  They are that good.  AND...the secret ingredient: generations of love...that's right...these are from my Great Grandmother Grace. 

Homemade Egg Noodles

3 eggs- Beaten

3 Tablespoons Milk or Cream

1/2 Tsp. Salt

2 Cups Flour

Beat the eggs, add milk and salt.  

Add flour gradually, stirring after each 1/2 cup.  (You don't want too much flour...or you won't be able to roll them thin.) When you have enough flour, sprinkle flour on your rolling surface, and roll out like you would a pie crust.  

Roll up like a Jelly Roll and cut into 1/4 inch strips.  unroll each strip and shake off excess flour.  Put into your prepared chicken (or turkey...or whatever) broth and boil for about 20 minutes.  

I have recently been incredibly excited about making homemade stock out of EVERYTHING!  It's so good...and is much healthier than canned broth/stock, mainly because of sodium content.  So, this works out  nicely if you make a chicken for a meal, pick the excess meat off, use that for a salad or a pot pie, then boil the chicken carcass (I hate that word)...and walla, you have a delicious stock! (AND you've just made THREE meals out of one chicken) The longer you Simmer it, the more flavor you get (last time I did a chicken for 8 hours)...for even more flavor, add veggies, the depth of flavor will make your toes tingle!!  

*I usually save veggie scraps and freeze them until I'm ready to make stock...like the ends of celery, carrots, etc. The stuff you normally throw away...*

I think making noodles from scratch can  will help us all become better people!  

So...stop thinking about it...and make them....don't forget the LOVE 

Old Fashioned Ginger Cookies

You wouldn't believe the post I've been "post"poning because of a weird funk I've been in...and you don't get to know about that for a bit longer...because I've decided to get over my issue, then discuss it later, with much laughter.  To stop putting things off, just because they are not perfect. 

That's all....even though some things are not perfect, including most of my life, which feels a bit out of control these days...these cookies...are perfection. 

This recipe is from a church cookbook and my Great Aunt Evelyn submitted the recipe....my Great Grandmother Grace most likely made these cookies for all 13 of her children...wonder how long a batch lasted...I could seriously just sit down and eat three of these babies and not look back. 

It's a shocker that I love this recipe...because I NEVER use shortening....but, it's key here...an old school secret for great molasses cookies :) There are just some things you don't change...like your great grandmothers molasses cookie recipe...that's sacred.

My favorite part is the cracks....they are just such beautiful cookies...then my other favorite part is that they are SO soft.  Seriously delicious!  They taste like Fall....Fall perfection.  If all attempts at perfection have failed you: try these cookies....no really, you should! 

Old Fashioned Ginger Cookies

1 1/2 cups Shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup dark molasses (I used black strap for the first time tonight...it's good)

4 cups flour

4 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

Cream shortening, add sugar and continue creaming.  Add eggs and molasses; beat well.  In a separate bowl, whisk flour, soda, salt, and spices together, add to shortening mixture, mix well.  

Shape into balls about 1 1/2 inch diameter (I actually make mine bigger...I use the big cookie scoop) Roll in sugar. Place 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet (I make 9 per pan) Bake at 350 for 10 minutes...or if you make bigger cookies, 13 minutes.  Until they crack on the top. 

Eat one of these while they are still warm!  Drink a glass of milk, if you're into that...make it Whole milk if you are naughty like me!