When your road looks like this.......

Or this...............................
You don't get out much! This is part of the 3 miles (2.8 miles to be exact!) from Miss Effie's to Sheepie Neighbor's house. On this day --- the plow had just gone by so I hustled into town to stock up on a few groceries. Yea .... I know. I have enough food in my house for a year's supply. But I was running out of artichokes! Ya don't run out of artichokes!

So I spend a lot of time at home in the winter. It doesn't bother me cuz I can do fun things -- delicious things..... like make noodles.

I rarely get to make noodles anymore. The demand for eggs has exceeded their laying capacity. It means no 4-egg omelets in this house!! And even though, Greenhouse Gwen swears I squeeze the eggs out of my girls(!!!) we are often 10-15 dozen eggs behind on orders.

But it is Christmas -- and homemade noodles are one of my favorites. So let me share a noodle-making lesson with you.
First of all -- into a large mixing bowl --put 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Make a well in the flour and add 2 tsp of salt -- 3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg. YES!! I can count!! In my bowl -- there are 4 yolks and 1 whole egg. I was using pullet eggs and they are still a little smaller than normal.

Yes -- you can use a mixer or a food processor but there is something about the process of mixing it by hand that seems right. Good homemade noodles are part of the history of good farm food! Food that was made from the heart and necessity. Not food that was made out of convenience. So try to mix and knead the dough by hand.

You want the dough to be similar to a pie crust dough after you have cut in the fat. Mealy textured but still well mixed.

Now -- it is time for the secret ingredient! Yep! This hint came from my cousin Marcia -- the best noodle maker I know. OK -- her mom, Aunt Jane always made her noodles this way. There was never a holiday without Aunt Jane's (and now Marcia's) noodles.

Milk............. you use milk, not water. It takes between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of milk. All depends on the eggs, the flour and the weather. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until it is smooth. This batch took about 1/3 of a cup of milk.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured board till smooth and then cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and as you are rolling out one piece, keep the rest covered. Roll the dough paper thin and fold it over the rolling pin. Slip out the rolling pin and slice thinly, about a 1/4 inch slices.

Shake out the slices and let dry on a towel for at least 2 hours. Now, mine will take longer than that! I don't roll them out as thin as they should be and I slice them thicker. I call them "rustic". We are talkin' good food -- we may not be talkin' pretty!!!!
Tonight, these noodles will be added to a rich gravy of stew beef and mushrooms and onions for homemade beef and noodles. A loaf of freshly baked bread and supper will be perfect. And even though, my cousin Marcia is many miles away -- her wonderful recipe for noodles and the tender delicious beef she raises will be part of my holiday celebration.

Wishing you a delicious and safe Christmas Eve.

Miss Effie