Oodles of Noodles

I LOVE to make homemade noodles. I should probably do it more often than I do. They are really easy to make and most of us always have the ingredients on hand. It's just flour, eggs, and salt....your basic staple items. That's it for a very basic and tasty noodle! I start with about 2 cups flour in a bowl, then crack 3 or 4 eggs in there then sprinkle in some salt. Work this all together till it forms a dough. Then roll out thin and cut into strips. I like to use a pizza wheel. Some people roll up the dough jelly roll style-slice thin slices-then unroll the noodles......that's a fine way to cut them also. I keep looking for a noodle rolling pin on e-bay but have yet to find one at a reasonable price. This is a rolling pin that has deep grooves in it.....you literally roll out your noodles. All the one's I've ever seen are antique and just out of my price range totally....so for now, it's the pizza wheel and me! Once these guys are rolled out just cook in boiling water till done (this depends on the size and thickness you made them.) You can dry these to use later too. You can make spinach one's by adding a jar of baby food spinach or some pureed of your own. Tomato paste added to the dough will give a nice reddish shade too. The spinach one's are good with Alfredo sauce on them! Use in soups, with pasta sauce or cut small for a mac and cheese type noodle. I also like to fry some hamburger,drain....make a gravy and serve this over a big bed of noodles-YUM. Try making them flat and wider to use in tuna noodle casserole or flat and larger for lasagna. Even just plain with soy sauce. Or try my spicy peanut noodles:

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Heat 1 cup chicken broth

Add 1-2 Tablespoons peanut butter (any kind)

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon garlic

1 good dash red pepper flakes (these are HOT use what you like)

3-5 splashes soy sauce

Whisk all together. Mix with 2 cups or more thin sliced cooked homemade noodles. I just throw my homemade noodles in the pan I made the sauce in till it looks like everything is evenly coated.

If you make Ramen noodles ever this is a nice variant to the standard pack. Use the chicken flavored kind. Just cook them as usual then skipping the broth in the recipe above (ramen make their own broth with packet) add the rest to your batch of ramem. This is a good quick lunch as the peanut butter adds the much needed protein that ramen on their own may lack! I once got a book at the library titled 101 Things To Do With Ramen Noodles. You should check this out if you like ramen...they are cheap at 10 packs for $1.00. and come in many flavors.








You will find many uses for homade noodles....practice making some over this winter....it will be sure to warm you up a bit during those cold months ahead and it's a good homemaking skill to master!! Need I say that they are frugal too? What more could you ask for ?