Home Made Noodles Evolve from Self Sufficency.

Ready to serve, beef and noodles.

Always, always for as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with everything to do with the kitchen and family mealtime.  Pure, natural fresh vegetables from our gardens, fresh fruits and berries, livestock,  milk,  and butter, poultry and eggs were all raised on my Grandparents farms.  There were fish in their ponds, nut trees, and game in their woods. Fresh fish were fried in the summer and all of the men and boys went hunting on Thanksgiving afternoon.

My Grandma Burress had a large kitchen with a huge fireplace right square in the center of the main wall and it was flanked on the right by my Grandfather's rocking chair.  To the left was the sink, a small work table, and the stove.

Such a delight to get up on a cold snowy winters morning, creep silently down the tall staircase and through the hall into that kitchen with a wood fire crackling in the fireplace and the smell of black coffee and bacon as my Grandmother cooked breakfast for us all.

My Grandma Neukam's kitchen was also large with a walk in pantry the likes of which I had never seen!  There was also a door that led down into the cellar where all of the home canned foods in sparkling glass jars stood lined up on narrow shelves.  Just through the backdoor and off the honeysuckle lined porch a "Summer Kitchen" with a beautiful cream and green finished enamel wood stove.  Behind the summer kitchen was the "Smoke House" where hams, sides of bacon, and all manner of sausages were hanging. Their voices in broken German as they worked.  The sounds and smells, the memories of butchering, preserving, milking cows, churning butter, chasing animals that got loose!!  The memories of so much more I could tell of these Blessed souls long gone.

Both of my Grandmothers and my Mother were and are wonderful cooks.  As a child I recall  even to this very day Grandma's handmade noodles.  These have always been and remain the mainstay of our Holiday meals.  They are the most requested dish and I share them with you now.

Handmade Noodles
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
flour to make very stiff but not crumbly dough
pinch of salt

Break the egg and add yolks into a small bowl.  Beat well and  add the flour continuing to mix until it becomes a ball.  When it is a firm well formed ball turn it onto a floured work surface.  Continue kneading in additional flour until you have a stiff dough that is not sticky but also not crumbly.  

Using a floured rolling pin roll the dough almost paper thin and let it dry.  Repeat this with the second half.

Check for dryness in about an hour and a half and periodically thereafter.  It will depend on the humidity and temperature as to how long it takes to dry.

By dry I do not mean crack and break,  more dry to the touch and you should be able to pick it up and turn it over and not have it be sticky.  It is dry when you are able to cut the round of dough in half and put the sides together and tightly roll it up.

Place it on a clean dry cutting board and slice the noodles to the desired width.  Our family prefers them very very thin.  After slicing them stir them around with your fingers to separate them.


They can be left to dry a little more now if needed.  Otherwise place them in a zip lock bag and freeze them until needed.  If you are using them the same day wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate them until time to cook them.

Bring meat or vegetable broth to the boil and add noodles cook until al dente. (maybe 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness and width) You can add pieces of meat back into the noodles and serve or serve alone as a side dish as we do.  Many families serve the noodles and meat over mashed potatoes.  Be sure to taste and salt before serving.

Please don't be intimidated by dough.  Please just dive in and I hope you enjoy this wonderful dish our family loves.