Let's Make Memories & Pasta
My sweet, Grandma Tillie, was the best baker around. Every time I went to her house, she had some sweets or breads to eat, always homemade. I’d like to think that my affinity for baking and cooking comes from my Grandma and I really love that. She taught her children and even us grandchildren how to bake and cook. She even had a plethora of extra measuring cups, spoons, plates, and dishes in her cabinet, for others to use when they’d come to her house to learn.
When I’m in the kitchen doing anything, I think of my Grandma Tillie; how she’d walk to the cupboards slow and steady—swaying about, due to years of bad knees. I think of how she’d say, “ahhh!” if something spilled or things didn’t turn out the way she wanted them to; how she’d giggle at the most random things with her infectious laugh, or how when she concentrated, her tongue would escape her mouth and find a home in the corner; almost as if she was trying to lick her own cheek.
Because of my Grandma and the memories I have with her; baking, cooking, and creating different things in the kitchen is such a fun hobby for me. And, luckier yet, I have two amazing friends who also share my same passion. So, when one of them suggested going to a pasta making class? I was all for it!
Together, seven of us stood in class, listening to the instructor. We watched as she created a well of flour, carefully cracked open each egg and used a fork to break the yolks. She slowly stirred the egg mixture while adding in flour from the side of the well, and it began to form a very sticky, yellow dough ball. With a little more guidance and a few more steps, the instructor sent us all back to our stations to work on our own pasta dough.
When we were finished with kneading and pressing our dough; we cut our noodles into different shapes, and boiled them for about four minutes. Once we had drained our noodles and plated them, we all sat down and ate our new creation… complete with homemade spaghetti sauce the instructor had made for us. It was the first time in awhile, my friends and I got to sit down together and do something so fun!
To finish and tie this up with a bow, I’d like to say that sometimes you probably don’t realize who’s watching you. Whether it be a granddaughter, one of your children, a sister, a friend, or someone who simply looks up to you… if you love something and someone loves YOU, that passion is going run through their veins, as well. I miss my Grandma every day, and while I wish she were still around, the feeling, the passion, the want to succeed, and the love I have for baking and cooking exists because I first learned with her.
So, while I thought my blog would be mostly on how I went to a pasta making class with my friends haha, I guess I needed to take a moment and reflect on a life that continues to inspire my heart and share her with all of you. My Grandma and her legacy is going to continue to live on through me. So, what are you waiting for?! It’s time to go make your own pasta dream memories with your friends that you’ll remember for a lifetime.
