Finally Some Homemade Pasta!!!

I got a pasta maker as a christmas gift from my parents. I made some pasta a few weeks ago but I didn't have my camera handy so these are pics from our second trial.

To make the dough I used 3 cups of all purpose flour and one cup of semolina flour. I mixed the flour on my pastry mat and made it into a well and added 4 eggs and a tsp of salt.
I scrambled the eggs and salt inside the well and then started to incorporate the flour until I got to a dough substance. My husband then took over and started kneeding the dough and adding a tsp of water at a time till the consistency was right.


We then cut it up into lemon sized pieces and put it through the pasta maker going through each setting twice except for the last one. Then we put it through the fettuccine attachment and made the pasta.
The biggest problem I have encountered is trying to find a pasta drying rack. I bought a multi-tiered clothes hanger but that didn't work so my husband and I hung a long string across our living/dining room and hung the pasta off of that. It wasn't the prettest sight but it worked!

My husband made some homemade pasta sauce and we some local salad and wine to go with it. I love homemade pasta!!

Oh..I am also really excied about my garden that I started last weekend! I planted some lettuce and peas and then when it decides to stop pouring outside I am going to plant carrots and broccili. I will keep the blog posted with pics and updates! :)

Apple Pear Turnovers

One of my new year resolutions this year was to become more social. I am definitely more of an introvert and I don't go out of my way to meet new people.
I started to learn how to knit a few years ago in college when I bought a beginners book, some yarn and a couple pairs of needles. Nothing really came of it, but I enjoyed it. I decided I could combine my interest in knitting with my resolution by joining a knitting club.
It is wonderful! There is a variety of skill level and everyone I have met so far has been so nice and helpful.
Anyway, two weeks ago we had a yarn swap/ Potluck party. I signed up to bring something but of course I didn't decide what that something was until the night before when I am standing in front of my fridge looking inside to see what I could possibly make with the ingredients I have on hand. Ok..I had Phyllo dough, pears, and apples. Uhhh..How about turnovers??

I looked online for a recipe and found some hints on how to make them, what temperature to bake them at and so on.

I diced up one apple and one pear and put them in a bowl with some cinnamon, sugar, and ginger. I didn't really measure, I just kind of put enough in till it looked right. I made mini turnovers so each had about a teaspoon of filling in it. On top of the filling I put a small piece of butter.

The phyllo dough was the hardest part. I didn't make it from scratch, I bought some organic phyllo dough from Whole foods a few weeks prior for a dessert I never made. I thought it would be like puff pastry and would thaw in about 45 min. That wasn't true. I looked at the box and I was supposed to refigerate it overnight and then have it sit out for 2 hours before using. I started making the turnovers about two hours before the party. The dough was a little bit tough to work with. I counted out eight sheets and then cut about 4 inch squares out. I placed the mix in the middle and then wet my fingers and sealed the edges with my fingers and then a fork. I then brushed the turnovers with egg and put them in a 375 degree oven for 12 min.

When they came out I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on top. I think they turned out pretty good. If I were to make them again I think I would use less layers of dough and more filling. :)

oh..and sorry about the bad quality pic, I forgot to take one before I left the house so this one was taken in my car with my phone.