What the heck's a bonbon?

Egg noodles from scratch. Yes, you CAN do it!

For 40 years, I allowed myself to be intimidated.  By an egg noodle.

A freaking NOODLE.

I always thought making egg noodles would be too difficult, so I opted to continue buying bag after bag each time I wanted some stroganoff or whatever.

The other night I was feeling a little brazen.  I wanted Big Grandma's Hungarian Goulash and I didn't have any egg noodles.  Instead of tearfully cowering in the corner like I would normally do, I stood up, straightened my shirt, and got out the flour and eggs.  I could DO THIS, I said to myself.

I put a cup of flour with a pinch of salt mixed in in a bowl and made a well in the middle.  I cracked two eggs in that well and beat them silly.  Then I gradually stirred the flour into the eggs along the edges until it was all incorporated and a nice little sticky dough formed.  

I stopped for a second to admire my handiwork.  Before the fear of failure crept back into my soul, I placed that sticky dough on my well-floured counter top and kneaded it for about 5 minutes until it was stretchy and smooth.  It took a lot of flour, about 1/2 a cup more. Then I took that little ball of doughy victory and put it in a covered container in the fridge while I made the rest of dinner.

After about 45 minutes, I took that dough out and split it in two.  I rolled out one half on a well floured tray until I could read a newspaper through it then I cut it into thin strips with a pizza cutter.  Then I took those little strips and laid them out on a cooling rack.

I boiled some salted water in a deep pan and threw in the noodles to cook for about 5 minutes then drained them.

Then I tried one.

SUCCESS!  They turned out so great that my kids actually finished dinner before me that night.  

Please please please don't let yourself be intimidated by a recipe like I was.  Try making our own egg noodles, too!  It really was easier than I ever thought it would be.  

 

 

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Eat Right for Your Sight- a collection of recipes to help reduce the risk of vision loss from macular degeneration - review

Growing up I always remember hearing that eating carrots will improve your eyesight.  That thought has always stuck with me because I truly believe that the fuel we put into our bodies directly impacts the way our bodies function.  Certain foods can have different effects on how different parts of the body act.  Carrots, for example, contain beta-carotene which has been proven vital to eye growth and development.  So it stands to reason that there are other foods out there that can help your eyesight as well.

I was given the cookbook Eat Right for Your Sight by Jennifer Trainer Thompson and Johanna M. Seddon, MD, ScM to review and was very happy to do so.  This cookbook lists many different benefits of the foods we eat and how they can help reduce vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  I personally do not have macular degeneration yet - unfortunately, AMD affects 10 million Americans- but plan on following the advice AND the recipes in this book to help stave off any effects that could present themselves later in life.

With over 85 recipes containing nutrient-rich ingredients, Eat Right for Your Sight is a gorgeous cookbook that I find very appealing.  The recipes all look right up my alley with vibrant colors, savory and sweet ingredients, and easy directions.  So far I have tried one of the recipes for Chicken with Mushrooms and Thyme.  I loved it and am happy to share it with you here:

Chicken with Mushrooms and Thyme

from Eat Right for Your Sight

Chicken is dense in niacin, as well as vitamin B—which is good for energy metabolism—and phosphorus, an essential mineral for maintaining healthy teeth and bones.

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 ½ to 2 pounds)
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the butter and olive oil over high heat in a heavy saucepan or skillet large enough to hold the chicken breasts in one layer. When the oil smokes, add the chicken breasts and season them with the salt and pepper. Sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and bake until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms to the drippings in the pan and cook for about 1 minute over high heat. Add the vinegar and thyme and continue cooking for about 1 minute. Add ½ cup of water and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Season to taste. To serve, slice each breast in half crosswise on the diagonal. Coat the chicken with the sauce and sprinkle with chives.

Check out the book Eat Right for Your Sight through my affiliate link on Amazon.com or at their website : https://www.macular.org/  or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/americanmaculardegenerationfoundation.

 

Recipes from Eat Right For Your Sight: Simple Tasty Recipes That Help Reduce the Risk of Vision Loss from Macular Degeneration, copyright © American Macular Degeneration Foundation, 2014. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. www.theexperimentpublishing.com

 

Photos credited to Jason Houston.