| The palest of blond hair twisted up in a
hurried way made Elizebeth look older than her seven years. At the
moment she was jumping up and down, sticking her tongue out, screwing
her face up in order to agitate and it was accidentally caught by her
grandmother as she looked out the window. Grandmother checking on two
children who were playing together since she knew there was never a
peaceful moment for very long at a time. The first impression of mature
grace was lost in an instant as the little girl's impish side was now
visible. The little two year old she was tormenting was screaming and
running in the back door to his grandmother. He couldn't speak well
enough to tattle on her so he simply stood, screaming, pointing his
finger toward her direction, wailing, Cousin Wiz-beth, Cousin Wiz-beth."
At this moment with two long strides and
in one easy motion the little boy's grandfather swept him up in a
cuddled bear hug. "Come on, Fella, let's go let the chickens out.
They must be hungry for some good green grass."
The little boy was immediately distracted
and went willingly while his grandfather guided him toward the chicken
coop to the back of the lot. His tears suddenly gone and a spirit of
conversation as to the possibility the chickens were "hungery".
"Elizebeth, come on, come on in this
kitchen. I need some help to make green noodles!"
"Green Noodles?" the little
girl was immediately interested as all children are curious about
something a little off beat and different.
"Take two small eggs or one large
egg from the refrigerator for me please?" Grandmother asked.
"Oh great, great. I want to crack
them. May I please?" the little girl brought them to her
grandmother and it couldn't be helped but noticed what tiny little
fingers were holding the eggs. The little hands were filled making the
egg look too big.
"Before we crack them let's take one
cup of flour and put it here on the cutting board."
"But Gramma! What a mess!"
"It is okay, this time," the
older woman realized her granddaughter's mother was making a supreme
effort to teach her neatness. "Let's add a sprinkling of salt, and
½ teaspoon baking powder, stirring it into the flour. Okay, now pull
the flour up into a sort of a cone, and make a well in the middle like a
volcano. Into that volcano hole you may break the two eggs into the
center."
Elizebeth cracked the eggs but not to
break them enough to pull the shell apart. Going back to the edge of the
counter she tapped them again, this time with the desired effect. She
was having to concentrate to get the egg to break apart but with some
effort she was able to do it. The next one was easier to do for her.
"Now, let's leave that for a moment
and open two cans of Campbell's Chicken noodle soup into a can. We will
add two cans of water to that.
With a potato masher we will break the
noodles down a bit, not completely. Next, this can heat while we open
another can of green peas."
"Let me, Gramma, I open cans at home
for Mom."
"Sure, fine with me." The
grandmother was enjoying this as much as the granddaughter.
"The blender is the next tool we
will use. Just dump all the peas, water and all into the blender, put
the lid on and turn it on. See look, here is o n. On. Read it to
me."
"On!" Elizebeth was a willing
student.
"We will take a tablespoon of the
pea soup here and add it to our eggs in the well."
With a large spoon Elizebeth, as
instructed began to mix the eggs, flour and one tablespoon of pea soup
together. After she had the mixture mixed she was reluctant to get into
it to mix and roll it into a ball with her hands.
"Just look at it as if it were play
dough," her grandmother encouraged. This was familiar to Elizebeth,
since she had rolled out play dough so many times.
As the dough was in a ball the rolling
pin was pulled from the drawer and the little girl again was anxious to
use this fun tool.
She rolled the dough under her
grandmother's watchful eye into a thin sheet at which time she learned
to slice the thin strips for noodles to drop into the hot chicken noodle
soup made green with the addition of the pureed peas and ½ teaspoon of
sage.
The green noodles were served in small
white dessert bowls, which were a better size for the children. The
dessert bowls were set in the middle of white plate and a bright yellow
piece of cornbread accompanied the very tasty noodles.
Elizebeth's grandfather asked, "Say!
did you make these noodles?"
"Sure did," the little girl's
coy smile and relaxed manner was again going to a more mature child
quite removed from the urchin sticking her tongue out at her little
cousin, even though both personalities were just as loved.
Recipe for Green Noodles
2 cans Campbell Chicken Noodle Soup
2 cans water
1 can green peas
½ teaspoon sage
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
salt as you like it
2 small eggs, or one large
Puree green peas in a blender. Add to
Chicken soup plus water. Except for one tablespoon.
Add salt and baking powder to flour. Put
out on cutting board in a small cone. Make a well in the center and drop
eggs into this. Mix together until it becomes a ball.
Roll out thin with rolling pin. Cut in
thin strips and drop into chicken and pea soup into which you have added
½ teaspoon sage. (Very important for a pleasant taste.)
Cook for just a few minutes until noodles
are done.
Children who have lips that are too
bright red are deficient in niacin, a B vitamin. Peas are high in
niacin. B vitamins are good for nervousness. |
