Suzy Homemaker, The Baking Edition

My mother's birthday was yesterday, and as tradition I made her dinner (well, her, me, and my dad).  I decided to try something I had never done before:  I attempted to make ravioli from scratch.  Pumpkin ravioli to be more specific.  My mother also requested a Pear Gruyere Pie (recipe here), which I had made last on Mother's Day.  I have never made pasta from scratch before, so I ordered a pasta roller just for this occasion, though I know it will be getting much more uses than just today.  When I was searching for a recipe for the pumpkin ravioli and sauce, I found about 11 very different recipes.  So, I picked and chose what sounded good from each and made my own recipe.  It turned out pretty good, though the pasta recipe needed some tweaking.    Here we go:

I would make the pasta up first because it needs to sit for about 30 minutes

2 1/2 Cups Flour

(The recipe I was using called for semolina, but that must be too fancy for my Kroger's to carry)

3 eggs

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Sift the flour and salt in a bowl.  Make a well in the middle.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and olive oil together.  Pour the eggs into the well and slowly incorporate the flour. 

Flour your working surface and knead the dough for about 4 minutes.  Put mixture back in bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. 

After the 30 minutes, flour the dough lightly, knead a few times and then split in half.  Pass the dough through the largest setting of the pasta roller (though you could easily use a rolling pin too).  Continue to pass dough through roller, on successively smaller settings until it is 1/8inch thick.  Make sure to keep your surface floured.  Your two pasta strips should be relatively even in length and width. (I was sort of rubbish with taking pictures of the rest of assembling the ravioli from here on.)

Pumpkin Mixture:

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1/4 C butter

Sage

2 TBSP real maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 C shredded parmesan

13 oz 100% pumpkin Puree (my pumpkin can was 15 oz, and I added the remaining pumpkin to the sauce)

1 egg yolk

Ricotta Cheese

Melt the butter in a pan and saute the carrots until soft.  Cut the sage into small pieces and add to the carrots.  Also add the maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg yolk.  Add the carrot and spice mixture to the pumpkin mixture and run through the food processor. 

Assembling:

On one strip of pasta, scoop a small amount of pumpkin mixture in two rows.  I made sure my pumpkin mixture scoops were about an inch apart from each other, and at least 5/8 inch away from the edge.  Whisk one egg together and use a baster to spread it on the pasta dough in between each pumpkin scoop as the "glue".  Place the other pasta strip on top and press down slight on the edges and in between each ravioli.  I used a crimper roller to make the final seal and separation of the ravioli, though any cutting tool I think would work.  I had enough to make 21 raviolis, and much more pumpkin mixture to make even more.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the ravioli.  It is done cooking when the ravioli float to the top.

While the water is boiling/cooking the ravioli, make the sauce.

Sauce Recipe:

1 C Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C Parmesan cheese

1/2 C Sweet Wine

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp fresh ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 TBSP flour

Salt

Remaining pumpkin

Melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Add the flour and whisk quickly.  Add the cream, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and remaining pumpkin.  Bring to a boil.  Add  the wine and cheese.  Allow to simmer until ready to serve. 

I forgot to take a proper picture of the ravioli and sauce until I was half way through eating, but here is a very messy picture of what it sort of looked like.

Also during this time, I was making a Pear Gruyere Pie.  Oh Pushing Daisies, how I miss thee so much.  I still mourn your adorableness that we lost.  I believe, super duper delectable(I wish you were real) Piemaker Ned and lovely charming (you make me have wardrobe jealousy) Chuck, this is the very best pie you created.  The only thing I adjusted from the recipe I linked in the beginning was that I used about 5 or 6 oz of Gruyere cheese instead of 3 and I used red pears instead of Bartlett Pears.  I really like the nuttiness of the flavor with the pears.  I kind of went mad during this process of trying to make two separate things during the same time.  I spent 6 hours baking today and was super duper tired at the end, but here is a picture tour of said pie making:

(I sliced my lovely finger while cutting the pears.  Lovely)

(The only love of my life)

I really must try to convince sweet baby Dexter that he is not really helpful to me sleeping under foot while I'm baking.  It truly is not convenient and I continually accidentally step on him and then feel horrid for the rest of the day.  But it is lovely to know he will always be my little faithful companion, even when I'm baking human food. 

 

Pendleton 60's Men Shirt: Estate Sale

And I am terrible at taking pictures again.

Well, jeez.  I feel like I haven't written in quite a long time.  All this past week, I set out to cut out all of the patterns I had fabric for, and so I did.  About 12 different outfits worth.  Whew!  And, I did not take a single picture.  But I wouldn't want to bore you with that anyways.  It would be terribly boring to look at.  But believe me, it took quite a long time especially since about half of them I had to figure out how to alter.  I have decided I quite dislike altering patterns.  It takes way too much of my time to do, but one does feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of altering to know that you are going to have an outfit that will fit you perfectly, even if it is a pain. Then I ran out of pins in the end of cutting out all the patterns so there were two dresses that did not get cut out, but they are waiting ever so patiently for me to get some things sewn together so there will be more pins to use!
I am almost done with my 1940's blouse made out of dotted swiss.  It kind of looks like feedsack fabric, so when I do finish I will take pics.  I also finished a 40's playsuit.  Quite cute, but shows more skin than I am used to.  Not sure if you'll get to see those pictures. 
During these sewing times, I have been watching a lot of Pushing Daisies. 

Pushing Daisies picture from tv crazy
Don't know what Pushing Daisies is??  You should.  It was the cutest, most adorable show on about a year ago, and then those terrible fiends at ABC canceled it because it didn't have high enough ratings.  How dare they?  But as you can see, it is full of vibrant and adorable characters, lovely looking pies, and heightened crimes that they have to solve each week.  And it stars Lee Pace who is about as adorable as you can get.  I am quite fond of that man.  And did I mention pies?  It makes me want to bake pies.  Specifically, a pear pie with Gruyere cheese crust.  Does that not sound delicious.  I think I shall make it for mother's day tomorrow.
Last thing I have to write about, I promise:D  I went to a tea party today.  Oh yes I did.  And it was adorable and super fun, despite it being the coldest its been in about a month.  We had lovely and delicious finger foods and tea.  I have never been the biggest fan of tea, but I have found that if I put in two packets of sugar and about a tablespoon full of honey in it to mask any sense of teaness in it, it is quite enjoyable, and about 100 calories more than tea normally is.  And of course, it was a perfect time to wear a fabulous dress and hat.

I also wore this dress for Easter Sunday.  It is really from the 60's, but definitely looks 50's.  Too bad it has never really gotten a proper outing.  During Easter it was hidden beneath choir robes, and today it was too cold so I had on a sweater and pea coat.  Someday dress, everyone will be able to see you, I promise.  Anyone who wears vintage, or knows about vintage, what do you wear to stay warm??  Instead of ugly and unflattering sweatshirts and sweatpants, what did one wear to lounge around in on cold days?  I know there are just sweaters and cardigans, but there has to be something else.  So people with more knowledge than I, please let me know in comments.
My mother also went, and looked quite lovely in her modern dress and my vintage hat. 

And yes.  I really am that white.  I have gone past the days of fake tanning or getting sunburned in attempts to get tan, and have embraced being white.

As you can see, none of the younger ladies kept their hats on, except for me.  I should have taken a picture of the other tables because everyone had on such fabulous hats.  It was hatspasm.  And it reminded me of being younger and pretending to have tea parties. And if your reading this, Lauren Brake, didn't we have an American Girl tea party one year?  I have vague memories, but nothing is coming in clear.
Well, off to find a good recipe for a Gruyere crust and watch Doctor Who.  What are you doing this weekend?? Please comment.  I like to live vicariously through others who have more of a life than me:D