[senior citizen]

OCTOBERFEST SPAETZLE DUMPLINGS

Traditional German dumpling or noodle, spaetzle are boiled in water or broth.

Can also be pan fried in butter to serve on the side.

My dear elderly neighbor/friend who made the best German potato salad, also made the best spaetzle....and sauerbraten as well.......wish she were still alive.

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INGREDIENTS:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 gallon hot water (BIG POT)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh if possible)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together flour, salt, white pepper and nutmeg.

Beat eggs well.

Add eggs alternately with milk to the dry ingredients.

Mix until smooth.

Press dough through spaetzle maker or a large holed sieve or metal grater.

She would would "pinch" them off with her fingers but that is time consuming.......

Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid.

Cook about five minutes.....or more. Drain well.

If you choose to sauté them in butter, sprinkle with the parsley before serving........or you can boil them in with a soup, etc..........or serve with the pot roast.

I just serve my sauerbraten with buttered egg noodles; it's a lot easier.........but for the purists, or those with a German heritage........these are wonderful.

We always loved eating at our "Adopted German Grandmother's home".

She made these for our five year old son, along with the sauerbraten, when we were up at the hospital while our daughter was recovering from a tonsillectomy. She said he ate it all up and was a wonderful guest for her and her elderly husband.

Those were the good old days when the generations all did live together in the neighborhood. There is something to be said for the generations staying together.............

All of us younger couples would invite them to all of our get togethers and they would do the same.

The last time she came to our home, the men had to pull her wheelchair up all of our front steps to our front porch and into the house.........so sad.

p.s. Her husband is the guy with the wonderful sense of humor who came to a neighborhood party totally decked out as a woman..........another guest was stumped, thinking the entire time she chatted with him........that he indeed was a female. Picture that character on the PBS English t.v. show (can't remember the title) who always dressed as a woman. It was hilarious at the Halloween part........

[rdhdleo]

Yummmm My Dads family was of German decent and I will be trying this, love spaetzle! Thank You!

[asianthree]

i have not made spaetzle since i was a child..mine is in german hand written by my great grandmother

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by rdhdleo

Yummmm My Dads family was of German decent and I will be trying this, love spaetzle! Thank You!

A lost art. Back "in the day" all of our mothers and grandmothers made everything from scratch from simple ingredients.
In simple kitchens.

Nice memories.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by asianthree

i have not made spaetzle since i was a child..mine is in german hand written by my great grandmother

Hope you can read the language....!!! If not, the above recipe is good.

But.....what a treasure.....to have your great grandmother's hand written recipe, in German. Truly.

Pass it down to the next generation....