Much in the way of food happens when Aunt Dawn visits. There are the In & Out Burger visits that must occur, BJ's Pizza, and (lucky for me) Ruths Chris steakhouse. Of all these very happy food experiences, this one was one of my favorites this trip (well, not really, nothing could have been better than my date to Ruths Chris with my sister, ummm).
Watching my sister and mom in the kitchen while my older two kids came in and out and "helped" and I wrangled the little one, was really memorable. You see, my sister does nothing half way. It was decided that she should make cannelloni for a family dinner at our parents house. Of course this meant pesto from scratch, fresh made pasta, and kicked up sauce too. This was a four hour ordeal, and worth every minute. Going the extra yard and making fresh pasta makes this dish amazing. She does the same thing for her lasagna, which she made on her last trip out here. I had an extra dish of it stored in the freezer which I waited to eat until I missed her so, and then it was like having her here in the house again. She really is an amazing cook, which is just wasted on that island of hers (sorry Rich, but there are many more mouths in California to enjoy her cooking) :). Anyway, as my mom and sister worked away in the kitchen I ran in and out taste-testing and snapping photos, to which they never complained (thanks girls!!). There's just something about us Wilson's, we have so many memories in the kitchen we might as well have a few of them on film. Anyway, thanks for obliging!
My parents have a beautiful kitchen. They designed and built their house around it (I did say how we have so many memories in the kitchen, right?). It has a gorgeous view of the ocean. Yes, perfect indeed. Mom zipped up the pasta dough and pesto. Pasta is something that our family has been making for years. It's the easiest of recipes, just not so easy (or clean) to do with the littles running around, so I don't do it very often. In our family, it's kind of a right of passage to be the one to turn the handle on the pasta machine. Zach and Emma both took turns, while Nana patiently held the dough.
Dawn made the filling, mom made salad. Lots was happening in the kitchen that day. Perhaps a bottle of wine got opened???
Dawn (again, ever so patiently) rolled each cannelloni and let the kids take turns cutting the dough.
Here are the cannelloni in the pan (one of many pans) waiting for a drenching in yummy sauce.
And the finished product... So tender and cheesy and yummy. We did bring left-overs home and some did go into my freezer. Only, this time I could not wait and ate them the day after Aunt Dawny left. Yes, I love a good food memory!!
1 comment:
you're making me hungry! sisters are the best! glad you had a good time. when will she be out next?
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