It's Not Perfect, But It's Pasta


Roughly once a month, my kitchen looks like someone up ended a bag of flour in front of a fan. Making pasta became a family tradition by accident. I wasn't expecting my 3 year old daughter to enjoy a tedious process that takes a full afternoon, and almost as much time to clean up. I hope it eventually teaches her to appreciate the effort it takes to prepare a meal.

Under supervision, my daughter carefully feeds dough through our stand mixer pasta attachment until it's the right thickness. I cut it into shape. In the meantime, dough and flour get in our hair, all over our clothes and even between our toes. Yes, anything that falls on ground gets thrown away. Daddy watches and laughs from his seat at the kitchen island, usually with a glass of wine. The end result may not look professional, but it honestly tastes better than store bought pasta.

I'm a huge fan of involving my daughter in fun household projects. We need to eat dinner, so why not plan a little extra time and let her help? It keeps her away from the television too.

*Katie writes the lifestyle site La Jolla Mom.