Welcome to the FIRST post of the Saving Second Base project!
The Story of Judy and Toni and their Homemade Ravioli
Contributed by Ash Dugan
Two women whom I admire and care deeply for have each struggled with breast cancer. My mother-in-law, Judy, had it before I knew her, while my husband was in high school. Her dear friend and my adopted mother-in-law, Toni, had it just last year. I was not a part of the battle with either of them as one was before I joined the family and one was hundreds of miles away from us. However, I have heard the stories, I have seen both their sons deal with the fear and hurting, and I have known what it feels like to be afraid for someone you love.
Both of these women love cooking. These women cook very differently. I have learned a lot about cooking from both of them. My favorite memory together with the two of them involves cooking.
Every other Christmas we travel to Oregon to the house my husband grew up in and spend a wonderful week with family. This is a family of MANY traditions, some of which I have pushed my way into and some I haven’t quite grown to understand and love. However, there is one tradition that I have been a part of since it began. Each year at Christmas we, and a few of our family’s closest friends, all get together for an evening. The boys watch football and the girls make homemade pasta. The girls I am referring to are the core group of Judy, Toni, my sister-in-law Molly, and myself, the others vary from year to year. My father-in-law prepares a venison filling for the raviolis and Toni prepares a more classic filling (recipe unavailable as Toni never uses recipes) for the raviolis. We prepare the dough, knead it (often enlisting the help of the boys during commercials), and then use a serious team effort to make the pasta with the Kitchenaide attachment. And by team effort I mean that we often make the dough so long it requires three of us to hold it, which of course only adds to the fun. The raviolis are then created with the various fillings and cooked. When completed we spend the entire dinner time debating which type of ravioli is better and if it was better with white sauce or red sauce.
Last year I was six months pregnant and as an avid football fan, used the pregnancy as an excuse to escape to the living room and watch football with the boys. At the end of the evening I knew I had missed out. A few hours with Judy, Toni, Molly, and our friends laughing, gossiping, and enjoying each others company is not something I should ever take for granted.
Recipe: Homemade Ravioli
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ½ Tbsp Water
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients and knead until smooth and pliable. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Follow the directions on your pasta maker to make the noodles the proper thickness for ravioli.
- Create lengths of noodle that are 4-5 inches wide. Lay the noodles on a well floured surface (counter, cookie sheet, table, etc.). The noodles will have to be filled as you go along, i.e. it easier to make a length of noodle, create the raviolis, and then make the next length of noodle.
Recipe: Mike’s Sausage Ravioli Filling
Ingredients
- ½ lb. Smoked venison sausage finely chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Romano Cheese
- 8 oz. Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together, adjusting cheese quantities as needed to get a consistency thick enough that it could be formed into small balls.
- Place a Tbsp of the filling about every two to three inches along the length of the pasta.
- Fold the pasta in half lengthwise, cut the raviolis, and press the edges down with a fork.
- Cook raviolis in boiling water until soft (they will cook faster than store bought raviolis).
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Thank you so much, Ash, for contributing this story and recipe.
Want to know how you can help? or be a part of this project?
- Tricia and I have created a facebook page: Saving Second Base Please “like” us and help spread the word!
- We’re on TWITTER!!! @Savng2ndBase (i know it’s missing an i but someone already HAS saving2ndbase and isn’t using it :-{ ) Follow us and spread the word!
- Post our button
- Send us your story and recipe: one that reminds you of/celebrates someone who has fought with, is living with, is kicking cancer’s ass, has lost the fight…. send a story, a recipe, a blurb with recipe, a memory with recipe, a tribute with recipe… and pictures.. a picture of the person.. a picture of the recipe (preferably both) but either works. Please send this to: Breastcancerebook@gmail.com and we’ll send you the release to sign and love you forever and ever and ever 😉
- We’re going to post at least one recipe and story every. single. day in October on A Southern Fairytale and on Once A Month Mom and then we’ll compile all the stories and recipes into an e-book that can be purchased and EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY cent will be donated to the Susan G Komen Foundation. (Tricia and I are not taking a single solitary cent for any of this)
- Tweet with #saving2ndbase
Let’s help kick cancer’s ass and save those ta ta’s!
And remember y’all… Save a Life, Grope Your Wife 🙂
Ash, your post was a loving tribute to two wonderful ladies. Countless warm and wonderful memories stem from times people spend together in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing your memories and your recipes with everyone.
Ash, that was a lovely post, and I can’t wait to try the ravioli! Thanks for sharing!
Save the boobs!
This sounds awesome. I’m so glad to see a recipe for venison. There aren’t enough out there for things other than steak or jerky.
Thanks, Ash!!! Couldn’t have ever imagined a sweeter tribute! Ten years and going strong!!! Life rocks!