It’s that dreaded phone call in the fat middle of your work day: “Momma, I don’t feeeeel gooooood.” OK, so there are plenty of times when I don’t really believe those words. They sometimes mean, “I’m bored and I want to go home,” but not this time.
My baby girl was feeling really bad, and she needed me. I packed up my work and headed to the school to pick her up, knowing that I would get to spend the afternoon cuddling this typically busy and independent, almost as big as me, 10 going on 30, strawberry blonde beauty, secretly made me very happy.
We did cuddle, and watch movies, and nap – all the things that make sick kiddos (and mommas) feel better. When she went to sleep pretty soundly, I headed to the kitchen to see what I should make for dinner. I knew her throat felt like she had been swallowing glass, so something soft would be good.
A little “how-to-show-love” tidbit I learned from my grandma was to prepare a person’s favorite food even when it hasn’t been requested. It just so happened that my baby girl’s favorite food is fettuccini alfredo, and it was on my menu for the week. And I had everything I needed. And it was soft. And I was thanking God for making this work out. Being a helpless momma isn’t fun. There isn’t a whole lot I can do to fix my kids when they don’t feel good. I can FEED THEM.
I cook, so that’s how I serve most of the time (kids or friends or neighbors… anyone.) You will know I love you when I cook for you. Truth. Isn’t that what we are called to do? Love and serve? 1 Peter 4:10 tells us, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace….” If cooking isn’t your gift, what is? How can you better serve those around you? How can you be a blessing, and thus receive a blessing?
When she woke up to the glorious smell of garlic cooking in butter she knew right away what I was doing. I had a very happy daughter on my couch – and the noodles didn’t hurt her little, sad throat.
This stuff is great, y’all, so you should eat it even if you aren’t sick. (And I hope you’re not sick, because that’s no fun.)
Fettuccini Alfredo
What you need: 1 large stock pot, 1 medium sauce pan, garlic press, wooden spoon
- 1 box fettuccini noodles
- 6T butter
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1T flour
- 1 pint half and half
- ¼ C fresh shredded parmesan
- 1t pepper
- 1t salt
Prepare fettuccini noodles according to package directions in the larger of the two pots over medium high heat. Salt the water so it’s salty like the sea, add a bit of olive oil, and make sure you are stirring occasionally to keep the noodles from clinging to one another for dear life.
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in the smaller of the two pots, over medium high heat. Press garlic and let it cook a while in the butter until all the butter is melted and the garlic is just starting to think of turning brown (about 3-5 minutes). Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around until it looks a little pasty. Cook the flour/butter/garlic for a few minutes, so it doesn’t taste like raw flour. Pour in the half and half, stir to incorporate the butter and flour nicely. Bring this to a simmer, and let it continue to cook 10 or so minutes so that it starts to thicken. Add in the parmesan, salt and pepper at the end, and let it all get melty and happy together. Drain the noodles, then cover them with the sauce tossing to coat the noodles so nobody feels left out. (I had prepared some chicken breasts earlier in the week, so I cut them up and added to the mix- you can do that, or not… totally up to you.)
Seriously, there’s nothing healthy about this, but it does make sick kids happy and even makes grown men drop to one knee – so be ready.