2 times a year

It works out to about 2 times a year that the women in my family get together to make the very sought after chowmein noodles. We also make a shit load of sushi at this time. Then after the hard day's work, we have chowmein and sushi for dinner with the whole family. I have opted out of this tradition, and usually only go and help maybe once a year. We don't eat chowmein that often. I decided to go up this time to help and take pictures and brought home almost 2 lbs of noodles. They are my prized possession and I probably won't share. You can find similar chowmein at the Buddist Temple this coming weekend, you might have to call to pre-order.

I believe the final count was 15 batches. I'm guesstimating that's well over 40 lbs of noodles. The other aunts that helped took home 5 bags each, the ones that didn't help, got 1 bag. Many bags of flour, dozens of eggs, bottles of oil and lots of muscle power got used up.

That's my cousin, Kelsey, she was head mixer, controlled the mixing machine, measured, kneaded, and chopped veggies for dinner.

Me, using one of 2 pasta machines to flatten the dough before putting it through the next machine to cut it into noodles. Check out that muscular left arm, that's the one I can hardly lift today!

My auntie Kathy, flattening dough so that it fits in the noodle machine.

My auntie Geri, she was head sushi roller. She made California rolls and yam rolls. Only about 20 or more rolls of each. If we sold them at the going rate of about $5 a roll...well, we'd have lots of money for scrapbooking supplies.

My mom slicing cukes for tsunomono salad. I ate 2 bowls of it.
My auntie Heather was head deep fryer but also requested to not have the paparazzi take her photos. So when her shift ended my mom took over and she's okay with the camera. What you can't see are the 5 dogs behind her, none of them mine. All waiting for her to drop a noodle.

The finished bagged product. Always the recycler, Kelsey saved the bags from the Summer Games hamburger buns just so we could use them for our noodles.

We had an awesome dinner of chowmein, sushi, halibut, salmon, chicken wings, tsunomono salad and a bunch of other goodies. Kerry's mom came up with us, and my auntie Geri's son brought up some friends, we haven't seen him in years.

The reason everyone was in town was for my cousin Kelsey and Amanda's grandpa's funeral. It's great to spend time with out of town family, but it's so sad that the reason is because more and more funerals are taking place.

I did find out that this year is a reunion year for mom's side. This is always a fun, action and side-splitting laugh filled weekend.

Off to eat sushi for breakfast.