Our family heard that phrase more than any of us would like to remember! Pasta was the start of our farmers markets and sell out at the Garlic Fest. We even had an article printed about us in a local magazine, can't remember the name as it has been years ago! We sold it in a few stores as well. Let's paint a picture of our first production days! Bumpa and one of the kids would be making the pasta in the mixer, as the dough was made some of us would start to roll the dough, we had two rollers going! Four of our kids would hang the wet pasta on an old fashioned wood clothes drier. We had the two rollers going all day getting ready for the markets. Imagine the puffs of flour, garlic, lemon, basil, oregano, tomato, squash, and more smells that blended in the house! We even created dessert pasta! Chocolate and apple pie were family favorites. To think of this work makes me tired now! I remember one day specifically my mom called, I was covered in flour, my back hurt from leaning over rolling all day, and my arms were just tired. Bless my kids hearts they were buzzing around and there was no fighting that day! We all slept like the 7 dwarfs and the process started all over in the morning. Someone bagged the dried pasta, after the correct label was put on and the next person sealed the bag while Bumpa started the next batch and "time to make the pasta" started the reel again.
The most bags we produced exclusively was for Garlic fest, this was around 700 bags and only a hand-full came home with us! This whole production of crazy started from trying to save our home. Hard to say but very true. As we said good-by to our dream home and our dream life we said hello to a business opportunity in town. We moved into an apartment above where we started to work on our store front. Amidst all this it was still "time to make the pasta!" Our oldest, Ryland, moved into the lead pasta maker roll. He would spend hours a day making pasta to sell at each farmers market we did. I can't even imagine how many bags of pasta he made. To the point that still today he has a hard time eating pasta or the smell of eggs! Our life at that time was about survival and with our entire family helping out we did. Each of our children learned the value of hard work and how to stretch and then re-stretch a dollar. They helped me pack the car, set up for the market and sell. These tasks turned into life skills that have served them well. They understand presentation, customer service, sales, cost of product, time efficiency, and many hands make light work. We all learned that through everything our family bond was strong and we all stuck together. In the end, love conquers all. I can't say any of us wish for those days now, but the memories bring laughter, tears, and a unified sigh that it's not "time to make the pasta!"
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