Beef and parsley noodles

                Being a Royal Dragoon means a lot of responsibility, hard work and self discipline. It also means doing whatever your commander tells you to do. I was hand selected due to my knowledge of North Dalron to become the royal messenger between the crown prince and his betrothed. His betrothed was the Daughter of the Duke of NorthRidge. For the two years before the wedding I found myself traveling the highway between the Royal palace and NorthRidge almost nonstop. Due to an increase in bandits, and local lord’s feuding fewer people were traveling the road and many inns had shut down.
                The commander had not given me permission to have a horse, so I had to walk between the two cities. It took about a week to make the journey on foot giving me time to think. As I walked I reflected on this trend of people moving to the larger towns and abandoning the small farms and inns. I was thinking about this and letting my feet take me along the road confident no one would attack me, a luxury that my Dragoon provided. So I was almost surprised when I rounded a bend in the road and found myself in front of an Inn I had not stayed in before. It was getting close to evening so I stopped for the night.

                The inn's main room was small but comforting and the other people there seemed to be enjoying their food. A mandolin player was strumming out a tune and a fire crackled in the hearth. It was as warm and inviting as any tavern or inn I had ever visited in a city. I order a plate of food and a mug of wine and was served a large bowl of noodles with beef. I had just started eating the surprisingly good meal when a red-haired woman came down the stairs and sat next to the mandolin player. He changed his tune and she began to sign this song:

From our hometown's port we had long
Till the wind blew up a storm all too strong
The ship sank into the cold oceans depths
The relentless waves try to steal my breaths
Alone I washed up on an island fair
And dreamed of a woman with red-golden hair
She appeared to me on a proud ship tall
When I woke it was the best sight of all

They say a cat will land on its feet
The world may push but I'll never be beat
Around the world in a year and a day
Love and good fortune had come my way
We discovered the treasures of old
A time worth more than a mountain of gold
Forever and ever I thought it would last
Now I can only look back at the past

We made new friends along the way
Feeling things we could never say
Pirates gold we took for our own
Times like that you're never alone
We saved the world once maybe twice
Risked it all by rolling some dice
Tired I grew from our long roam
I started longing for my home

They say a cat will land on its feet
The world may push but I'll never be beat
Around the world in a year and a day
Love and good fortune had come my way
We discovered the treasures of old
A time worth more than a mountain of gold
Forever and ever I thought it would last
Now I can only look back at the past

Way out at sea with no place to hide
I woke up without her by my side
I searched but she was not to be found
Lost in my pain my heart it did pound
Nothing can change the loss I now know
But my love will never be let go
Alone I must sail to the port of my home
To sit and grow old no longer to roam

They say a cat will land on its feet
The world may push but I'll never be beat
Around the world in a year and a day
Love and good fortune had come my way
We discovered the treasures of old
A time worth more than a mountain of gold
Forever and ever I thought it would last
Now I can only look back at the past

                When the song was over she walked back up the stairs. I asked the waitress if the lady sang here often, but she claimed that she didn't know whom I was talking about. Since that night I have eaten there many times but never saw her again. Although, I must confess that over time I have returned more for the noodles than in hopes of seeing the mysterious red-haired woman again.

Noodles (per person)
1 egg
1+ cup flour (you can use 100% white or half whole wheat)
1 Table spoon dried Parsley
1+ Table spoon water

- Mix the egg, water and parsley in a bowl
- Slowly add the flower until it forms a ball
- Then knead the dough on a well flowered surface for about a minute.
- Then roll it as thin as you can on a flowered piece of wax paper
- Then set aside for 20 min and then slice into noodles.
- At this point let dry and store in a air tight container or prepare soup base.

Beef Soup (per pound of beef good for 3-4 people)
1 pound of beef cut in small pieces (stew meat is fine)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 cups water
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup mixed vegetable juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder

- In a large pot put the oil, beef, salt and pepper and stir until beef is more then 50% browned.
- Add 3-4 cups water and boil on medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato juice, the vegetable juice, and the onion and garlic powder.
- Add the noodles and the rest of the water to ensure the noodles are covered.
- Let boil on medium low for about an hour or more stirring about ever 10 -15 minutes.

Serve with oven toasted bread and slices of cheese.

From: My Life as a Royal Dragoon by Kehlin

Visit the home of Talona The Red http://www.freepiratesforhire.com

January 5, 2012: The Epub version of my book is now onsale, also in celebration discounted the price of the paperback for a limited time.

December 8, 2011: My first novel is available for sale on Lulu, also uploaded the 3 recipe stories I edited.

October 3, 2011: Due to the impending publication of my first novel, I will be taking some time off from book 2 to edit all of the stories on here. No dates will be changed unless a significant rewrite occurs and then it will be marked: new date (old date).