Food at the speed of life: Noodles help family bond

My sister-in-law, Ashley, and I seem to be developing a fettuccine tradition.

Over the holidays the last two years, we’ve made chicken-vegetable fettuccine alfredo together. It wasn’t planned either year.

With Ashley and Eric being married less than a year and us living far apart and being busy, I’m still getting to know my sister-in-law. But, I’ve learned Ashley’s a good cook, and we seem to work well together.

Ashley is actually a better cook than me.

My usual style is, “Make it as good as possible while getting it done ASAP,” while she stresses quality.

Last year, for instance, I pointed out the chicken would cook faster cut in small pieces, but she cooked it in larger strips, explaining it would be more tender.

Ashley was the fettuccine mastermind this year, starting the meal, choosing vegetables, cooking the meat, adding parsley and pulling everything together at the end.

I helped cut vegetables, handled the noodles and made alfredo sauce (though Ashley stirred it when I got distracted).

The ability to make a meal without squabbles or catastrophes is one of the reasons I figure Ashley and I are in for good sister-in-law-hood.