March is a month with a lot going on besides the beginning of spring. Even though March is just starting, and though we have had an amazing winter with little snow compared to other regions, and even with it being cold the roads have been clear,  it seemed to me we've had a fair amount of sun. I just read that three degrees is the average daily high, in Celsius, for mid-March.
It is the month that we have spring break for the kids. It is said that 1 p.m. is the approximate wake-up time for teenagers during this week. It is also the third busiest period for silver screen viewing and approximately 20,833 pounds of popcorn kernels are expected to be used in the Toronto theatres.
And I wonder if the teenagers are responsible for the three million times that these words will be spoken: There is nothing to eat in this house, or the infinite time these words will be spoken: I need money. All statistics are taken from a survey in the Toronto area.
St. Patrick's Day also comes in March when everyone claims to be Irish. We have the famous words spoken to Julius Caesar,  "Beware of the ides of March", in Shakespeare's play. The ides being the 15th of the month around the time when Julius Caesar is assassinated. Julius Caesar lived from 100 to 44 BC.
Though the following has nothing to do with March I came across this small item when sifting through some other notes and couldn't resist adding it:
“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it will always be yours. If it doesn't come back, it never was yours to begin  with. But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money, and doesn't appear to realize you set it free ... you either married it or gave birth to it.”
And another: “The nice thing about living in a small town, is when you don't know what you're doing, someone else does.”
Whatever you find yourself doing in March, remember that spring is coming and it is nature's way of saying “Let's party!” And a way to party is making a favourite pasta dish and inviting friends in.
Mine is:
Primo noodles alfredo
This is a superb version of Fettucine Alfredo found in the New Chatelaine Cookbook, found in a Marion Kane write-up in the Toronto Star in 1993:
1 pound (500g) of fresh fettucine
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
freshly ground black or white pepper
In large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta 3 to 4 minutes or until al dente (tender but firm) Drain well but do not rinse. Return to pot. Add butter and toss until partially melted. Add cream and parmesan.
Stir over medium-low heat until noodles are evenly coated and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 6 to 8 side-dish servings.
You don't have to be a starving artist to enjoy this macaroni pie -- but it helps if you are starving. This recipe is from an old vegetarian cookbook I've had since the beginning of time, called the Down to Earth cookbook.
Starving artists' macaroni
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups light cream, scalded
1 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tbsp. chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. grated onion
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tbsp. pimiento, minced (optional)
1 cup cooked macaroni
3 large eggs, beaten
Melt butter or margarine in pot and stir in scalded cream, bread crumbs, green pepper and grated onion. Dissolve mustard in 1 tablespoon water and add. Stir in Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, pimiento, and macaroni. Cook until lukewarm. Add beaten eggs and blend well. Pour into greased casserole dish , place in pan of hot water and bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until done.
If you like, serve with Fresh Mushroom sauce:
Saute 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter or margarine for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups half and half and stir till sauce thickens. If you like, season sauce with 2 tablespoons dry sherry.