Donald, the tears came after the mouth and stomach said OMG that was good, then the memories came.
JB the dumplings are pretty simple to make, but exact measurements I don't have, more based on the feel of the dough, but I'll explain how I made them.
I boiled about 4 small potatoes until cooked, and pressed them through a potato ricer and allowed them to cool. Once cooled, I added some salt, and about 2/3 cup of all purpose flour a little at a time as I worked it together with my hands, squeezing the dough to make it bind. You don't want to add too much flour or the dough will fall apart. (if you add too much flour you can recover it by adding a small amount of melted shortening, not much) Then with floured hands, roll the dough into small rolls as pictured, and place them in a baking pan that is very generously greased with shortening. (My grandma would have used lard) roast them at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, and then turn them and roast them another 25 minutes or until they are browned. Then pour milk into the pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and roast them until it evaporates, turn the noodles again half way through this process. (My grandma would have used heavy cream instead of milk.) Let me know if you try this, and what you think of them. They are also good with gravy for those who are not a sauerkraut fan. They are kind of chewy, if you're rather have them crispy, omit the milk part. My mother tended to like them crispy.
