Easy Refrigerator Pickles

This recipe is from Suzanne at www.tastykitchen.com and you can find it here. Kevin shared a bunch of cucumbers with us, so I decided to try pickles. I have no canning skills, so this recipe seemed just the answer. I made them yesterday and tried one today. It's pretty good. I'm sure with a little more time, they'll be even better.

For 2 quarts, you need:

6 cups sliced cucumbers

2 cups thinly sliced onions (I sliced them and then chopped them into medium chunks)

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

1 and 1/2 cups white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used about a teaspoon of kosher salt)

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

3/4 teaspoon minced garlic (I used 4 cloves)

Crushed red pepper (I omitted this)

In 2 glass quart jars alternate layers of sliced cucumbers and onions. Add minced garlic to each jar. If using crushed red pepper, add also. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed and ground turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring just till sugar is dissolved. Pour vinegar mixture on top of cucumbers/onion mixture, cool slightly. Cover tightly shaking jar to incorporate the mixture, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Store up to 6 months in refrigerator.

Edible Summer

Tomato Mozzarella Salad

1 pint of grape tomatoes - or whatever is left after eating them a couple at a time while catching up with friend at Farmer's Market

1 hunk of fresh mozzarella - or whatever is left after making a small pizza and then having an occasional snack

7 large basil leaves from the plant in the backyard

1 T red wine vinegar

1 and a half T olive oil

Pinch pepper

Pinch salt

Mix together and let sit for a couple of hours. Yum.

Tasty Kitchen

The Pioneer Woman has unveiled a new foodie site - check it out here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/. It looks like lots of fun and there are lots of things that I want to make already!

Sugar Cookies

For Krista's Annual Derby Party, I thought I'd try making horse cookies - after finding a horse cookie cutter at Silver Dollar City. I really didn't think that we had enough counter space to roll and cut cookies, but using the top of the refrigerator and the washer and dryer as added space, it worked. They resembled horses when they emerged from the cookie cutter, but the thicker ones puffed into water buffalo in the oven. ;)

I decorated them in varying shades of brown. They were tasty and looked horse-like enough that people recognized them for what they were.

I used Keetha's sugar cookie recipe - mostly. I substituted brown sugar for one of the cups of white sugar and they turned out great. Here's what I ended up with:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

4 cups flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

dash salt

Icing:

Powdered sugar (maybe 16 oz?)

Milk - added by tablespoons until I liked the consistency)

Vanilla - 1/2 teaspoon or so

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Layered Vegetable Salad

This is another "Mom" recipe - she makes great salads. I....not so much.

1 head lettuce (iceberg)
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
4 green onions, chopped
2/3 bag frozen baby peas, thawed in fridge

Layer in bowl as listed. Cover completely with:
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cover and let set overnight.

The next day, add six slices bacon, fried crisp and broken into pieces. Toss just before serving.

Yum!

Birds Nests

My mom made these for Easter this year - they were cute and very tasty!

2 tablespoons melted butter
7 oz marshmallow creme
1/2 cup peanut butter
5 oz chow mein noodles (about 3 cups)
1 cup chopped M&M's
Peanut M&M's for eggs - or other egg shaped Easter candy

Melt buttter. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Mix in chopped M&M's. Stir in chow mein noodles. Use 1/3 measuring cup and hands to shape into nests. Place peanut M&M's as eggs in nests. Let set 15 minutes before wrapping in plastic wrap. Makes 8 larger or 12 smaller nests.

Glazed Lemon Cake

Glazed Lemon Cake:
2 cups flour
1 ¼ cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 package (3 oz.) lemon Jello
¾ cup milk
2/3 cup oil
2 teaspoons lemon extract
3 large eggs, separated

Glaze:
2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325. Spray bundt pan with Pam for Baking. Mix with wire whisk: flour, 1 cup sugar, Jello, and baking powder. Beat in milk, oil, and lemon extract. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, beating in remaining ¼ cup sugar. Fold beaten egg whites lightly, but thoroughly, into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes.

Combine glaze ingredients in saucepan. Heat through. Loosen sides of cake with spatula. Turn out onto cooling grid set on wax paper. Pour warm glaze over cake. Let cool 1 hour.

Beef Burgundy

In a small green notebook, David's mom wrote down some of David's favorite recipes. It's where David's recipe for his excellent potato salad lives and it's what we consulted the first time we made spaghetti. Yes - spaghetti. We've come a long way!

A month or so ago David made Mamie's Beef Burgundy. It makes quite a bit, so we froze the leftovers. I like knowing that there is a delicious and ready made meal in our freezer.

Meat and Vegetables
1/4 cup butter or margarine
5 medium onions, sliced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

Seasonings
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon marjoram leaves
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon plus 1 and 1/2 teaspoons flour
1 and 1/2 cups red Burgundy

Melt butter in large saucepan. Cook and stir onion and mushrooms in butter until onion is tender. Remove vegetables from pan and drain. Brown meat with garlic in same pan. Sprinkle remaining seasonings on meat. Mix beef broth and flour; pour on meat. Heat, stirring constantly until sauces boils. Stir one minute. Stir in Burgundy. Cover tightly, simmer 1 and a half to 2 hours, stirring in onion and mushrooms 5 minutes before beef mixture is done.

David's mom has added a note at the bottom of the recipe saying "Make this on your day off." :)

Ham and Beans

2 cups dry Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
1/2-1 pound ham
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I used the pre-minced kind in a jar)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Throw it all in the crockpot and cover with water - enough water so that you have about two inches on top of everything. Cook on Low all day - 10-12 hours. We kept the ham out and added it around noon, but that was because I ran out of time in the morning and asked David to do it later. I think you could have the ham in all day. It was pretty soupy at the end, so I added a bit of cornstarch to thicken things up a bit. It was a hearty winter meal served over cornbread.

Red Beans and Rice

Mardi Gras is coming soon, and what better way to celebrate with some good Red Beans and Rice.

2 cups dry red beans
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
Salt
2 bay leaves
Cayenne pepper to taste
fresh or smoked ham hock
1-2 pounds andouille sausage

Wash beans and soak overnight. Drain. Cover beans and all ingredients (except sausage) with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 2 and a half hours. Add cut sausage and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Take out the ham hock when you put the sausage in and let it cool a little. Pull off the meat from the ham hock and add to the beans. Serve with steamed rice and cornbread.