Preserving Cucumbers

I love me some fresh cucumbers.  It's funny too, because I've really only learned to appreciate cucumbers in my adult life.  I pretty much avoided them like the plague all through my childhood and throughout high school. 

However, I've always loved pickles, so go figure!  I guess a lot of people do that though, so it's probably not entirely strange. 

Anyhow, I don't know if there is anything better than fresh from the garden produce.  It just tastes....better.  I buy cucumbers here and there throughout the year (yes, I realize that's not buying seasonal!) for our green salads and there's nothing like biting into a fresh from the garden cucumber to remind you the ones you've been buying from the grocery store pretty much have little to no flavor. Plus, you appreciate the garden your dad plants for you all the more. 

Even as much as my family (yes, all three of them!) and my parents like fresh cucumbers, you can only eat so many.  And as much as I wish there was a way to preserve the cukes in their natural state, you really can't.  So making refrigerator pickles and sweet relish it is.   

And before all you sweet cucumber haters click away, let me tell you too, my husband CANNOT stand bread and butter pickles OR sweet relish.  And he raves about both of these to whoever will listen. They are both that good. 

Our former favorite landlord blessed me with both of these recipes about a year ago and I can't thank her enough. 

Easy Refrigerator Pickles 

6 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers (my dad planted English cucumbers and they worked just fine)
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, sliced

Place 3 cups of cucumbers in glass crock/bowl (I used canning jars); top with 1/2 cup of onions and repeat.  Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in small saucepan, stir well.  Bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Pour over cukes/onions.  Let cool.  Cover and chill for at least four days to allow flavors to meld (my husband usually can't wait longer than day!).  Pickles may stored in refrigerator for up to two months. 

I've definitely stored some longer, but as always, use your best judgement.  If they smell or look or taste off, time to toss 'em. 

I know this next recipe sounds like a crazy amount of veggies, but you let it sit in a salt solution to extract much of the water out of it, and in the end it made just 7 pints of relish.  More than enough to last until next summer and even some to give away!  

Sweet Relish

Combine in a large pan/dutch oven:

8 cups ground cucumbers
1 cup ground red pepper
2 cups ground green pepper
6 cups finely diced celery
1/2 cup un-iodized table salt (I used sea salt)

Cover with tap water and let stand at least four hours.  After sitting for four hours, drain as much of the liquid out as possible.

In a seperate saucepan combine:

3 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
2 tbsp celery seed
2 tbsp mustard seed

Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar and then add to strained veggies and bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil for ten minutes.  Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space.  Screw on lids and rings and place in water bath.  Water bath can for 10 minutes.  And remember, that's 10 minutes once it's reached a rolling boil.

Here is a great set of canning instructions if you've never canned before.  

My parents let us borrow their outdoor burner to process the water bath on.  We have a glass top stove top and I've heard that you are not supposed to use those for canning?  Anyhow, this is such a nice alternative because it can be done outside and avoids heating up the house on warm summer days! 






 

Tomatoes!

I have mentioned a time or two that we have a really sweet landlord.  Not only has she given us an abundance of fresh produce, babysat our Peanut while Hubs and I went on date, and let us come over and swim a countless number of times, but just last week, she helped me put up my first batch of tomatoes.

And she gave me the tomatoes. 

Fresh from her organic garden.  

Eight quarts worth. 

So, so, so nice, right? 


























 

I had canned apricots last summer (my first canning ever!) but I had never attempted tomatoes.  It was so nice of her to help guide me in the canning process and also help distract Peanut while I was up to my elbows in tomatoes.

Oh, and to top it all off.....

After processing the jars, you take them out of the water and you want to let them sit, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours.  At that point you can test the lids to make sure they sealed correctly.  I did remember all of this from before, but I wanted to double check with my landlord.

"Oh, no, no, no, no!  You want to let them sit for at least a week," she said.



























"Oh!  A whole week?  Why so much longer?" I asked, a little surprised. 

"So your husband knows how hard you worked." she tells me completely straight faced.

Isn't she too funny?!?!?!?!!!!! 


 

Tried It & Loved It: Soft White Wheat

I am officially a wheat grinder.

Yes, I know. 

One of my closest friends, that was her joke, in terms of this new world of whole foods.  It's one thing to be avoiding processed foods and trying to eat better--but wheat grinding?  Well, you've officially gone over the edge.  I still laugh about it, because I never thought I would go there.  And here I am. 

A few months back, I twisted Hubs' arm convinced Hubs to let me spend the last bit of our tax return on a wheat grinder.  Previously, I had been purchasing hard white whole wheat flour (King Arthur's) and it's off the charts expensive.  I mean, it is still just flour, so it's not like you are purchasing flawless diamonds, but it terms of cost just for flour--it's pricey.

Grinding your own flour is less expensive because wheat berries are less per pound as compared to flour (at least any kind of whole wheat flour that I've seen) and one cup of wheat berries will yield anywhere from 1 1/3 to 1 3/4 cup of flour, depending on the variety of wheat berry you use.  I've also heard that grinding your own flour is better for you, as a lot a nutrients oxidize within just a couple days of the flour being ground--but I've also heard that isn't true, so?  With the health benefits, I guess you'll just have to make your own call.  

As I have delved into this whole foods thing, I've learned a lot about flour.  First, when you buy whole wheat flour at the store, typically it is made from hard red wheat berries, giving it the darker color.  There is also hard white wheat flour, which is made from hard white wheat berries.  These are a lighter color and don't have the strong bitter flavor that traditional whole wheat has.  In most grocery stores, I've only seen the King Arthur brand selling white whole wheat flour, which is made from the hard white wheat berries.

I've come across a lot of testimonies that swear if you grind your own wheat and use hard white wheat, you can't tell the difference between freshly ground white wheat flour and all purpose flour.  Snicker, snicker.   Well, maybe they can't, but I still can.  BUT before you write it off completely--while I can still tell a difference, hands down, freshly ground flour is better.  It just tastes fresher.  I am sure that is so incredibly helpful.  But think about asparagus or broccoli--fresh is always better than frozen, right?  How about store bought bread compared to homemade bread, fresh from the oven?  Fresh is better.  Heck, even Krispy Kreme doughnuts are way better all piping hot, compared the ones that were made 24 hours before. 

Then about a month ago, I discovered soft white berries.  These are different from their hard white wheat cousins.  I read that they provide a lighter texture more suitable for baking goodies like muffins, scones, cakes, and cookies.  So I thought I'd try some and I ordered some through my whole foods co-op.

They changed my life. 

They are aaaa-mazing!  With these, I can't tell the difference.  Neither can Hubs.  After doing a little more research, I haven't found that the nutritional value between hard white wheat and soft white wheat is hardly any different either.  I think the protein value is like a gram higher per serving in the hard white wheat, and the iron value is slightly higher in the soft white wheat.  The textures of the flours (hard white wheat versus soft white wheat) are very different as well. The soft white wheat is just a lighter and fluffier flour.  I figure, as long as it's a whole grain, I am not going to sweat the slight difference in nutritional value--it's still whole wheat and if it tastes better, then I am all for it.  You have to pick your battles, right? 

While I haven't done a side by side comparison of bread qualities from both the hard white wheat and soft white wheat (yet), from what I understand, hard white wheat is more suitable for yeast breads and soft white wheat is more suitable for quick breads that use baking soda/baking powder for leavening.  While I do bake my own bread, I still tend to do more quick breads like muffins and biscuits, so my pantry will be stocked with more of the soft white wheat berries, but I know I will still continue to use the hard white wheat berries as well. 

So for the one, maybe two of you who might be considering a grain mill (wheat grinder), I say go for it....but that's just my humble opinion. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Buying Yeast in Bulk

This may be one of those "duh" tips, but I thought I would share anyway.  I bake *most* of our own bread.  If you bake with yeast only occasionally and use the pre-portioned packets, it's not really that expensive (in terms of a weekly budget), but if you buy yeast in the jars (because buying in bulk will stretch your dollar ounce for ounce) that can take a big chunk out of a weekly grocery budget. 

At my local grocery store, the jar of yeast was about $7.25 for 4 oz. jar of yeast.  But at Costco (insert pink fluffy heart here) I can get the same brand of yeast for under $4.00 for a 32 ounce bag.  That's a 93% savings!

Now how will I use two pounds of yeast before the expiration, you ask?  We all know that we don't want the yeast to go bad, as that defeats the purpose of yeast.  You refrigerate it!  I use a small container in our main fridge for my "working supply" of yeast and then I keep the bulk of it in our spare fridge in our basement.  We got a bag of yeast nearly two years ago and I have just about finished it up.  It's gone way past the expiration, but the cold fridge preserves the yeast and it's still works just fine, making wonderful homemade bread sticks, pizza crust, and cinnamon rolls--just to name a few.

For other great tips and tricks, visit We Are THAT Family. 

The Trick to Homemade Nachos

Making nachos at home is a fairly new thing for me.  Nachos used to be something I always got at Taco Bell (don't judge), but they were never something I made at home.  Then I met the Hubs.  These were his standby, late night meal after he got done with a closing shift at the restaurant.  I always thought that nachos had to have the bright orange goopy cheese, but Hubs taught me otherwise.  Once you get used to the finely shredded real cheese--it is so much better.  That of course is combined with my stand alone food group, sour cream.  But I digress.

When we moved to Smalltown in late 2009, we didn't have a microwave.  Our house we have back in Hometown has a built in microwave and I made do without one after moving for nearly six months.  (Sidenote: a sure way to make a man panic in the kitchen--ask him to reheat something for his daughter for lunch when there isn't a microwave.  Yes, I did nearly all the reheating during that six month stretch.)   So when I planned nachos one night for dinner, having no microwave, I decided to stick the nachos in the oven on the top rack beneath the broiler.

Can you say yum?  

It makes the cheese all melty and bubbly and the chips nice and crispy.  We did finally get a microwave....and I still make our nachos in the oven. 

They are just. that. good.

Nachos ~ at least according to our house

Taco meat (I usually use only about a half pound of ground meat that is browned and seasoned with homemade taco seasoning and then mix with a can {about 1 1/2 cups}black beans....makes the meat stretch further)
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Salsa or grilled salsa, if you have it.
Tomatoes, diced
Guacamole
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Jalapeno rings

Set broiler on oven to low and move oven rack to highest position.

Layer chips on a baking sheet or oven proof plate and top with taco meat.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on evenly and place under broiler with oven door cracked.  Broil until cheese is melted and chips start to brown around the edges.  Top with remaining ingredients and serve.

Do you make nachos at home?  If so, what do you like to include?  

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
Paisley Passions Fun With Food Friday  
We Are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday

Brown Sugar Indeed

Did you know that all brown sugar is is regular sugar with a little bit of molasses?  I just learned that not too long ago.  I know, huh?  

This last week, I had volunteered to bring a breakfast dish to my MOPs group.  Of course I didn't remember my commitment earlier in the week when I did the grocery shopping, so I tried to figure out a dish that I could make with ingredients I had on hand.  Homemade cinnamon rolls it was.

I prefer to make these with brown sugar in the filling rather than regular, but I stopped buying refined regular sugars a while back.  For recipes that call for sugar now, I use dehydrated cane juice that I order through Azure Standard.  I have also been getting black strap molasses through them as well.  This is a neat little trick that helps if you are either

A) wanting to use a not so refined sugar that has a little bit more nutrients or

B) trying to avoid running to the store in the middle of preparing a recipe and just making do with what you have on hand. 

Please know too, of course, if you have just regular sugar and molasses on hand, those would work just as well.

Brown Sugar

3 cups dehydrated cane juice or regular refined sugar
2 tablespoons black strap or regular molasses

Mix ingredients together thoroughly. Note: I tried doing this by hand and I did not have the patience for it.  I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mixed on medium high speed for about 2-3 minutes. 

After mixing for a minute or so (or mixing it by hand) it will look like this:

But give it a few more minutes and soon it will look like this:

Fresh brown sugar!

I store mine in the refrigerator because the black molasses needs to be refrigerated, but if your molasses doesn't say to refrigerate, I wouldn't worry about it.  This is also why I don't make a very large amount at once!  



This recipe/kitchen tip is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  

and 

Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday
We Are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday
Heavenly Homemakers Parade of Recipes and Cooking Tips

Works For Me Wednesday-Easy Food for a Road Trip

We go on a lot of road trips and gas isn't cheap, so even though we are driving, it can get expensive.  Fast.  One of the ways I help control the cost of our trips is to avoid eating out.  What I would usually do is make sandwiches because they are quick and easy.  But I don't really care for pre-made sandwiches--they don't often keep well, as the bread will get mushy.   Awhile back though, I happened to make pizza the night before we left on a trip.  And we needed something for lunch the following day.  Pizza it was!  Super fast, as I just wrapped it in individual portions that night and it helped not having food spoil in the fridge while we were gone.

Pizza on road trips works for me!  For other great hints, visit We Are THAT Family.  

Works For Me Wednesday-Storing Fresh Basil

We have had an abundance of fresh basil around here.  Could be because we planted so much.

Anyhow, I prefer to just cut it as I need it, but sometimes I get a little over zealous and I cut too much at once.  My hubby told me a great little tip that they do at their restaurant in order to store fresh basil in the fridge.  They fill a tall container with an inch or two of water and place the cut end in the water....it helps keep in fresh much longer and it doesn't get all flimsy nearly as fast.

So I did it and it really works!  Isn't that a nifty little trick?  For other great tips, visit We Are THAT Family. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Leftover Tomato Paste

I used to hate recipes that called for one or two tablespoons of tomato paste.  What do I do with the rest of the tomato paste?  Well, I always put it in a container in the fridge with good intentions.   Then months later, I would find it in the back of the fridge with gray little hairs that were not there before.  And out it went.

Watching Rachael Ray, I learned that you can buy squeeze tubes of tomato paste, so you can use just the amount you need without opening a whole can.  Very cool.  But I have searched and searched and I can't find those any where.  Plus, I am sure it costs way more.  Then she shared a tip a while back that I thought was just fabulous.

After using the amount of paste you need, roll up the rest in plastic wrap like you would a roll of cookie dough.  Then, pop it in your freezer.  So down the road when you need just a tablespoon or two, you can simply slice of the amount you need and put the rest back in the freezer. 

Isn't that nifty?  


For other helpful tips, visit Kristen at We Are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday. 

Look What I Got

Our landlord's brother has an orchard and she brought us over some Rainer cherries last week.  I was so excited because I rarely buy cherries (too expensive and my parents didn't have a good crop this year, unlike last year) and the Peanut loves them.  Who am I kidding?...we love them too.

Anyhow, she told us that we could have more if we wanted, but we would need to go pick them ourselves.  Fair enough.  So I emailed her and asked if we could go pick on DH's days off this week.  She checked with her brother and he didn't want people he didn't know on his orchards for liability (I get that too--I don't trust people either) plus apparently there are snakes.  Um, gross!

So to make a long story long, she asked what I wanted and she would go pick them for us.  How nice is that?   She brought over a box full of Rainer cherries--I've never had that kind until she brought them to us the first time and they are good!  A couple hours after that, she brought us a huge bowl of pie cherries!  Our landlord warned us and boy, is she right--pie cherries only good for that--pie.  DH tried one (he lives on the edge like that) and I guess they are very, very tart. They are so different too, from the Rainer's or Bing's you find at the grocery store.  They are bright red, almost kinda orangey, and they are much smaller in size too.  So I was busy all night cleaning and pitting and freezing pie cherries like I did last year. 

But what a blessing, huh?  

Works For Me Wednesday-Marking Items in Your Freezer

I freeze a lot of things.  I also reuse my zip top freezer bags (I wash them out and let them dry and reuse them--saves lots of money because I use them all the time).  But I often forget when I put something in the freezer, and I don't want to write on my bags (or containers for that matter) because I know I will reuse them at some point.

This week I searched high and low for those black wax "pens" that you can write on glass and plastic with and it wipes off.  I eventually did find them at the office supply store, but you had to buy a whole box of them for over $10.  And I am way too cheap for that. 

So I had to figure out something else and as they say, necessity is the mother of invention.  I started writing the date (and the item if I won't know what it is in few weeks) on a piece of tape and folding back the edge of tape so I can take it off the bag or container easily.  So when I come across it in the freezer down the road, I will know the date (and item) is.  No more guessing what that container of enchilada sauce is.   

Not that I've ever done that. 

For other helpful tips, visit Kristen at We Are THAT Family. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Grocery Shopping Tip

Whenever we make a trip to HomeTown, I always make a big foraging run to my favorite (and cheap!) grocery store.  Their prices can't be beat (even more so here in SmallTown where everything is expensive) and they have a huge bulk section that is so nice.  I love it because when making those recipes that call for something you probably will only use for that recipe, you can get just what you need and not have to purchase a predetermined amount.

Anyhow, as I was sitting here going through my menu and making my grocery list, I thought my little method for doing these big trips might work for some else.  It's not like I've reinvented the wheel, but if this tip helps someone else out, then that's all the better.

Of course, I plan my menu first.  Then I go through what I already have on hand and determine my shopping list around that.  Now this is where my tip comes in: After I've made my grocery list of everything I need, I go back and rewrite the grocery list sorting by the departments in the grocery store in the order I usually shop.  Departments such as Produce, Bulk, Dairy/Meats, Freezer, and Aisles.  Plus, it is easier to read when I take the time to rewrite it.  And that is always a time saver.


When I am super organized like that (which isn't necessarily all that often) and when Peanut is left in the care of her grandparents (bless their hearts) my marathon grocery shopping trips aren't so marathony any longer.

And that definitely works for me.  For other helpful hints, visit We Are THAT Family.  

Did You Know?

A little while back I was watching a cooking show and I found out that you could peel almonds.

Now, why would you even bother?  Because buying whole almonds (around $3-$4 per pound) is less expensive than buying the different "cuts" of almonds, whether they are slivered, sliced, or diced (anywhere from $11-$14 per pound). And let's face it, I have way more time than I do money. 

All you simply have to do is bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Remove the pot from the heat and pour in the almonds.  Let them steep for about five minutes and then drain them.  Once they are cool enough to handle, the skins will slip right off!

A word of caution:  They are slippery little suckers.  Name that movie. 

Once they are all peeled, lay them on a cookie sheet and put them in 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  This will insure the almonds are nice and dry to be able to store. 

I can peel them and do a rough chop in my food processor and use them for a variety of recipes, such as my Almond Roca and a new recipe that I am excited to share next week.  Check back early next week for yummy summer dinner!



This post is linked to We Are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday.  


Oh, and yeah, that movie would be Pretty Woman.  :)

Works For Me Wednesday-Cooking Ground Meat

Let me be up front and entirely honest....I did not think this up.  But I do use this tip I learned watching Rachael Ray.  Where else? 

Cooking ground meat can be such a chore, as you want to break it and up and have fairly, small, uniform sized pieces.  And you could buy one of these to do it.  But I am more along the Alton Brown philosophy about not having "uni-taskers" around the kitchen.  You know, those kitchen tools/gadgets that only do one thing. 

When cooking ground meat, I use just a wooden spoon to break it up in smallish size chunks and then when it's nearly finished cooking, I break up the meat with a potato masher.  Works like a charm every time--nice little uniform chunks of meat. 

Using a potato masher when cooking ground meat definitely works for me.




This post is linked to We Are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday. 

Works For Me Wednesday-Lasagna Tip

I was watching a cooking show a while back and they mentioned an easy way to make lasagna was by using the "no-cook" noodles.  That way you don't have to bother boiling the noodles and then potentially tearing the noodles when you are layering the lasagna.  That truly is a great tip--a real time saver. 

 

 (source)

But you know what?  You don't have to do that. 

You can use plain ol' lasagna noodles.  And you don't have to boil them either.  Now, you do have to plan ahead and let it sit.  All you simply have to do is layer your dish with your uncooked noodles, tomato/meat mixture, and cheese mixture as you normally would then put the pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it.  Allowing it to sit overnight is best, but  I made lasagna just last week around lunchtime and we ate dinner between 5 and 6 pm.   I cooked the lasagna for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven and it was cooked perfectly.   No undercooked noodles.

I have to admit when I do this, I always worry there won't be enough moisture, so after I layer the lasagna, I usually add about another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, just to be on the safe side.  And it turns out wonderful every time.

In addition, purchasing your standard lasagna noodles is about a 60% savings over the "no cook" variety!  (At least where I normally shop.)  How awesome is that? 

For other helpful tips, visit Works For Me Wednesdays at We Are THAT Family. 

 

Works For Me Wednesday--Recipe Binder

I like the appearance of organization.  Appearance.  I truly have the Monica syndrome.

As long as my house looks neat, picked up, and everything is in it's place, I'm good.  But don't look behind my cabinet doors, in my drawers, or in my closet.  I am more of an out of site, out of mind kind of girl.

Shameful, I know.  Drives my poor husband nuts.  Every so often I walk in a room and he's organizing something that he just can't handle anymore.  And I will keep it that way for a while.  I do try.  Sometimes.

But every so often, even I can't handle it anymore.  Like my recipes...I print TONS of recipes from online sites.   And I would fold the sheet in half and shove it in a recipe box.  When it came time to use it...it was a disaster.  Every time.  I went looking for it, couldn't find it, went online and reprinted it and the mess started all. over. again.

So I finally got smart.  I went and bought a three ring binder.  Genius, huh?  Best investment I ever made--well, that and the fentanyl shot.  I dug through my old college days school supplies and found several packs of dividers and my three hole punch and I started punching and organizing.  I even alphabetized.  I know.

 

Using a three ring binder for recipes printed from online works for me!  

Asian Chicken Salad with Homemade Asian Dressing

I made this for dinner several weeks ago and it was just plain yum!  The salad dressing recipe is yet another from the cooking classes that my mom used to attend and it is simply, aaaa-mazing. 

Asian Dressing

3/4 c granulated sugar
2/3 c rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt, it was fine)
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce (can find in the Asian food section of your supermarket, it also referred to as plum sauce)
1 1/2 tsp course ground pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 c peanut or vegetable oil

In food processor using metal blade, drop whole garlic through feed tube with machine running.  Add all ingredients except oil, pulse to blend.  With machine running, slowly pour oil through feed tube until emulsified into dressing.  Store in refrigerator up to one month.   Remove from refrigerator prior to use; whisk or stir before serving.   Makes about 2 cups.

Salad

Romaine lettuce
Green onions
Cubed, cooked chicken
Mandarin oranges
Chinese noodles
Toasted, slivered almonds

Toss and serve with dressing on the side.  Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap  
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap