My husband thinks these are the best, and after making up two lots, I hope I haven’t lost my touch. (It has been a while)
- 8 lbs. pickling cucumbers
- 12 heads of fresh dill (home grown is the best)
- cloves of garlic, (2-3 per jar, depending on your taste)
- pinch of salt for each jar
- 1 tsp. pickling spice (pickles stay crisper)
- pinch of red pepper flakes
For every 12 jars make this :
- 8 cups pickling vinegar
- 8 cups water
With a “mushroom” brush, brush the cucumbers in cold water to remove all sand and debris. Slice each one in half lengthwise.
Put the pickling solution in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil while you get prepared.
Wash your jars in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Place on a cookie sheet and put in the oven at 325 degrees while you assemble all the required ingredients.
Put the snap lids in saucepan with water and bring to a boil then turn off the heat. Leave them in the pan.
Remove the clean and sterlized jars to a working surface and add:
fresh dill
2-3 garlic cloves,
pinch salt (this is considerably less than most recipes)
1 tsp. pickling spice
red pepper flakes.
Fill the jars with your cucumber spears and add enough boiling water/vinegar to cover the pickles and place snap lid on top of each jar. Add the screw lid on each one and place in a canning pot filled with enough water to be about 3/4 up the sides of the jars. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and place remaining jars in and repeat. Cool completely and mark the date of pickling.
Let stand for 3 weeks before opening a jar and then keep in the refrigerator.
Cheesecake Squares
My husband’s daughter gave this recipe to him and I would like to share it with you. It is a square, and if you are a cheesecake lover, you will love it.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup melted butter, not margarine
- 1 8 oz. pkg of Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tbsp. cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
Mix brown sugar, flour and nuts in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter and mix until light and crumbly in your hands. Remove 1 cup of this and set aside. Put the rest in a 8 inch square pan and pat it smooth. Bake for 15 minutes.
Beat cream cheese until smooth and add the sugar. Beat in the egg, lime juice, cream and vanilla. Pour onto the baked crust. Top with the reserved crumbs and return to the oven to bake for another 25 minutes. Cool thoroughly.
Cut into squares and serve with fresh berries and, if you wish, whipped cream….oh my! did I say that?
Oven Pancake with Fresh Berries
We are expecting company for the weekend and I find this is a really good way to show you are glad they came.
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 5 eggs
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- Fresh berries
- icing sugar/whipped cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grate butter and place in a 9 x 12 glass baking dish. Heat oven until butter has melted.
Combine eggs, sugar, salt in an electric mixer for 1 minute at high speed.
Now, slowly add milk/cream, then flour, then ricotta cheese and finally the baking powder.
Pour into the hot baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes until it has puffed and is starting to brown.
Remove from oven and let sit for about 6-7 minutes before cutting. The center will fall. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream, butter and warm maple syrup.
Now, aren’t you glad you came for a visit.
Fresh coffee is almost finished brewing…..
Red Pepper Jelly
This is good for appetizers, serve with cream cheese, crackers and, of course, a glass of wine…yummy!
- 2 cups ground red peppers with juice
- 5 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 bottle certo
- 6 8 oz. canning jars with lids
Combine peppers, sugar, vinegar and water in a large saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes.
Return to heat and bring to a boil, add lemon juice and boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in certo and remove from heat. Stir for 5 minutes.
Pour into sterilized jars and seal. (Makes 6 cups)
Taste Rating: 8.5
Swiss Cheese Squares
This is an oldie but goodie….
- 2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter **recipe follows
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup grated swiss cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp poppy seeds
Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Cut in shortening until it resembles dry cornmeal.
Add starter and enough milk to form a soft dough that cleans the side of the bowl. Add cheese and knead lightly into the dough.
Pat or roll to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into squares using a serrated knife. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Sourdough Starter
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 cups flour
Using a crock, combine ingredients. Place in a warm place 3-4 days until bubbly and sour smelling. Refrigerate.
Each time it is used, replenish equal parts, cover and refrigerate.
NEVER use all of the starter at one time.
At The Beach Mocktini
Not everyone consumes alcohol and for those who still wish to look trendy, make this one up. It is great for a hot, sunny day at the beach or patio…..
- 1 part cranberry juice
- 1 part grapefruit juice
- 1 part mango nectar
- 1 part club soda
Pour juices into a shaker filled with cracked ice and shake well.
Pour into chilled martini glass and carefully top with the club soda. Garnish with a mango slice. Looks good, tastes good….what more could you want?
The Glam Martini
Glam…glamourous…yummm!
- 6 parts Grey Goose Vodka
- 5 parts fresh Orange juice, no pulp
- 1 part mango nectar
- 6 parts grapefruit juice
- 1 part Grand Marnier
Pour ingredients into shaker filled with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a thin orange slice.
Sounds good, tastes great. Try it!
Strong Winds Martini
Haven’t posted a good martini for awhile. Sorry, been busy baking. Here is one you will like. Makes a pretty drink.
- 4 parts Grey Goose Vodka
- 1 part Grapefruit Juice
- 1 part Mango Nectar
- 1 part lime juice
Pour all ingredients in a shaker filled with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into chilled martini glasses.
NOW, using the back of a spoon inserted into the martini glass side, slowly drizzle Cranberry Juice concentrate to create layers.( Like a Pousse Cafe, except it is a martini.)
Now that sounds so good, I am going now to make one for me. Enjoy!
Chocolate Flowers Cookies
As I mentioned yesterday, I was baking like crazy in anticipation of my teenaged grandchildren coming for a visit. I had never made these before but boy are they good. I had to freeze them or we would have eaten them all.
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup cocoa (not hot chocolate mix)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup Nutella spread
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 35-40 chocolate rosebuds
- small bowl of sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together everything up to the bowl of additional sugar and the rosettes, until well combined.
Using a teaspoon scoop (or teaspoon), scoop the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar and slightly flatten the top with a fork.
Bake one cookie sheet at a time for about 8-9 minutes and be sure to rotate the pan halfway through to ensure even baking.
Place a rosette in the center of each one and let stand for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to completely cool.
OMG are these yummy!
Cookies, Italian and Others
With great anticipation of our grandkids coming for a visit with their Mom in a couple of weeks, other company coming and going to a concert, I thought I would bake a little to get ahead.
Well…..I have been baking almost all day as the recipes I was using will not work in a convection oven. So…..
Don sampled these and proclaimed they are almost as good as my chocolate chip. WOW! That is, indeed, high praise.
Cookies from Italy
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 scant cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup skinned pistachios
- 1/2 cup chopped, dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on your cookie sheets and set aside.
Together in a bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed. Beat in the ricotta and vanilla (NO, it hasn’t curdled), gently stir in the flour mixture, pistachios and cranberries.
Drop by heaping teaspoons on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake 14 minutes and remove to a cooling rack.
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- zest from 1 large orange
- 3 tbsp. fresh orange juice (from same orange works great)
Stir until smooth and drizzle 1 teaspoon over each cookie. Store in air tight container at room temperature or freeze up to 2 weeks.
These are so darn good…different from the norm…..go ahead, say it…’damn I can do this’….
Overnight Fruit Salad
I love fruit salads and this is the “Queen of Them All” type of salad.
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup seedless red grapes, cut in half
- 1 cup seedless green grapes, cut in half
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 can pineapple chunks, drained
- 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
- 2 firm bananas
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
Cook and stir eggs, sugar and vinegar until thickened and reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat and add the butter, stir to blend. Cool.
In a large bowl, combine all the fruit and add the dressing, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Just before serving, add the sweetened whipping cream and pecans. Mix together and serve in your prettiest bowls.
This will serve 8 comfortably or 4 hungary people. It is so yummy! Makes my mouth water just putting this together.
This bodes well for breakfast, served with fresh homemade muffins or for lunch with hot buttered buns. Oh yeah, here a glass of white wine will really finish it off.
Melba Sauce
This is great even with vanilla ice cream. Serve with fresh raspberries over a cool pannacotta or fresh peaches.
- 1 quart fresh raspberries, pureed
- 1/4 cup red currant jelly
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 2 tbsp. water
- sugar to taste
- Kirsch to taste
Combine berries, and jelly in a saucepan, over low heat. Stir until the jelly has dissolved.
Now dissolve cornstarch in water and add to the mixture, stirring contantly untl smooth and clear.
Stir in the sugar and Kirsch. Yumm……