Dill Pickles

Homemade dill pickles...just like the ones my mother used to make...are on my 'to do' list every summer. There's just something about homemade dills that can't be found on the storeshelf! This is my mom's recipe...the same pickles I grew up with.


Ingredients:

• 10 pounds of pickling cukes (yield about 8 jars)
• 5 cups white vinegar used for pickling
• 13 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup pickling salt…coarse
• garlic pieces (peeled and cut in half)…two pieces per jar
• fresh dill
• small dried red chili peppers…one or two pieces for each jar

Method:

1. Wash cucumbers well...and leave in tub of cold water while packing jars.
2. Mix vinegar, water, sugar and the salt in a large pot. Stir the mixture well. Heat to a rapid boil on medium-high….then keep simmering while filling jars.
3. Prepare wide-mouth 1-quart jars. In each jar, put 1 piece of garlic, one head of dill, two small chili peppers and then enough cucumbers to fill the jar. Then add one more garlic piece and another sprig of dill.
4. Fill jars slowly with the hot brine and seal (being sure to clean all residue from the top of the rim of the jar first).
5. Place the lidded jars in boiling water bath for about 15 minutes…water in canner should cover the tops of the jars.
6. The pickles should be stored in a cool place for two months before serving. (So they say...I’m not sure we ever waited that long!)
   
   *If your water is hard, high in mineral content or has chlorine added, use bottled water.
   ** Pack the cukes into the jars really tight…they shrink as they are processed.

If you like a little zip to your pickles...be generous with the red chili peppers!

Enjoy!

Veggie Pizza Squares

This recipe was given to me from my friend Betti. It is the perfect substitute for a veggie platter at a shower, and is best served on the day it is made.

Crust:

-1 1/2 oz refrigerator crescent rolls

Separate crescent rolls and press into a lightly greased 9x13 pan, covering the bottom to form a crust. Bake at 350º oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

Topping:

-8 oz spreadable cream cheese

-1 oz envelope ranch salad dressing mix

-1/2 cup mayonnaise

Vegetables:

You will need a total of 2 cups of finely chopped vegetables. The amounts are a guide line, use what you enjoy.

-2 tbsp finely chopped celery

-1/3 cup finely chopped red pepper

-3 tbsp finely chopped green onion

-3 tbsp finely chopped mushrooms

-3 tbsp finely chopped broccoli

-3 tbsp finely chopped cauliflower

You can also add other colored peppers and radishes.

Mix all chopped veggies together and spread evenly over topping. Lightly press into topping. Refrigerate. Cuts into approximately 48 small squares or diamond shapes.

Blueberry Muffins

These are such good muffins, that I can hardly wait for fresh blueberry to be in season and make sure that I freeze lots.
I got the recipe from my friend Helga and they have been one of our family favorites that I would love to share with you. Just so you know that what is in the ( ) are how I changed them up to suit our families life style, the changes don't hinder the wonderful deliciously sweet muffins at all.

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil, or melted butter (1/2 c. oil)
• 2 cups sour cream (plain yogurt)
• 2 cups sugar ( 1 cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• ( I used 2 cups unbleached flour and mixed 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup oat bran minus two tablespoons which I replaced with ground flax seed)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups blueberries (you can never have too many ;^D)

1. Combine eggs, oil, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
2. Sift dry ingredients together in separate bowl.
3. Add to wet mixture, stirring until moistened, yet still a little lumpy.
4. Add blueberries and stir lightly to distribute them evenly in the batter.
5. Pour into greased muffin tins.
6. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Pesto Dip

This is a very quick and easy appetizer. If you have the ingredients on hand it only takes a few minutes to put together and it is delicious.

• 1 250 g. ( 8 oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• a small jar of prepared pesto
• oil packed, sun-dried tomatoes,
• pine nuts, lightly toasted and salted if desired

1. Beat cream cheese until light and smooth and spread on a small platter or dinner plate.
2. Spoon prepared pesto over cream cheese, leaving a bit of the cream cheese showing around the edge.
3. Arrange the sun dried tomatoes evenly over the pesto layer. If they are large, cut them into smaller pieces first.
4. Sprinkle with pine nuts and refrigerate for an hour or so to blend the flavours.
5. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.

Blue-barb Jam

Char, another gal from MGCC was so gracious to give me this recipe..I am honoured to share it here, with her permission of course. It is a unique and interesting jam..I would have never thought to put these ingredients together. You are right Char..this jam is very good on scones! And on toast or freshly baked buns..

These are the ingredients you will need:

6 cups cut up rhubarb

1 cup water

3 cups sugar

1- 540 ml can of blueberry pie filling

1- 6 oz raspberry jello powder

...as I said this is a unique recipe. Never thought to put these together did you?

Over high heat boil rhubarb and water till the rhubarb is soft stirring the whole time, this takes only a few min.

Add 3 cups sugar and blueberry pie filling, and bring back to a boil. Turn down heat to med high and boil for 8 min.

Remove from heat and add the jello powder.

Ladle into pre-washed and still hot jelly jars.

Yields: 31/2 500ml jelly jars

Here it is a bubblin' away in the pot. It is good to use a tall pot as the jam tends to splatter as it cooks..I used a tall pot and I still got some splatters on me and on the wall. I use a red floral bibbed apron when I make jams and jellies just so I stay clean and the stains never show on the apron!

It is really a very simple jam to make so go ahead and try it..just make sure you have fresh scones ready!

Rollkuchen Meatpockets

I remember the years when I was a teenager, we lived close to the church and my parents would often invite company for lunch. My mom usually had a pot of soup ready and often made Rollkuchen to go along with the soup. They were always the best!  She always said the trick is to fry them fast, in very hot oil - a cast iron pan works best. I’m posting her recipe  for variety and choice.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• ¾ c milk
• 2 Tbsp vinegar
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 cups flour - could be more
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 generous tsp baking powder
• oil for frying

Filling:

• left over sloppy joe sauce or chili

Method:

1. In small bowl, mix eggs with fork and then mix in the rest of the wet ingredients.
2. In another larger bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder, make a well and stir in the wet ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon until all ingredients are mixed well.
3. Knead slightly with hands to smooth, adding flour if needed and roll out thinly on floured board or counter.
4. Place a tsp of filling about one to one and half inches apart in a row, along one end.
5. Fold dough over top of filling and press with a cup to form a perogie like crescent. No need to pinch. Lay on floured cookie sheet until all done before proceeding to fry.
6. Heat about 3 - 4 cups of oil – test with a little dough to make sure it fries quickly, or throw in a few kernels of popcorn. Oil is ready when they pop. The trick to not having deep fried food soak up too much oil is to fry it quickly in very hot fat. Use 2 forks and have a pan lined with paper towel ready.

Don't forget dessert - a few bow ties with strawberry jam or syrup.

Summertime Leftovers Meal

In the carefree summertime it's good to have a few no pressure, no fussing meals to fall back on.
This simple meal takes less then 20 minutes to prepare and can be served up with a simple green salad and some bread. Here's my carefree pasta meal.

Cook pasta noodles of your choice to al dente and drain. Leave in pot.
Add a jar of Alfredo Sauce to the noodles and some leftover chicken.
I added leftover barbecued chicken cut up into bite size pieces.
Fresh chopped tomatoes and chopped green onion add to the visual appeal.
 Cook all ingredients together until sufficiently heated through.
Season to taste and enjoy!