Refrigerator Pickles; Easy peasy!

I planted cukes, pumpkins and nasturtiums all in the same row. Now I have a jungle of green leaves with bright orange and yellow blossoms everywhere. Quite charming! A day or so ago I decided to peek beneath the leaves and see what was happening down there. To my surprise there were 10 chubby little cucumbers lying there in the shade! Hmmm, what to do with 10 cukes? I gave a few away, but that left me with 6. Too few for a batch of pickles. Too many for hubby and I to eat. Then it came to me...surely there must be recipes for pickles that you don't can...that you just make and refrigerate. A little search of the web, and sure enough; refrigerator pickles! I made a couple of jars today...it was as easy as pie! I'm thinking that I'll probably keep making little batches as long as I can get cukes that are fresh and small enough. Why not? Have you seen what they charge for pickles in the stores these days? Highway robbery! Last time I checked they wanted about $7 for a large jar of pickles in my local market. That's crazy. What does your store charge for dill pickles these days?

The recipe is from a nice blog called 'A Couple Cooks.' I liked it because it is simple, straightforward, and a small batch. Refrigerator dills last a month. I mean, realistically, how many pickles can an empty nester couple eat in a month. Two jars is probably fine.

Here's the link:  http://www.acouplecooks.com/2012/06/quick-refrigerator-dill-pickles/.

I checked out their list of recipes, and I'm going back for more. These folks cook my kind of food! 

Voila, finished result! Took maybe 20 minutes or so. 

A little advice about this recipe;  Two widemouth pint jars will hold about four sliced cukes. That is, four small to medium-ish sized ones. You don't want them too long or they won't fit into the jar. (You could slice them crosswise, but I prefer larger, crunchier chunks.) I bought a dozen jars with the intent of using the rest for freezer jam. Widemouth is the way to go for freezing jam in jars. Expansion during the freezing process can cause the curved narrow mouth jars to break--not good!
I got my coriander seeds and peppercorns in the bulk section of the store. Much cheaper for a little batch. And since my garden cilantro aka coriander is going to seed anyway, I'll for sure be collecting the seeds and drying them for future recipes. Why not? Red peppers look pretty in the jar, but they don't agree with me, so I didn't include them. But wouldn't these jars be gorgeous with some yellow and red pepper slices in them? What a nice gift they'd make!

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My Favorite Warm-Weather Recipe

It's 2:00 pm and I'm busy, busy, busy getting ready for a little camping trip we've planned for later this week. In addition to all of the chores I still need to finish, I have my last photography class tonight at 6:30. I won't be home for dinner with hubby, so I fixed something quick and easy that he can assemble when he gets home. This is my favorite warm-weather recipe (even if the warm weather has been MIA.) And it's healthy! It's from a wonderful cookbook called "Herbs in the Kitchen...a celebration of flavor." If you love cooking with herbs or are thinking of learning about cooking with herbs, this is a fantastic reference. Pretty pictures too!

Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

1 1/4 lb firm ripe tomatoes (I use 3 nice round ones for the two of us.)

2 or 3 garlic cloves...live dangerously, go with 3

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

pinch of red peppers, optional

3-4 large basil sprigs (if you don't have fresh, use dried basil to taste)

1/2 lb pasta--rotelle or other shaped pasta is nice to catch the sauce

Rinse tomatoes, core them and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Mince garlic. Mix tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

Cook pasta. When pasta is nearly done, tear basil and add to the sauce. When the pasta is just done, drain it and mix with the sauce. Serve immediately.

This recipe is so nice with Parmesan cheese and a loaf of crusty bread, if you have it.

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Spinach-Apple Salad...Coleus...Staying in the Moment

This is a wonderful salad for empty nesters. Just throw together what you have and Ta-Daaa...a healthy salad for two! (I think we've covered all the food groups with this one.)

My Spinach-Apple Salad for Two

Place in salad bowl...

A bunch of fresh spinach, washed and torn into bite size pieces

1 apple, sliced and quartered, mine was a Jonagold (don't use Grannys--too tart!)

Two or three slices of cheddar cheese, broken into pieces

Handful of sunflower seeds

Toss in dressing; however much suits your taste

Dressing

1 T. Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing

1/4 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 T. Red Wine Vinegar

3 T. Apple Juice.

Bought some coleus for the outdoor planters, but they were so beautiful that I kept them inside! Coleus are such opulent looking plants. They make me think of musty Victorian rooms with red velvet settees and heavily draped windows with filtered light and  fancy carpets from exotic places.
I'm finding these plants to be very thirsty indoors, they get droopy easily, so if you get one, keep the watering can handy.





Baron and I took a lovely walk this morning; through the park and all over town.  Walking Baron is necessary...he get's pretty antsy if he doesn't burn that lab-puppy energy. Actually, he's become my own personal fitness coach...spurring me on when I'm feeling lazy! Today I had so many things to do that it was difficult to make myself get out with him. But you know, his health and mine are just as important as spading up the flowerbeds. So I decided to leave my watch at home and just enjoy our time, no matter how long or where our walk took us. We arrived home an hour later; refreshed and ready to take on the day. Stay in the moment, friends...it's the key to happiness.