If You Can't Go To Capri Make Caprese Salad

The tomatoes are here! The tomatoes are here!  Yes, it's early August and tomatoes are more than plentiful.  There are so many of them right now it's hard to think of things to make with all of them.  Okay, you have put them on sandwiches and in salads, and stuffed them and baked them and made tomato pie and enjoyed them sliced with a little salt and pepper.  My grandmother ate hers with a little sugar on them.  Then, there is canning and freezing them and there are still mountains of tomatoes.  What to do, what to do?  You surely don't want to waste any of that heavenly summertime goodness.

One of my favorite salads to make is a Caprese salad. (Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania - Wikipedia) What is a Caprese (cuhPRAYzay) salad you ask?  It is one of the easiest and tastiest salads you can make, especially with heirloom tomatoes which are plentiful and inexpensive right now.  You can also use your favorite red tomatoes like beefsteak or better boy if you prefer.

"Heirloom Tomatoes have flavors, colors and textures that are quite different than regular store bought tomatoes. These are the varieties that our grandparents and great grandparents grew many years ago that are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and cancer preventing agents. The colors normally determine the amount of acidity, darker colors are more acidic and lighter colors are less acidic."  www.tastefulgarden.com

For the salad in the picture, I used a Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato, a Pineapple heirloom and a Green Zebra heirloom.  They are not the red tomatoes we have all become accustomed to, but are what tomatoes originally were before hybrid varieties became popular.  The Cherokee Purple is probably my favorite tomato.  It is a heavy, meaty tomato that is sweet and juicy - absolutely delicious and is so dark that it is almost purple.    The Green Zebra is a smaller tomato that is a little bit tart, but so amazing that I cannot say enough good things about it.  The Pineapple is also delicious - big, yellow,  meaty,  and super sweet like the Cherokee Purple.  We have these tomatoes growing in our garden, but they can also be purchased at local farmer's markets.

To make the Caprese salad, you will need whole fresh tomatoes, a package of fresh mozzarella cheese (I get mine at Aldi's because it's inexpensive and good), fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.   Slice your tomatoes and mozzarella, putting a piece of fresh mozzarella cheese between each tomato slice.  I used 3 tomatoes and 1 package of fresh mozzarella to make the salad in the picture.  You can stack the tomatoes and mozzarella like a sandwich using 2 tomato slices with a slice of mozzarella wedged between them and a piece on top, or layer them around a serving platter like the picture above.   Take a handful of fresh basil leaves and tear them into pieces.  Sprinkle the basil over all the tomatoes then salt and pepper.  (You can leave the basil leaves whole if you prefer, just make sure each tomato slice has a basil leaf.)   Drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and you have one of the best and easiest salads you will ever make or consume!  I also like a little balsamic vinegar drizzled over mine, but I do that on my plate since Dan is not a fan.

This is a salad you can eat for your main course or you can serve it as a side dish.  My understanding is Caprese salad is traditionally eaten before a meal like an anti-pasti.  It is beautiful to look at and even better to eat!  The sweet, heavenly smell of the basil and olive oil combined with the juicy tomatoes and soft, mild mozzarella is one of the finest summertime treats I can think of.  Nature blesses us with amazing things to enjoy and this is certainly among the best.  Oh summer, how you delight us with your wondrous bounty.    Give yourself and your family a real summertime treat.  Make them a wonderful Caprese salad.  Simple, easy, made with love.  There is nothing better.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard

Life's Short, Eat Dessert First!

We had company for dinner last night and it has been so hot, I wanted to serve a lovely, cool dessert.  First thing that came to mind was profiteroles filled with delectable Jeni's Splendid ice cream and home made chocolate syrup.  Yep, that was what it was going to be.

Don't know what a profiterole is?  It's a small cream puff.  Is it delicious?  Oh yes it is.  Easy to make?  Absolutely!  Here is what you need and all you have to do:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and water to a rolling boil.  Add the flour and stir vigorously over low heat until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. (it will pull away from the sides of the pan suddenly)  Remove from heat.    It will look like this:

Add eggs one at a time beating thoroughly after each addition.  Now, it will look like this:

To make small profiteroles, use a tablespoon and drop the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet several inches apart because they will get bigger as they bake.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes for small puffs.  If you want to make regular sized cream puffs, drop several tablespoons of dough to make each mound and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Bake until puffed, lightly browned and dry.  They will sound "hollow" when you tap on them with a knife.  Allow to cool.  Cut off the top 1/3 and remove soft dough from the interior and fill with desired filling.  

You can make savory puffs by filling with ham salad, crab salad, chicken salad, pimento cheese, the choices are endless.  These make beautiful and tasty hors d'oeuvres.  If you are wanting a dessert, fill them will cream fillings, lemon curd, or ice cream.  Cream puffs have been one of my all time favorites since childhood and I have been making this recipe for years.  

Profiteroles make a lovely presentation and you can choose any flavors of ice cream.  Sometimes they are done in a neapolitan style with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry or you can be creative and chose flavors that you love.  All 3 can have the same flavor of ice cream, it is just a little more interesting to serve different flavors.   For this dessert, I chose these flavors of Jeni's Splendid ice creams - Pistachio and Honey, Coriander Raspberry and Brown Butter Almond Brittle.  Jeni's was named one of the top ten ice creams in the country recently and we happen to have a store right in our neighborhood.  It's the first store outside of Ohio where they are based and boy, are we lucky.

To fill each profiterole, I used about 1 tablespoon of ice cream in the "cavity".  It doesn't take much to fill the small puffs.  Place the top back on the puff.  To top the profiteroles, I made a home made chocolate sauce and this is the recipe:

1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla

Blend all the ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil on the stove at a medium high temperature.  Stir continuously to keep from burning.  When sauce comes to a boil, stir continuously for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Add 1/4 tsp vanilla.  Stir.  Let cool and pour into a pitcher or jar and store in refrigerator.  This sauce will keep for several weeks.

If you are looking for a truly decadent dessert - impressive, but easy - this is it.  I hope you will give it a try.  I know you're going to like it!!

Everyday Donna


Things to Remember:

Ice cream is happiness condensed.  ~Jessi Lane Adams

Preserving Summer Bounty The Easy Way

Tomatoes are one of summer's most joyous food gifts.   They are nothing like the awful, mealy, mushy, tasteless things we buy in the winter.   Summertime tomatoes are red, juicy, meaty and a wonderful addition to any dish, sandwich or salad.  Summer tomatoes are fabulous eaten sliced with just a pinch of salt sprinkled on them, or maybe with a drizzle of olive oil and a little fresh basil.  Oh, add some fresh mozzarella and you have a wonderful Caprese salad.  The options are endless.

But, it's time to think ahead.  It's time to think of the cold winter days that will be upon us and how we will miss these wonderful summer delights.  There is a really simple way to preserve them for those cold days when you can only dream about the juicy, red, ripe, meaty, full of flavor tomatoes you enjoyed in the summer.

Tomatoes are so plentiful right now that you can purchase them at farmer's markets for such a reasonable price you can't pass them up.  I purchased a bushel of beef steak tomatoes for $10.00 this weekend at the Nashville Farmer's market.  They are not the big huge tomatoes that you often see, but are a great size to freeze.  Yes, I said freeze.  It is so much easier than canning, cheaper because all you have to buy is freezer bags, and  safer too if you don't know what you are doing.

All you need are ripe tomatoes and a box of quart sized freezer bags.  Simple.  No sterilizing of jars, no water bath canner or pressure canner needed.  Here is what you do.

A bushel of tomatoes is a lot of tomatoes, so first sort through them, remove any that may have bad places on them or may be getting really soft and discard them.  I had a few in that category.  Next, wash them in the sink to remove any stems or dirt.  Fill a stock pot or deep pan with water and put it on the stove to boil.  I used two large bowls to hold tomatoes,one for before boiling and one for after boiling, a smaller bowl to hold the cores and skins and a large bowl filled with ice water.  I also used my canning funnel to fill the bags and a large long handled spoon to put the tomatoes into the boiling water and remove them from the boiling water.

Be aware when filling your pot with water that the tomatoes will displace the water, so you don't want to fill it to the top so that it overflows when you put tomatoes into the water.  You want the water to be at a rolling boil when you add tomatoes.  Don't do too many at a time, because you boil them for only 1 minute and then quickly remove them to a bowl filled with water and ice cubes to quickly stop the cooking.  Boiling the tomatoes loosens the skin so you can easily peel them with your hands.

The hot tomatoes will quickly melt the ice cubes, so I kept a pitcher filled with replacement ice to add to the bowl.  Because the ice melts and adds to the water level in the bowl, pour some of it out at intervals so the bowl doesn't overflow.  (Pour the water out with NO tomatoes in the bowl.)  Leave the tomatoes in the ice bath for a minute or two,  remove the tomatoes from the ice water and begin to core them and peel the skins.  The skins will slip right off.  Place the cored and peeled tomatoes into another big bowl until you are ready to quarter them and place them in bags.

I did this whole process sort of "assembly line" style.  I kept the clean tomatoes in a large bowl in the sink.  I filled a bowl with tomatoes then transferred them to the counter near the stove.  I placed some tomatoes in to boil for 1 minute.  I quickly removed them with my big long handled spoon and dunked them in the ice water bath.  I then put them on a cutting board to core and peel.  After coring and peeling, they were placed in another large bowl waiting to be quartered and bagged.    So, I had some tomatoes boiling, some in the ice bath while I peeled and cored tomatoes and then into the holding bowl.  It only took me about an hour to do the bushel of tomatoes.

Once all of the tomatoes were done, I used a tupperware bowl that holds 3 cups of liquid and quartered tomatoes until the bowl was full.  Each time the bowl was filled,  I took a one quart zip lock freezer bag, placed my canning funnel (which has a very wide mouth) inside the bag.  I held the bag and funnel in one hand while I poured the quartered tomatoes into the funnel with the other hand.  You may have to shake the funnel a bit to get all of the tomatoes into the bag.  Leave about 1 inch of headroom in the bag, pull the "zipper" almost closed, squeeze the bag to remove all of the air and finish closing the zipper.  I quickly filled the bags this way and there was no spillage or mess everywhere.

Just look at the beautiful red color on those tomatoes.  I had 8 quart bags when I was finished.  Place these into the freezer and you will have delicious, juicy, flavor filled tomatoes to use for soups, stews and sauces all winter long.  Yes, I am heading back to the farmer's market for more tomatoes now that I know how easy this process is!  Perhaps you have a bounty of tomatoes coming in from plants you are growing and don't know what to do with them all.  This is a really easy method to save that summer goodness.

Tomorrow, there will be more dipping, dunking, peeling and bagging going on in the kitchen at the little yellow cottage.  Who knew freezing tomatoes could be so easy?  Give it a try.  You will thank me in December.  I know I will thank me all winter long.

Everyday Donna


Things To Remember:

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." - Laurie Colwin

Florentine White Bean Soup - YUM

Today was errand day - in the heat.  The really, really hot heat.  The super humid unbearable heat.  The summertime makes you sweat heat.   The "I don't want to go outside" heat.  Yes, 99% humidity this morning before 7 am heat.  The "it's been above 90" every day and it's not even August yet heat.  This kind of heat saps your energy and makes you lazy.  At least, that's my excuse  (not sure what your excuse is).  Anyway, after lots of trips to and from, up and down, in and out of the car today, (in the heat) I did not want to cook dinner, but I certainly did not want to go back out in the heat.

I try to keep some "basics" in my pantry at all times.  I always have chicken stock in a box, there are always some cans of beans, tomato sauce, you know - the basics.  Well, it was time to think about dinner and I did not want to grill because that meant going outside  - yes, in the heat.  I know it's hot, but I am always up for a good bowl of soup especially if it's as quick and easy as this recipe.  Yum, Yum, Yum.

This recipe is from a Williams- Sonoma book called Food Made Fast - Soup.  Those are my three most favorite words, food made fast.  Soup is probably my most favorite food.  It is the one thing I really like to eat "left over."  Otherwise, I am not always a big fan of left overs.  Fortunately, I had everything on hand to make this delicious Florentine White Bean Soup.

What does "Florentine" mean?  It means there is spinach in the recipe and we love spinach so this is what we had for dinner with mozzarella/basil quesadillas.  Yes, my own little "side" invention for this evening's dinner.  Here is the recipe for this quick and easy soup.  It gives you protein, fiber, vegetables and deliciousness at a really reasonable price!  It only takes about 30 minutes to make and is waaaaaaay better than a can of Campbell's or Progresso.  Here is what you do:

Ingredients:

Olive oil, 2 TBSPs
5 slices bacon  (the recipe calls for Pancetta but it's too hard to find and it is just Italian bacon)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 TBSP tomato paste
4 cups (1 box) chicken broth
2 cans (14.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed  (white kidney beans are the same thing)
2 cups fresh baby spinach

salt and freshly ground pepper
a pinch of red pepper flakes (that is my addition, you don't have to use it)

1.  Sautee the vegetables

Lay the bacon slices on top of each other and cut the bacon across the grain in 1/2 inch  slices.    Heat up your large saucepan over medium heat.  Saute the bacon until it is brown and remove it from the pan, draining on paper towels.  Drain all the remaining bacon fat from the pan.  Put the pan back on the stove and add 2 TBSPs of olive oil.  Add the onions and carrots and saute until they are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.

2.  Finish the Soup

Stir in the tomato paste, mixing well.  Add the broth and the beans.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted and the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.  Add the bacon.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.  Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

This is a 30 minute meal.  It is filling and delicious.  I know, I spent the first paragraph talking about the heat and then I recommend soup for dinner.  I don't consider soup just a cold weather meal and we have left overs for lunch tomorrow.  Yay!

For my sandwich accompaniment, I made mozzarella quesadillas.  Yes, it's a mix of food cultures but it really works!  Here is what I did:

Flour tortillas
mozzarella cheese - you can use fresh, shredded or slice some from a block
fresh basil leaves
olive oil

Heat a large skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Place mozzarella slices or shredded mozzarella on 1/2 of the tortilla and chifonade the basil leaves and sprinkle them over the mozzarella.  Fold the other half of the tortilla over the cheese.  Put the quesadilla in the hot oil and cook until the cheese begins to melt and the tortilla starts to brown.  Lift it up with a spatula to see how it is browning.  When it has reached the color you want, flip it over and brown on the other side.  Remove from pan and cut into pieces.  I made us each one for supper and it is a great "sandwich" for the soup.  So good!

 Don't be frustrated by the heat.  Stay inside where it's cool and fix a super quick, super easy, super tasty meal for you and your family.  There's always time for a home cooked meal.  Enjoy!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

“A home is a place where a pot of fresh soup simmers gently on the
hob, filling the kitchen with soft aromas… and filling your heart,
and later your tummy, with joy.”~ Keith Floyd

 

Think Outside The Box

Are you always looking for solutions to storage problems?  As we all know, it can get very expensive buying containers.  Well, it's time to think outside the box.  There are products we use everyday that come in great packaging that could be the answer to your problems and they won't cost you anything extra.  All it takes is a little time to remove the labels.

In the picture is a metal canister that contains a Republic of Tea that we like to drink,  a Gerber formula box and a container for Swiffer Sweeper Wet Mop refills.  These are all great answers to storage issues.  All you have to do is remove the labels and - ta dah! -  you have some great storage boxes that did not cost you one extra dime.

The Gerber box and the Swiffer box are excellent to use because they are flat on top and you can easily stack them on shelves.  These are wonderful for storing craft items, small pieces to children's toys and even to use in your husband's workshop or garage.  You could use a marker or printed label on each one so that you know what it contains.  You could also use the Swiffer box to store crayons, scissors, glue, markers, etc. - perfect for a children's art box.

Another possible use for these would be to wrap gifts in.   Just add some paper and a ribbon and you have  a box saved from eternity in a landfill and potential storage all at the same time.

If you feel really creative and industrious, there are a million different ways to decorate these boxes to "jazz" them up a bit.  Think what you could do with some Modge Podge and tissue paper or fabric.   Perhaps one of these decorated boxes would be perfect to hold gifts you make for giving.  There are endless options here.

I happen to have glue sticks and a glue gun stored in this Swiffer box and it is so handy when using hot glue because it sits flat, it's stable and the lid snaps off and on easily, and I can remove one stick at a time as needed.  Make sure your glue gun is cool before putting it back in the box.  There are  jewelry and hair findings in the formula box and beads in the tin.  The tin has a tight fitting lid which is really great for  storing beads because it doesn't pop off easily.   It would also be good to use for button storage or anything else you can think of.    Teachers, think of all the possibilities for art projects and storage!  

Every time you purchase a product, look at the package and consider uses for it - especially if it is metal or plastic with a good lid.   The possibilities are endless, it can save you a lot of money and our planet will love us for  making use of it and not tossing it in the landfill.  It's time to start thinking!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Always think outside the box!  Many inventions and discoveries happen that way.

A Way To Keep Cool In The Heat

We don't need a weather prognosticator to tell us that it is hot, going to be hot, or getting hotter.  All we have to do is walk outside!  Oh my goodness it has been hot for the last week.   

We have a really big yard to mow and Dan pushes a mower.  No riding mower here sad to say.  He tries to wait until it cools down a bit toward evening to do the mowing, but it is still hot and we are not kids anymore.  

I know there are products on the market that can be purchased to help keep you cool, but this is my solution that I came up with after a visit to, where else, the Dollar Tree.  

They had a bunch of bandanas that were selling two for a dollar.  They are polyester and not 100% cotton, but you can purchase those at Hobby Lobby or Michaels and they cost a bit more.  I grabbed a couple of packages of the bandanas because I thought I can do something with those, just don't know what.  As I picked up some other things I needed, I came to the aisle where they have things like bandaids, and I came across these. 

  And my brain went, WOW!  I know what I can do with these bandanas. (This is the way my brain works sometimes - kind of backwards).   So, I purchased several of the hot or cold packs along with my bandanas and headed for home.  Ideas were already formulating.

I thought about the best way to make my "idea" and this is what I came up with.  I cut a bandana in half on the diagonal like this.  Fold the bandana into a triangle and run your scissors along the fold to make two triangles.

 I wanted to make a pocket to hold the cold pack so I measured it folded in half long ways (horizontally) to know how deep to make the pocket.  I needed the pocket to be 3 and 3/8 inches deep.  

Then, I zigzagged the cut edge of the bandana by turning it under about 1/4 inch ( or it could be serged - my serger is not cooperating at the moment.)  I use clear thread when I do these projects so I don't have to keep changing colors.  Yes, it works in the bobbin too.

Next, I folded the zig zagged edge down  3 and 3/8 inches and began stitching 2 inches in from the point where the fold meets the edge of the bandana.   I wanted the "pocket" to be snug so the ice pack would not slide around when put into the bandana, and it  also allows the cold pack to bend around your neck.  *Be sure and start sewing 2 inches "in" and finish sewing 2 inches before the end.*  Backstitch your sewing at the beginning and end to make sure the stitching does not come out.  I stitched this seam several times so it would be really sturdy and not rip out when putting the cold pack in the pocket. 

You can put the cold pack in the bandana by folding the cold pack in half and sliding it into the "pocket".  You can place the whole thing in the freezer and take it out when you are ready to go out into the heat.  Or, you can put just the cold pack in the freezer and put it in the bandana when you are ready to wear it.  I had Dan wear it to try it out and it stayed cool for about 1 and 1/2 hours in extreme heat with heavy "exercise".  I keep a spare cold pack in the freezer so that he can change it out if he needs to.  The cold pack can be removed to launder the bandana and then you can put it back in the pocket and store in the freezer until the next use.  

I made these in several different colors and you can get two out of each bandana. I did buy all the cold packs they had at our Dollar Tree and could not find them at any of the others because each store does their own ordering.  But, do not despair!!!  You can find them at Wal Mart, Target, and the big chain drug stores.  They are not much more expensive there.

I sent a couple to my friend Lindsay who works outside with her horses a lot and she reported today that she is very excited about them.  She said they kept her from scorching in the heat.  That made me happy to know they are serving their purpose.  My daughter in Dallas wants some because it is so hot there and she likes to walk or sometimes she likes to work in the yard and the heat is almost unbearable at times.  It was 110 every day for two weeks last August when we were there helping out after the newest family member arrived. Let me tell you, that is HOT!  She took the boys to the zoo last week and got a little overheated.  These will certainly help that situation!   I also sent some home with my sister today.  Her husband is an electrician and works in new construction and attics with no air conditioning.  He's going to like them I guarantee you!  

These will be a real help to anyone who is out in the heat for whatever reason.    You could take a spare cold pack or two with you in a cooler to get you through the day.  This is about a 20 minute sewing project and is so easy to do.  If you would like to have some of these and you don't sew, message me and I will talk to you about making some for you.  

Give this project a try.  You could make someone's day!  They would be an awesome gift - very inexpensive and so thoughtful.  Have fun sewing!

Everyday Donna

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.  ~Russel Baker

Pickles and Preserves

Bread and butter pickles.  Yum yum.  I love pickled things and these have been on my "to do" list for a week or two.  Saturday, I purchased cucumbers that are specific for pickling.  It was too hot to do anything outside today, so I made bread and butter pickles and peach preserves.  Oh boy! 


Why are they called bread and butter pickles?  I have often wondered that myself, so I did a little research today and this is what I found.


According to egullet.com, bread and butter pickles are named such because during the Depression, they were as regular a part of a diet as bread and butter. The difference between bread and butter pickles and sweet pickles is just a few ingredients. Sweet pickles use cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a vinegar-sugar brine. Bread and butter pickles are made with turmeric. mustard, and onion in a vinegar-sugar brine.

This is what I do know about these pickles -  they are so good and really easy to make.   Here is what you do.

Ingredients:

3 pounds pickling cucumbers (they are small, no more than 6 inches long)

1 pound white or yellow onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup pickling or kosher salt (do not use iodized salt as it will turn your pickles "muddy")

1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 TBSP mustard seed

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 tsp celery seed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

6 all spice berries

6 whole cloves

1/2 tsp turmeric

3  1-qt canning jars with new lids, or 6 pint jars with new lids

1 large bowl to hold cucumber slices and onions

1 8 - 10 qt pan for the pickling process (use a non-reactive pan, enamel or stainless steel)

Sterilize your jars by washing them in the dishwasher or by hand.  When sterilizing them in the dishwasher, make sure you give yourself time for the cycle to complete before making your pickles.  If you do them by hand, place them in a cake pan and put them in a 200 degree oven for at least 10 minutes.  Put the lids and rings in a bowl.  Boil some water and pour it over the lids to sterilize.  You want your jars to be hot when you put the cucumber and vinegar syrup in, so you can do this right after you rinse and drain your cucumbers. (see directions below)

Next, you want to scrub each cucumber to make sure all the dirt has been removed.  Then, slice about 1/8 inch from each end of the cucumber and slice the remainder into 1/4 inch slices.  Pickling cucumbers are small, no more than 6 inches long.

Next, peel and slice your onions very thin.  Place all cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and pour in the 1/4 cup of salt.  Using your hands to mix, distribute the salt evenly throughout the pickle/onion mix. 

Now, place a thin tea towel over the bowl of cucumbers and onions (not terry cloth) and cover with ice cubes.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

After removing the cucumbers from the refrigerator, take the towel and ice cubes off the bowl.  Using a colander, wash and rinse the cucumbers and onions TWICE, letting them drain after each rinse.  *Now is the time to sterilize your jars in the oven if doing this method.*

Now, it's time to prepare your pickling liquid.  Put the 1 1/4 cups white vinegar, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 1/4 cups sugar, 1 TBSP mustard seed, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 3/4 tsp celery seeds, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 6 all spice berries, 6 whole cloves and 1/2 tsp turmeric in an 8 to 10 quart pan.  Bring this mixture to a boil.  Once sugar has dissolved, add the sliced cucumbers and onions.  Let mixture come to a boil again.  As soon as the vinegar solution starts to boil again, use a slotted spoon to start packing hot jars with cucumbers and onion slices.  I used a funnel to make sure they don't spill everywhere.  

Pack the jars with the hot vegetables.  Go to within 1 inch of the jar rim.  I used a ladle and poured the vinegar syrup over the vegetables to 1/2 inch from the jar rim.  Be sure and wipe the rims of the jars clean or the lids may not seal.  Place a sterilized lid on each jar and secure with a metal ring.  As the jars cool, you will hear the lids "pop" which means they have sealed.  If you do not plan to use these pickles soon, you will need to process the jars in a water bath.  I will just store mine in the refrigerator, so this method is all I need to use.  If the lids do not seal properly, the pickles will need to be consumed within 2 weeks.  Another way to know the lid has sealed properly is, it will not move up and down under pressure.  That is in case you do not hear the "pop."

 I plan on making more pickles later and they will be stored outside the refrigerator.  Then,  I will use a water bath method to seal the jars.  You can find information on using a water bath method on the internet.

I also made peach preserves today.  I did not want to waste one morsel of the delicious peaches we have been getting from the farmer's market.  We will be happy to enjoy a "mouthful of sunshine" when it's cold outside and there are hot biscuits on our plates and wonderful, sweet summer peaches preserved for us.  I will tell you how to make those tomorrow!  They are super easy.  

Our house smells of good things to eat and I can't wait to dig in to those bread and butter pickles.  They need to sit for a few days so that the cucumbers absorb all of the delicious flavors of the spices and vinegar syrup.  

I am impatiently waiting for the tomatoes in our garden to start ripening, because boy howdy, do I have plans for those -  tomato preserves, green tomato chow chow, freeze some for soups and stews.  Oh, I just can't wait.  Take a little time and preserve some summertime goodness for you and your family to enjoy when the weather has turned cold and summer seems far away.  It's so easy.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally's cellar."Thomas Jefferson