Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Morning in the Kitchen



I find myself making more and more of those things I used to purchase ready-made and oh-so-convenient.  It’s a conscious choice, not one dictated by saving money, that’s for sure.
Today happens to be a heavy-duty cooking day as I make dog food, bread-and-butter pickles, and roasted vegetables.
Here’s the list of what I now make that I used to buy:
Dog food and dog treats
Yogurt
Apple sauce
Challah
Soups
Pickles
Salad dressing
Although I haven’t actually tasted the dog food, I think every one of the other items tastes much better in its homemade form.  And good taste is worth the investment of my time, at least right now.  I also like the fact that I know exactly what I'm eating -- there are no additional ingredients to promote taste or increase shelf-life.
In case you find yourself craving some delicious pickles, here’s my recipe:
Bread and Butter Pickles
15 cups sliced pickling cucumbers
3 onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarse salt
4 cups cracked ice
2-1/2 cups cider vinegar
2-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  1. Combine cucumbers, onions, salt, and ice in a large bowl.
  2. Mix well.
  3. Put a weight on an allow to stand 3 hours.  (A plate or an inverted lid with something heavy on top works well.)
  4. Drain thoroughly.
  5. Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, and mustard seed in a large pot.
  6. Add drained cucumbers.  
  7. Place pot on medium low heat.
  8. Bring almost to a boil, but DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
  9. Remove from heat.
  10. Seal in sterilized jars and cook 10 minutes in a water bath.
The pickles are delightful with tuna fish or with anything that needs that sweet and sour taste.

4 Comments:

Blogger Kristin said...

You're making me hungry. :)

6:12 PM  
Blogger Gary said...

Oh, how I would love to have this kind of motivation. Brava!

9:28 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Kristin -- I'm sure the picture of the raw meat for Jake's dog food wasn't what was making you hungry! :)

Gary -- I now have the luxury of time. It was when I had young children and a full-time job that I had to rely on many convenience foods. There are only so many hours in the day!

9:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can vouch for those pickles! :-)

F.

11:55 AM  

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