End of summer project (Sweet Pickles)

When I was a little girl in southeast Nebraska, my parents had a huge garden, and Mom would spend hours preserving the goods,  whether it was the freezing, the canning, or the dehydrating.  She didn't do as much dehydrating, but I remember batch after batch, and jar after jar of her goodness being stored in the basement, in a room we called the "fruit room."  One thing she used to make was sweet pickles.  I just really didn't like these as a child, but I think it was because I remember the "scum" being on the top of the cucumbers in the brine.  It truly grossed me out.  But as an adult, I've learned otherwise!!

Last year at Christmas time, I spent a weekend with family in Nebraska, and we enjoyed Aunt Arlene's sweet pickles at lunch.  They are so yummy.  Kari, Kimber, Cindy and I decided it was time that some of us learned to make these pickles, so we set a goal to get together during cucumber season and we did just that...

When I compiled the cookbook for Kimber for her wedding gift, I typed up a recipe from her grandma, my Aunt Arlene, and I also typed up a recipe from my mom...I didn't realize it at the time, but these two recipes were basically the same, just each of these great cooks added their own twist.

Now please realize, this is not a day-long project, but more like a two-week project, but if you make them, I don't think you will be sorry. 

Sweet Pickles

Equipment and Supplies needed:
1.  A large crock or glass container (not metal) (Merri's note:  my crock broke in the early stage of processing, so I used a large plastic container...you will note this in the pictures).
2.  Canning & Pickling Salt
3.  Sugar
4.  Cider Vinegar
5.  Alum
6.  Mixed Pickling spices
7.  Canning jars, lids and rings
8.  Cucumbers--the small ones 3-6 inches in length make the best pickles

Day 1:  Wash cucumbers and remove stems and blemishes and place in crock (or other listed container).

Make a brine of 1 cup canning salt for each 2 quarts of water (2 cups to 1 gallon).  Heat the water enough to dissolve the salt.  Pour over the cucumbers, and cover with a plate, and weight down with a glass jar filled with water. Cover the crock with a large towel (being careful that the towel doesn't get into the water...it will act like a siphon and you will end up with brine all over the floor...and that is speaking from experience!!) Let set for a week (and yes, there may be "scum" or mold grow on top...this is normal).

On day 8:  Drain off the brine and wash the cucumbers.  Mix 1 gallon boiling water with 1 tablespoon alum and pour over the cucumbers.  Cover again with the plate, jar and towel.

Day 9:  Drain off the alum water, and prepare a fresh water/alum solution, and pour over the cucumbers.
Day 10:  Drain off the alum water, and prepare a fresh water/alum solution, and pour over the cucumbers.
Day 11:  Drain off the alum water.  Cut cucumbers into desired sizes (if they are small, you can leave them whole, or you can split into halves or fourths).  Prepare a solution of equal amounts of sugar and vinegar (for example, 8 cups sugar to 8 cups vinegar).  Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, and pour over the cucumbers.  Cover again with the plate, jar, and towel.

Day 12:  Pour off the syrup into large kettle.  Reheat syrup and for each quart of liquid, add another 1 cup of sugar (for example, for 4 quarts of syrup, you will add another 4 cups sugar).  Pour over the pickles and replace the plate, jar and towel.

Day 13:  Drain off syrup, and reheat.  Pack the pickles into sterilized canning jars.  In a small pan, bring the canning flats (lids) to a boil and set aside.  Add 1 teaspoon celery seed and 1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices to each quart (if using pint jar, use 1/2 teaspoon celery seed and 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling spices).  Pour boiling syrup over the pickles and spices.  Wipe off the rim of the jar, and place a hot flat on the jar, then screw on the ring. 

Now here is the difference between Mom and Arlene...Mom (and I) processed these in a boiling water bath, to make sure they sealed, but Arlene just let them set to seal.  If they didn't seal, then she would store them in the refrigerator.  As a dietitian and food service manager, I have a bit of a complex about making sure my pickles were processed in the hot water bath...of course, some of my family members call me the "food police." 

In Mom's recipe, she also made a note about the brine...it should be so salty that it will float an egg.  She would also wash off the pickles really good when she took them out of the salty, moldy brine.  She also mentioned that if you weren't able to get to a step on the specific day, one day wouldn't make a difference.  For example, if you weren't able to start the alum process on day 8, it would be fine to do it on day 9...but DO NOT skip a step.  Her final note was these pickles could also be ground up to be canned as pickle relish.

Now, just a side note:  when I learned to make these with Aunt Arlene, I didn't have the chance to smell the final syrup, and when I was making mine, I thought that day 13 still smelled "vinegary," so I added extra sugar...yeah, I didn't need to...now they are just very sweet pickles. 

I hope that you will each have the opportunity to do some food preservation...the rewards you will receive include the flavor of homemade goods, but also the pride in knowing that you can be self-sufficient!! 

Till next time!! :)

Trick or Treat Cookies

Work today was a great day for baking...and we had lots of overripe bananas, so made several recipes.  First a great banana bread recipe, second a banana cake recipe.  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring those recipes home, so I'll have to share those recipes another day.


Twelve years ago, I met my husband...and as they say, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."  Ok, well, I don't do a lot of "cooking," but "baking" is another story.  I love to bake...cookies, breads, cupcakes, muffins, cakes.  Tonight, on the eve of Halloween, I baked cookies for him to take to work.

I really don't have a name for them yet...maybe in honor of Halloween, I could call them "Crispy Critters," but instead, I'll keep it simple, "Crispy Chip Cookies."  So, if you are reading this, and know where my husband works, you can probably go "trick or treating" tomorrow and get a cookie!! :)

One thing I love about this time of year is the special baking items available, such as Andes Peppermint Chips, the Nestles orange and black chocolate chips for Halloween, or the Nestles red and green Christmas chips. I have been known to purchase multiple bags of these special items and put them in the freezer for use at other times of the year. 

So, till next time, I hope you enjoy this recipe:

Crispy Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 T. vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 packages Nestles orange and black chocolate chips
1 cup crispy rice cereal

In large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening, butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.  Mix well. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix completely.  Stir in the chips and cereal.  Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes, or until desired golden brown.  (I like my cookies a little less done, but my mom always liked hers darker golden).  Let cool a few minutes, then remove and place on wire rack or aluminum foil to cool.  Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

I use a small ice cream dipper (in the food-service world, it is a #40 dipper...which is about 1 1/2 Tablespoons), so my cookies are uniform sized and shaped.  If you have a child in 4-H, this is a great way to keep cookies the same sized to make the judges happy!! I should know...I used to be one of those judges.  And for those of you who want your kids to be involved in a great organization, I would highly encourage 4-H...it made a difference in my life, and helped me become the person and professional I am today. 

A Good Book Vs. Baking Cookies

Work came very early...was there at 4:50 a.m. to be exact!!  The doors weren't even unlocked yet, so sat and waited.  It was certainly hard to go, though, on such a rainy morning.  It would have been so easy to stay at home, with my cup of coffee and a good book.  Oh, wait...when working on a master's degree, I don't think there is such a thing as a "good book."  It's all about business plans, theories, research papers, and text books.

As for "good books," my favorite author is Joanne Fluke.  She writes the Hannah Swenson series, which is a mystery series based on a cookie shop in Minnesota.  These books are fun reading, pretty basic mysteries, but my favorite part...there are recipes in every book!!  Baking is one of my passions, and since the series is based on a cookie shop, there are lots of cookie recipes.  I have tried some of the recipes, and they have all been really good...and she has even written a cookbook now that features all of her recipes.  Her next book comes out in February...guess what I'll be reading then!!

Another great author is Diane Mott Davidson...also a mystery writer based on a catering business.  Also recipes included, so is right up my alley.  I have also made some of her recipes, but she includes a greater variety, including appetizers, entrees, salads, etc, and are a bit "classier."  Hmmm, I wonder if she has a cookbook available!! ;)

Now that I'm reminiscing about reading good books, I'd better leave you a recipe and get back to studying.

Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
(Recipe from Joanne Fluke's Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder)

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups corn flakes
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips

Melt the butter, add sugars, and stir together in a large mixing bowl.  Add the soda, salt, vanilla, eggs, and mix well.  Add flour and stir it in.  Measure out cornflakes and crush with your hands.  Add to the bowl, along with chocolate chips.  Mix thoroughly.  Form dough into walnut-sized balls (or use a small ice cream scooper to keep your hands clean), and place on greased cookie sheets.  Press down slightly, just to prevent them from rolling around the pan (if you use the scooper, you don't have to worry about this).  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cool slightly on pan, then remove to wire rack to finish cooking.

I've made these a couple times, and have used semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a variety of chips (such as milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate and butterscotch chips).  You can use your imagination!! :)

Till next time, I hope you either get a chance to drink coffee, read a good book, or bake cookies!!

Soup Weather

Autumn is a great time of year.  First of all, I can wear my jeans and sweaters or yoga pants and sweatshirts.  Secondly, we get to experience the turning of leaves to the rusts, yellows, oranges, and browns, and we can witness the "amber waves of grain."  I love seeing the milo (sorghum) turn it's deep rust, the corn turn golden, and the maple leaves turning a glorious red.  But probably my favorite reason for autumn...soup, chili, ham and beans, potato, homemade chicken noodle.  Yummm!!!

After church today, I put on a big pot of hamburger vegetable soup.  The smell is permeating the house, and I can even smell it simmering while being in the garage.  Of course, after simmering for a couple hours, I've had to get a bowl of it to enjoy.  It is full of veggies, potatoes, hamburger, and lots of goodness.

One thing great about soup, is it warms you from the inside out.  Today isn't by any means a cold autumn day, but this soup I'm enjoying today will be put into the freezer for future COLD Kansas days, and also for quick and easy lunches to carry to work.  This pot of soup isn't giving me "leftovers" but "planned overs" for many future meals!!

As I mentioned in my previous posting, I was raised in a family of great cooks.  Many of our family Christmas's consisted of soups and sandwiches, and Mom, Grandma, and my aunts would provide a variety of soups.  As I look in my cookbooks, I can find many soup recipes that Mom had submitted, and the following recipe is one that I've developed after "tweaking" her recipe.  I will share them both for you...then you can decide which one you like better.

I hope that you enjoy these recipes, and that you allow yourself to enjoy the beauty of this Autumn season.

"Tweaked Recipe:"

Merri's Vegetable Soup Recipe

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 onion, diced
30 oz. V-8 juice
1 zucchini, diced
1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz.) green beans
1 (16 oz.) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/8 tsp. ground oregano
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
5 beef bouillon cubes
4 cups water
1/8 cup Dorothy Lynch salad dressing


After cooking ground beef, drain and place in large stock pot.  Add remaining ingredients, and simmer for a couple hours until vegetables are tender and flavors have come together.  Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. 


"Original Recipe:"

Easy Crockpot Hamburger Vegetable Stew
(Taken from the Grandma Max's Cookbook from the Bosselman Family Truck Stops)

2 pounds hamburger, browned and drained
1 48 oz. can V-8 juice
1 (12 oz.) package frozen hash browns
1 (12 oz.) package frozen mixed vegetables
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup Dorothy Lynch salad dressing
2 cans cream of celery soup, undiluted

Mix all together and put in crockpot.  Cook for several hours until vegetables are done.  

Can you learn from reading cookbooks?

Some people think I'm weird.  I LOVE cookbooks, and I love watching cooking shows.  Maybe part of the reason I enjoy these is because I'm a dietitian and am passionate about food, but yet, I think you can learn so much about different cultures and different locations just by reading a cookbook.  You may ask how I learn about different cultures from a cookbook...well let me tell you.

I grew up in rural southeast Nebraska, in a family of great cooks.  My mom, Jo, was influential in the writing of several community cookbooks, from the church we attended, to the school we attended, and then at nursing homes where she had worked.  It was probably because of her that I found the love of cookbooks, and when I started working at the age of 16, the first thing I bought for myself was cookbooks!!  I've always said that my goal in life is to write my own cookbook, and I guess, I did so, for a wedding gift for my niece, Kimber Lane Gilbert.

Now, back to your question about learning from a cookbook...when you look at a cookbook from southeast Nebraska, you will probably find good, hearty foods, predominately with beef, pork, and chicken.  Contrast that to a cookbook you might find in Florida that might have many fish and seafood recipes, and not as many beef and pork recipes.  Even different locations within a state can be very different.  For example, out around Hutchinson, Kansas, you might find a cookbook with a strong Mennonite heritage within the pages, while in Manhattan, you might find more "healthy" recipes, as Riley County is one of the healthier counties in the state, and in other areas, the traditional "farm-type" foods of beef and pork.  I don't have any cookbooks from Alaska, but I bet they are even more different, and probably showcase some wild game, such as moose.  (I am hoping to make a trip to Alaska in 2015, though, so will probably stock up on cookbooks!!) :)

I also enjoy reading cookbooks from locations I live.  A couple weeks ago, I purchased several cookbooks from Atchison, and have enjoyed seeing how recipes have changed over the years, but also who submitted the recipes.  Did I know them?  Do I know their family members?  Were they as good of cooks as my family members were?  I think you can almost learn about other families based on these recipes.

This is a new experience for me, blogging, but I do enjoy writing, reading, baking, and unfortunately eating, and I hope that I can entertain you and educate you all at the same time.  Till next time, pick up a cookbook and see what you can learn!!

Here is a recipe for you to try in the meantime...One of my staff named them "heavenly cookies."

Heavenly Cookies

(Recipe developed by Merri (Wright) Leach)

2 c. shortening                                                                                    
1-1 ½” piece of ginger root

1 ½ c. brown sugar                                                                              
 2 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ c. sugar                                                                                        
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

5 eggs                                                                                                 
 zest of one orange

1 tsp. vanilla                                                                                        
 3 ½ c. flour

1 tsp. butter flavoring                                                                         
3 ½ c. oatmeal

1 ½ tsp. baking soda                                                                            
 1 pkg. cinnamon chips

½ tsp. salt (optional)

Cream together the shortening and sugars.  Add eggs and flavorings and mix well.  Grate the fresh ginger root, nutmeg and orange zest into sugar mixture; add cinnamon.  Mix well.  Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and oatmeal, and then the cinnamon chips.  Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, depending on desired doneness.  (Merri’s notes:  I have made these with dried ginger, nutmeg and dried orange peel and they are still good, but the freshness of the ginger root, whole nutmeg and fresh orange brighten these up.  I have also used butterscotch chips in place of the cinnamon chips.  ENJOY!!!!)