Refrigerator Pickles and Peppers

Refrigerator Pickles with Peppers and Onions

We love my mom's easy recipe for refrigerator pickles. I add a few more peppers and onions than she does, but it's pretty much the same as I remember growing up.

Refrigerator Pickles and Peppers
7 cups cucumbers, sliced
2 large peppers (red, green, banana, etc.), sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons salt
water
2 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed

• In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, peppers, onion, and salt.
• Cover veggies with water and a lid or plastic wrap and store at room temperature (80 degrees) for 24 hours.
• Reserve about 2 cups of the salty cucumber water and transfer cucumbers, peppers, and onion into canning jars or a medium bowl.
• Mix together sugar, vinegar, celery seed, mustard seed, and 1 1/2 cups salty cucumber water.
• Pour the mixture over the cucumbers to cover. Add more salty water if necessary.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours up to one month.

Notes: A mandolin slicer makes quick work of slicing the veggies.

Hungry Caterpillar Bread and Fruit Kabobs

Inspired by Eric Carle

On Gabe's birthday, his class ate through one caterpillar and one stack of fruit kabobs. I've been wanting one of the kids to pick this birthday treat ever since they started school and I started baking lots of bread. Too fun!
When I make caterpillar bread I use my basic bread recipe, but you could use a different dough or probably even frozen dough.

Hungry Caterpillar Bread

• Let the dough rise for one hour, then punch it down.
• Divide the dough into 10-12 similar sized pieces.
• Roll the pieces into balls and set on your cutting board.
• Move the largest ball (this is the head) to one end of an oiled sheet pan.
• Press to flatten the remaining balls into disks.
• Place the disks in a row on the sheet pan next to the head (all the disks should be touching and standing upright).
• Use a kitchen shears to cut eyes and a mouth into the head.
• Brush the caterpillar with oil and bake for 25 minutes at 400'.
• Remove from the oven and brush with oil.
• To serve, pull off pieces like buns.

Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Kabobs
1 large Gala apple
2 green pears
3 black plums
12 strawberries
3 Clementine oranges
12 wooden skewers
1 can lemon lime soda

• Wash apples and pears, core, cut into chunks, and place in a bowl with the soda.
• Wash plums, remove the pit, and cut into chunks.
• Wash strawberries.
• Peel oranges and separate into quarters.
• On each skewer, place one chunk of apple, pear, plum, strawberry, and orange.

Notes: Cut off the ends of the skewers if you are worried the kids might poke themselves or each other.

Mojitos - Guest Blogger Matthew Weidner

Mojitos

Guest post by Matthew Weidner.

The drink that comes to my mind when I think of summer is the mojito. I have always been a fan of anything with lime in it, so when I first touched my lips on this drink in the Dominican I was instantly in love. This drink can easily be tailored to an individual's taste by adjusting the ingredients. I like it with a little extra rum.

Mojitos
10-12 Mint Leaves
1/2 Lime, Cut into 4 Wedges
1 oz Simple Syrup
1 1/2 oz Light Rum
Club Soda
12 oz Glass
Crushed Ice

Muddle the mint leaves and limes in the bottom of the glass, fill glass 1/2 full of crushed ice, add the simple syrup and rum, and then give the mixture a good stir. Add more crushed ice until the glass is about 3/4 full, top with club soda and give another stir. You want to avoid stirring too much or the mint will come to the top and you will be picking mint leaves out of your teeth as you drink it.

Pasta with Garden Vegetables

Fresh from the garden

Only the little guy and I like this one. There are too many veggies in too chunky of a form for everyone else, but it's sooooo good that I had to post it. :)

Pasta with Garden Vegetables
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped
2 gloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 cups precooked pasta
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese, shredded

• Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and saute for 3 minutes.
• Add zucchini, oregano, salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes and pasta. Cook for 5-10 minutes until tomatoes are juiced out and soft.
• Stir in basil and parsley.
• Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Notes:  Play around with the amounts of veggies depending on what you have available. If you like it more saucy, add more tomatoes. If you have lots of zucchini to use, then add more zucchini.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cereal Bars

Rice Krispies Treats made even better with chocolate and peanut butter

Rice Krispies Treats are a well loved dessert at our house. The kids like when I add in extra goodies such as mini M&Ms or sprinkles. My favorite combo to add is chocolate and peanut butter. All six of us give this a something good rating.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cereal Bars
2 Tablespoons butter
10 oz. marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 cups cereal (Rice Krispies, Chex, Cheerios)
1 cups mini chocolate chips, divided

• Grease a 9x13 pan.
• Place butter and marshmallows in a large bowl and microwave for 90 seconds or until marshmallows are big and puffy.
• Stir in peanut butter until combined.
• Stir in cereal.
• Stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips.
• Spread in the prepared pan.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
• Put a little butter or oil on your hand and press down on the bars until you have an even layer.
• Let the bars cool and set before cutting.

Notes: Feel free to add more peanut butter and chocolate.

Hot Bacon Dressing

Lettuce and Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

This salad brings back memories of my grandma's garden. We got to help pick the leaf lettuce and spinach. Sometimes we'd eat it with supper at grandma's house, and sometimes she'd send a bag of greens home for our supper. Whether eaten at home or with grandma and grandpa, garden lettuce was always served with Hot Bacon Dressing. Each summer I look forward to my garden's fresh lettuce and spinach as a conveyance for the Hot Bacon Dressing and as a spark for those great memories. Three of us call this something good; the other three only eat the bacon.

Hot Bacon Dressing
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons dark corn syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
Leaf lettuce and spinach

• Heat a small pan over medium heat. Fry the bacon until cooked.
• Transfer bacon and grease to a small bowl.
• Add sugar, vinegar, and corn syrup. Whisk to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve tossed with leaf lettuce and spinach.

Notes: This recipe makes about 1/4 cup of dressing, but it's easy to double or triple. Also, make sure to wash the greens really well--I wash them in a tub of water, fish them out, drain the water, and repeat two more times.