Day Pickles

I am not normally a fan of youtube but somehow I stumbled across a link for a youtube recipe video for pickles. I was intrigued and thought it sounded easy enough so I made a batch this evening. They are still marinating so it will be tomorrow before I can give a family review on them, but so far so good...they smell wonderful.

Day Pickles
by Ridel149

2/3 c. white vinegar
2 c. fill to total volume w/ water
1 T. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. powdered red pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
(spices are to your taste...adjust amounts accordingly)
2 medium-large cucumbers, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1-2 fresh peppers, sliced
1 garlic clove; chopped (optional)



Combine vinegar, water and salt in a measuring cup. Stir until salt is completely dissolved.

Add in remaining spices. Stir to blend.

Add in vegetables (using only enough that will fit into 2 c. of liquid and completely surround all ingredients.)

Cover & let sit in the refrigerator for 3 to 24 hours or until flavor is at your desired taste.

This is NOT a preserved pickle, so they will need to be refrigerated for storage.

Click HERE for printable recipe

**The day after & results are in: the pickles have set overnight in the icebox and this morning was taste test time. Hubby said they were good. Then a second or two went by and the heat factor kicked in..."they're good but they're spicy!" he remarked. We like our foods to have spice and heat, so if you are the same then this is one you'll want to try. I asked if he felt it was a "make again" product and he said yes. So there you have it.

Easy &Tasty Treat

If you know me, you know that I am a huge Gooseberry Patch fan. I have been collecting their cookbooks for years now and have been published in several of them. They are just such great books. I love the stories and tips that are included in each book. The recipes are full of everyday, staple pantry items, so they are certainly user and budget friendly recipe books. Here's a fun, easy desert from the one of their books, Church Suppers, that will make any ice cream fan happy. I'm making it for our picnic luncheon tomorrow. I can hardly wait to dig into it.

Ice Cream Delight
(recipe author: Kristen Oudshoorn of Maryland)

12 ice cream sandwiches
6 1/2 oz. can chocolate flavored whipped topping
12 oz. pkg. malted milk balls, crushed

Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches side by side on a serving platter. Spread a layer of whipped topping over sandwiches. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the crushed malt balls. Repeat layers, ending with the malt balls. Freeze for 3 hours. Serves: 8-10





For the version I made, I used mini ice cream sandwiches and one small tub of regular whipped topping that I allowed to thaw; and had only 1 layer instead of two as I used a wider casserole dish to begin with. I also didn't use all of the malted milk balls, only a 1/3rd of the box and then a handful sprinkled on top to garnish. I bet this would be great garnished with Heath candy baking pieces as well.

Click HERE for printable recipe

Fig Preserves

Some dear friends of ours offered to let me come by and pick figs from their tree. Boy was I excited about that. We love fig preserves & I had been wanting to get some of them to make a batch, but the farmer's market said they didn't know if they would even get any this year due to the lack of rain. So this is a true blessing. Thank you so much Mrs. L & Miss. J, I can't express my thanks enough to you both.

Fig Preserves
3 lbs. fresh ripe figs
3 c. sugar
1 c. water

Wash and sterilize half-pint or pint size jars, seals & bands. Keep jars hot until ready to use.


Wash and drain figs. Remove stems and then cut each fig in half, lengthwise. Set aside.


In a large, heavy pot combine water and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium and allow sugar to cook for 10 minutes.



Slowly add in figs. Increase heat and allow figs to come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 1 hr. & 20 minutes or until figs have softened completely and syrup has thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking. The figs will turn color while cooking; this is to be expected.




Ladle figs into hot jars, leaving a 1/4" head space. Wipe rims to remove any spillage. Place seal and band on each jar & tighten to fingertip tight. Process in a water bath canner 10 minutes for pints & half pints. Keep in mind that processing time does not start until after water comes to a rolling boil. Once processed, remove jars from water bath and allow to cool completely. Listen for the "ping" sound to let you know that your jars have sealed properly.

Click HERE for printable recipe

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This morning I picked a bucket full of tomatoes from our garden. Yes, it was actually a full bucket full. What better to do with all those ripe, beautiful pieces of heaven than to make spaghetti sauce. There's nothing better in the winter than pulling out a can of homemade spaghetti sauce made from vine ripe summer tomatoes. Yum, yum! This recipe yields 7 quart size jars.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
17-lbs. vine ripe tomatoes
1 large onion; chopped
1 whole pod garlic; minced
1/4 c. diced bell pepper
olive oil
a handful each of fresh basil, fresh oregano & fresh rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
5 Tblsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1/3 c. sugar
bottled lemon juice

Wash and sterilize jars, seals and lids. Keep hot until ready to use.


Pour enough oil into a large, heavy stock pot to lightly coat bottom of pot. Saute garlic, onion and bell pepper in oil until tender.




Chop herbs and add to sauteed vegetables in stock pot. Allow to cook until herbs wilt.


Core and slice tomatoes into quarters. Add to stockpot.


Cook over medium-high heat and allow tomato mixture to come to boil. Add in salt, pepper and red pepper (if using.)


Using an immersion blender, blend tomatoes until smooth and seasonings have mixed well. Reduce heat and allow mixture to cook, uncovered, until it thickens to your liking.


Remove hot, sterile jars from water bath canner. To each quart jar, add 2 Tblsp. of bottled lemon juice. If using pint jars, add 1 Tblsp. lemon juice.


Ladle hot spaghetti sauce into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims with a damp towel to make sure the area is clean. Place seals and bands on each jar. Tighten to fingertip tight. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN.


Place jars into water bath canner and bring to a full rolling boil. Process jars for a full 40 minutes. If using pints, process for 20 minutes.


Remove jars from canner and allow to cool completely. As jars cool they should "ping" letting you know they have properly sealed. Label jars and store on pantry shelf.


Click HERE for printable recipe

Texas Sweet Hot Pickles

Have you ever tried those tasty little pickle treats called "Wickles?" If not, boy are you missing out on something yummy. Our family loves them. So I decided to make my own version one day and it was a hit. So each time I have summer cukes this is a must make condiment.

Texas Sweet Hot Pickles
7 lbs. cucumbers, sliced into thick rounds
1 large onion, sliced into thin rings (about 3 c.)
1 c. pickling salt
ice cubes
12 c. water
6 c. vinegar
3 c. apple cider vinegar
7 c. cups sugar
4 Tblsp. yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp. turmeric
10 Tblsp. minced garlic
24 fresh jalapeno peppers
Pint size canning jars, seals & bands

Wash and sterilize jars, bands and seals. Keep jars hot until ready for use.


Place cucumbers, onion & pickling salt into the sink. Mix well to make sure the salt coats everything. Add in enough ice to make to sure that the cucumbers and onions are completely surrounded. Let sit for 2 hours. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP AS IT HELPS THE CUCUMBER SLICES TO CRISP UP. After your 2 hours is up, drain and rinse cucumbers & onions completely. Set aside.



In a large pot combine water, both vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, cloves, garlic, and peppers. You will want to slice one side of your jalapenos open, before adding to pot, to help release your pepper flavor and heat. (see above photo) Stir to mix. Bring mixture to a boil.


Reduce heat to med-low and add in the drained cucumbers and onions. Let mixture come to a simmer then remove from heat.


Immediately fill hot jars with pickle mixture, making sure to leave a 1/4" head space. Wipe rims clean with a damp towel to make sure rims are free of any dripage. Place seal and bands on each jar. Tighten to finger tight. Do not over tighten. Place jars in a water bath canner and process for 15 minutes. Remember that your time does not start until the water has come to a full rolling boil. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool completely. As jars cool you will hear the seals begin to "ping" as they seal. Once jars are completely cooled tighten bands. Allow jars to sit and marinade for at least 2 weeks before using to get full effects of flavor.

Click HERE for printable recipe