My vegetable garden has flourished this year.  We are only hitting the end of June and I’ve had more success in just over a month than I’ve ever had with a vegetable garden.  My cucumbers are almost out of control.  In fact I’ve managed to collect anywhere from 2-6 cucumbers each day!

We’ve eaten them raw with veggie dip and made several cucumber salads.  But I decided to try my hand at pickles as a means to preserve some of the bounty.  I absolutely love pickles.  Love, love, love!  I have memories of going straight to my grandpa’s refrigerator and pulling out these gigantic  dill pickles that we would sit and eat together.  Making them myself seemed only natural.

Begin by cutting up your cucumbers.  You can do rounds or spears – I did both.

Rounds

Spears

Now you can create your own pickling spice but I chose to purchase a premixed spice since this was my first try at pickles.  I found this one in the canning isle of the grocery store and it was under $5.

In a large pot bring to a boil 2 cups water, 1 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup of the pickling spice.  When the mixture boils pour it over your cucumber slices.

see, boiling!

Mixture poured over cucumbers!

Let the mixture cool over the cucumbers for about 30 minutes.  Then, without cramming too many, fill your mason jars with cucumbers and pour remaining brine into the jars.  You can store them in the fridge at this point for up to 3 months or you can put them in a water bath for 15 minutes and then store them for up to a year in your pantry.

We put ours in the fridge knowing there is no way they’ll last more than 3 months.  The directions say to let them sit in the brine for at least two weeks before opening the jar and enjoying.  We lasted a week before we busted into the jars – and oh my word were they delicious!!!  I admit they taste different from what you get in the store because they’re not filled with chemicals.  But the taste was much crisper and fresher than I expected.

Give these a try. I promise you’ll love them.  And I know my grandpa reads my blog so I’m sure he’s uber-proud of his granddaughter’s pickle obsession!!

Let me say this right out:  I love Nutella.  It is quite possibly the world’s most perfect creation.  It is almost orgasmic to eat and on a bad day I may very well sell one of my children for a jar of the stuff.

With that said – I recently saw a recipe on Pinterest for making Nutella Popsicles.  Actually I saw several recipes.  I normally eat it straight out of the jar, but I was intrigued by the Nutella/Fudgesicle concept.  Unfortunately each recipe I saw required something I didn’t necessarily have on hand: special hazelnut flavored chocolate milk, bananas, cocoa…  This was unacceptable because, when I realized I wanted a Nutella popsicle, I didn’t want to have to wait to make them.

So I improvised.  I made up my own recipe.  I made them in about 3 minutes (minus freezing time) and the results were…well, multiply-orgasmic.

True story.

Nutella Popsicles

Get out your blender (or food processor – or hand mixer.)  Pour in 1 1/2 cups milk – whatever kind you have on hand.  Scoop in 1/2 cup Nutella.  Blend.  Pour the mixture into popsicles holders.  I got mine for about 4.99 and the straw at the bottom means you don’t lose any of the melty good stuff.  Freeze for a couple of hours.  Enjoy.

And if you don’t think this is the face of someone who enjoyed her Nutella Popsicle…well then you’re probably dead in your soul and don’t deserve one anyone.

Go make them now.  Eat one.  And come back and tell me how much they rocked your world.

I’ll wait…

*I need to preface this post with a bit of a disclaimer.  I very rarely drink.  I may have a drink or a glass of wine at a restaurant once or twice a year.  So it’s not surprising that I’m a complete lightweight and, after once of these this afternoon, I’m sitting on my couch totally buzzed.*

Two summers ago I was in California with the Yahoo Motherboard for a conference and I tried a mojito for the first time.  It was wonderful – light, refreshing, slightly sweet.

Since then I’ve ordered mojitos a numerous restaurants.  Sometimes they are great, but more often than not they are just too tart.  I have a hard time enjoying any drink that makes me pucker while drinking.

The whole reason I planted mint in my garden this year was to learn to make mojitos.  I knew I wanted to learn to make this drink to my specifications and could easily picture Summer nights on the patio watching the kids run and play while I sipped the perfect hot weather cocktail.  Plus, I don’t feel guilty indulging in a drink now that I’m officially done with school.

Today I decided to try making a simple mojito.  I did a good bit of research online and everyone offered a different recipe.  I decided to play around and tweak one to my liking.  Here’s what I did:

-Make a simple syrup infused with mint.  Start by combining 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a pan.  Heat until the sugar dissolves.  Let the mixture cool.  As the mixture cools drop in a handful of fresh mint leaves.  This will give the syrup a nice mint flavor to compliment the drink.  This step actually makes a ton of syrup so feel free to store it in the fridge or at room temperature to use again.

-Most people use a mortal and pestle to crush mint leaves, but I don’t have one.  Instead I dropped fresh mint into a small mason jar (because I’m classy like that and don’t actually own any cocktail glasses) and crushed it with the back of a wooden spoon.  It worked just fine.

-Add ice to your glass of crushed mint.

-Add 3 ounces white rum, 1.5 ounces of the simple syrup you made, 1.5 ounces fresh lime juice, and a splash of club soda.  Stir.

-Enjoy!

I look forward to trying variations with this drink.  Up next: the coconut mojito!

Because it’s Tuesday…

Because I’m enjoying the touch of crisp Fall weather in the air…

Because I successfully defended my Prospectus yesterday and need to do something completely non academic and oppressively domestic…

And, because I want to be glutton for punishment in 10 days…

I’m making Amish Friendship Bread.  Actually, I’m making my starter.

This is one of those treats that just screams Autumn! to me.  Nothing beats having fresh, homemade bread baking in the oven on a cloudy, slightly chilled day.  Granted I don’t actually get to do any baking for 10 days yet, but I think I can handle the anticipation.  Usually someone gives you the bread starter like a chain letter – a delicious, sugary chain letter.  But, I decided to make my own.  Here is the recipe if you’re interested in doing it yourself.  If not, just hit me up in 10 days when I’m trying to pawn off the starters from this batch on anyone that will take them.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.

3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions below:

Day 1 – receive the starter
Day 2 – stir – (you can pour your starter into a gallon plastic bag at this point to make the process easier – this way you can just mush the bag instead of actually stirring the contents)
Day 3 – stir
Day 4 – stir
Day 5 – Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.
Day 6 – stir
Day 7 – stir
Day 8 – stir
Day 9 – stir
Day 10 – Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Pass along the starter and instructions to friends!

After removing the 3 cups of batter, combine the remaining cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter with the following ingredients in a large bowl:
2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix until well blended. Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour.  Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

Now, this will certainly add a good 10 pounds to your thighs and middle.  And for that I am sorry.  But remember: Fall is here and any extra weight can be hidden behind light layers.  Happy Baking!