Cucumber Salad w/vinegar dressing

Years ago, I thought I would ALWAYS only like cucumber salad with the creamy kind of dressing on them.  As I aged, that changed--  I now like them this way, too.  Now, after this impending snow storm gets here today and "does its thing", we'll be that much closer to summer and..... closer to having cucumbers from the garden!!!


INGREDIENTS:

4 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup white vinegar (maybe just a bit less, as desired)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste (if available, some fresh dill works well)

DIRECTIONS:

Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl.  Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, cool until "room temperature" and pour over the cucumber and onions.  Stir in dried dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold.  This can also be eaten at room temperature, but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least one hour.

PIE Filling Cake

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 chocolate cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 large container of Cool Whip-- OR 8 oz. whipping cream, whipped.

DIRECTIONS:

Pour four cups of mini-marshmallows a greased 9x13-inch cake pan,
Prepare cake as directed on box.  Pour over layer of marshmallows.
Spoon cherry pie filling evenly over cake batter.
Bake at 350-degrees for about 50 minutes (or until toothpick inserted comes out clean).
Cool cake.
Top with Cool Whip (or whipped cream)

Note:  Could try peach, strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry pie filling with a white (vanilla) cake mix;  OR try apple pie filling with a spice or carrot cake mix.

Serves 15.

Pickled Foods (from Judy N.)

PICKLED BEETS

Select small, young beets, cook until tender, dip into cold water.  Peel off skins.  Make the following syrup:

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups strong white vinegar
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 TABLESPOON cinnamon

Pour over beets and boil 10 minutes  Pack into sterilized canning jars and seal at once.

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PICKLED CARROTS (SWEET)

1 quart white vinegar
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon mace
1 quart sugar
Stick of cinnamon

Boil young carrots until skins slip.  Remove skins, slice or leave whole.

Combine the spices in a little cheesecloth bag.   Heat the "pickling mixture" until boiling hot.

Pour boiling hot syrup made of vinegar, sugar and "bagged" spices over the carrots.  Let stand overnight, then bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove sp;ices and pack carrots into clean canning jars.  Fill to within 1/2 inch of top of jar with the hot spiced syrup.  Put on cap, screwing the band "firmly tight".  Process 10 minutes in water bath. 

PICKLED CRAB APPLES

Choose sound crab apples uniform in size.  Do not peel them.  Make a spiced syrup by heating together:

1 quart white vinegar.
3 cups water.
4 cups sugar.
1 tablespoon EACH of cinnamon, and cloves.
1 teaspoon EACH of mace and allspice.
Crab apples.

DIRECTIONS:
Tie spices loosely in cheesecloth bag.  This is enough syrup for about 5 pints.  When cool, add crab apples, and heat slowly, being careful not to burst the fruit.  Let stand in syrup overnight.  Next morning remove spice bag and pack apples without reheating into clean canning jars, and fill to within 1/2 inch of top of jar with syrup.  Put on cap, screwing the band "firmly tight" .  Process in water bath at simmering temperature (180-degrees) for 20 minutes.

Baked Pork Chops (without the commercial "cream of" soups)

I've made baked pork chops through the years and liked them a lot--  but, the recipes I had and used  called for commercially-canned "cream of" soups.  With the additives in them, I prefer to NOT use them.  That's why this recipe "jumped at me"--  I've baked the pork chops like this quite a few times, already, and I don't want to lose this.

INGREDIENTS:  

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. Paprika
1 and 1/2  tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

4-6 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup butter

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced (or equivalent of lemon juice)

2 cups milk
1/2 cup additional flour*

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the 1/2 cup of flour, Paprika, salt and pepper on a plate, or in a pan.  Dredge pork chops in this mixture.

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add chops; brown on both sides.  Transfer to a shallow baking dish, set aside; add onion to skillet and saute` until tender.

Combine the 2 cups milk and the last 1/2 cup flour-- whisk or shake this until completely smooth.  (I like to give this mixture a few spins in a blender-type appliance to eliminate any lumps.)   When smooth, pour into the skillet with the sauteed onions.  Stir/whisk constantly until sauce is "bubbling/boiling" and thickened (continue "cooking" this for at least 2-3 minutes to "cook the flour").

Pour this hot sauce over the pork chops in a shallow baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour.  (Because oven temperatures vary, check "progress" at 30 minutes and 45 minutes, to see if you might need to lightly cover them.)

* I use whatever was left of my first "dredging flour mix" as part of this 1/2 cup amount.  Because that "dredging flour" already has salt/pepper/Paprika in it, I do not add more seasoning.