Homemade Dill Pickles - YUM!

I am so excited to share this super easy and fun recipe with all of you!  My sweet Grace loves pickles so when I came across this recipe I know this was perfect for the two of us!  I love anything that saves time, is healthy and is a fun project.....Project!! 

These pickles are crazy easy to make.  My daughter is 11 and this is something she could do with her baking buddies.  They literally take minutes to make plus dill pickles are our favorite so this was just a perfect match. 

The only challenge is you need to find the perfect cucumber.  Thanks to My Frugal Adventures for the cucumber tip and this great recipe!  You want the best cucumbers that don't have that wax-y stuff on the skin.  You also don't want standard English cucumbers.  You want to find the smaller cucumbers. 

I bought 6 cucumbers which were approximately 5 inches long.  I used (2) old pickle jars (pictured above) to soak my pickles in.  You could also use (2) large mason jars. 

Homemade Dill Pickles

Ingredients

• cucumbers
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic minced or cloves
• peppercorns (this is to taste but about 20 per jar)
• fresh dill

Instructions

1. Start by cutting the cucumbers to your preference- into chips, spears or keep them whole.
2. Add the water and vinegar to a saucepan over high heat and bring to boil.
3. Add the sea salt.
4. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. Add the fresh dill into a large mason jar.
6. Add the pickles in chips or spears or whole and cram as many as you can fit in the jar.
7. Next add the whole garlic or minced garlic to the jar.
8. Add the peppercorns to the jar.
9. Once the vinegar and water has cooled completely- dump it over the cucumbers in the jar.
10. Seal the jar with a very tight lid and shake to mix all the ingredients together.
11. Pop in the fridge for 24-72 hours and Boom! All done

We made these last night and have not had a chance to try one.  Grace did take one for lunch.  I am super excited to hear her reviews when she comes home from school!! 

Make sure all you ingredients are out and you have everything. 

Grace slicing the cucumber.  I think it's a great idea to teach our children to be hands on when cooking and baking. 

Cucumbers all sliced up and ready to become pickles!!  YUM!!

Recipe Thursday - Banana Split Dessert

Banana Split Dessert

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 softened 8oz. package of cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3 bananas - sliced
1 can of crushed pineapple - drained
2 - 4 serving banana or vanilla instant pudding

Directions
Crush graham crackers to make 21/2 cups.  Mix with melted butter and sugar.  Press into 9X13 pan and freeze for 10 minutes or longer.  (the longer you freeze it the easier it is to spread the cream cheese filling) 
 Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy.  Spread over graham cracker crust.  Next spread the pineapple over evenly.  Cover with sliced bananas.  Mix pudding with 2 cups milk.  Add cool whip to pudding (1 cup).  Put on top of banana layer.  Cover and refrigerate until set (10-15 minutes).  Top with 1 1/2 cups cool whip. 
You can top you dessert with whatever topping you wish.  I like to put nuts (walnuts), cherries or strawberries.  Once you place your toppings, drizzle chocolate right before serving. 

I have made this a few times and it is always a huge hit!  The only sad part about making this dessert is you rarely come home with any left.  : )

Pinterest .....My Virtual Cork Board

Lately I have really been getting into this thing called Pinterest...have you heard of it.  :)  Well, I myself am loving it!  If you haven't tried it yet I encourage you to check it out. 

What is Pinterest?  Well, I would say it's a virtual way of expressing yourself.  I remember in Jr. High I had an entire wall in my room done in cork board, (ah, the 80's) I loved it.  I was able to pin anything I wanted to share, see keep, whatever.  Think of it that way.  A giant cork board, but everyone can see it AND you can share and organize all your beautiful treasures with others. 

While pinning on Pinterest I have come across so many wonderfully, delicious sounding recipes.  I finally decided to actually try a few.  I thought it would be in my best interest plus my fellow pinners to hear the outcome of these recipes.  Where they as good as others say?  Where they really that easy to make? 

I made was Crockpot Italian Chicken.  It was so yummy.  My family could not get enough.  It was super easy, there were less than 5 ingredients plus you just let the crockpot do the cooking.  Love it!!  Here is the recipe:

Crockpot Italian Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing (Regular is fine but I like zesty better. Sometimes I use a packet and a half.)

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depending how cream cheesy you want it)

Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low in the crockpot for at least 4 hours. You can leave it in there all day.  Once chicken is done you can leave the chicken breasts whole, cube it, or even shred it. I always cut the breasts into tenderloin size strips. Once you have cut up the chicken, throw it back in the crockpot and stir into the sauce.
If you feel the sauce is too thick you can thin it to your preferred consistency with a little milk. Serve over pasta or rice.

I hope you family enjoys it as much as mine did.  My young daughter had seconds and she was super excited to eat it again for leftovers.  It doesn't get much better than that!

I would love it if you followed be on Pinterest.  Click HERE and check out all my virtual cork board.  :)  

Avon Makes Cooking Easier And Much More Fun!

Do you have limited space in your kitchen, but still want to have those fun gadgets and all the pot and pans for cooking and baking?  Avon has all the fun kitchen utensils that will help make your cooking time easier, faster and so much more fun!

NEW in Campaign 13 in the Collapsible Colander with Legs.  Hold up to 3 1/2 quarts and is top-rack dishwasher safe.  It is also heat resistant up to 450 degrees.  The great thing about this colander is if you have a smaller kitchen or you are limited to space, it folds up and can even be kept in the dishwasher.  This colander takes up 80% less space than traditional colanders!!  Item number 498-177 Only $19.99

Are you not sure how or where to store your onions and potatoes?  It is always best to store them in a dark cool place.  Sometimes that is hard finding such a place.  I love the idea of these bags.  For me it is a space saver plus it keeps the onions and potatoes up off the floor. 

Also NEW for Campaign 13 are the  Onion and Potato Sacks.  They hold up to 5lbs each and have a drawstring closure.  They clean up nice with being machine washable and made of cotton.  You get the set of 2 for just $9.99.  Item number is  509-472

There have been many times that I have said I wished I had a flexible measuring cup.  I make a Pasta House Salad and when I make the dressing I always use a certain container to mix the dressing.  The top is very small and I often spill when I am trying to measure my ingredients because of my glass measuring cups.  This flexible cup would work perfect for this! 

The Flexible Measuring Cup is a 4-cup capacity and can also be a batter bowl.  A lid is included and it is microwave and dishwasher safe.  The item number is 386-308 and it is just $12.99.  This is one item that will make cooking and baking much easier and faster in the kitchen!


Please visit my online store for many more gadgets and kitchen must-haves! 

• Peeler Set   682-747
• Silicone Spatula Set     503-751
• Hand Crank Food Chopper     316-804
• Garlic Slicer and Shredder     626-992
• Coffee Press     190-740
• Musical Cake Server     795-301

Hope Your Easter Was A 10 On The Fun Factor!

Easter this year can be described in many words.  Awesome, crazy, inspiring and cheerful.  It started on Friday with my mom, Grace and I baking a few things for Easter Sunday.  We had a lot of fun!  Growing up my mom always cooked wonderful meals.  Always had dinner on the table and the food she made was good.  I took a lot from her cooking.  Baking, not as much.  I recall my moms cookies being a bit hard and crunchy and the pies were always left up to my grandmother.  I would say I followed in my mother's footsteps as far as baking goes. 

We tried to make the Rice Krispie Easter Surprise Eggs I talked about earlier.  They were actually pretty easy, but I messed up the amounts and put way to many marshmallows in.  So then we added more Rice Krispies and well, it was just not working out.  We did get a few made, but they ended up being super hard.  The important part was the fun factor and I rate it a 10! 

P.S  I will try it again next year, but perhaps watch my measurements closer.  lol

 Grace washing the plastics eggs.  The recipe says to use 12 plastic eggs.  You really only need one egg per person .  So now all our plastic eggs are shiny and clean.  : ) 

Did you happen to notice how dark it was outside?  This was taken at 11am.  We were getting some terrible storms at this point. 

 Grandma and Grace working on some measurements.  lol

 Grace stirring the insane amount of marshmallows.  She does an awesome job as my assistant! 

 Mom and I attempting to form the eggs.  Fun factor was still at a 10 here!

"The Eggs"  Some were eaten and some were so hard they could have been used as weapons. 

Click HERE for the recipe if you want to try this for your Easter or just for fun! 

Our next dessert had much better results.  As I had mentioned, my mom and I are not great at the pies and cookies, but simple deserts and cakes we can do!  We made Banana Split Dessert.  Oh my!  This is just a wonderful, wonderful dessert.  It is just to yummy to mess up.  I think we were having too much fun because I didn't get to many pictures making it.  I guess we were too excited to make it. 

Here is the recipe:

2 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1 stick butter (melted)

1/4 cup sugar

1 brick cream cheese soften (leave out all morning for better spading)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 can crushed pineapple (drained completely)

3 bananas sliced

2~ 4 servings instant pudding (banana or vanilla)

1 1/2 tub cool whip

Crush graham crackers.  Mix together with sugar and and melted butter in bowl.  Press into a 9 x 13 pan.  Freeze for 10 - 20 minutes in the freezer. 

Mix cream cheese and powder sugar together until creamy.  Spread over graham cracker layer.  Then drain pineapple and spread the pineapple over evenly.  Next cover with sliced bananas. 

Mix pudding with 2 cups milk until thick.  Next add 1 cup cool whip to pudding and mix well.  Then add on top of banana layer.  Cover and refrigerate until set (10 - 15 minutes).  Top with remaining cool whip before serving.  Drizzle with chocolate and top with cherries are optional. 

This was before I added the chocolate.  I didn't have any cherries to add this time.  YUM!!

Sunday we had a lot of fun!  We witnessed an amazing Easter service.  My father was not feeling well so he was not able to come.  We missed him being there, but know he wanted to join us.  After church we were onto to good food, egg searching and fun times with family!  My daughter Grace always has so much fun with her cousins!  It brings such a smile to my face and heart seeing them laugh, play and talk about anything and everything. 

I hope you and your family had a great Easter!  Happy Easter! 

 This was taken right before they were getting reading to hunt for eggs. 

Such a sweet bunch!!!





What Do You Do For Your Snow Days?

The first thing Grace wanted to do when she woke up was take some pictures of the snow. These were taken by her on her camera. She loves taking pictures. This one is part of our garage looking out our front door. She was into getting the top of the houses.

Here is looking out our front door. Beautiful snowy day.



Today was the perfect day to make cookies. Grace was home due to the snow and I wanted some fun things for us to do. During all the Christmas clearance I picked up some fun cookie cutters for just $0.42 for a 6 pack. I like them because they are plastic and are easy for kids to use.


Grace had a lot of fun! By the end I put her to work. She would roll out the dough, spread it out and cut the cookies.


I didn't have any frosting or sprinkles, but we think they turned out great! What is better than fresh sugar cookies in the shape of a snowman on a snowy day?

I think it is an excellent idea to cook with your children. It is a fun and easy activity you can do together. They are having fun and learning at the same time. Reading the recipes and a great learning tool. It can help with reading, math and understand measurement. I include Grace as much a possible. I also think it is best when you do it together and not just show your child or children.