Joy in the Kitchen!

Sweet Stick Pickles When I was quite little I remember my Mom brining cucumbers for sweet pickles.  She had a big 5 gallon crock that she used, and I just remember watching as she checked under the weight.  I did NOT like the smell of those brined cucumbers, nor did I like the sweet pickles once they were made. (I did love the beautiful crock she used though!)  I loved dill pickles!  I married a man who loves sweet pickles.  I had no desire to learn to do sweet pickles like my Mom did when I was little!  My mother-in-law (Shirley) had a perfect solution though as she had a recipe for these easy Sweet Stick pickles.  Shirley got this recipe from her mom Mary, who got it from her friend Mae.  I love these shared and handed down recipes.  The syrup on these tastes almost the same as the one used for the Bread and Butter Pickles I posted a few years ago.  You do need an afternoon to do these as they have to sit in water for 4-5 hours...

Pickled beets are one of the most colorful additions to a relish tray that you could ask for!  I like sliced pickled beets on salads.  I like them as a side for a holiday or special occasion meal.  I can eat store-bought pickled beets, but I MUCH prefer home canned ones.  These are easy.  I got this recipe from my Mom.  I remember her making them for several years.  Turns out it is my sister-in-law Lanette's recipe. (The very same Lanette of Lanette's Cinnamon Rolls that I've posted a few years ago!  YUM!  You can trust Lanette!)  It is not spicy, which I love, and couldn't be easier.   Golf ball or smaller sized beets are nice for these if you want them whole, but I quarter, sixth, or cube if my beets have gotten too big.   The syrup recipe makes enough for 2-4 pints depending on how tightly you pack the beets.   Enjoy! Lanette's Pickled Beets Freshly picked beets .  Cut tops off leaving about an inch of...

It has been rainy and cooler here the past few weeks.  Odd for August in Idaho.  Today felt like a "soup day" as soon as we woke up to clouds and a drizzle.  I remembered I had a ham bone in the freezer from a ham we used last winter so Hearty Ham and Bean Soup was a great choice! This is another dish where guidelines rather than a "measure exact" recipe are used.  My ham bone was large and very meaty and I planned to feed 9 of us and have leftovers so I used an 8 quart pot to begin with.   Sometimes I use dry beans and sometimes I'm in a hurry and used canned northern beans.  Today I planned to be home most of the day so I chose dried beans to work with.  I've had these beans for a good 15-20 years.  Sometimes when I've kept dry beans that long it takes forever to re-hydrate them (and I didn't think of this last night so I didn't have time to soak them over night!) but with the pressure cooker, these softened up nicely!  I wouldn't rec...

Our garden is finally coming on nicely!  One of the things we look forward to the most from our garden is creamed potatoes and peas.  My Mom used to make these a few times every summer from the first digging of potatoes and the first nice picking of peas.  Mom never had a measured recipe and neither have I, however, my kids and others have asked several times how to make them so this last time I made them I measured ingredients so I could write a recipe. :)   This should be more helpful than "add more milk until it's the thickness you like" or "until it tastes right". If you don't grow a garden or have access to a nice farmers market, you could use small red potatoes and frozen peas and have a dish that is still tasty.  It isn't nearly as wonderful as fresh from the garden, but it is still good. Creamed New Potatoes and Peas 3-4 lbs. of new red or gold potatoes 2 C. freshly shelled green peas Wash potatoes leaving skins on. Cut potatoes in...

Need a quick and easy cake to take to a summer picnic, easy dessert for company, or a delicious afternoon snack at home?   This cake is easy and convenient to make.  My 13 year old daughter has been making this cake in several variations for more than two years and can do it my herself now.  She tried this with the cinnamon chips this past week and we all loved it!  The cinnamon and glaze make it a great breakfast cake. If you've never used cinnamon chips before, they are mini chips that melt into whatever they're baked in.  If you live near me, I can order these for you through Alison's Pantry.  Otherwise you can order them from King Arthur Flour and even on Amazon (of course!).   Click THIS LINK to see what they're like.  Unlike chocolate chips, they are not good for eating straight out of the bag, but they are a delicious addition to muffins, breads, cakes, and other baked goods. Cinnamon Chip Bundt Cake 1 pkg. white cake mix 1 C....

I made these for my daughters wedding reception.  They are super easy and delicious!  I don't have a picture with these but I love to do a variety of coatings to make a pretty plate of treats.  Coatings are easy to coordinate with the current holiday so you can make these year-round.  It's almost shameful how easy they are to make.  (and honestly, they're even easier to eat!) Decadent Chocolate Truffles 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened 3 C. powdered sugar, sifted 3 C. Semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or other flavoring coatings of choice:  ground nuts, cocoa powder, coconut, powdered sugar, sprinkles, candy melts of any color, melted. Beat cream cheese until it is smooth.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar until well blended.  Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla flavoring until well mixed. Refrigerate about an hour.  Shape into 1 inch balls.  Roll truffles in desired coating.  Makes about 60 truffles....

My son loves the Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies from Subway.  These were an experiment to try imitating those.  It's been a while since I've had one of those cookies from Subway, but whether they compare exactly or not, this experiment turned out really well!  My son gives them two thumbs up so I will continue making these cookies!  YUM!    I used my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with some modifications.  I left out the regular vanilla and chocolate chips and added a block of cream cheese, a little extra flour, raspberry flavoring and raspberry "bits".  These raspberry bits I ordered through Alison's Pantry a while back.  They haven't been in the catalog but will be for the September order!  You can find a similar product on Amazon Here.   The products aren't exactly the same but I imagine either would work. This does make a large batch but they freeze really well in either dough or baked form! Raspberry Cheesecake...