Just give 'em the pickle!

I've had quite a few people ask me what recipe I use for canning pickles. So I thought I'd share not only the recipe I use, but also the process I use for canning and some tips/tricks I've learned along the way.

It's kind of funny...growing up, my mom was not particularly domestic. And for any of you fearing for my life, relax. She'd be the first to tell you! She was a teacher, the BEST mom, and a terrible cook, horrid seamstress and when it came to gardening she just didn't have the time. As a teacher she spent most of her free time checking papers or planning the next day's lesson and working in lots of snuggle time with her kiddos. She is most known for burning Thanksgiving Dinner (one year she even started the oven on fire with the turkey drippings) and sewing a pair of pants with ONE LEG! So, I didn't inherit any of these abilities from her. But how to be a good mom - that I learned from her. Most importantly - when raising children, she taught me to follow my heart. Love you, Mom!

Anyhoo...back to the pickles. Since I didn't grow up gardening and I had never attempted canning, I turned to one of the women who does it best - my mother-in-law. My husband's parents have gardened for years. They currently raise corn, beans, radishes, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, raspberries, apples, cherries and rhubarb to name a few. Their garden is beautifully manicured and provides months of bounty because my mother-in-law spends a good amount of time preserving what they harvest. My first year of gardening, she spent an afternoon with me showing me the ropes of how to can tomatoes. Over the past three years, I've experimented with recipes on my own. The three things I preserve through canning are: pickles, salsa and tomatoes. I'm definitely no expert, but I have learned a few tricks here and there and I'm happy to share. So, without further ado, here's how to make a perfect batch of Katie's Favorite Easy Garlic Dill Pickles!

Here's what you'll need:

8-10 small pickling cucumbers
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
4 heads fresh dill or 4 teaspoons dill seeds
4 small cloves garlic
4 wide mouth quart size canning jars (I prefer wide mouth because it's easier to jam in the cucumbers!)
4 canning lids
4 canning collars
Canning stockpot
A lot of sweat
A lot of patience

It takes FOREVER to bring the canning stockpot to a boil. So, you'll want to start by filling your pot with hot water (or you'll be at this all night) and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat while you prepare your cucumbers. Be sure to leave quite a bit of head room in the pot. Once you add the jars, the water level will rise significantly.

For the cucumbers, begin by washing, but do NOT peel. Then, slice the ends off each cucumber. Oh yes - and be sure you are using cucumbers meant for pickling! A good pickle, not all cucumbers make! This year we planted Pickle Bush. They are making great pickles, but the cucumbers themselves are lousy to eat. So you might want to do some research on the variety of cucumber you want to use.

Once the ends are sliced, decide if you'd like dill pickle spears or slices. It's personal preference and doesn't make any difference in the recipe. I tripled my recipe and decided to make half slices and half spears. For spears, quarter the cucumber lengthwise. If you feel like the slices are too thick, slice them in half lengthwise again. If your spears are too tall for your jars, simply slice a little more off the ends. It's not rocket science, folks. So don't overthink it! For pickle slices - that's right - just slice the cucumber as you would for eating them raw.

Next, you'll want to prepare your jars. As I mentioned, I'm not an expert. And, I can for my own use, not for retail. You will read in a lot of canning books that you should "sanitize" your jars before using them. My sanitizing consists of running them through the dishwasher when I bring them upstairs from our dry storage closet in the basement. If I'm using new jars - I simply rinse them. Do as you will - I'm just sharing my process. :-) A helpful hint: if you are using jars that feel cool to the touch, it's a good idea to soak them in a hot bath before processing them. I've had several jars crack during the boiling process and it's likely because of the extreme temperature changes. There is NOTHING more frustrating than going through the motions of canning, and not having the benefits because of a cracked jar.

Next, it's time to start filling your jars. Before packing your jars with cucumbers, add 1 teaspoon of dill seeds and 1 clove of garlic to each.

Then, pack the jars as much as you can with cucumbers.

Once your jars are full, bring 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons pickling salt to a boil in a saucepan (I used another stockpot since I tripled the recipe). At this point, you will also want to begin boiling water for your canning lids in a separate saucepan. So here comes the sweat (not to be confused with sweet) part. You now have THREE pans boiling on the stove top, one of which could drown a small family of lobsters. Needless to say - it's gettin' hot in here, so take off all your - ahem, sorry, back to the pickles. Here's a picture of my smokin' hot kitchen!

Once your small saucepan with only water is boiling, place the canning lids, NOT the collars, in the boiling water. This process activates the seal on the lids and allows them to adhere to the jars. It takes a few minutes for this to happen, so make sure you give the lids plenty of time in the boiling water before you begin filling your jars with liquid.

Once the water, vinegar and salt comes to a rolling boil, and your lids are nice and hot, it's time to fill the jars with the liquid mixture. I prefer to line up my jars on a wooden cutting board. Number one, because it catches any liquid I might spill when trying to pour it into the jars. Number two, the liquid is HOT and it saves my counter from any burn marks. I use a soup ladle to spoon the liquid into the jars. It holds exactly the right amount of liquid for one pint jar and it keeps the mess to a minimum.

Once all of the jars are full, wipe the rim of each jar with a clean, wet dishtowel. If there is any residue on the rim of the jar, there is a chance the lids will not seal, meaning your pickles will not be preserved. It's not the end of the world, it just means you're going to have to eat a lot of pickles in the next few days before they spoil.

After wiping each rim, remove the lids from the boiling water one at a time with tongs, place on a jar, and seal with a collar. Once each jar has a lid secured tightly with a collar, it's time to start processing. If you are using a true canning pot, it should have come with a wire basket that holds the jars. Place one jar in each opening, lower the basket into the boiling water, and fold the basket handles over the jars. When lowering the basket of jars, be careful to watch that the water doesn't spill over the pot. Again, the jars will raise the water level significantly, so it's easy to send water cascading over the side of the pot. You'll want the jars to be just covered with water once they are lowered into the pot. Finally, cover the pot with the lid, and process accordingly.

For pint jars: Process 10 minutes
For quart jars: Process 15 minutes

Another helpful hint: once the lid is placed on the pot, the boiling can get pretty intense. Be sure to monitor your pot so it doesn't boil over. You may have to adjust the heat on your burner accordingly.

Once you have processed your jars for the appropriate time, pull the handles of the basket up out of the water with tongs. At this point, you should be able to grab the handles with pot holders and lift the basket out of the water. As you can see from the picture above, the basket handles should rest on the sides of your canning pot. Left each jar out of the basket with jar tongs.

If you don't have jar tongs it's fine to use pot holders. I have found, however, that jar tongs are worth their investment. The jars are very hot, wet and slippery when you take them out. The hot water can soak through the pot holders, and the jar tongs have a rubber coating which minimizes slipping. Again - there is nothing worse than losing an afternoon's work to broken jars. I'll say it again...buy the jar tongs! They're pretty inexpensive. A few bucks at most. I have found, by the way, that Blain's Farm & Fleet is the best resource for canning supplies!

Once you have removed your jars from the canning pot, you'll want to place them in a spot where they won't be disturbed until the lids seal. My trusty wooden cutting board comes in handy for this step once again. The jars are hot, so again, the cutting board protects my counters. It also allows me to move the jars from one area of the counter to another without having to use a pot holder and without disturbing the jars too much. Over the next couple of hours, you will marvel in the sound of popping aluminum as your lids seal. When the jar lid pops, it means it is vacuum sealed and your pickles are preserved for several months. You can also test each lid by gently pressing on the center. If you hear the lid pop over and over it means it didn't seal properly or needs a little more time to properly seal.

And there you have it - Katie's Favorite Easy Garlic Dill Pickles! They're oh-so-yummy and the best part is you can shelve them well into the winter. When the ground is cold and the snow is flying, it's so nice to enjoy the freshness of your garden from months before!

Bon appétit! Enjoy!!!

To Infinity...And Beyond!

I'm a little late with this post...ok...a lot late. But better late than never, right?! Story of my life.

My oldest son celebrated his 5th birthday way back on June 25 and I had intended to share his Toy Story themed party with all of you. Alas, life got in the way, yet again!

This was his first party with friends. Typically, we keep our birthday parties low-key and in order to keep things under control, limited to immediate family only (as in grandparents, aunts and uncles and first cousins). This year, in honor of the big number 5, we thought we'd forego the family party and bring in the kids! So we had a swimming party with 7 of his buddies from preschool. I was a little nervous about entertaining 7 preschoolers for two hours. Even more concerning, was pulling off a birthday party for 7 preschoolers and their parents, the day after Back Roads Vintage Market in Dysart. Much to my surprise, it was actually a pretty easy little party to pull together. The swimming was a big hit and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of the pint-sized bundles of energy in their complete innocent, unedited, genuine behavior. It was a total hoot!

So here it is in all it's glory. I had a blast pulling everything together. And I must admit - it was a total Pinterest rip-off! Have I mentioned lately how much I love Pinterest? And hate Pinterest? All those ideas floating out there just waiting to be snatched up and made a reality! Enjoy the pics! ;-)

A daughter's first love.

I once read that a girl gains her confidence from her father. We all have our hangups, and I'm no exception to that rule. But I have to say, that when it comes to the job of fathering, my dad earns the Triple Crown. When I think about what he must have endured while living in a house full of women - teenaged girls nonetheless - the question begs to be answered, "how the hell did he do it?!" Sure, he loved us. We are, after all, the extension of his being. But, I'm just not sure how he managed to keep his sanity in that house full of estrogen!

My sister and I always knew not to mess with Dad. When he made a proclamation it was taken as The Gospel. And we knew if he was mad - we better run - FAST! But even so, he was, and is, one of the most kind, generous and unselfish men I know. What I cherish most about my dad is that no matter the distance, no matter the hurdles, if I really needed him - he'd come running. That's not to say he didn't let us forge our own rivers or carve our own paths. He let us make our mistakes, but he was always there waiting with a helpful hand to pick us up out of the dirt after we dusted off our own pants.

Today - the day before Father's Day - I can't help but reflect on the most cherished moments I've had with my dad. One of the best is of him walking me down the aisle at my wedding. It's a moment not everyone gets to share with their dad, and I'm so thankful that he was there that day. A strong runner up was seeing him with his grandson for the very first time. I'm not sure a child can really understand the capacity of their parents' love until they have experienced it first hand. My heart grew tenfold that day.

And just today - Dad saved my butt, yet again! I won a vintage crib in an online auction and went to pick it up with my two boys and my mom in tow. When I arrived at the house it still needed to be dismantled. Do you think I planned ahead enough to bring tools along?! Ha! A quick call to Superdad saved the day. There were no sighs, no annoyances in his voice, he just asked where he should meet me. Within a few minutes he arrived with an arsenal of hand tools and a smile. Gotta love that man!

So here's to you, Dad! You gave me the confidence to be the strong woman I am today. And, most importantly, you taught me to recognize a good man when I see one. I love you!

Paint breezeway...check!

Yup...still knee deep in home improvement projects. Last weekend I decided to start tackling a project that has been on the waiting list for 3 years! When we moved into our home, nearly every room needed a paint job, so our indoor porch that connects the garage to our house (a.k.a the breezeway) was last on the priority list. It was the room that probably needed it the most, but after painting every room with two coats of primer and two coats of paint - I was spent! Last Monday I decided it was time to finally check that "to-do" off the list. To my dismay, what I thought would be a quick afternoon project, turned into a four day hiatus. And I'm still not officially done. UGH...so is the story of our lives when it comes to home improvement. What should be simple...never is. Here are some before pictures...

About a year ago I did a small overhaul of the space, but didn't paint. My mother-in-law helped by sewing some new slipcovers for the cushions on my grandmother's wicker furniture. Would you believe the slipcovers are made out of shower curtains I found on clearance at Target?! WAY cheaper than it would have been to buy fabric. Plus - mildew and stain resistant since they are made to be in bathrooms! I was able to cover all of the cushions for less than $80 and even had some leftover fabric to sew pillow covers. For the navy pillow covers I used linen napkins. To save even more dough, I also refashioned a couple of lamps I already had by adding rope on the bases and ribbon on the shades. The oversized American flag was painted on a piece of old plywood we had laying around. 

LOVE the navy adirondack chair! My husband made it in high school, but it was weathered beyond belief from years of neglect. A little sanding and some navy spray paint and the chair had new life! To soften the back, I purchased grain sacks from a local antique shop and tuned them into pillows. Every girl needs a grain sack throw pillow!

When planning the soft overhaul last year, I chose the red, white and blue color scheme for a couple of reasons. First, as you may already know, I love red and it carries throughout most of our home. I didn't have any red on the breezeway and I wanted it to flow a bit better with the rest of the house. The carpeting, which we cannot afford to replace right now, is a blue berber so I thought the patriotic colors could jive.

So...back to the painting! Since it's a three-season room (no heating or air conditioning), the walls are covered in car-siding instead of dry wall. It allows the room to withstand the elements and avoid cracking during the freezing and thawing of winter. But...it also means it was a pain in the patootie to paint! Every little seam in the paneling had to be cut-in with a brush. All of the trim needed not one, but two coats of paint, and even the ceiling needed paint. It's probably why I've been dragging my feet for so long. That, and the fact that it serves as our front entry to our house. No one ever uses our front door, so having it in disarray is not the most convenient. As I was sitting on the porch giving myself a pep talk to get started last weekend, I somehow convinced myself that it wouldn't be that bad of a project. Au contraire, mon frére! That's french for "Think again you crazy fool!"

Anyway - I powered through and burnt the midnight oil last night putting everything back together. After a fresh coat of paint, I was inspired to try a new seating arrangement and restyle the accessories in the space. Best part - everything I used, I already had on hand! Whooppeee! I love FREE accessories! Here are the results...

We did make one major purchase for the revamp. One of the white wardrobes we already had - the one on the left is new. It's not a perfect match to our original, but it's close enough. It was important to keep the wardrobes as part of the makeover because we desperately need a dumping ground for all of our coats, shoes, hats, mittens, backpacks - you name it. With two growing boys, the amount of "junk" this room will need to hold will only grow! But it doesn't mean it has to be ugly. The doors keep it all hidden and I love the display space the top of the wardrobes provide!

What I adore most about the new space is the way it seems to tie to the outdoors. The room used to have faux wood blinds and I decided to take them down for two reasons. One, because they were constantly dusty and dirty from having the windows open all of the time, and two, because now you can really see outside when you're sitting in the space. The room really is the best of both worlds. You can smell, hear and see the beauty of nature, but the elements such as rain and BUGS are kept at bay. I can't wait to sit out there during a rain storm!

Isn't she pretty?! The doors leading to our garage, kitchen and outside still need to be painted, but I'm up in the air on the color. I'm thinking of going bold with a deep hue of rustic red, but I'll probably chicken out and stick to white. Regardless, I am really enjoying the fruits of my labor! She really is gorgeous - oh! - and economical too!

Junk-yard

In case you haven't caught on (honestly, where have you been?!) I really gravitate toward junk. As many veteran "junkers" will tell you - the secret to incorporating cast-offs into your home is to mix it with new. Items that, by themselves, are old, quirky, and - yes - even ugly, can take on a whole new life when mixed with polished, new and pretty. To add a little character and charm to your home's exterior - you can use the same rule of thumb. AND save a little dough in the process.

Landscaping can get pricey! To help keep costs low when decorating outdoors, I always look to estate and garage sales and vintage markets. A healthy dive (or climb as it may be) into my mom's attic is always fun too! Here are a few of my favorites outside my own home.

A rusty antique wash tub makes a perfect planter and can give your arrangement some attractive height.

I picked up this vintage Radio Flyer wagon at Dysart's Back Roads Vintage Market last year. See?! Another great reason you should go on June 21. If you haven't seen my recent posts - I happen to be a vendor  at the event this year (wink, wink). Add an old produce crate to the wagon, and it's a great way to bring a little order to this random grouping of clay pots. If you decide to use a wagon for a planter, it's a good idea to place pots inside vs. planting directly in the wagon. From time to time, I like to remove the pots from my wagon and dump out any standing water. It will keep the bottom of the wagon from rusting out. Unless, of course, the wagon is already rusty. In that case - plant away!!!  And, yes, I <heart> my dogs!

Oh pagoda how I love thee! My grandma had a much taller pagoda in her garden and I had been looking for one after she passed away. I scored this lovely at an estate sale last summer for $15!!! It lives in my butterfly garden. Swoon...

Another rusty wagon and a primitive box anchor these two pots of annuals, which were SUPER cheap.  More on that in a minute.

Thanks, Mom, for this lady in red. She was missing the caning on her seat so I introduced her to a can of spray paint and hauled her out to the butterfly garden. What a great planter! She and the pagoda play so well together.

Another score from an estate sale is this lovely bird feeder. It's made from a Ball canning jar, a poultry feeder, a ceramic plate and a glass candle holder. I was going to attempt to make one of these myself until I saw it hiding in a garage for only $6! Woo hoo!

An aspect of landscaping that can really suck you dry is the plants themselves. I have a couple of favorite sources that I visit nearly every year to help keep costs low.

If you enjoy gardening and you've never been to the Green Scene of Black Hawk County Plant Sale, you really must put it on your calendar for next year. It is typically held early in May on the Cattle Congress grounds in Waterloo, and features a plethora of perennials. Several plant donations are collected throughout the Cedar Valley as a fundraiser for Green Scene and then resold at a very low cost. For a small donation, you can attend the preview event on Friday and get the first pick. Otherwise, the general public is invited to attend on Saturday. The prices are unbeatable and the variety of perennials is amazing!

One of the best kept secrets when it comes to annual flowers is Aldi. Yes, you read it right! That quirky little grocery store that carries odds and ends that are significantly discounted compared to other grocers, is also a gold mine for potted flowers, as well as the occasional perennial. And we're back to those cheap pots I referenced earlier. In the spring, at least two of Aldi's weekly ads will include hanging annual baskets for $5.99!!! Variety in the type of plant is usually lacking, but nevertheless, it has been my saving grace for filling my pots year after year. The first time Aldi runs the ad, it is usually early in the spring, long before most people start to think about potting. I usually hit them up anyway and store the baskets on my breezeway or in my garage until the threat of frost has passed. You just can't beat the price! I usually venture back when the second ad hits because the variety is usually different from the first go around. Even if you don't have a lot of need for hanging plants, or don't like the style of pot, it's an economical way to fill your own collection because the flowers are easily transplanted. If you're not up for transplanting - did you know the hanger on hanging plastic baskets is removable at the base? And if it isn't - just cut it off! In addition to flowers you can pick up some other gardening supplies for a really great price at Aldi. Other purchases I've made over the years are window boxes, a bird feeder station, bird bath and knockout roses.

Wire window boxes purchased from Aldi's.

So there you have it, folks. Beautifying your yard for summer doesn't have to break the bank. Get a little creative and think outside the planter box! You just might find some incredible steals when you look beyond the traditional home and garden stores.

I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

This morning I had the "privilege" of upholding one of my civic duties as an American citizen: Jury Duty. Horrah! Can you sense the sarcasm?

Before all of you die-hard lovers of the justice system go all ape on me, I should clarify. It's not that I don't understand, or recognize, the importance of my presence. I get it. And, God forbid, should I ever find myself on the other side of the courtroom railing, I will be thankful that our American Justice System exists. However, as I sit here today on a solid wood bench, trying to wake my butt cheeks from their slumber, I can't help but think that as a juror we are treated a bit like criminals ourselves.

I'm 35 years old and this is the fourth time I've been called for jury duty. I've received notice five times, but the first time I was still in high school and under the age of 18. I know people older than me that have never been called. If there's one thing for certain, it's that the Black Hawk County Courthouse has my number. It's a random selection process. I just wish I had the same luck of the draw while playing the Iowa Powerball.

Anyhoo...my point is this isn't my first dog and pony show. I consider myself a bit of an expert when it comes to the experience. Perhaps so many of us wouldn't dread the process so much if it wasn't, well, such a dreadful process. For those of you who are unfamiliar with how it goes down, let me paint the picture:

The first thing you encounter upon entering the courthouse is a long security line where you are required to have your bags and body scanned. I get the necessity and its sad that we live in a world where you have to assume anybody could be packing. But, a body scan at 8:00 a.m., before I've even had a Diet Coke, isn't the warmest of welcomes. After passing through the security line, you stand in another long line for the Clerk of Court where you receive your courtroom assignment. You'll be greeted by a courthouse employee who is so obviously overflowing with joy and happiness that he/she passes your assignment on to you with a curt "Courtroom 301. Next?" Once you reach the courtroom, you plant your tushie on a pine bench. Get comfortable. Because unless you're lucky enough to be part of a plea-bargain case, that's where you'll spend the next. eight. hours. If you're really lucky, your juror number will be called and you'll move to one of the cushy chairs on the juror stand.

Not so bad you say? That's because you haven't gotten the pep talk from the courtroom attendant yet. Not only do you get to sit on a rock-hard bench for 8 hours, but there are to be "no cell phones, no cameras, no food, no beverages, no laptops, no e-readers, no tablests and no books in use in the courtroom." Because they need your utmost attention. Don't fret, there will be a recess from time to time so you can grab a snack or something to drink. That is if you don't need to use that time to sprint to your 2-hour parking meter so you can feed it more quarters and avoid a $10 parking ticket. If you do manage to grab a snack or something to drink in the remaining seconds of your 15-20 minute recess, you can forget about consuming it because all food and beverage must be eaten OUTSIDE the courtroom. Perhaps if you get really dry, you can sneak a drink from one of the styrofoam cups and giant pitchers of water sitting in front of the attorneys. They are the ones doing all the talking, right? Besides, if you eat or drink, you might have to use the restroom and there's no time for that either. Awesome.

So here I sit, writing today's post the old fashioned way: pen in hand, pen pressed to a white legal pad.

Wait - here comes the judge...

What's that he's saying? Something about the case being resolved?!

JACKPOT! Plea-bargain! We're dismissed!

As I leave the stagnant grey environment of the courthouse, I can immediately smell the freshness of the air and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I can't help but think this must feel a little like being released from prison. Usually a break from the daily grind of caring for my two young boys is welcomed with open arms. But I'll take whining, fighting and butt-wiping over this controlled environment any day. I don't think I'll be seeing "Attorney at Law" behind my name anytime soon.

God bless America!

Purple Passion

This morning as I was standing at my kitchen sink overlooking my backyard, I noticed the lilacs are in bloom! I just knew I could smell them in the air last night as I wandered out to the mailbox to get Saturday’s mail...on Sunday (yup – that’s how we roll).

There are few things in nature that bring me as much joy as lilacs. We had a lilac tree at the house in which I grew up. I can still remember waiting patiently for them to reach their peak so I could cut a bouquet, wrap the stems with a wet paper towel, and haul them into school to give to my teachers. Oh the pride I felt as I would stare up at them with the beautiful purple flowers extended.

I'm not prejudice to the color: purple or white – it doesn't matter as long as the fragrance is strong! My husband despises them because it also means the height of his allergy season has arrived. On several occasions he’s threatened to whack down that tree. I hope he's prepared for disappointment, because that's one argument he will NEVER win! 

The blossoms are not quite ready for cutting just yet, though I can’t wait, because a giant bouquet will certainly grace the center of my kitchen island!