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Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Little bit of everything...Pickles to spiders

Looks like I am getting worse and worse at replying to comments. We simply need more hours in the day, don't we?

All of sudden we are bringing in enough cucumbers from the teeny tiny garden to make pickles, and I'm not much of a pickle maker. Going through some old recipes I found one that mama used years ago:


Kosher Dill Pickles
To each quart jar add 1 or 2 heads fresh dill
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1 green hot pepper
wash and leave cucumbers whole
pack in jars
Bring to rolling boil:
2 qts. water
1 qt. vinegar
1 cup salt (non-iodized)
Pour this over and seal

Back then folks made pickles like these without processing them. Guess the boiling brine causes the jars to seal. I just may try a jar...or call the real pickler in the family, my sister Shelby, and asks for her advice.


I did make this one jar of cucumber delight pickles that will keep in the refrigerator for three weeks. 


Oh, about the recipe for that delicious eggplant parmesan. The recipe is on line at www.allrecipes.com under Baked Eggplant Parmesan. It's wonderful, and simple! But you know what...the picture I posted of my eggplant parmesan...

looks better than the picture shown on the recipe, well, I think so.  Check it out and see if you agree. :)

Good gosh! I don't even like being in the kitchen and here this has turned into a recipe post.

Let me get out of the kitchen...

Dumperoo was curious. Why is this pan in the living room, he asked.

Mama's fixing to give you a bath, he told Dumper. Poppy likes to worry Dumper that way.


and this sweetie pie! Couldn't you pick him up and squeeze him? This is one cuddly kitty cat.

and here's the opposite of cuddly...

Poppy was way up high on the ladder when this huge scary spider crawled down the side of the house to meet him. Poppy said it was probably 4 inches wide with it's legs spread out. When Poppy backed down the ladder, the spider backed off too, but as Poppy went up the ladder, the spider crawled down. Makes me shiver!!!

Poppy decided to leave filling in bee holes and go fishing.

Then along about supper time, I found him vacuuming the shop. We have really cleaned out and hauled away a ton of stuff lately. I'm almost afraid to go in Goodwill or the Safespace thrift store...afraid I will buy back something we donated.

It's getting on near 9:30 and I need to sew some tonight. Shelby and I will be vendors at the Duke Homestead "Pork, Pickles, and Peanuts" event on Saturday. Been a long time since we did a big craft show together.

Goodness, I didn't mean to go on and on. Guess I've scared you all away. Hope not. :)

Love,
Henny 


59 comments:

  1. Can't wait to read about the event...such a catchy name. :):) fear of buying something you donated, made me think of my mother. She bought a shirt I put in the church rummage once. We laughed for days about it. That cat is huge. Oh yes, thanks for showing that spider, now my hair is standing straight up. Spiders just creep me out. Fishing is way more fun than working. LOL. The jar of pickles look very good. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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    1. Thank you Susie. That is funny, your mother buying your donated shirt. My daughter and I had a good laugh when I bought a skirt she had donated. She said, oh mom, I could have told you that it didn't fit right. It got donated again. :)

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  2. I could just hug both of your cats! Those pickles look good, just like some my mother used to make. She made all kinds but my favorite were the Bread and Butter pickles. Good luck Saturday at the craft show!

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    1. Thank you Bonnie. I had forgotten about bread and butter pickles. I like them too.

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  3. It is always just pure delight to read a post from you! I love those refrigerator pickles but they don't like me much anymore. EEEEWWWWEEEE about the spider. I do NOT like spiders. I don't care what they say about how much "good" they do in the world. I will take the 'bad' instead. lol

    Have a great rest of the week- xo Diana

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    1. Thank you NanaDiana. Spiders give me goosebumps, but I cannot kill one that shows up in the house, I catch it and put it outside. :)

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  4. I'm not much of a pickle maker either but I'm a very good pickle eater.

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  5. Good luck at the sale on Saturday. I hope it's not too hot. I love the name of the event. That sun over the door of the shop is really pretty. I'd love to see that spider up close. I'm not afraid of them and love to look at them up close. When I find a small one, I've been known to put it in a glass and use a magnifying glass to get a good look before I let it go. However, we have found a couple of brown recluse spiders. I don't let those go, but do "inspect" them. Their eyes are fascinating. Have fun with your sister!

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    1. Thank you Peg. I've just recently repainted that sun. Poppy adds the red/orange paint to make it look hot. You know, I do the same with spiders. I keep a large yogurt cup and piece of cardboard close by to use for catching spiders, that get in the house. I like to look at them with the magnifying glass. I've never caught a brown recluse, at least I don't think so. This was a huge spider. It was way up high near the chimney and I could not get a good picture. Poppy said it's eyes were weird.

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  6. I like pickles but the acid in it causes often for me to have canker sores, so I rarely eat them. But I do love them.

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    1. Maybe eating pickles is why I have one of those annoying canker sores right now. Never thought of that.

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  7. The problem with an abundance of garden crops is that you have to figure out what to do with them. I've never made pickles, but it doesn't seem that hard. Go for it!

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    1. That is so true. We keep piling more vegetables on the kitchen counter.

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  8. I went to the allrecipes site and saw their picture of the Baked Eggplant Parmesan and you're right! Their picture doesn't look nearly as appetizing as yours.
    Good luck at the craft show on Saturday. I'm sure you and Shelby will have great fun together.

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    1. Hey Granny Marigold. When I went back to look at the recipe site again, there was a different picture, which looked really good! Thank you. I'm looking forward to Saturday.

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  9. Whey~Hey! Pussy~cats...Love Pussy~cats...! :).
    Mind you..love spiders to..l have two residents
    here at home, one in the dining room window, lives
    in a pink bird house, called Charlotte, the spider
    'NOT' the house, and one in the front room window,
    which for some reason has never had a name, she
    lives in a small black wooden barrel..! They've
    been with me for about three years now...! House
    spiders can live 3~5yrs...There amazing...!

    One thing l must say, l forgot last time to mention
    it...Where you live there is amazing..There's a
    program l watch over here on Sky TV..called Swamp
    Murders..it's one of the many crime programs l love
    watching, there mostly American, but seeing your
    photos of your environment reminds me of that
    program..HeHe! Any chance of any bodies floating
    about anywhere..HeHe!
    I'd love to live somewhere like that, up first thing,
    dive into the lake, a quick wash down, wrestle a gator,
    cook a couple skinned, gutted, washed rats on the Barbeque,
    (notice l called it a Barbeque and not a Barby)..that
    would make me for the day ahead...HeHe! Bless! :0).
    God! I need a lie down..!!!

    Well..best get on....nearly seven thirty over here, get
    tidied up for town..Breakfast, good old English fry up,
    lemon tea..I've got visitors later to~day, so best have
    a wash to...! Great! So Arrivederci for now...! :o).

    Oh! Yes! Love pickles, my daughter makes loads, and jams,
    and chutneys..well, she had a good teacher...! /ᐠ≗ᆽ≗ᐟ \

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    1. Hey Willie! Didn't know house spiders could live that long. No wonder occasionally we find a big spider in the house. I can't kill them, but catch them and put them outside. How neat that you have "Charlotte" living in a pink house close by. Sounds like something my daughter would do. Her favorite spiders are those garden spiders that weave letters into their webs. No! We have never found a body floating and hope we never do!! :) Swamp Murders sounds awful! I never would sleep again! Now I know what a Barby is. Have fun with your visitors. Your daughter sounds amazing too! Thank you for the fun comment!

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  10. how did I miss your last post? I would have loved the rain as well. I will be making that eggplant recipe up, possibly tonight. I do not like spiders, not one little bit,and would have been gone at top speed. The cats are lovely, I am too near the road to have one and I think that the dogs would protest.

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    1. Hey Pam. Oh, I am always missing posts. :) It's hard to keep up. isn't it? Hope you like the eggplant. I loved it and can't imagine my husband not liking it. Oh, cats and roads don't go together. A kitty ran across the road in front of my car recently and it scared me to death.

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  11. a lovely post, except about the spider, don't like spiders either; think your poppy might've been getting too close to it's nest perhaps?
    why do you fill in bee holes? wouldn't it be better to them around? perhaps make them something outside in the garden that they can make a home in.
    very pretty garden & pond
    pickles look delicious, i can't preserve to save my life! thankfully my eldest can though :))
    wonderful post
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Thank you Selina. The bee holes are made by large Carpenter Bees. These bees actually do harm to wood or log homes, drilling large holes. Once we had big black bee fall into our bedroom. All other bees we love and protect and encourage to visit our garden. Thank you for the nice comment.

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  12. Cucumbers are coming in thick and fast, I need to make some pickles to keep up with them all. That eggplant recipe looks very tempting, I can just imagine how good it smells, never mind tastes! I hope you made plenty, I'll be back for seconds.

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    1. Thank you Elaine. It's a shame all the vegetables seem to come in at one time. Cucumbers grow like crazy, don't they? That eggplant was really good!

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  13. What kind of spider is that?

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    1. I don't know Sandi. I will look go on line and find out. Thank you for the comment.

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  14. That is one big spider. Wow! I've been trying to get some sale items made for this next winter craft shows, but it's been either too busy in the garden or too hot on the porch.

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  15. I'm a visitor from Chip Butter's blog...I've loved visiting you and seeing your lovely place. Not so much the spider...:(

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    1. Debra, thank you! I just popped over to your blog and saw the little bird. I will be back to visit.

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  16. I'm really enjoying your blog. What is really amusing is I have a cat just like your Dumper and used to have a cat just like the grey one. Go ahead and make those pickles, I would probably do the boiling water sealing at the end, just to be on the safe side, but see what your sister says. Enjoy your craft show! -Jenn

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    1. Thank you Jenn. You're right about the pickles. My sister said too that she would process them for about 10 minutes in the boiling water. I'll bet your tabby cat like Dumper is sweet. Most tabbies are. That is funny that you also had one like Smokey.

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  17. I love spiders and it looks like the one Poppy saw is the woodland variety of the fishing spider. It's a good spider -- harmless and eats other bugs. I had one in the house last year, which we took outside to live another day.

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    1. Thank you Leilani. Someone asked what kind of spider that was. Now I can look it up and read about it. Spiders scare me, but I simply cannot kill them. I catch the and let them out of the house.

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  18. Pickle making can be a lot of fun. Thank you for sharing that recipe of your mama's. I think I will give that one a try this year, too. Well, if we have any cucumbers, that is. :)

    Poppy teasing Dumperoo is something my husband would have done. :)

    Hugs to you, my friend.

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    1. Hey Dianna!! I just know that you can make delicious pickles. I do want to try mama's recipe. It sounds simple, doesn't it. So good to hear from you.

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  19. With the cat, looking like its bewitched, lovely set Henny.

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  20. I sat in our truck the other day and pulled down the visor and one of those huge spiders was there. I hopped out of the truck and Ken killed it. Sure glad the truck was standing still because I just might have jumped out anyway!!

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    1. Oh that gives me chills. I like spiders okay, but don't want one falling or jumping on me.

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  21. Those cats are just adorable, not so keen on the spider.

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  22. Henny, Your cats are cute as ever! Fill us in with what you are taking to sell, I love the aprons and all that stuff. Can't wait for you to fill with us with goodies and delights Shelby is bringing to sell, too. Love your sweet post today, Terry.

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    1. Thank you Terry. I'm going to try and take pictures of the crafts...for once!! So I can post about them. :)

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  23. I love that you and Shelby get together and do a table at craft fairs. I would love to have a person to do that with. It seems like most of my friends have different interests, other than my sweet blogging friends. In regard to the comment you left on my blog: Every now and then I think of what I would do if I won the lottery, but like you, I never buy a ticket, LOL.

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    1. Connie, I wish you lived closer, you could sure go with Shelby and me. I just know we would laugh and have fun together. Guess neither of us will ever win the lottery. :)

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  24. Girl, my Mister had a run in with a huge spider, last night, as well. He was pulling something out of the loft in the shop when he felt something hit his shoulder. When he looked, there was a very large Tarantula, sitting on his shoulder! I would have made toothpicks out of that shop if it had been me! He caught the big ugly thing, in a cup, and took it out to the woods where he let it go! I don't know why our barn cats didn't take care of that thing but they are now FIRED! LoL

    Grace & Peace,
    Pam

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    1. Oh gosh Pam! I can't kill a spider, but I would have a heart attack if a big one fell on me. Cleaning house one morning I reached down to pick up the trash basket in the bathroom and felt something move...it was a big spider, about the size of a quarter. I screamed and threw the basket of trash. How do these spiders get inside the house!?

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  25. You could never scare me away! I don't think there's been one single post I haven't liked, by you.
    I'm a spider fan but the ones I usually encounter are little. Earlier this summer we had a large one-- colorful, who spun her "nest" and laid her eggs in a very obvious corner above the stairs. Several people tried to kill her but I've read Charlotte's Web and I knew there would be babies someday... I realized then, too, that I have never seen the babies parachuting off like Charlotte's offspring did in the novel. Anyway, I stopped here being killed but I know my mom kills spiders when I'm not looking.
    Pickles? I don't eat them much but you've made me curious about making them. And like you, I don't even enjoy being in the kitchen.

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    1. Thank you Pilar, I appreciate that. I can't kill spiders either...well I can't kill anything! Poppy says, don't you let that spider go, kill it! But I let it go anyway. :) I want to can and make pickles but dread all the mess involved. I'd rather be working outside than be in the kitchen.

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  26. Tell Poppy that he did the right thing: "Discretion is the better part of valor"

    Those pickles look good, I'm the only one at this house that likes pickles and so I rarely have them.

    I have a fantastic pickle recipe that a friend gave me. I've sampled her pickles and they are just delicious----I could just sit there and eat them straight out of the jar! You start with bread and butter pickles, then add hot sauce and sugar. They are refrigerated after making too. Problem is that the recipe starts out with a gallon of pickles which would really overload my refrigerator so I have never made the recipe. I've never had much luck with increasing or decreasing recipes so haven't tried to make a smaller amount. Even half a gallon would be more than I could store and eat. They are good though-----they are just like eating candy---that sweet sour combination is really good.

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    1. Oh Vic, those pickles sound delicious. I'm the only one who eats pickles here too. Well occasionally Poppy will eat one with a grilled cheese sandwich. Would you share your pickle recipe, or is it a secret? Shelby wants us to get together and make pickles and she loves trying something new and different. I've never had any luck changing recipe amounts either. Thank you Vic.

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    2. Oh sure.

      It's Joan Fenwick's Sweet Hot Pickles

      1 gallon bread and butter pickles, 8 ounces Louisiana Hot Sauce, 5 pounds sugar.

      Mix together in a plastic container. Put in refrigerator.. Stir occasionally. When sugar breaks down into a liquid put into smaller jars. Keep refrigerated.

      Easy Peasy!

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  27. Okay...I was thoroughly enjoying your post until the spider, now I have the creepy crawlies lol! What an awful looking spider...and it's size! I'm wondering if it was maybe guarding a nest or something. Love your property (other than the spider).

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  28. I am more tolerant of spiders than ants...but we just have little ones not big ones like you that follow people around:)

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  29. Have fun at that craft show with your sister! I bet it will be a blast. I often see my own items at the thrift store. Usually it gives me a happy feeling to know I don't have it anymore -- the exception is books. I often pine a little for the books I've given away!
    It's much harder to respond to comments now. I don't get them as emails anymore, and that was my way of replying to folks. I hope blogger finds a better way.

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  30. Aw, Henny! You are the very sweetest.
    Dumperoo looks so much like Timothy (who is following me around because we have a houseguest and he doesn't like "others" LOL!)

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  31. I wouldn't want to meet that four inch spider while up on a ladder! But at least he had the good sense to be outside and not in the house.

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  32. Dear Henny your eggplant dish looks delicious. It is something I have not made. Will be checking this one out. I make Herman pickles and keep them in the refrig. all year long. They are easy and so delicious. Have a great day. Hugs!

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  33. Hubby did not like my dill pickles I canned years ago so I make the sweet refrigerator pickles for me and found a dill one for the refrig I want to try if I get some cukes. I freeze some sweet dill ones too when I have them. Good luck at your craft show! Nancy

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  34. I've not made pickles in several years, but I've not forgotten the mess I used to make. Our favorite pickles were sweet pickles, the kind that had to soak for seven days, or something like that, in lime water. I really don't want to stay in my kitchen long enough to make those again! Have a great time at the craft show!

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