Cool Cucumbers

Ok Today's subject is just a simple recipe for marinating pickling cucumbers(pickles). If you are like me and you love pickles fresh off the vine plain, with a little salt, or with salad dressing you will really fall for this simple marinade. It can also be used to marinate other vegetables to eat raw or before cooking...I personally love it not only on my pickles but on zucchini squash before grilling it...If you do not have the herbs fresh then dried ones work just as well but make sure when you use dried herbs to make the marinade at least 24hrs before putting it on the vegetables to let the flavors mix and the herbs to re-hydrate....Also remember that you can add more or less of any of the herbs to your personal taste...

All purpose Vegetable Marinade/Dressing

For Fresh Herbs:
1/2 cup Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Vinegar(if you prefer you may use Apple Cider Vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)
1/2 Large Clove Garlic(chopped)
1/2 Small Onion (chopped fine)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric (powder)
1/8 teaspoon ginger (grated)

For Dried Herbs:
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Parsley
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/8 teaspoon Ginger Powder

Pour over vegetables cover and place in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hrs before cooking or serving...Then enjoy the wonderful mix of flavors...

Frankie
Redneck Kreations

Gluten Free Meatloaf Suprise

Ok folks having to go gluten free has practically made a mad scientist out of me...I can't stand the terrible flavors of the store bought gluten free items so to the kitchen with test tubes and a bunch of components I have gone and every now and then through all those experiments comes shining through one or two delicious meals...This one has become not only my favorite but a family favorite too so give it a try and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do... :)

Gluten Free Meat Loaf Surprise
2 cups Corn Chex (run in food Processor to make 1 cup crumbs)
1 1/2 lbs. Hamburger
1 sweet Bell Pepper finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove Garlic finely chopped
1tsp. ginger
1tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup parsley leaves chopped(can use cilantro here if you prefer that flavor)
2 Eggs
2 oz Cheddar cheese (white no additives sliced lengthwise off the brick)
2 Mozzarella cheese sticks (all natural no additives cut lengthwise in half)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients except the cheese together and place half of the meat mixture into a loaf pan make a channel down the center then place 2 halves of one Mozzarella stick in the bottom add the cheddar and place the 2 halves of the other mozzarella stick on the top place second half of meat mixture on top pushing down on the sides to seal the cheese in the center place in oven and bake until temp in center is 175 degrees (when putting thermometer into meat loaf be careful to NOT get it into the cheese pocket the reading will be wrong and cheese will leak out). Cook about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs at the end of this time if the temp is correct then cover with barbecue sauce and return to oven for another 5 min or so to thicken and caramelize the sauce...serve and enjoy!!

***Note*** For a change with this meatloaf you can add some pepperoni chunks and a couple tablespoons of marinara sauce to the center for a Pizza surprise! Or do a little ricotta with the mozzarella and Marinara sauce then add a few broccoli or asparagus spears for a  calzone without the Gluten! As you can tell I got bored with the same old same old this winter and decided to mix it up a bit. You can do the same and tuck any flavor you wish inside that meatloaf; heck you can even use your own choice of ground meat or meat substitute this is truly a very versatile recipe! Most of all have fun and enjoy it!

Basic Pancake Mix

This is a Recipe for a Basic Pancake mix which I use all the time... They are fluffy and thick so you don't need many to fill you up... If you happen to run out of bread they make a great PB&J or make the batter slightly thinner to make a great flavorful wrap for your favorite meat or scrambled eggs and cheese... Top them with fruit or your favorite syrup No matter what you do with them you will enjoy them... Yummy... :)

Basic Pancake Batter

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Egg

2 Tbls Melted Butter or Margarine

1 Cup Flour

2 Tsps Baking Powder

2 Tbls Sugar

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1  Pinch of ground Allspice

Put egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla into a bowl and mix well then set aside...

Mix all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl and whisk or sift together add egg mixture and whisk till all lumps are gone...spoon onto hot greased skillet and cook till bubbly all over and lightly browned on the bottom then flip and cook till lightly brown on second side...

If desired you can add any fruit to the batter in quantity that you desire or add it on top at the table....

For Waffles: double all ingredients EXCEPT ALLSPICE then  add an extra 1/2 cup of milk and 1 Tbl of melted butter.

For Chocolate Peanut Butter: Double all ingredients  LEAVING OUT ALLSPICE then add 1/2 Cup Cocoa, 1/4 Tsp salt, and 1/2 bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips.

Peanut Butter Topping: Mix 2Tbls Peanut Butter with 1 Tbl water and microwave until melted stirring every 10 seconds for up to 30 seconds if it is still too thick add water and repeat heating in 10 second intervals until you have the desired consistency...

Top with desired topping and enjoy...

Ma's Zucchini Bread

This is one of my favorite summertime

baked goods. I have many hours of hilariously funny

memories of making a mess with my mother as we

mixed, baked and packaged all the breads to eat

through the holidays. So I decided that I would

share this recipe with y'all and maybe you can 

make your own memories to make you smile 

years and years later.

Enjoy!

Hello

This is a spot where you will find a collection of Recipes that my Grandma and Momma taught me how to make along with some of my favorite snacks and how I prepare them for nibbling. I have decided to place them here and share with the world these old favorites with modifications. 

I have to ask you to please bear with me this is going to take some time as I can only work on the days that I am feeling up to doing so. 

Meanwhile try not to hold a grudge, Love with everything in you, take time to enjoy every moment and savor every bite of these old time favorites. For life is way to short to do otherwise. 

***NOTE*** Don't be surprised if you see a lot of suggestions containing bacon as a seasoning it is my favorite flavor after all. I buy it fresh with low or no sodium when a recipe calls for raw bacon then I cook  the remainder and store in the freezer for use in recipes that call for it pre-cooked. 
You will also find that I use a lot of Sage instead of Black Pepper(I'm allergic) so if you prefer you can use pepper in place of the sage in most recipes except sauces then just add the pepper back in. I also do not cook with any salt so you will have to add it if you wish. I hope you find something here that you will try and find that you enjoy it as much as I do.

**********

OK this is my first recipe but it is not for human consumption...LOL... 

Save the fat from cooking the low salt bacon so you can make it into suet cakes for the birds by adding some unseasoned rendered beef fat(you saved from that recipe which called for browned ground beef or that you trimmed off another cut of beef or lamb)if you don't eat a lot of meat you can get meat trimmings from your local butcher just have him grind it for you as it makes it easier to render.

Remove saved fat or trimmings from their container and melt until liquid. pour carefully through a really fine strainer or a coffee filter. Once it is strained hopefully you will have a cup or two of clear fat. Stir in a cup of Corn meal or whole grain unbleached flower(this may need to go up or down depending on what your add-ins are and whether your cakes hold together) (example: if you are going to add oats or bread you would want to add less cornmeal or flour so the fat will not get all soaked up and will hold everything together) stir then add a cup of mixed add-ins (whole grain oatmeal, bird seed, raisins, pieces of apples,( I add these after the oil has started to cool to avoid cooking them), dried whole grain bread, or other grains and fruits the birds in your area like to eat) once you have stirred them in it is time to pour them into molds. 

Be sure to line whatever container you are using (I use square ones that are the same size as my suet feeder) with parchment paper then your suet will be easy to remove from the mold. Your seeds or add-ins will probably settle to the bottom so I watch them and when the fat has just started to harden I stir them so the added goodies will be distributed evenly throughout. I Place them back in the freezer for 2-24 hours before giving the birds a wonderful buffet to snack on. 

***NOTE*** Very important if you live in an area where Bears roam do not use suet during the time that bears are out of the den and not hibernating or you may have a minor problem with them stealing it and destroying your property as well as putting you and your family in danger with them coming to the yard looking for food. 

 Please be sure to only use fat with no seasoning other than the low sodium in the bacon fat unless you check with your local Audubon  Society chapter to make sure that birds in your area can have it safely.  When you save the fat from cooking put it into a stoneware crock or other comparable container that can handle a little heat then once cooled place in the freezer(you can mix the fats if you are not going to use the bacon grease for any other reason) I save it for two to three months or until the container is full then make the suet cakes. I store prepared suet cakes in the freezer wrapped in paper until needed they can be stored frozen up to 6 months. Once out in your feeder you will need to keep an eye on them if the temperature goes above 40 degrees so that they will not get rancid. I check them every other day if they are not gone by the end of the second or third day.

As always have fun and be creative if it won't melt or crack and is made of paper, glass or aluminum it makes a great mold and the birds will love it no matter the shape!