Geaux Tigers and Gig 'em!

With Meg at LSU I think I'm officially now a tiger fan and of course continue to be a die hard Aggie fan as well!  Both teams are playing tonight, one on prime time television and one not, but I'll be cheering for both.  The girls came home for the weekend so it's been nice to have the nest filled again, even if just for the weekend!  We'll all be together for a bit and that's all that matters.  Geaux Tigers and Gig 'em! 

Houston Farmers Market, Pickles, and Spicy Green Beans

Last Saturday we headed to a farmer's market in Houston.  It was Brit's last weekend before heading back for her last semester of college.  Her dad's idea and it sounded fun so we all, including Milo, piled into the Tahoe and headed south.  Little did I know that later that day we would be making spicy pickles and green beans, but I'll get to that after a quick photo tour of our morning.  To get to the farmer's market you must first walk through this little produce outlet which is like a little grocery store with prices that can't be beat.  I wish I could go every weekend! 

Brit found some cherry tomatoes to buy.

And stopped to pose for a picture.  Milo wanted no part of it!

Once through the store we reached the farmer's market.

The vendors take a lot of pride in making their stands appealing to the eye. 

 Some even have samples for you to taste before purchasing.

Richard found plenty of stuff to buy.

Including a pepper plant that now resides on our back porch. 

After an hour or so of shopping we headed back to the store with pepper plant, fruit and veggies in hand .

 It was then our way out, that we noticed these small cucumbers and sparked the idea of making pickles.  So we bought a couple of pounds and headed home with no real clue how in the world to make them. 

After a call to his mom and one more stop at HEB for pickling salt, a set of mason jars and fresh dill we arrived home ready to get started.  The recipe we found was from my Better Home's Cookbook.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 pound 4 inch pickling cucumbers (5-6)

4-6 heads fresh dill

2 cloves of garlic, halved

1 3/4 cups water

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. pickling salt

Directions:

Rinse cucumbers.  Prepare pickling bottles.  Pack cucumbers loosely into a hot, sterilized quart jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Add dill and 2 cloves of garlic halved (We also added a couple dried chili peppers that we purchased at the farmer's market to make it spicy). Make a brine by combining water, vinegar and salt.  Bring to boiling.  Pour hot brine over cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Adjust lid.  Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.  Let stand 1 week before opening. 

I was a little unsure about the processing of the pickles so I found a website, Pick Your Own, that gave step by step directions including pictures for visual learners like me.  We decided to pickle some green beans, great in a Bloody Mary.  So here they are in their jars waiting for the big day when we open them and see if they are as good as they look!   

                   

   

Meg is Leaving

It's an empty feeling knowing your youngest, the one who has kept you busy 24/7 since birth is leaving.  Tomorrow that's just what's happening to us.  Meg is leaving for Baton Rouge.  Due to my school in-service, we can't be the ones to take her on LSU's big move in day.  Instead she will be going with Kyle, carrying an overnight bag with a few necessary items to survive in her dorm the first night.  She didn't want to wait and go with us.  Can't blame her, she might miss out on something!  We will be there Friday to bring all her stuff, which is a considerable amount,  help her unpack and then say our goodbyes.  I know she will be fine and it's my job to let her go with a smile on my face, but it hurts so much.  I just hope I can hold it together, at least until we're in the car and driving away....

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Pecan Green Beans

With Meg headed to college, we have been busy getting her ready which has left little time for nothing else.  Not that I'm complaining, the thought of her going breaks my heart so I have tried to enjoy every moment, even the stressful mother-daughter ones.  Well, with her leaving in less than a week she wanted to go through my recipe books and find dinners we could make together.  How sweet is that!  So, our first night of family cooking together was scalloped potatoes with ham and pecan green beans, true comfort food.  Both recipes come from Taste of Home.  It turned out great and she did most of the hard work, including peeling the potatoes!  We all loved it.  In fact, I had a big helping just a bit ago and think I can feel it attaching itself to my midsection as I type.  Can't wait to see what she decides to make tonight! 

 Pictures from Taste of Home

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
 Ingredients:
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups milk
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
• 1-1/2 cups chopped fully cooked ham
• 1 small onion, grated

 Directions
• In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour, parsley, salt, thyme and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
• Combine potatoes, ham and onion; place half in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the sauce; repeat layers. Cover and bake at 375° for 65-75 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Dot with remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 4 servings.

Pecan Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh green beans

• 4 Tbsp. chopped pecans

• 2 Tbsp. butter

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Place beans in saucepan and cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. 
• Meanwhile, in a skillet saute pecans in butter for three minutes or until golden brown. 
• Drain beans and add to skillet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.