Put 'em up

Back in college, I always thought of myself as an independent spirit. I worked full time while in school full time, paying for my own apartment, going out all the time, and generally enjoying myself through all sorts of tomfoolery. I never took a class before 10 AM, my weekends started on Thursdays, and there was never a shortage of girlfriends to take out dancing. Through some sort of miracle, my head stayed screwed on through it all, and I managed to graduated with honors and land a job right out of school. I could say with confidence that my job and fun were at the top of my priority list.

Oh, how things change. It only took about a year for me to realize that I would be completely burned out by the time I was 25 if I kept moving at the same speed. Little by little, I started to slow down. Nowadays, I feel like I can actually sit still. We may not even move this year. I'm as domesticated as a Guernsey cow. I never thought I'd be baking my own bread, canning jams, and making pickles. I'm turning into my great grandmother, and it's a very comfortable place indeed.


Sweet and Sour Pickles
Adapted from Southern Living Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ( 4 or 5 depending on size) cucumbers, sliced into rounds
2 cups rice vinegar
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbls. black peppercorns
1 Tbls. sesame seeds
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Preparation:
Combine, vinegars, sugar and salt in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Set aside.
Toss cucumber slices with all remaining ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the top and toss well. Let stand two hours.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Transfer to pint jars and store in the fridge.

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