in a pickle...

Last fall I had a few too many things on the agenda...and somehow missed the pickling cuc season.  We lamented that there would not be any homemade dill pickles this year...and the store bought ones are just not the same.  A friend suggested I try refrigerator bread and butter pickles instead...which can be made year-round with long English cucumbers.  Why not?

 
We love them...and I have made several batches this past year.  I keep a jar in the kitchen fridge...and replenish it as needed from the bucket stored in our spare fridge. 

We add them to sandwiches...eat them with crackers and cheese...or as an accompaniment for a meal.  Simple and delicious!  The roadside stands in our area have had fresh cucumbers (greenhouse grown) since February, so it's pickling season around here.   

I may just stick to my version of Bick's yum yums (click for recipe)...and forget about canning pickles in the future!   I just thought I'd pass along the tip...in case anyone else out there feels like pickling-the-easy-way.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

snow-going...

We expect wicked weather on B.C.'s mountain passes in winter.  

But winter is long past...

and this is spring...

and the weatherman promised a weekend of little or no precipitation.

We have family in Kelowna that we hadn't see in a long time.

And Kris had a SUV and trailer complete with motorbike waiting to be retrieved.

And so it seemed like a good excuse to make the trek across the Coquihalla Pass...

and head to Kelowna this weekend.

We left Saturday before noon.

We were just beyond Hope (40 minutes from home)...

when we hit snow...

and it stayed with us for most of the journey!

I crocheted...

and took pictures...

and hoped the skies would be clear for the return trip on Sunday.

It was -9°C on the pass.

This is April!

The floating bridge with Kelowna in the distance...

was a welcome sight.

We had a fine time visiting with family...

who are always so hospitable!

(Who goes out and buys a new bed for the guest room before their brother comes for night?)

We sat around several tables...

ate far too much...

and soon it was time for the trip home.

I have no pictures...

since I was now driving...

and hubby was following with the motorbike in tow.

But take my word for it...

the mountain passes were much worse than the previous day!

My knees are still shaking...

but we are home...

safe and sound!

And parked on the front yard...

is the Tahoe and trailer...

...with the dirt bike that I am willing to take offers on.

I'm thinking he won't be needing the trailer anymore either.

As for Kris...he is doing quite well.

But not thinking of motorbiking anytime soon!

heritage recipes go public...

Things I ate at grandma's house...and somehow took for granted...are not served so often these days. Zwieback...paska...and green bean soup were foods I grew up with. Now that Grandma is no longer around to make them...it's our turn. We at Mennonite Girls Can Cook are taking it upon ourselves to pass along the old favorites...and ensure that our grandchildren will enjoy the same dishes that we did. Last night we hosted a cooking class at Lepp Farm Market...for anyone interested in learning to bake grandma's zwiebacks...or paska...or green bean soup. The class was sold out...and what fun we had!

We arrived early and did our grocery shopping...but it wasn't long before the students began to arrive.  They all like a front row seat!

 With Marg as my trusty assistant, I shared Aunt Agatha's zwieback recipe.  Every family had their own way of making these rich little double-decker buns...but this is the recipe that will be in the new cookbook (on it's way to a bookshelf near you as we speak.)  Since many out there do not have mixers, we demonstrated the old-fashioned way of kneading dough.  It's not so hard.  The point is...anyone can make zwieback in their own kitchen. (One just has to stay home for a few hours in a row!)

Bev cooked up a pot of hearty green bean soup...with it's secret ingredient, summer savory.

And Lovella...paska, of course!  She really should have her own cooking show.  She is a fabulous presenter!

Ellen drove north from Seattle yesterday to join us and shared her family secret recipe...a cheese spread for paska.  New to me...but, oh...so delicious!

I should mention that these classes are about more than just listening and watching.  They are about participation.  Yes...everyone gets to sample everything!  And yesterday...we invited anyone who wanted to get their hands dirty, to try their hand and shaping zwieback. 

They were eager to give it a try!

Grandma watched her granddaughter's attempt at shaping the buns for awhile...and finally could not restrain herself any longer.  She came up and showed us all how it was done in her kitchen.  And I'm so glad she did.  There are no right or wrong ways.  Use your family recipe and make it your own.  And then...pass it along.  Aunt Agatha is long gone...but her zwiebacks are enjoying a new popularity.  I think she would be pleased!

How fun to have the generations come together over food!  Pictured above are Charlotte Lepp (on the right) with her mom and daughter.  Charlotte, thanks for inviting us to take part in your cooking classes at Lepp Farm Market.  And thanks for donating all the proceeds from last night to Matthew's House and The Good Shepherd Shelter.

Food...it can be a very good thing!

 Have a wonderful weekend...