Claussen Pickle Clone Recipe

Ever since I posted some pictures of my homemade pickles on Facebook, I have been getting requests for my recipe.  Honestly, I can't really take credit for it.  I googled "Claussen Pickle Clone Recipe", looked through what came up, and picked one that sounded easy.  It worked.  My pickles taste very much like Claussen's.  Which mean's a lot considering that I'm a pregnant pickle snob.  (I've always loved pickles, not just since I've been pregnant.)  The recipe I used was actually for refrigerator pickles and I then canned some of the jars.  So here is the recipe that I used:

1 gallon cucumbers
1/3 cup dehydrated onions
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed
4 tsp. dill seed
1 1/2 quart water
2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup sea salt

Cut cucumbers into desired size. (halves, spears, chips, etc)
Put cucumbers into jars.
Boil liquids and seasonings for 5 minutes to dissolve salt.
Allow brine to cool.
Pour brine over pickles and let sit on counter for 3 days, turning occasionally.  (cover loosely with either cheese cloth or the lid of your canning jar to keep fruit flies out)
Then refrigerate.  They will keep for one year.

Note: I looked at some recipes for instructions on how to can these pickles since the original recipe was only for refrigerator pickles.  A lot of the recipes called for processing the jars for 10-15 minutes.  I did happen across one that was a Claussen clone recipe that said she only processed the jars for 5 minutes to keep the pickles from losing their crunch.  I followed the 5 minute recipe for canning my pickles.  We have only tried the refrigerated ones and not the canned ones so I can't guarantee how they will turn out when canned.  I will try to post an update once we start using the canned ones to let you know how they held up.

What's for dinner tonight?

Tonight we had grilled french onion soup (yes, I made it on the grill!), homemade whole wheat bread, tossed salad, and grilled apples.  The grilled apples were exactly like baked apples with brown sugar and cinnamon except they were wrapped in foil and put on the grill.  Yummy!  Below is the recipe for the grilled french onion soup.  I found this recipe online at www.allrecipes.com.  There was a suggestion in the reviews to use foil tart pans and then wrap the whole thing in foil.  I used that method and it worked great for us.  I used the foil tart pans for the baked apples too and it made cleanup very easy.

Grilled French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 large Vidalia onions
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cubes beef bouillon
• 12 ice cubes
• 4 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices provolone cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat.
2. Slice the tops off of the onions, and remove the outer layer of skin. Leave the base intact. Cut slices across the top in a cross hatch pattern, going about 1/2 inch into the onion. Set each onion on a square of heavy duty aluminum foil. Double the foil if you do not have the heavy duty. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each onion, then place one bouillon cube onto the butter. Fold the foil up around the onion. When almost closed, place 3 ice cubes on top of the onion, and spoon 1 tablespoon of the sherry into each packet. Seal completely.
3. Place the packets on the grill, and cook for 40 to 45 minutes. Don't peek inside until the 40 minutes has passed. When the onions are cooked through, they will feel tender when you squeeze the packet. Open the foil up slightly, and place a slice of cheese on top of each one. Close the grill lid, and let the cheese melt into the onions for a minute.
4. Remove from the grill, and serve from the packets, or remove the onions to a serving bowl, and pour the stock from the packets in with them.

Etsy Trick or Treat

I got this idea for a blog post from a friend of mine, Lindsay,  from  PA Country Crafts.  She did an Etsy Easter Egg hunt and I thought it was such a cute idea that I decided to do a Halloween version.

We'll start with a cute Trick or Treat bag from preciouspatterns. 

The first treat I found was this cute Candy Corn Soap from PureHeartSoap.

This Yummy Candy Corn Fudge treat is from reeaadd.

This very cute knitted set is from knittyknittybangbang.

How cute are these little Bat Trick or Treat Booties from HandyMandyCreations

The wine enthusiast in me just loves these Custom Halloween Wine Labels from smallcreatures.

Of course I have to add some items from some of my favorite Etsy shops.

Here are pumpkin decorations from my good friend, Lindsay, at PACountryCrafts.

This beautiful necklace titled Weird Science from my friend, Penny, at spoton.

This one of a kind vase is from my friend Linda at littleflowerdesigns

I hope you all enjoyed Trick or Treating with me!  Stay tuned for more from the HenHouse!

What to do when you have a mason jar flap clogging your kitchen sink...

I know, this never happens to anyone.  In fact, I am probably the only person that this has ever happened to and it will probably never happen to me again so this information is probably never going to be useful ever again.  But, just in case you ever find yourself in the same predicament that I was in this afternoon, here is what to do.

First, let me describe what the scenario was.  I was doing the dishes this afternoon like a good housewife and realized that the water was not going down the drain.  So of course I do what I always do when this is the case.  I turned on the garbage disposal.  Like usual, I forgot to feel around in the drain first to make sure there were no spoons, etc. in the drain.  (That's how we are currently down one baby spoon but who's counting?)  Anyway, I didn't check first and apparently there was something in the drain but it was not a baby spoon this time.  So the garbage disposal sounded a little funny but not that crunchy grinding sound like you may be familiar with if you too forget to check first before turning it on.  Nope, this was a funny sucking sound.  I let the disposal run for a little and realized that it was not turning my dishwater into the whirlpool that it usually does so I figured it was clogged or something.  I turned off the garbage disposal, waited for what was probably way longer than necessary but hey, I've seen the horror movies, I know what happens when you put your hand in a garbage disposal too soon, and no, I don't want to practice my horror film scream anytime soon.  So I finally reached my hand down and hit something flat.  Hmm, now what in the world could that be???  I feel around, and find a ring from a mason jar.  I feel around some more and realize that I can feel the rubber ring of the flap from the mason jar.  Well, at least I know what it is.  Now, how do I get it out of there???

I tried prying it up with my finger nail.  Didn't work.  I tried some of my heavy duty fridge magnets (Well they hold the millions of pieces of paper on the fridge so why wouldn't they pull a mason jar flap out of my drain?)  Didn't work.  I tried prying it up with a cheese spreader.  Yes, I said a cheese spreader and no, it didn't work either.  Then a light bulb went on.  I ran upstairs to the linen closet and got the plunger.  After a few failed attempts, a few moments of "how am I gonna explain this one to my husband?", and a few moments of "well now, this will make a funny blog entry", finally I had some success!  The flap popped up, I quick grabbed it before the water could suck it back in, and the water went down the drain.  So there you have it.  The next time you find yourself in a situation where there's a flap stuck in your drain, use the plunger!

First Post

I've considered the idea of creating a blog a couple times but never thought I would actually update it enough or have anything worth writing about.  It wasn't until I went to a networking event and heard from other women about their experiences using their blogs to boost their businesses that I really decided to give this a try.  So here I am, starting my blog about life in the "Hen House" which is what I've affectionately decided to nickname my home.  What will my blog be about?  My home business with Lia Sophia Jewelry, the daily adventures of being a Stay At Home Mama to my wonderful son, and anything else I decide to write about along the way.  I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy sharing them and please excuse me while I fumble through the first few.  I'm a total newbie to this blogging thing and it might take me a while to get the hang of it.  That's all for now folks!