Pickled Banana Peppers

I decided to try one more recipe for banana peppers!  This one is not a sweet one and I sealed this one up!  I am going to give this one a try soon and let you know the verdict on which was better or maybe both will be good!

(my garden froze last night!  good thing I picked what was there!)

Pickled Banana Peppers

(makes 1 pint jar)

(jessicasfoodspot.blogspot.com)

Ingredients

10-12 banana peppers

1 hot pepper

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard seed

1 tsp pepper corns

2 cloves garlic, peeled

In a saucepan bring the vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns and mustard seed to a boil. Then remove from heat. In a large stock pot bring plain water to a boil.

While the brine is coming to a boil, slice the peppers into rings. Cut one of the garlic cloves into fourths and layer the peppers and garlic in a jar. Put the second garlic glove on top of the peppers.

Pour the brine over the peppers, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top of the jar. Place the lid on top of the jar making sure that seal is tight, then screw on the ring. Place the jar in the large stock pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the hot jar from the boiling water. After cooling for a few minutes check to make sure the jar sealed (If it is not sealed the middle of the lid will pop up and down). If it didn't seal just be sure to always keep it refrigerated.

Perfect Diner Pancakes

I lost my camera to my husband this weekend.  So unfortunately my kids don't get to laugh at me for taking pictures of my food and you don't get to see a wonderful picture of a pancake!

I know we all know what a pancake looks like, so just imagine that picture here!  I was enticed by the recipe name "Perfect Diner" pancake and had to try them.  We do Breakfast Wednesdays at my house and also with school I try really hard to cook more than cereal for breakfast on school mornings (like that I cook cereal~which consists of grabbing a box out of the pantry!) so I am always looking for that great pancake recipe.

I have found a few and have even used some mixes lately.  I think I have found a favorite!  I think I am done with mixes too!  My kids all liked these pancakes too. 

They are fluffy and have great flavor and super yummy!  I don't know how they compare to a diner pancake so much because I am more of a waffle gal when we go out to breakfast!  I do believe the title though, they were perfectly yummy!!

Perfect Diner Pancakes

(http://www.tastykitchen.com/)

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup Malted Milk Powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cups milk (I added more after mixing because it seemed to thick)
• 1 extra large egg (I used a large egg, which may be why I needed more milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp melted butter

Heat your griddle to medium-high heat.

In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.  In a smaller bowl, combine/whisk the milk, egg, and vanilla until frothy.

Add the milk mixture to your dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Now add your melted butter and whisk until completely incorporated.  (I added some more milk here, about a tbsp at a time until desired thickness)

Allow the pancake batter to rest for about 3-5 minutes to thicken.  (Mine was already thick, but I did let it rest!)

Now cook those lovely pancakes on your hot griddle and feel good about sending your kids to school having a great breakfast!  Top with syrup or our ever favorite peanut butter and syrup on top of that!  or strawberry jam or all sorts of other yumminess!  Makes about 8-10 pancakes depending on size.

Sweet Pickled Banana Peppers

I planted banana peppers this year in my garden.  I didn't plant much since we got our garden in so late, but the nursery had banana pepper plants and I decided why not!

My family likes peppers on their sandwiches and even in salads.  So I did a little searching on the Internet for a recipe.  Well I found one with RAVE reviews and 5 stars everywhere!  I have now officially tried it and it smells right and was super easy.  I haven't tried them yet because you have to wait 2 weeks before you can eat them.

I am sharing for any of you looking for a recipe, you might want to try this one.  It takes quite a few peppers to fill a pint jar, so you can use 1/2 pint jars too.

Sweet Pickled Banana Peppers

(http://www.food.com/)

Ingredients:

     1/2 lb banana peppers, seeded and sliced cross ways into rings (about 2 cups cut peppers)

Pickling Juice:

• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2/3 cups white sugar
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp celery seeds
• (I added a cut up clove of garlic too!  A lot of other recipes had garlic in them, so that was my addition to this recipe!)

Directions:

      Sterilize 2 1/2 pint jars, or 1 pint jar.  (I usually put them through the dishwasher right before I need them.  I had already washed my jars that way and so this time I just put my jar in boiling water on the stove for 5 minutes and then used it!)

     Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a rolling boil.

     Place the cut up peppers into the sterilized jars.  Pour the hot pickling juice in the jars.  Bring liquid to about 1/2" of the top and make sure the edge of the jar has no juice on it or that you wipe the top of the jar.

     Place lids and screw on the bands finger tight.  Seal jar and leave for 2 weeks.  I just did one jar and want to try it right away, so I didn't water bath it and am git in the refrigerator to try in 2 weeks.  I saw on other recipes to water bath the jars for 10 minutes to process.

     I hope someone else out there tries this and I will let you know in 2 weeks how this one turned out!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com.  I haven't tried a lot of new recipes lately, still trying to get in the swing of things with sports and school starting!  Fall is coming upon us and I am wanting to definitely cook more as our days of being outside are getting shorter!  So sad to say that too!

This cake turned out really moist and you can't even really tell there is zucchini in it!  A suggestion was to split the oil with applesauce, which I didn't try yet!  I have included the suggestion and I am going to try that next time!  I have included a recipe for a chocolate glaze that a reviewer said was great!  I haven't tried it, I just put powdered sugar on mine, but it had rave reviews from others!  So if you have found yourself buried in zucchini, give this treat a try!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake III

(www.allrecipes.com)

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups oil (or 3/4 cup oil and 3/4 cup applesauce)

3 cups grated zucchini

3/4 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan or bundt pan with spray and flour.  I would definitely do this!  I even had a hard time getting it out this way!
• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Add the eggs and oil, mix well.  Fold in nuts and zucchini until evenly distributed through bowl.  Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely and top with powdered sugar or chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp Karo syrup

2 tsp vanilla

6 tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk (or more depending on consistency desired)

Mix all ingredients together and pour over cooled cake!