Phyllis.  Yes yours is the way I use to do mine.  Then I started to heat the vinegar mix up for some reason. Seemed to work better.  Will try the salt on the Cucumber trick. Now try with the Zucchini.  You may have to heat the dressing for them. They dont have the moisture like Cukes.

        SALAD IN A JAR.
Think I am going to try this in my little jars . Will make about 4 and keep in the fridge without the dressing on.  I just put off making a salad for one all the time. Don't like to make them ahead and put in fridge.  In a jar it may work.

SALAD IN A JAR.

ecipe By:Alli Shircliff
"Layer spinach, beets, carrots, and garbanzo beans in a canning jar and top with homemade dressing for a portable salad or a fun appetizer for dinner parties."
Ingredients

    1 cup baby spinach leaves
    1 cup shredded beets
    1 cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
    1 cup shredded carrots
    5 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    2 teaspoons honey
    salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

    Layer 1/4 cup spinach, 1/4 cup beets, 1/4 cup garbanzo beans, and 1/4 cup shredded carrots in each of 4 jars.
    Combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in the remaining jar; place lid on jar. Shake until dressing is evenly combined. Pour 1/4 the dressing over each salad.

JeanneP, when school is in session, every Sunday night my daughter makes 5 similar layered salads in a quart Mason jar for the week's lunches. 

She also makes oatmeal in pint jars for a week at a time for a quick breakfast or even lunch.  Much more nutritious than those packets of oatmeal. 

Layers of Quaker oatmeal, plain Greek yogurt, applesauce, craisins and fill the jar with milk.  Stir, heat and eat. 

Mary

Mary, now that sounds good!

Jeanne,   The pickles have been chilling in the fridge and they sure are crispy.  However, they are a little bit too spicy for me.  What do you think I could cut back on to make them less spicy?   I used 3/4 cup sugar instead of the 1/2 cup, but I don' think that is the problem.  I mixed the seasoning using 2 tsp. of each seasoning and I only used 1 Tbsp. of it in the liquid.  I am not sure if it might be too much pepper that I am tasting.  I don't think the salt or garlic powder would make them too spicy.   They are good, tho, and I will probably try making them with the zucchini next time.  I might try doctoring them up a little bit by adding some more water.  When I tasted the mixture while it was boiling, it didn't taste as spicy as they do now. 

Joy

MaryTX.  I think will do the Oatmeal one also.  I have it every morning.  Mine is Oatmeal, Walnuts, Flax seed, chopped Prunes, Blueberry Yogurt on top after cooking. Milk

Joy From the ones you made you will be able to tell what to cut back on. Maybe to much Vinegar. Which did you use.Try less. Add a little Balsamic Vinegar and cut down on the sugar.  I at time have use Wine Vinegar.

MaryTX.  I never made my trip to Texas last month due to the flooding. Now it is about 97 deg in Magnolia. (Daugher has a Ranch just outside Houston.)  Their land not flooded but the main road to there turnoff got busted up.  so will make it down now in end of August or Early Sept.
How far are you away?

Oh! you are up by Dallas.  I maybe better off now flying from my Town to Dallas instead of changing in Chicago. Can you check if there is a train from Dallas A/P area to Houston

http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/jack-daniels-chipotle-barbecue-sauce/


"Before I had children, I used to make barbecue sauce from these cookbooks quite frequently and often added my own little twist each time I made one. This is one of my favorites, that I hadn’t made for ages. We had a rib-fest at work, though, and I wanted a good homemade sauce for my ribs, so I turned to this old favorite and kicked it up with some chipotle powder. It turned out so smoky sweet and good … and my ribs disappeared in a flash!

I was happy that I grabbed some as soon as I put them out, because I wanted some of my oh-so-good, fall-apart tender ribs. I used my oven slow cooking method to get my ribs uber tender and wonderful, added a little smoke flavoring, paprika, and chipotle powder to the rub to give it the smoky flavor you might miss from oven-cooking ribs. This smoky sweet sauce was the perfect thing to slather on at the end. My Jack Daniels cookbooks and I are having a very happy reunion. I missed you, old friends!"


Jack Daniels Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled & chopped fine
1 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped fine
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Jack Daniels whiskey
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon chipotle powder (or to taste)
1 - 2 Tablespoons honey (or to taste)
Instructions

In a medium saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is soft and translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Adjust honey and chipotle to taste. Slather on ribs, chicken or other meat.

Jeanne, there is no train service from Dallas to Houston.  Amtrak travels from Chicago to Dallas to San Antonio.  They have been talking about high speed rail service from Dallas to Houston, but it's been nothing but talk for as long as I can remember. 

Mary

I've been wandering through some food blogs and came upon this which looked both cool for summer and also delicious! This serves six or makes some nice leftovers!

http://www.sustainingthepowers.com/honey-lime-fruit-salad/

Prep Time10 min Total Time10 min
Ingredients
1 cup diced gala apples (approximately 2 apples)
1 cup diced green apples (approximately 2 apples)
1 cup diced mango chunks (approximately 2 mangos)
1/2 cup diced peaches (approximately 2 peaches)
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
3/4 cup fresh blackberries
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup honey
Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine apples, mango, peaches, raspberries, and blackberries.
In a small bowl, mix together lime juice and honey until well combined.
Pour over the bowl of fruit and stir to coat.
Server immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days. (Fruit may begin to brown after a few hours, but it won't affect the flavor.)
Notes
You can swap in your favorite in-season fruits.
Gluten-free: This is gluten-free.
Vegetarian/Vegan: This is vegetarian/vegan depending on your personal stance about honey.
By Kate M.

Jeanne,  I have decided that I added too much of the black pepper.    I had  made up the mixture of 2 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp, sea salt, and 2 tsp. of the black pepper,  I then used 1 TBSP., of this mixture in the vinegar mixture. 

When I make them again, I will just add the salt, garlic powder and pepper individually and be very careful of the amount of pepper.  They have a nice flavor, just a little too peppery for me.

I drained the container I had them in this morning,  and discarded about a cup of the mixture and then added a cup of plain water and about a 1/2 cup of additional sugar and brought this to a boil   And,  added the pickles.  Don't know if it will make a difference, but we will see. It takes a long time for the liquid to cool down.

Just thought I would throw this info out in case some of the others would try them.  If you don't like spicy, then cut way back on the black pepper.

Joy

Joy. Yes. that was to much pepper. Black is so strong, Now did I say I used that much in my mix. When I mix things i sort of stick my finger in and test to see if to much of anything in there.
I goofed up on fish the other day as before I cook it I put the fish in cold water with a couple table spoons of Salt. Leave it for a hour in fridge. Then rinse. Then put it in flour and the Pepper. Garlic mix. Well I uses the Salt, Pepper,Garlic and so turned out a little to salty . WAs O.K but I don't care for a lot of salt. Do like a little Paprika sometimes.

Jeanne,   this is what you wrote in one of the messages.

I do about equal on the Garlic Powder, Pepper, Maybe a little less on the salt.

So, I just mixed 2 tsps. of each all together and added the  1 TBLS,.  that the recipe called for, 

You know when you are working with a new recipe, a lot of time it is trial and error.   I was tasting as I went along, but the pepper taste didn't really show up until after they chilled.  I just do it differently the next time.  They will get eaten. 

Joy

Joy, I'm not big on black pepper so I would use just 1 tsp. Black pepper.  I keep whole peppers for my son-in-law who drenches almost everything in black pepper but I find that my pepper mill doesn't grind fine enough for me. So I never use fresh ground pepper.

Jean,  a teaspoon of black pepper might even be too much.  I'd start with a 1/2 tsp.  You can always add more.

I am not a big pepper person, either.  I buy the coarse ground pepper in a little jar.

Joy

I thought this was interesting;

Incredibly Helpful Kitchen Tips: How to Freeze Eggs and Dairy Products
APRIL 11, 2015 BY ELISABETH KRUGER

Incredibly Helpful Kitchen Tips: How to Freeze Eggs and Dairy Products...
When there’s a great sale on at the grocery store for dairy products or eggs in bulk, you may walk on by, thinking that you won’t actually save money since you’ll never get through it all before the expiry date. But the great news is that you can actually take full advantage of promotions, sales and specials on these products as long as you know how to freeze them.

Milk
When freezing milk, pour a little bit out before sticking it in the freezer since it can expand over time; you can keep it in there for a full month. When you want to defrost it, let it thaw out in the fridge overnight. Just give it a good shake after it’s fully thawed before drinking.

Cheese

Cheese can live in the freezer for six months. The best way to do it is to grate the cheese before freezing so that you don’t get a crumbly block after thawing. If you really are hell-bent on freezing the block, though, let it thaw completely on the counter before refrigerating â€" this should combat the crumbliness.

Eggs

An egg is not something that I thought cold be frozen, but surprisingly, you can keep them in the freezer for as long as one year! You can’t just stick them in, though, you need to crack the eggs, whisk them a bit and then pour them out into an ice cube tray.

Butter

Butter can just be popped into the freezer as is. Salted butter is the best option for freezing and can last up to a year, whereas its unsalted counterpart may lose its flavor after just one month of freezing.

http://www.diyncrafts.com/11393/food/incredibly-helpful-kitchen-tips-how-to-freeze-eggs-and-dairy-products

Chicken Salad makes a delicious, quick meal. Get this recipe for chicken salad with grapes that will surely become a favorite.


Ingredients

Gluten free
Meat
1 lb Chicken
Produce
1 cup Celery
1 Celery, leaves
1/2 cup Cherries, dried
1 cup Grapes, red
Condiments
1 cup Mayonnaise
Baking & Spices
1/2 tsp Black pepper, ground
1/2 tsp Salt
Nuts & Seeds
1/2 cup Pecans, roasted
Comments
Judy Lambert
Judy Lambert saved to Clean Eating Recipes
This is the BEST Chicken salad and makes a delicious, quick meal! If you want to lighten it up, you can use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Either way, it's amazing! So easy, it is always a favorite! // addapinch.com

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/414612709427704677/?utm_campaign=homefeednewpins&e_t=2b23ecdca09c4a3aa10a46ee561225e9&utm_content=414612709427704677&utm_source=31&utm_term=1&utm_medium=2025

Angel, I have a half-pound of salted Amish butter in the freezer right now.  I always put my butter in the freezer and only take out small amounts when I know I'm going to be using it.  It keeps a long time!  And I've frozen milk but when I tried to freeze cheddar I didn't like the texture after it was thawed so I don't freeze it anymore.

Never,Even will I buy a Acorn Squash again where I have to peel it. Never bought them before. So hard.  They do sell them peeled in the store.
Not big on using squash. Like Zucchini for certain things . They are easy.
I am doing some Stove Top Chicken and putting Veg under it and then into the oven . Thought would try squash. better be good.

JeanneP, I don't peel my acorn squashes; I cut them in half, then bake them that way.  When done, I scoop out the innards and add butter, salt and pepper.  I know there are different ways to fix them, but that is my method.

I love acorn squash.

Mary Ann

I may try that Mary Ann If I like the taste. But this time I needed it cubed up in Inch size. Not eaten any yet.

Phyllis, I have never frozen eggs, butter or milk, so that was new to me. Thank you for the info about cheese. I have never been able to keep it around long enough...I'm a bit obsessed with different types of cheese!

How is Amish butter different from regular salted butter? I always buy butter or sugar rather than substitutes and just stay in moderation as I've heard so many times that food substitutes and margarine are harmful and not worth using.

I've never eaten squash before. I've purchased it and never tried it until I had to toss it. What does it taste like, Maryann? I may have had it in stews or other dishes out, however.

MaryAnn. O.K I tried the Butternut Squash. Did it a different way than what I was going to.
Cut it in chunky pieces and steamed a little in the MW. Then fixed like do with Sweet Potatoes. With butter and Brown sugar. Was pretty good. Fact I like it better than Sweet Potatoes. Taste better. So think I will buy again but fix like you do it. No peeling .

Patricia, it is hard for me to describe the taste of acorn squash, only that it has a full flavor.  I do season it with salt and pepper, but I have directions for cooking it with butter in the cavity, then putting brown sugar and/or marshmallows in it.  Each squash has a different taste, some similar.  An interesting squash is the spaghetti squash.  When it if done, you take a fork and work the squash to get spaghetti shaped forms.  You season it to taste.

Mary Ann

Thanks, Maryann. Now that I have to be careful of any chemicals or "extra processing" in my food, I'm searching further afield then I'm used to. I'm also trying to lose those final pounds, so I'm not ready to try the brown sugar, marshmallows and butter as yet. The spaghetti squash sounds good, and I'll google squash recipes. I have for years purchased, cooked and served the same foods, and so these allergies are forcing me to look further afield which is a good thing.

I just saw this on the Savvy Fork site;

Savory and sweet butternut squash salad

Ingredients:

1 c. of Brussels sprouts
1 c. of butternut squash
1 c. of sweet potatoes
1/4 c. craisins
1 garlic, minced
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
Assortment of nuts to top
Directions:

Toss Brussels sprouts, butternut squash and sweet potatoes in olive oil, and roast for 30 minutes until all are tender and browning.
In a large bowl, all ingredients except for nuts.
Whisk together olive oil vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
Pour over salad and toss well. Top with pecans. Serve.
Sounds both simple for me and good for us as well!

May try that one but wonder why need the Sweet Potato and the Squash. Both look and taste about the same. Think I will use just squash. Or maybe add a carrot instead of the Sweet Potato. Walnuts instead of Pecans. Are they saying to serve it COLD or Warm?

It says to roast for thirty minutes so I'm assuming it will be warm.

    OVEN CHICKEN

1/2 CUP FLOUR
1/4 CUP CORN MEAL
1/2 TSP OF PEPPER, PAPRIKA, CARLIC POWDER. **
AND ONION POWDER  **
1/4 cup of oil . I have use a little butter mixed in this.

Put all dry in a bag and add Chicken. Shake

Put into baking pan and pour oil over
Put in a 350 deg. oven for about about 45 min
Turn it a few time.
***
Now this is another good spice mix to keep in a jar. Used on Pork chops.