No Bake

I love pickles. So does Caroline. The process of making pickles always seemed pretty intimidating. There was fermenting and barrels and ratios of things….it was just too much. I knew there had to be an easier way. Thanks to Ashley, there is!

I followed Ashley’s Simply Pickled recipe, only modifying by not measuring each spice exactly, just eyeballing it.

12oz pickling cucumbers, sliced
8 sprigs fresh dill
1T coriander seeds
1/2T mustard seed
1T whole black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, halved
1T kosher salt
3/4c distilled white vinegar
water to cover

Place a couple of sprigs of dill in the bottom of a 1 quart glass jar.

Combine the salt and vinegar in a bowl.

Add the cucumbers to the jar and place some sprigs of dill in between the layers of cucumbers.

Add all of the spices and garlic on top of the cucumbers, pour in the vinegar and salt mixture than add water to cover.

Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

As long as cucumbers are readily available, I will make my own pickles and avoid buying them in the store. Store bought pickles pale in comparison to this quick and easy homemade recipe—the fresh flavors cannot be beat.

Throwing these together took five minutes and then after about four hours in the refrigerator, they were ready to go!

Enjoy!

Recipe from Edible Perspective.

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One of the things that Jeromy and I love about our new house is the neighborhood. Not just the area but our neighbors. There are so many other young {can I still call us young?} families and we have truly enjoyed getting to know all of them. We end up having dinner with our neighbors almost once a week. Sometimes, like this past weekend, we have dinner with our neighbors three nights in a row. Like I said, we love our neighbors.

For one of our neighborhood cookouts I made tabbouleh and I wanted to bring a dessert. Given that it was rather hot, I didn’t want to turn on the oven, so I looked for a no bake option. After I asked Twitter, Cassie suggested this recipe. Naturally, I had to put my own spin on it!

Almond Butter, Chocolate and Strawberry Bars

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 15 minutes {60 minutes inactive

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: raw dessert almond butter oats chocolate bar

Ingredients (1 9×13 pan)

1 stick of butter
2 cups almond butter {I used creamy, but if you prefer crunchy, go for it}
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups rolled oats
1 bag chocolate chips
1/2-3/4 cup dried strawberries, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Put the almond butter and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to one minute, until the butters are melted. Stir them together to combine well.

Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir to combine.

Add in the oats and stir until the mixture forms into a dough. It should pull away from the sides.

Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper {I did not use the parchment paper. Trust me when I tell you it’s a good idea.}

Spread the almond butter mixture in the baking dish and press evenly.

Put the dish in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the chocolate chips for 1 minute. Stir, then continue to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cook slightly.

Once slightly cooled, stir in the chopped dried strawberries.

Remove the baking dish from the freezer and pour the chocolate and strawberries onto the almond butter layer. Spread evenly, then sprinkle the coconut flakes on top. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Using the parchment paper, remove the whole bar from the baking dish. Carefully slice into 1 inch squares. Store in the refrigerator

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