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Dental hygienist, Laura Beth's big green egg gas grill somehow turned itself on in her sun room where it was being stored and got so hot it melted the glass sunroof in the room while everyone was away at work and school and would have burned the house down if the melting window hadn't triggered their house alarm. Laura Beth told me while she was cleaning my teeth that she came home to her cul-de-sac filled with fire trucks from both Fillmore and Millard County as well as police and sherrif’s cars parked along both sides of the road.
Let this serve as a fiery reminder to us all: keep your gas grills checked and serviced, lest you too plan on turning a regular Tuesday into a neighborhood block party - complete with sizzling sunroofs and local law enforcement. Stay sparkly, folks
Mrs. Gay Hart, the beloved public school lunch lady's husband of 51 years, Butch Hart just keeled over and died in their driveway less than a month after his retirement and just 19 days before Miz Gay's retirement. Morerles’s Funeral Home is keeping Mister Butchie in the cooler for a few weeks so his family and friends all have time to make arrangements to come to his throw down of a funeral and after-party to be held Labor Day weekend. Several jam bands have told us they will be performing to honor Mister Butchie including but not limited to: The Mississippi Sweet Tea Symphonics, The Firefly Fiddlers Union, The ‘Sip Hills All-Star Jamboree, and Honey T. Jones and her Creole Cupcakes Jam Band.
Here's to Butch Hart, not just a man, but a legend. He's dancing away to the other side, leaving us with a retirement party we're unlikely to forget. Keep on jamming, Mister Butchie. Your spirit will rock as hard as the music that will fill our hearts come Labor Day
It's that time of year when Zucchini Bandits roam the streets leaving bags and boxes of home grown zucchini on strangers and friends doorsteps.
I realize this may be considered heresy, dear readers but I just don't seem to like eating zucchini. After a couple of bites, whether I know a dish contains zucchini or not, my mouth just stops swallowing the dish containing zucchini. But I'm not immune to the deeds of our local Zucchini Bandits.
A few years ago I came home from work and errand running to find 6 separate bags and boxes of zucchini endowed upon my front porch totaling nearly 20lbs!
What is a person who doesn't care for zucchini supposed to do with so much of the controversial vegetable? I tried zucchini casserole, friends parmesan and butter can't make this summer squash edible. I tried cutting them like fries, breading them and frying them but even deep fat frying can't redeem these green and golden monsters of the summer garden. Finally I hit on a solution. If I pickle them and can them I can give them away. A miracle occurred! These giant green nuisances became delicious. I made garlic and dill zucchini pickles, they were so tasty and stayed much crunchier. I then tried making bread and butter pickles with the zucchini. I gather the stars aligned and the heavens opened because I've never been the same since. Zucchini pickles are 1000 times better than cucumber pickles. If you don't believe me, try them for yourself
Here’s the Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickle recipe I follow from the USDA. You don’t have to can it. You can just halve or quarter this recipe and store your jars in the refrigerator. Uncanned, this recipe will keep in the fridge for about 3 weeks.
Bread-And-Butter Zucchini Pickles
16 cups fresh zucchini, sliced (5-6 lbs)
4 cups onions, thinly sliced (1-2 lbs)
1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
4 cups white vinegar (5%)
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp mustard seed
2 tbsp celery seed
2 tsp ground turmeric
Yield: About 8 to 9 pints
Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.
Procedure:
Cover zucchini and onion slices with 1 inch of water and salt. Let stand 2 hours and drain thoroughly.
Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices (sometimes I just substitute store bought “Pickling Spice” for the mustard seed because it’s a bit more of a complex flavor I like and I think the bay leaf bits are pretty in the jars). Bring to a boil and add zucchini and onions. Simmer 5 minutes and fill jars with mixture and pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1 or use low-temperature pasteurization treatment. For more information see "Low-Temperature Pasteurization Treatment,".
This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2015.
Reviewed February 2018.
The other day when I stopped by the diner for a meat-and-three plate this is what Effy told me, “Two men came in here a few days ago who had cut through Highland Cemetery to get here. While walking through the cemetery they noticed an inscription on one of the headstones. They told me it said, ‘Here lies Sterling Haint, an honest man and a good lawyer.’ One of the men turned to me and said, ‘It sure is unusual for one grave to hold three people in it?’ The other man paused a beat and then winked at me!” She’s been chuckling about this all day, y’all.