We're in a little bit of a pickle, Dick.

What's my pickle? Chanticleer forgot to wake up the darn sun, and that's spelling bad news for my activity level.

Needless to say, I'm bored. 

And with summer playing a hilarious game of hide-and-go-seek, my vitals..are...droppingggg...... 


Lucky for this blog, that means I've been cooking non-stop. Oh, which also means eating non-stop. Isn't that what we do when we're bored? Could someone please remind me that, no, that's not what we do?

Not a moment too soon, I snapped out of it and realized that it was time to whip my booty into shape-- the treadmill had to become my new best friend. Scratch that, the treadmill will never be my best friend. Let's say, newest frenemy. It's a complicated love-hate thing, you wouldn't understand.

But, then again, you probably would.

Completely unrepresentative of the week I had (err, ate), I'm posting one of the recipes that did not involve cheese or sugar. Scratch that, there was sugar. But I swear that it's all worth it in the name of a pickle. A homemade pickle. Your homemade pickle.


Homemade Pickles
Lightly adapted from Lottie+Doof
Makes 1 jar

[2] mason jars

[4] baby cukes
[1] tbsp Kosher salt
[1] tbsp raw sugar
[3/4] cup distilled white vinegar
[1] tsp ground coriander
[1] tsp mustard seed
[3-4] garlic cloves, halved
[1/2] cup fresh dill

Thinly slice the baby cukes into rounds. (You could also make a batch of spears!) Pack them into one mason jar.

In the other mason jar, combine salt, sugar, spices, garlic and vinegar. Cover tightly, then shake until the salt and sugar have dissolved.

Pour over the cucumber slices.

Lastly, jam the dill sprigs in between the cukes. If there's room a the top, fill with water until the soon-to-be pickles are completely submerged. Cover and shake again so that the dill, garlic, and spices are completely dispersed.

Refrigerate overnight.

I got a pickle, I got a pickle. I got a pickle, hey, hey, hey, HEY!



The mustard seeds gave some serious spice to these sour little guys! I, personally, am a pickle fanatic [insert joke here]. I loved making my own, and I'm pretty excited that I finally know how! Usually, making your own pickles requires cooking and heating and technical know-how that I have the slightest desire to explore.

So, I'm sending my sincerest thanks to Lottie + Doof for making this easy on us. Your name is silly, but your pickles mean bu'ness.

I'm also going to give a quick shout out to my iPhone 4, who was responsible for taking all of these photos after my Fugi ran out of batteries. That was strike three, Fugi.