pickle

Mason the Pickle-Loving Monkey

/ Jodi / 49 Comments

Mason the Monkey 11×14 Watercolor

Mason the Pickle-Loving Monkey.

Mason was a monkey that many considered fickle.
Instead of eating bananas, Mason loved a sour dill pickle.

He would often pay a nickel,
and sometimes even triple

for that tart, tangy prickle
of a pickle on pumpernickel.

On tasting leaves and seeds, he was truly noncommittal,
for his taste buds and his palate, they simply did not tickle.

He loved the pleasant pucker, and he would often stickle
over anything that was even remotely artificial.

Dilled cucumbers he claimed to be the official
absolute favorite and most nutritional.

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Mason the Pickle-Loving Monkey is another in a series of paintings and poems I am working on for a new children’s book.  This new book will be special because it is going to feature characters that are based on the grandchildren of my best friends.  Mason is the grandson of Joyce, son of Nikole, and brother of Ella.

Prints and greeting cards of all of these paintings are available in our McKinneyX2Designs Etsy shop, where you can also order a customized painting and poem of or for someone dear to you. 

Other fun products, like pillows, canvas prints, tote bags and much more are also available at our Mx2D Society6 Shop.

I will begin putting my book together soon and let you all know about it!  If you are interested in my first children’s book of watercolor animals and silly poems, you can find it here:  Klaus the Mouse and Other Silly Animal Tales.

Easy Dill Pickle Focaccia Bread

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

Easy Dill Pickle Focaccia Bread.

Calling all bread lovers!

Calling all dill pickle lovers!

Calling all lovers of easy recipes that rock!

My cousin, who I affectionately refer to as “Oh Rob,” recently shared this recipe he made for his pickle-loving grandson.  Oh Rob loves to bake bread, and he loves his grandson even more!  This recipe was a match made in heaven for these two.

The idea really intrigued me and sounded so good. I knew I had to try it.

We are a dill pickle lovin’ family too.

And who doesn’t love bread?!

So I ever so slightly adapted the recipe and made it this past Sunday for dinner to serve along with spaghetti.  We loved it!

Give it a try, and let me know what you think.  Here is how I made it.

Easy Dill Pickle Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup warm water (105-110°F)
  • 1/4 cup pickle juice, warmed (105-110°F)
  • 2 tsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. dried dill weed or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 large dill pickles, sliced or chopped
  • Optional: 1 Tbsp. Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Directions:

Combine warm water, warm pickle juice, sugar, and yeast in a medium bowl or measuring cup. Let stand 10 minutes.

Whisk together flour, dill, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add pickle juice mixture and 2 tablespoons of the oil; stir until combined and dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and stretchy.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the oil in the bowl to coat; add dough, and turn to coat. Cover with towel, and let stand in a warm place until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Punch down dough. Place on a lightly oiled 18- x 13-inch rimmed baking stone sheet. Press and stretch dough to edges of baking sheet. Cover with towel, and let stand in a warm place 15 minutes.

Using the end of a wooden spoon, make indentions evenly over dough. Top evenly with cheese and pickles.  Bake until lightly golden and cooked through,  approximately 20 minutes.

Sprinkle top with sea salt flakes, if desired. 

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  I will be taking a holiday blogging break until after Christmas and the New Year.  Wishing you all the joy of this festive season!

Dill Pickle Soup

/ Jodi / 45 Comments

Dill Pickle Soup.

Have you heard of it?!

This was something new and intriguing to me when mentioned by a friend on Facebook who said she was making it because she was coming down with a cold.

I couldn’t get it out of my mind, and I finally made it this past week.

O M G!

What have I been missing?!?!

As far as I can tell, this recipe was originally posted on The Noble Pig several years ago, and I totally missed it.

It is a wonderful combination of tart, sour, salty pickles and creamy potato soup.  It reminds me of a delicious potato dish we’ve eaten at a local favorite restaurant that combines potatoes and cheese and pickles.

What a great comfort food recipe!

What a wonderful flavorful, warm meal in a bowl.

I can’t wait to hear if you’ve heard of it or if you are going to try it.

I tweaked it up a bit by adding a few more potatoes (especially some small gold, red, and purple ones to add color and texture).

Here is how I made it.

Dill Pickle Soup

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups chicken broth (I use 6 cups water and 6 tsp. chicken base)
  • 2 lbs potatoes (large potatoes peeled and quartered or small yellow, red, and purple potatoes halved – I used a combination of all)
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped dill pickes
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups dill pickle juice
  • 2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, combine chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, and butter.  Bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Add chopped pickles, and continue to boil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sour cream, and water, making a paste.  Vigorously whisk paste into soup, small portions at a time, breaking up lumps.  Add pickle juice, Old Bay Seasoning, pepper and cayenne.  Cook 5 more minutes to incorporate.

Soup is now ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi