Saturday, July 13, 2013

New House, New Kitchen, and Lots of Stress!

Wow-- has it really been almost a month and a half since I last posted here?  It feels like only days!  As I was writing my last entry, Mizeria, we were in the process of purchasing a new home!  We've lived in the same house for over a decade, and somehow my family managed to accumulate quite a bit of junk!  Plus, the kids are now grown and are in that awkward "transition" phase in their lives where they live in small places and don't want to take their junk with them.  What does that mean for us?   We end up stuck with everything!  Tell me that some of you can relate to that?

Well, over the last two months, we've been cleaning, purging, packing, moving, and re-cleaning, un-packing, re-purging, and making a pitiful attempt to get comfortable in our new house.  Overall, we love our new place, but we just can't get fully unpacked or find our feng shui quite yet.  We're almost there... it will be soon, I think.  And when that happens, I've got the itch to cook again!  I miss cooking so much, and my family does, too!

So, here is my mea culpa..... for dropping off the face of the earth.  This was, in my opinion, the most stressful event of my life!  I can't wait to put this all behind me and come back with a bang!  The new house is much more conducive for entertaining, and I plan to do a lot more experimenting in the kitchen!  It's going to be a lot of fun!  Also, I'm also excited to join back up with my fellow Sunday Supper contributors to come together around the family table for some good food and good conversation.  Hey-- I can do that now because we actually have our table assembled again!  Yeah... we were table-less for a few weeks. 

Again, thanks for hanging in there with me everyone!  If you've been through a move that felt like it wouldn't end, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section.  Hearing your stories always makes me feel better!

Have a great day, and see you soon!


Lucy, our terrier, enjoys the view from our new house! Looks like at least one creature is settled in!

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad) #SundaySupper

It's Memorial Day Weekend!  For many, this means taking the time to honor those that have served us and died during active service, as well as observing the first true weekend of summertime.  Many choose to spend time with their family, and a picnic is a perfect way to do that.

This week, the #SundaySupper Contributors are bringing their favorite picnic foods!  It wouldn't be a picnic or a cookout in our house if I didn't make a huge bowl of Mizeria.  To my Polish in-laws, this is the best recipe out there!  There's nothing fancy about it, and I'm sure there are others on the internet that are identical to what I've done here.  This is a very simple dish that shouldn't be altered too much..... the tartness of the cider vinegar combined with the creaminess of the sour cream make a basic flavor that is truly delightful against the salted cucumbers!  Heaven in a bowl!

What I've done that's a bit different from other Mizeria recipes is that I've cut back on the sour cream and increased the cucumbers.  I find that others out there are too "wet".  This ratio, to my taste, is perfect.







Ingredients
  • 3 large cucumbers
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp dried dill

Directions

Wash and peel the cucumbers.  Slice very thin and place in a non-metal bowl.  Sprinkle the salt over the sliced cucumbers and toss with a spoon until the salt coats all of the slices. Place an inverted plate on top of the cucumbers and place something on the plate to lightly weight it down.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, and drain the water from the bowl so that all is left in the bowl are the cucumbers.  (do not rinse!)  In another small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients well.  Pour over the cucumbers and lightly mix until all the cucumbers are coated.  Place back in the refrigerator until you serve. (minimum of 30 minutes for best flavor)  Best if made the same day as serving.




Salads and Slaws:
Sandwiches and Mains:
Desserts:
Drinks:


If you liked these, you should join us on Twitter!  We'll tweet throughout the day and share all of our picnic recipes. Our weekly chat starts at 6:00 pm CST. To join in, just follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets. You can also check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and photos.


                                                       
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