Marinated Cucumbers

I love cucumbers! I love them straight out of the refrigerator sliced up all by themselves. I love them in salads. And I especially love them as pickles! My grandma has made this as a side dish before and I love it because it involves dill so it comes out nice and tangy. I had never made it before until last night and I can't figure out why. It was so simple to make and oh so good.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Directions:

1. Combine sliced cucumbers with all other ingredients; cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.
   

Marinated cucumbers recipe serves 4-6.

I used just plain white vinegar since the recipe didn't specify what kind to use and I used dried dill weed instead of freshly chopped. Also, I peeled the cumber before slicing it--normally I like to eat the skin but when I've had this made for me the cucumbers have been peeled. Also, I combined everything but the cucumbers first and then poured it over the cucumbers before stirring it all around.

Autumn Harvest Pork Loin

Makes: 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-6 hours

Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 5-quart

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cider or apple juice
• 1 1/2 to 2-lb. pork loin
• salt
• pepper
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 whole butternut squashes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. dried sage

Directions:

1. Heat cider in hot skillet. Sear pork loin on all sides in cider.
2. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper on all sides. Place in slow cooker, along with juices.
3. Combine apples and squash. Sprinkle with sugar and herbs. Stir. Place around pork loin.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 5-6 hours.
5. Remove pork from cooker. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
6. Serve topped with apples and squash.

This turned out okay. Rocky said that I could make it again. I love that I can put stuff in the crock pot when I come home on my lunch break and have dinner ready when I get home! I served this with rice that I put in the cooker once I got home.

I didn't have any sage so I didn't use that and instead of butternut squash I substituted some other member of the gourd family that a customer at work brought me. The pork turned out moist and I liked the flavor that the apple juice mixed with the flavors of the brown sugar and apples added to it. This is definitely an autumn-y type dish and was super fragrant. I wasn't a huge fan of the apples as they got super mushy from being cooked down and I think that even just 1/4 tsp of cinnamon was too much. All in all, though, not bad.

How to Cook Everything

I am so excited to use this App! I saw this cookbook at Home Goods a few months ago but it was kind of pricey at $30 and I already have so many other cookbooks that I wasn't sure. However, I flipped through the cookbook and it fell open to a corn fritters recipe. Oh my gosh! I haven't had corn fritters in years but was so excited to find the recipe that I almost bought the book right then and there. I'm glad that I didn't, though, because what I found for the iPhone is even better! It's the book in App form on special for $1.99 with all the same recipes and awesome interactive features!

Fettuccine with Butter and Cheese

Source: Joy of Cooking (All About Pasta and Noodles)
Makes: 8 first-course servings; 4 main-course servings

Bring to a rolling boil in a large pot:

6 quarts water

2 tablespoons salt

Add and cook until tender but firm:

1 1/4 pounds fresh fettuccine, or 1 pound dried

Drain and toss the hot pasta with:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, or 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Season with:

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Serve immediately.

I added a little bit of garlic powder to the mix and I prefer to use thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta so this wasn't true fettuccine, but it was very easy and not too bad.

Sesame Asparagus

Source: Karen Gillett--Tasty Food I Love

Ingredients:

• 1 lb asparagus, ends snapped off
• 2 Tbs dark sesame oil
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Mix sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, water, salt and pepper.
2. Place asparagus in a skillet and pour sauce over the asparagus.
3. Heat to boiling.
4. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

I have been looking for another asparagus recipe to make besides the grilled asparagus recipe I usually make. I had never eaten asparagus before I met Rocky and now I can't seem to get enough of it. This recipe is especially yummy and the smell of sesame oil in the house is great!