Simply Home by Beth

Beth Wood

German Pickles

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German Sweet and Sour Dill Pickles

Beth Wood
Carrie's Christmas Pickles
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
5 minutes to cool 14 days
Total Time 14 days 30 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine German
Servings 8

Equipment

  • quart size glass canning jar with self-sealing rim and jar ring
  • canner

Ingredients
  

  • 1.2 lb. pickling cucumbers cut in large pieces to fit jar
  • 1 onion diced, thinly
  • 1 tbs. coarsely chopped dill no stems
  • 10 mustard seeds
  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 1/3 C. white wine vinegar
  • 4 tbs. sugar
  • 2 tbs. salt

German Pickles, makes 1 Quart

Instructions
 

  • Use small fresh pickling cucumbers. Thoroughly wash, then cut into large pieces to fit into your jar.
  • Peel and thinly dice the onion.
  • Place the diced onion , dill, mustard seed, peppercorns and cucumbers into a sterilized glass quart size canning jar.
  • Combine the white wine vinegar, 1 3/4 C. water, sugar, and salt in a pot and heat until sugar is dissolved. Fill the canning jar with the hot liquid leaving 1/2" headspace. Cover the jar with a self-sealing lid and jar ring.
  • Fill a boiling water canner 1/2 full with water and heat until hot but not boiling.
  • Place the jar in the canner, add boiling water if needed to cover jar by 1". Bring water to a boil for 15 minutes, then let jar cool for 5 minutes before taking jar out of the canner.
  • Store the jar in a cool, dark place for 14 days before opening. After open, store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Tip: To make more jars, multiply the quantities needed. Cooking/water bath time does not change.
A “gentler” method of canning cucumbers is to place the jars in a canner half-filled with warm water. Add enough hot water so that the jars are submerged 1″ below the water line. Heat water to boiling, and boil for 30 minutes. Again, cool for 5 minutes. Store the same way as above.
 
Keyword pickles, cucumbers, onions, salt, sugar, white wine vinegar, dill

September’s News

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For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven……Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time to plant, and to reap what you sow, ….this is the sweetness of September…technically, not yet Autumn, but the Summer’s work is done and it is ready to harvest.

If we are wise, we will store up and put away the fruits of our efforts…..in other words, we will preserve the freshness of Summer, and there are several ways to do that.

My daughter makes German pickles…a recipe given to her by her German neighbors, while she was stationed in Germany a few years ago. They are so crisp, with a spice unlike the pickles you’ll find here at home. I’d like to can a few quarts of my own, with her recipe.

This will be the first time I’ve attempted to make these pickles, but I’m excited to learn how to make my own. My husband actually requests a quart or two every Christmas! (and I think that’s why she gave me the recipe..!!!!)

In the past few months, here on the blog, I’ve had a monthly “news” post, outlining all of the crafts, recipes, and activities for each month. Sadly, at the end of one or more of these months, not every item was checked off of my list,..leaving me frustrated, and more than a bit embarrassed! There are no “excuses,” but an awareness gained. Summer goes by so quickly, and I’ve been over-booked and over-extended, really stretching the limits of how much I can do, and do well, and still enjoy the outcome.

The month of August, has been harsh for our family. A childhood friend, extremely ill, fighting to hang on, and several unexpected tragic deaths, too soon, without any warnings or explanations. It’s been a lot to process, or atleast try to process.

What I’m saying is this, September wraps up Summer as it also heralds in Autumn.

I will post events , projects, new recipes, and “news” as it happens. My Instagram and Face Book posts will direct you to the blog, so you don’t miss a thing.

October is my all time favorite month of the year, and by then, Lord willing (as my Grandma would say), I’ll be back on track.

Find me on Instagram, and I’ll post here as well, you’ll find me, I’ll make sure of it.

Blessings, Beth

Pumpkin Season Begins…

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Pumpkin Season Begins
Fall is Fast Approaching…Pumpkin Season Begins

A couple of years ago, while still living in Illinois, I had my own Shop, selling vintage and antique items, with seasonal handmade crafts. The above Cinderella pumpkins, were a big hit, selling out almost immediately.

They weren’t difficult to make but took some time. I wanted them to look as real as possible, because the shop where I rented my space, specialized in American Primitives. One thing led to another, after all, you can’t offer ONE of anything, so my pumpkins, like real pumpkins, came in all colors, shapes, materials and styles. The funny thing about that is this…. I never got tired of making those pumpkins…. I loved it!

A Cinderella pumpkin made from a vintage grain sack, selling Grass Seed.

One mid-July, I went to an auction with my husband, we were both looking for items to sell at the shop, I couldn’t stay long, my car was full of pumpkins to deliver to the store and set up for the next day. Unloading a bushel basket from my car, filled with pumpkins to take to the shop, a man stopped me to talk. Soon, Jon, my husband, joined us, and told me he had “filled in” Michael with all the info about my pumpkins….

I had no idea what was going on!!!

Rag Strips Pumpkin

Did this Michael want to shop at my store? Did he need directions? Why was Jon spending so much time talking in earnest to him? WHO is he??

Turns out, Michael’s mother had started a yearly craft festival in the city of Sandwich, Illinois many years earlier, ( forty plus ), and it is still one of the most successful, still operating festivals in Northern Illinois.

Well……knowing THAT, I was honored and surprised that he had even noticed my “work”!

Information was passed along, how to apply, what is required, who participates, etc. etc.

I entered, was accepted, and my life, as I knew it, changed drastically.! Between my “shop” and the Craft Festival, I literally made hundreds to a thousand pumpkins per year ! Tylenol became my new best friend!

Now that I’m “home”, in Indiana, I’ve thought about participating in an Etsy shop. Can you have too many pumpkins? I doubt it, hope not, will keep you posted on how things work out!

White Muslin pumpkins with exposed seams

Friend, whatever your pumpkin-preference is, if you can’t find your “perfect” pumpkin, you may want to try making your own!

It’s easy.

I promise.

If you make your own, please let me know, I’d love to hear about it!

Yea for Pumpkins!

xx,

Little Cottage Renovation Part Two

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Part Two

With the key in our hand, on a Friday night, we stepped inside our “new” cottage.

Like the first time we had opened that door, we stepped forward, then immediately stepped back, pushed back by the smell that greeted us!

A horrid combination of mold, mildew, dust, dirt, urine, dog feces and heavy air after being locked up all winter……welcomed us home! Undeterred, we were giggly-happy to finally have this house to tackle, to recreate, and mold it into the cottage of our dreams….or as close as possible to our dreams! (we DID have a budget, after all).

The very first thing we did, as I mentioned in the previous story, was to tear out the carpeting…the carpet padding was so damp it literally stuck to the concrete floors and had to be scraped off. The roof hadn’t leaked, the “damp” was from dogs saturating the carpet and the padding,…..enough said, I’m sure you get the picture.

Still, there was much to do and we continued on through the night until all of the carpeting was outside of the house, nothing remained inside The floors were in good shape, clean except for a bit of old linoleum still stuck to the kitchen floor. Again, we kept scraping.

Now, our eyes went to the ceiling…..

Our Lake Cottage Living Room/Before

This dark paneled ceiling was less than 6 inches over Jon’s head!

Jon stands at 6’3″, so the height from floor to the dark paneling was less than 7′ tall. He said it made him feel “claustrophobic”! At first, I scrambled and thought, “if it was white, beadboard, it would look higher and the room would look bigger….”

No, Jon said, it’s sagging in the middle….

At that point, we called in some friends to help with demo…they were experienced in construction, and actually had the skills we lacked. Fortunately, their enthusiasm for the project matched ours!

And, Demo begins! We cut a small hole in the ceiling just to “see” what was under the paneling…..insulation rained down from above! Their sight-hole revealed a low ceiling about 1 foot above the paneling. One foot! Still too low for even a low ceiling….unreal. Why is it so low? Keep cutting….

Discovered a 2nd roof over the first……starting cutting out our original roof with 7 layers of shingles!

Two complete rooflines on this house! The original, first roof was a hip roof, it supported 7 layers of shingles, all different colors throughout the years . We were all amazed that the roof hadn’t collapsed with the first snow to hit it…so much weight on those old rafters!

I will say that we really have the best of friends, more like family than anything else.

Within three days, two friends, my brother and my husband, Jon, removed an entire roofline, ceilings, interior walls, cement structures in the laundry room, old electrical, plumbing, and miscellaneous cables were removed….and all of it cleared away, neatly dumped into 3 large dumpsters! The house was now an empty shell.

And what did they want in return? To do a little fishing, and go to the local fish-fry at the Bowling Alley……! They have hearts of gold, and we were beyond grateful. And yes, I did slip them some cash, though they said they didn’t want it…they worked so hard to help us make our dream come true. We are so blessed!

Outside…

Years before Covid hit, I was wearing a mask OUTSIDE, my task was to burn everything and anything that didn’t fit into the dumpsters! Every now and then, I’d see a really weathered piece of wood, or a super knotty knotty-pine trim piece, and I’d set it aside to keep. Roaring bonfires went all day, early and into the night, I’m sure the neighbors kept a close watch, but they never uttered a negative word….we were beyond grateful.

The trash is gone, the walls and ceiling are removed, time for framing and electrical…….

When the dumpsters were gone, all trash removed and the floors cleaned and sealed, it was time to call the contractor for the new roof, and all interior framing!

Inside, our Plumber was the first contractor to actually install something NEW in this old cottage! It’s amazing that within a half inch or less, I now had pipes, drains, cold and hot water lines….and it still all looked like little pipes sticking out of the cement. I I thought they stood straight and tall, as if proud to be the first to show up:)..I was so excited I could barely sleep at night….

This cottage is going to be AWESOME!

Light Summer Side Salad

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Romaine Side Salad…..Light and Fresh

Romaine Salad

Beth Wood
Romaine salad with Parmesan cheese, onion, tomatoes and avacado
Print Recipe
Servings 4 people

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 6 C. Romaine lettuce torn or cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 avacado sliced into bite size pieces (optional)
  • 1/2 C. cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/3 C. Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
  • 1/4 C. red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/4 C. pine nuts optional

Dressing

  • 3 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 1 small clove garlic pressed or minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl, and gently toss to mix
  • In a small bowl, stir dressing ingredients together to mix well.
  • Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Uncover, add dressing to salad and toss before serving.

A Pinball’s Journey

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Are you packed and ready to hit the road? Taking a last minute vacation before school starts? August is a perfect time to add in some fun with the family!

Last week we were looking forward, planning a couple of vacations.

We don’t have little ones in our home anymore, but the beginning of August reminds us that school will be starting soon….better grab some last minute fun while we can!

Years ago, when we road-tripped with our children, all girls, we would often stop at a hotel that offered an outdoor pool, and perhaps an activity room with vending machines and a couple of pinball machines. ( And “no,” hotels don’t offer that now….)

The girls were thrilled to see an entire room FULL of candy, soda, and games of all kinds!

Arcade Games

One of their favorite games was sitting behind a steering wheel, looking at a large screen showing a race track in front of them. They were, for the moment, driving their own race car! Little white knuckles tightly gripping the wheel, and high pitched squeals of delight, or terror, filled the room.

Having happily busy, intently occupied children, made this road weary Mom a happy girl! With a bit of time to myself, which was always rare, I chose the Pinball machine for a quieter challenge.

Competing against myself, this tiny little ball would drive me crazy! I, alone, had the power to launch it to it’s destination. Hopefully, the pinball would land in the center of the target, where I would gain the most points, the highest score, and the knowledge that I, indeed, was an “expert” Pinballer!

A simple game, really. Each pull of the trigger releases a tiny ball onto a narrow path, leading to the target, where points are accrued. I know how to pull the release. I know the desired destination, but I have NO CONTROL over the final outcome.

Like my daughters’ race car game, my little ball is bouncing off of obstacles, running into walls head-first , and all at breath-taking speed! Launching forward, redirecting it’s course time after time, before landing at a destination detoured from it’s home.

Unplanned . New. Different . Better.

I don’t know why in the world I sat down to write this, but somehow I felt like that little ball. Surely dinged and dented on all sides. It occurred to me that

I am the Pinball!!

Small, but strong, I knew exactly what life I wanted, would have, and how to get there. Excited. Prepared. Ready to launch…

Flying through straight lanes, all clear ahead: education, marriage, houses and babies… Moving fast!

Along the way, I’ve “hit so many walls” , each hit ricocheting and propelling me forward. Forward…to where?

Which Way?

A younger Beth, the original Beth, knew. I had a Plan A for my life, and a Plan B should something go awry, or the “unheard of” should occur. I considered this to be “wise”.

Like the tiny pinball, when I got hit, I bounced back, hitting something else, which pushed me into another wall….

Finally landing in unknown, unplanned, “unheard of” territory.

Plan B quickly turned into D-H, and I believe I’m currently living out my Plan U or V! The plans are not my own, and this is the only certainty I have.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, Plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

My faith defines who I am, and it always has. Faith determines how I think, how I make decisions, handle heartaches and loss. I have God’s Peace in my life, the Peace that passes understanding, and I have His joy…

wherever I land.

Life…..

Unplanned. New. Different. Better.

Camp Christmas

A vintage Santa will be the focal point of a guestroom refresh for our Christmas guests, both friends and family. We’ve lived in our home for five years now, and we have yet to paint a guest room in our finished basement. This December, we’re hosting a family Christmas party and expect to have the…

Continue Reading Camp Christmas