Ask Granny

July 13, 98

Hello my friends, I wish you well. Are you managing to stay cool on these hot days? Some of the older generation are ready and willing to take advantage of every one of todays miracles of science that gives you the option of turning the air conditioner on high if you get the urge for a little fire in the fireplace, etc. Some say they don’t want to be sitting in there with the windows all shut tight all summer long. I knew one dear lady who spent most of her free time sitting on the front porch swinging, because the air conditioner her well meaning children installed for her just about froze her to death! Let me tell you how to fix that. Turn the knob on your air conditioner to where it’s cooler than a window fan but not cold enough to frost your eyebrows- it won’t take you long to get it right. If pa is hot natured and you get cool sitting around watching TV just keep a small afghan or baby blanket by your chair to cover your legs. Works for me!

At night we put a window fan in the bedroom window and turn the air conditioner off to rest up for another hot day. We’ve only had to leave it on and the bedroom door open a couple of times since we’ve been living here. A sheet to pull over us as needed and a blanket across the foot of the bed and we’re free to lie there listening to all the little night creatures making all sorts of comforting noises outside. It’s fun to hear the first bird wake up and maybe sing a few very unmusical notes. This seems to be the signal for all to wake up and greet the day. That is if you don’t have a mockingbird claiming territory right outside your window! Those mocking fellows can’t tell time whatsoever, and I’ve heard them singing at all hours.

I got an E-mail asking for a slaw recipe to go with the recipe for Mamas cole slaw dressing, but I don’t have one. I just grate or finely dice a little sweet onion , add Salt-n-Spice and pour the dressing over the shredded cabbage. You can shred a little carrot in there if you like, and add all sorts of things. If I don’t want to cook Mamas slaw dressing I just mix Miracle Whip, vinegar and sugar to taste and shake it up in a small jar. I can judge the seasonings better if I sprinkle it on the slaw.

I’ve lost this recipe for Freezer Pickles so many times I’m going to print it again in the rare case that there’s someone out there who’s even half as forgetful as I am! They are so delicious everyone who’s not on a restricted diet should try them. If you’re on such a diet don’t make them for the rest of the family- you’ll eat them!

Freezer Pickles

7 cups thinly sliced cucumbers

1 cup sliced onion

1 green sweet pepper, chunked

1 Tbl. Salt

Mix together in a bowl or stainless steel pan, let stand

then drain.

Boil together; 1 cup white vinegar—2 cups sugar--1 tsp. Celery seed—1/2 tsp. Mustard seed

Let cool then pour over cukes. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 days. Stir once in awhile. Put in freezer containers or bags and freeze. When thawed out they seem to be limp but will be crispy to taste. Great on sandwiches or in a little dish on the side with beans or black eyed peas. When I make these I just refrigerate them in a heavy duty zip top bag. When I open the door of the fridge to get items out I turn the bag over. Half red and half green peppers look pretty, and sometimes I don’t peel a few of the cukes, just wash them good and pull the tines of a fork down the length of the cuke all around then slice as usual. If you have a large family they would eat these up so fast you won’t get to freeze that first batch. They taste good after 1 day in the fridge.

I thought this next recipe sounded good, but haven’t tried it yet.

Canned sweet bell peppers

10 green bell peppers, 6 red ones and 6 yellow ones

¼ cup corn oil

4 tsp. Salt

2 cups water And 2 cups vinegar

1 ½ cups sugar

Clean and cut peppers into quarters, put in a pan and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil, stirring occasionally; turn down and simmer for 4 minutes; drain. Pack in hot sterile pint jars. Add 1 ½ tsp. Oil and ½ tsp. salt to each jar.

Combine the 2 cups water, the vinegar and sugar in stainless steel pan. Bring to a boil, stir till sugar melts. Pour over peppers in the jars, leaving ½ in. headroom. Seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 8 jars.