Pickle, pickle, who's got the pickle?

This summer while my husband was in Afghanistan I went a little canning crazy. Bread and butter pickles, pickled beets, jams, and fruit butters now fill my cabinets. The problem is I didn't realize my husbands insane and illogical pickle obsession and after making two batches of bread and butter pickles (roughly 14-16 jars) I only have two jars left! I am also a pickle fiend and the thought of my husband polishing off the last of the pickles with cucumber season so far from sight makes me a little depressed. So, I thought to myself, maybe he'll like my Asian quick pickles and leave the others alone. I think I got this recipe from an old issue of Energy Times, but I'm not sure.

Asian Quick Pickles
1-2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
(if you're using English cukes, feel free to just give 'em a scrub and use them peel and all)
fresh ginger, a piece about the size of your thumb, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
a pinch of salt and pepper

Find yourself an old pickle jar and wash it thoroughly. Throw in all your ingredients and let sit in the fridge 4-6 hours. Technically, you can eat them immediately but the longer you let them sit the more the flavors mate together. I usually give the jar a shake every time I open the fridge just to keep everything mixed. All of the ingredients are a rough estimate and can be changed to your taste.

If you've never tried rice wine vinegar before you're missing out! It has a subtle sweetness that works great in marinades and salad dressings. I found my husband eating them out of the jar as a midnight snack so thankfully the last of my precious bread and butter pickles and safe and sound. You may find yourself addicted to these as well!

Until next time,
xoxo Stacie

Milspouse Friday Fill In #26...but my first EVER!

Staying on task with writing in here is being helped along by this great fill-in from Wife of A Sailor
Here it goes...

1. What are you looking forward to most in 2011? from Jessica Lynn Writes
Well, it's looking like it's going to be a year of a lot of changes and that excites me! My husband is retaking the ASVAB to open up more re-enlistment opportunities (no more Grunt's wife) and then most likely re-enlisting...although there is still the chance he decides not to. Also, there are plans in the works for purchasing a house (maybe) and the sound of chubby little feet frolicking (definitely). Time will tell!

2. What is something random you do on a boring night when your significant other is away? from Lovin Ma Soldier
I totally watch mind-numbing TV. I'm talking, the housewives of anywhere, teen mom, etc.. I get "the look" when I put it on when he's home (hee hee) so I enjoy it while my husband is gone.

3. What has been your greatest adventure as a MilSpouse?
Definitely moving from Maine to North Carolina and not knowing anyone. I definitely feel I could pack up and move somewhere else (but please not California, UGH) and be fine with it.

4. What is the ugliest fashion trend you ever bought into (I’d like to make fun of you, so can you please provide a picture as well)? from More Than An Army Wife
In junior high I let my aunt put pink Manic Panic streaks in my hair. Thankfully, there is no picture evidence. Honestly, red hair + pink streaks = not a good combo.

 5. What was the high point of last month?
Oooh definitely Christmas! It made me realize that we can create a holiday ourselves without our family (although we do love and miss them). We're nearing the realm of the grown-ups now!

Thanks again, Wife of a Sailor, for posting and allowing all us Milspouses to participate!

Until next time,
xoxo Stacie

New Year...New Goals.

Hello and a (belated) Happy New Year to all! I find myself, despite my hatred of them, always making some new year's resolutions or "goals".

This year I've crossed off the typical goal of losing weight. I'm not going to get into it now, but my weight and I have always been in a death match battle that is detrimental for both my physical and mental health. We'll call it an unhealthy obsession and perhaps someday I'll talk about it here, but right now is neither the time nor the place.

Without further ado the goals I go have go as follows;

1.) Write on this blog more!
I'm afraid I've been ignoring this cute little page for nobler efforts (ie; reading insane amounts of YA novels...no, seriously, I cannot stop) and that's something I'd like to stop doing in 2011 (not the reading, of course, but the ignoring).

2.) Get hookin'.
My mom taught me the basics of crochet when I was still living with her. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, I left my yarn and hooks by the wayside and have neglected to touch them since I've lived in NC. Well, until now. I picked them up just before the New Year and have hardly been able to put them down since. So, I would like to continue to crochet in 2011 as well as learn more stitches and conquer more difficult patterns.

3.) Find some class.
Craft class, that is. I'm vowing to take find some classes to take this year. I've found a place in Richlands that does spinning classes and I'd love to try that. The community college also offers a basic quilting class that I'd love to try. Just honing my crafty skills is something I'm looking forward to this year.

4.) Sell out!
I also want to find some way to get my crafts (or baked goods, or jams and preserves) "out there" in the world. Whether is be at a craft fair, the farmer's market, or Etsy, if I want to make some sort of living doing what I enjoy I've gotta bite the bullet and take some sort of calculated risk.

It seems I have quite a few craft related goals this year. If you do what love, it isn't considered work, right?! A girl can hope. Well, I'm off to make some tea for the hubby and I and get down to business crocheting some "wristers" for my best friend's mom. To all those in the Jacksonville area, I hope you're having a wonderful snow day and keeping warm and dry!


xoxo Stacie

Christmas Cheer & Other Holiday Ramblings

The aforementioned cookie swap went well! All us ladies crowded around my coffee table, drank spiced cider, ate buffalo chicken dip, and just chatted (with my Christmas tree sparkling in the background). Plus, HELLO, tons of amazing cookies! My only wish is that others could have come (5 ladies showed up though, which was more than enough for a successful hang out party). I'll definitely do it again next year, no matter where we are.

All my Christmas shopping is DONE! I have a few more packages to send out to friends and family, and maybe a couple small things to put in my husband's stocking but for the most part everything has been completed. It's definitely taken some of the burden off by being able to give some homemade gifts. I spent a lot of the time my husband was deployed hanging around the Farmer's Market and whipping together some preserved treats, as well as making lots of Christmas ornaments. Last week I also made a batch of dog cookies to give to my husband's aunt and our friends in Florida who have some four-legged children.

This year Christmas is a bit bittersweet; we've decided to nix any travel plans and just spend Christmas here in North Carolina with some friends who are staying as well. I'm excited to start our own Christmas traditions and spend it with our own little Marine Corps family but I'm a little sad to not spend time with our family back home (especially our parents).

Other than that I've just been trying to plan out our Christmas menu. My best friend and her husband will be returning from a cruise so we'll be feeding their tummies as well! I'm trying not to stress too bad but I'd like to do something remarkable. Making Christmas memories and all that jazz.


Well, that's it for now. A merry Christmas season to all!

xoxo Stacie