My Mom's Candied Dill Pickles

I had a half gallon jar of large dill pickles leftover from the holidays, and decided what better way to use them up than to make some of my mom's "candied dills"!

My mom makes these delicious candied pickles for holidays, especially Thanksgiving, but I have to admit that I like them paired with Christmas (or Easter) ham, too.  As children, my brother, sister and I  were always anxious for the time when the pickle spears were done sitting in the crockware bowl basking in sugar!  My dad has been known to add horseradish to the crock bath to give them some,"kick"!  Mom's pickles are a sure winner for your next holiday meal...or summer barbecue...or sandwich.

First, buy a jar of whole dills like these from SAM'S Club.  Slice them into fourths.  If you want to go the easier route, just buy a jar of dill pickle spears.  Next, place the prepared pickle spears in either the empty jar or a crockware bowl and layer them with a generous amount of sugar (add some horseradish if you like a little heat). End the layering process with a top layer of sugar.  Place a paper towel over the top of the bowl or jar and let sit for several hours or overnight.  Refrigerate the pickles to get them cold.  Enjoy!

My Most Recent Old Cookbook Find!

I absolutely love digging through old cookbooks!  The thrill of the hunt can only be topped, for me, by finding that copy that is unique and has a little historic tale to tell.  I love a cookbook that looks like it was used every week and sat close-at-hand for frequent consultation.  Unlike, collectors of most rare books, it makes me happy if there is some wear from everyday use, a little fraying and a binding that has some give is a real plus to me!  The best that I can hope for, though, is if the vintage cookbook has the cook's hand-written notes... and I get really excited if there are quickly-jotted must-have recipes tucked inside (often, these have been scribbled on the back of an envelope or cocktail napkin!)

Recently, on a brief trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I found such a well-used book!  It was sitting on a shelf in an antique consignment shop in Fort Worth, just waiting for me!   I say it was fate-Hubby says it was Murphy's Law!  

Today, I'm sharing pictures of my Junior League of Dallas Cookbook from 1935.  From her notes, I'd say the cook made the popover recipe on page 139 very often.  She also was partial to the Molded Caviar Egg Salad (ewww...). There was a menu for the week, her recipe for Orange Sponge Cake and a menu for an upcoming dinner party tucked in-between the pages of the book;  The little  details make me so happy!  Hope you enjoy the pictures.  Look closely!  I've included the page with two recipes for Green Tomato Pickles!