Cucumber and Cottage Cheese Toast ~ Support your library ~ More Spring Blooms

Nothing is tastier and more satisfying, than picking freshly grown cucumbers from the garden.  In anticipation of summer garden goodies (trying to pump myself up, because I'm lacking garden mojo this year), I'm trying a new recipe.  More so, I wanted to taste this combination, because it would be great for a hot summer day when eating a full meal seems too much work.

 The credit goes to the cook book "Come Hungry" by Melissa Ben-Ishay. I borrowed the book from the library.  It has a lot of good recipes, and some repeat instructions I already know, but one caught my eye for a high protein snack.  It's nice to have a hearty snack available when we come in tired and worn out from garden work.

If you have dill growing in your herb garden, that is a plus to make this.  Along with a few pieces of homemade sourdough bread.

In the making of this, cottage cheese was one cheese I never got around to making when we had dairy goats here at the homestead.  Do you make your own cottage cheese?  Any recipes to share?  Until then, I'll be buying it, unless I can locate fresh goat milk (most unavailable in our neck of the woods).

Try-it results:  Fantastic!!  We both loved it, and it's the most simple meal/snack you can make.  I hand diced the cucumber and used an entire English cucumber (recipe called for another type, but good luck finding them in stores, and organic). Anyway, this recipe is a keeper for us.  I'm going to borrow the book from the library again.

I told my husband, that if I wasn't already writing a blog, I would be writing one just solely based on recipes tried from borrowing free library books (could still happen so don't go stealing my idea).  I'll admit, when it's a good recipe to keep, it's a happy moment.

More Spring blooms to share:

Blooms from another variety . . .

Red roses gifted to me (and delivered on surprise).  Yes, I was all giddy and all, considering I was feeling pretty low at the moment.  He's working the worst hours a human can possibly work right now (or so it appears that way anyway).  The words "this too, shall pass" are roaming about my brain.

Until next, time, I hope you borrow the book from your library and give the recipe a try.

Cucumber and Cottage Cheese Toast ~ Support your library ~ More Spring Blooms  ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Jalapeno Salt ~ Dehydrator

Garden season brings us fresh jalapenos, and we use them for so many recipes, canning recipes, salsas, etc.  

In anticipation for summer garden goodies. . .

I had a few fresh jalapenos leftover from a recent meal.  Store bought of course.

I dehydrated those fresh jalapenos per the temperature guide that comes with my dehydrator.  Many people today have dehydrator settings on their actual kitchen stove, or even their air fryer.  I have an actual dehydrator.  I do like my smaller one, now that we are cooking for two.  I am able to dehydrate, using either 1 up to 5 trays at a time, so it's super adjustable.

Once the jalapenos were dry, I ground them in a coffee grinder (specifically used only for such foods/herbs).

I then mixed it equally with salt (and ran all of the mixture in the coffee mill/grinder), and I stored it in an airtight (or re-purposed spice jar) jar.  I used fine pink Himalayan salt for ours.  You can do your measurements however you like.  Don't forget to label her jar.

Use the jalapeno salt on just about anything you'd like to use it on.  I'm thinking this would be good on popcorn too.

We do use a lot of frozen (sliced) jalapenos in recipes all year long, and we use "fire powder" as well, but this combines the two for an easy addition to any meal. 

Jalapenos contain capsaicin, which is said to give you a metabolism boost, as well as provide healthy nutrients etc.

Now, when I cook, and my husband says "it needs jalapenos" which he says almost daily, he can add it quickly.  He can also use our fire powder (a dehydrated mix of mixed hot peppers at the end of the garden season, with no salt).

To read about our "fire powder" see this post:  HERE.

Jalapeno Salt ~ Dehydrator  ©  April 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart