Bread & Butter Pickles – One of the Great Depression’s Greatest Hits

During the Great Depression, sandwiches weren’t quite what they are today. Forget about choice of aioli, or did you want roast tri tip or smoked turkey; back then it was more like, “Did you want cucumbers in your sandwich, or nothing in your sandwich?” Okay, cucumbers it is.

At the end of summer, the excess "cuc" crop was sliced, salted, pickled, and put up in jars for the cold, lean months ahead. If you thought summer Depression-era sandwiches sucked, it was much worse in winter, when you couldn’t even find a bland vegetable to slap between your slices of buttered bread.

I can just imagine what a treat it must have been to fill a sandwich with these sweet crunchy coins, or "bread and butter pickles," as they came to be known. I’m sure it was a wonderful break from what must have been a fairly flavorless existence. Happily, times are a bit better now, and we only make these because they taste really good.

So, make a batch, experience a little piece of American culinary history, and as you’re tossing them on that burger, think back to what those days must have been like. I mean, especially with no YouTube! I hope you give these bread & butter pickles  a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 pints:
2 lbs pickling or other firm, little cucumbers

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

2 red jalapeno pepper, sliced

3 tbsp kosher salt

2 cups sugar

2 cups white distilled vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 tsp black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Clean Eating Weight Loss Meal Plan 37

Welcome to Clean Eating Weight Loss Meal Plan!

Scroll down to find today's scrumptious clean eating meals, but first, let's enjoy a little weight loss and fitness motivation. Just check out the video below!

 
Breakfast

Scrambled Eggs with Fruits

Start the day with tasty protein and good carbs.

Mid Morning Snack

Fig Slices and Blueberries

Lunch

Turkey Mozzarella Alfalfa Sprouts Sandwich (get recipe here)

The combination of turkey, cheese and alfalfa sprouts created a delicious sandwich. It was light, healthy and filling--and it was one of the best clean eating sandwiches I've had.

Find recipe at Clean Eating Sandwich.

Afternoon Snack

Kiwi and Cucumber Slices

How refreshing!

Dinner

Creamy Tomato Shrimp (recipe here)

This recipe was awesome!

Shrimp's great, but even better in a creamy, sweet, tomato-y sauce. The sauce wasn't too intense but had just enough flavor to be memorable. Definitely think you should try it.

Get recipe at Clean Eating Dinner Recipe.

Today's clean eating meal plan was fantastic.

One of my favorite.

I hope you liked it too.

Clean Eating Weight Loss Meal Plan 36

Breakfast

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Berries

Crack 3 cage-free eggs into a bowl, and add all-natural colby jack cheese. Then, scramble.

With a side of berries, this was a delicious clean eating breakfast.

Mid Morning Snack

Almond Trail Mix (try this one)

Trail mix is one of my favorite snacks. It's sweet and wholesome, and extremely filling. There are many trail mix variations. They all taste good. My favorite, though, is almond trail mix with raisins.

Lunch

Stir Fry Brown and Red Rice with Spring Onions, Cabbage and Eggs

In China, fried rice is as common as French fries in the U.S -- and like French fries, it's loaded with carbs and oil. 

Today's clean eating lunch, however, was made with whole grain like organic brown and red rice. They are full of nutrients like fiber and vitamins, and tasted just as good.

To make it even healthier, I added eggs and various vegetables. If you want a clean eating alternative to fried rice, this is a good choice.

Afternoon Snack

Cucumber Slices

My lunch didn't leave room for a big snack. These cucumber slices were just right.

Dinner

Cherry Cream Brown Sauce Over Chicken (get recipe for sauce here)

Before summer's over, I want to eat as many cherries as possible. Yes, they're nutritious and they're clean; but most of all, they're incredibly tasty.

Tonight's clean eating dinner was a fantastic way to incorporate cherries into main course. I loved the sweet and tangy sauce over baked chicken. Hope you like it too.

Get recipe at Clean Eating Dinner - Cherry Cream Sauce.

Thanks again for visiting!

Please visit www.cleaneatingrecipesblog.com for more clean eating recipes and ideas.

Hope you're enjoying what's left of the summer, and having a great weekend!

Lattice Top Peach Pie – How to Weave Dough Like a Dream

We are right in the middle of peach season, and what better way to show them off, than in this classic, lattice-top pie? And by classic, I mean the peek-a-boo crust design, not the filling, which has a few ingredients that are definitely not classic.

By the way, if you’re peaches are too ripe to peel, then you can remove the skin by cutting an “X” on the bottom and dipping in boiling water. Of course, if they’re really ripe and juicy, you probably shouldn’t be making pie with them anyway. Those are the kind of peaches where you take off your shirt and just eat them over the sink.

Above and beyond beautiful, this lattice design is also very practical. When you’re making pie with something like peaches, the relatively open top allows for lots of moisture to evaporate, which helps prevent the dreaded “watery pie syndrome.” That’s also the reason we boil the excess juices down to a syrup. 

So, whether you use this lattice-top technique for a peach pie, or other juicy fruits, I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for One 10-inch Pie:

about 3 pounds fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 2 lbs 12 oz once trimmed)

1 cup white sugar, divided

tiny pinch of salt

1/4 cup flour

1 tbsp cornstarch

pinch of cayenne

1 tsp lemon juice

pinch of cinnamon

enough pie dough for a double crust pie (get recipe here)

- Bake at 350 F. until browned and bubbling. Mine took about 1 hour 15 minutes, but I peek a lot)

Clean Eating Weight Loss Meal Plan 35

Breakfast

Honey Walnut Grape Mix (recipe here)

You can use any type of nuts you want, or even a mixture. I used toasted walnuts because they are wholesome and delicious. I liked how filling this clean eating breakfast was. Didn't even need a snack come mid morning. Hope you enjoy it too.

Get recipe at Clean Eating Breakfast.

Mid Morning Snack

Persimmon Slices

Lunch

Fresh Spring Mix with Fig Slices in Greek Yogurt Poppy Seed Dressing

Loved this salad!

It was crunchy, refreshing and sweet. The Greek Yogurt poppy seed dressing was fantastic! I definitely recommend this for clean eating.

Afternoon Snack

Fresh Apple Crisp Topping over Frozen Greek Yogurt or Artisan Ice-Cream (recipe here)

You can still have dessert in Clean Eating, and today's clean eating snack is a delicious way to enjoy frozen treats.

I've always had a soft spot for ice-cream, but it's better if it's Artisan-made with all-natural ingredients. Also, I've recently discovered frozen Greek yogurt, and it's equally creamy and scrumptious.

The home-made apple crisp is a wonderful topping for ice-cream or frozen yogurt. It's certainly healthier than a lot of other choices.

I hope you get a chance to make it. You can get the recipe at Clean Eating Snack Idea.

Dinner

Clean Eating Teriyaki Chicken (get recipe here)

This was a delicious dinner! The teriyaki sauce is homemade as well, and you can find the recipe at clean eating teriyaki sauce.

The chicken was tender; the vegetables were crunchy; and the sauce was sweet and savory.

I think you will enjoy this dish, so please get the recipe at clean eating teriyaki.

If I must pick a favorite meal from today, it would have to be my clean eating lunch of spring mix salad with figs. It's different from other meals I've tried.

Thanks again for stopping by.

Be sure to check out www.cleaneatingrecipesblog.com for more easy healthy recipes.