In the run-up to Christmas, you will find everything here pickle recipes…I pickle most things,  trivia, and traditions…I would also ask that when you are shopping for presents, food, and decorations that you think about its origin and how it was produced…carbon footprint, child labour…Please think about can the packaging be recycled or reused…Do you really need it? Every little helps…x

Firstly I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving…

Have fun, enjoy and please share your images we would all love to see them…xx

Before I share the pickle recipes just a little bit about Christmas lights which I love and safety…

Christmas lights...I love them although compared to some my lights are probably pretty meagre, Although the honour for the first Christmas tree goes to Germany the light explosion can be credited to the Americans…

President Benjamin Harrison erected the first Christmas tree in the White House in 1889 decked with candles, ornaments and toys to the delight of his grandchildren but it wasn’t until 5 years later  in 1894 that the then President Cleveland and the fact that the White House now had electricity that the first electric lights were on the Presidential tree.

While electric tree lights are safer than candles there are still many accidents and fires caused by faulty tree lights…I always turn mine off at night and if I am out it is better to be safety aware than lose lives and your home …There are many cheap lights on offer now but safety comes first so please don’t be tempted.

China is probably one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of Christmas lights and also in the recycling..It has been big business for the Chinese town of Shijiao starting some 20years ago the recycled light were turned in to slipper soles and other goods…However, it was not the cleanest way to recycle so due to the bans on imports from other countries and the pressure to clean up due to the environment I am not sure what this year will bring for the town of Shijiao…

If you have lights to recycle this link has some suggestions…Please don’t just throw them in the bin some contain mercury…

I still love lights though …If you have images of your Christmas lights or jumpers(sweaters) you would love share please message me…email carolcookstwo@gmail.com

To get you in mood one of my favourite Christmas songs for a bit of Christmas cheer…

 

Christmas Pickles…

I pickle anything… we love pickles and since living here have found different ideas for pickling…

Ingredients…

• 2 lb Pickling Onions, peeled.
• 11/2 pints pickling vinegar…I use white vinegar or a mix of apple cider and white vinegar.
• 2tbsp Pickling spices or your mix…again I mix black, white peppercorns, coriander seeds.

Method…2 days before mixing 2pts water with 4 oz salt pour over onions, cover and keep in a cool place. I keep in the fridge due to the heat here.

Then drain onions and pat dry. Pack into sterilised jars layering pickling spices as you go then pour vinegar over the onions making sure they are completely covered. Store for 4-6 weeks and they ready…They are the crispest onions I have eaten, far better than shop-bought and generally don’t get to 4 weeks let alone 6 weeks as they get dipped into …men!

Today I have pickled Pineapple with Jalapenos for you…We like them a lot something a little different…

Pickled Pineapple

Ingredients:

• 300 gm of fresh pineapple cut into smallish chunks
• A handful of shallots finely sliced
• 1 pickled jalapeno sliced
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar
• The juice of 2 fresh limes
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• A handful of chopped coriander

3 sterilised jars with lids.

Let’s Cook!

Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, limes and Jalapenos together and bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat add the shallots and leave the mixture to cool down.

 

Spoon the pineapple and coriander into the prepared jars and cover with the vinegar mixture. Add the lids and leave to cool down before putting in the refrigerator.

Leave for 1-2 days before eating.

Enjoy!

N.B Some recipes say use pickled jalapenos and some say to use fresh Jalapenos… I used some I had already pickled this time …I will try fresh ones next time and compare the taste.

If you use pineapple in juice the cut down on the sugar you use.

Next something we love pickled tomatoes…

Pickled red and yellow cherry tomatoes…

Ingredients:

• 30 cherry tomatoes I mixed different colours.
• 1-2 green Thai chillies finely sliced
• 3 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 6 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar.

 

Let’s get pickled!

Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Take a cocktail stick and prick the tomatoes a few times this allows the brine to infuse nicely.

Put the tomatoes in a sterilised jar or a Tupperware container and cover with the marinade mix.

Put in the refrigerator …these can be eaten after one day and within 4 days. The juice can then be used as a marinade for fish or added to salads.

I hope you have enjoyed these 3 pickle recipes if you try then please let me know …I like some of these as they don’t have to be left too long and can be eaten almost immediately unlike some pickles which need time to mature..xx

Don’t forget please let me have your Christmas images, jumpers, food, Christmas parties anything Christmas…Let’s get into the Christmas zone…x

That’s all for today …I hope you have enjoyed this post see you next Tuesday…x

P.P.S…There will be a Christmas jumper corner…I just need to see yours???? So come on don’t be shy…Please Share…x

About Carol Taylor:

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

The environment is also something I am passionate about and there are now regular columns on my blog this year. It is important that we are mindful of the world we live in…We all need to be aware of our home’s carbon footprints…where does our food come from? How far does it travel…Simple to do but if we all did it…Not only would we support local businesses but reduce our carbon footprint…

 

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a creative week ahead xx