Nibby Priest -Life On Purpose

Living at Mile Marker 803.9 of the Ohio River in Downtown Henderson KY

Beauty Shop Pickles

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Just a few weeks ago I was in our historic downtown Henderson KY getting my hair cut at one of our towns oldest beauty shops-a precious place full of some of Henderson Kentucky’s finest operators (now known as stylists) and customers.

It was a late Thursday afternoon.  Thursdays and Fridays at Kelly’s Mane Event (formerly known as the Cardinal Beauty Shop operated by Dorothy Kockritz) are very busy.

One of the hot topics of beauty shop gossip was: “How does the ever popular Downtown Sandwich Shop make those great pickles?”  One of the ladies who was just getting up from the hair dryer said she knew the recipe, and it was easy.   She went on to say that a lady on North Main Street was making the pickles for the Downtown Sandwich Shop, and their business was growing so much that she couldn’t keep up with the demand.  It was also said that she had her hands full building a home in our downtown and that was another reason she had to give up the pickle making.

Here is the recipe as I heard it:

Sweet Pickled Dills

1 gallon of sliced hamburger dills (Sureway and Sam’s Club have these drain them well-you will not use any of this juice)
4 pound bag of sugar  (usually is around 9 1/3 cups)
4 Tablespoons of Pickling Spice (found in the spice isle of grocery)
1 small packet of dried red chili peppers (about 8-10 peppers)  That is if you like it hot!

Mix everything right in the jar!

Tighten the lid of the pickles. Turn jar upside down frequently for the sugar to dissolve.  It usually takes about 24 hours for all the sugar to melt and make the new sweet pickle juice. Keep the pickles on the kitchen counter for seven days turning up and down frequently.

After seven days of turning the pickles place in the refrigerator.  They should keep for  four months.    They are so good you will find them gone way before then.

Have you tried to make the Beauty Shop Pickles?  How did they turn out?

Often times when we think of a beauty shop we think of gossip.  However, it is more than that.  It is creating community and when we have community together we learn and sometimes that can be how to make dill pickles sweet!  Encourage a community of spreading good positive news in your community like they do at Kelly’s Mane Event.

What have you learned at the beauty shop?

Family Easter Lunch 2010

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photo The Menu is planned groceries procured, guest invited and the table is set.

Our Menu:

Sunday Roast Chicken with Lemon Essence

Rosemary-Panko Crusted Potatoes

Strawberry Salad with Georgia Pecans & Feta cheese

014s Snap Pea Sauté with fresh Morels & Jicama

Deviled Easter Eggs (made by my fathers cousin Margaret)

Sourdough Yeast Rolls (made by my mother)

The Classic Spices of Mary Carrot Cake & Fresh Fruit Salad

What a way to celebrate this Joyous time of Christ Resurrection- Easter!

What is your family Easter menu?

Oh by the way . . . the iPad arrived today!  Really messing with my Easter lunch cooking plans.

Mezzaluna Poppy Seed Dressing

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mezzThe recipe for a deliciously sweet dressing for baby spinach, mixed salad greens or fresh fruit.

Personally, I think it is best with spinach, mandarin oranges, sliced toasted almonds and a thinly sliced red onion.

1.5 Cups of White Vinegar
1.5 Cups Sugar
3 tablespoons poppy seed
1 tsp salt
tablespoon dry mustard (a powder)
1 tablespoon graded white onion

Mix all ingredients above together in Blender
Blend in slowly 3 cups of Canola Oil

This recipe makes a lot, but will be consumed quickly.

Mezzaluna was a restaurant on the riverfront in downtown Henderson KY owned by Diane Utley.  Mezzaluna opened it November of 1994 and closed the last of September 1999.

All my life I appreciated great food from a mother who cooked three meals a day.  But it wasn’t until Diane Utley opened Mezzaluna in 1994 that I became a total foodie.

Diane taught me that good food does not have to be fussy or complicated to be good.  Oh how Henderson Kentucky was blessed to have Mezzaluna for those few short years.

Diane and Mezzaluna introduced me to many foods that have become staples in my cuisine.  Some of them are:

*Chicken Marbella
*Beef Medallions
*Chicken Marsala
*Crab Cakes
*Merlot Wine (GiGi Diane’s mother really taught me that)
*Pesto and all the wonderful things you can do with pesto
*Mixed Greens (probably in 1994 it was the first time I saw them)
*Black Bean Salad

Since Mezzaluna closed there has been no other restaurant in Henderson Kentucky that served up the kind and quality of food that Mezzaluna did.

What was your favorite thing to eat at Mezzaluna’s ?

Summertime Entertaining is fun!

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A couple of weeks ago Greg and I hosted a alfresco veranda* dinner party.

The Dinner Party for six was a silent auction item that was given in part of  the Spring Kitchen Tour benefit for Ohio Valley Art League.

Our dear friends Jerry & Adell Martin were the proud winners/purchasers of this silent auction dinner party.  They invited both of their brothers and in-laws-  Dennis & Debbie Martin and Bob & Kay English.

The dinner was simple Tequila Orange Grilled Shrimp (a Martha Stewart recipe)  served over a bed of Basmati Cilantro Lime Rice. This was complimented by a grilled prime cut of beef filet from D&M Foods here in Henderson KY.  Vegetables were a selection of home grown vegetables from the farmers marked and fire roasted.

The dessert was a delectable presentation of Bananas Foster.  The dessert was not a traditional flaming  foster but served with a homemade vanilla bean ice cream made in a Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine.

The flower arrangements were a wide assortment of summer blooming flowers and yes, all real.  Greg has a incredible talent with making non-traditional flower arrangements.

Entertaining in your home can be a incredible experience. It doesn’t have to be fancy– the thought is what counts!  You will surprise yourself what you can do! Summertime is one of the best times of the year to entertain.  Gather some veggies and some steaks and invite a few over one evening.

Our church Community Baptist Church is starting small groups of members that go and eat in homes our at a fun place as a means to get to know each other better.  We are looking forward and already have a simple menu planned.

Yes, I am a full time Insurance Agent (not a gourmet chef)  that enjoys good food and people to enjoy it with.

Below are a few of the pictures from the fun evening.

What are some of your favorite ways to entertain?

*Some of you would prefer I say Porch, but the architectural plans for house say veranda.