how to use five pounds of sugar in one cooking session

[dragonlady7]

Tonight I have made Amish Friendship Bread, because two different people had given me the starter and I had just kept feeding it instead of making it and now had like an entire giant mixing bowl full of starter, but I won't share that recipe because a) you probably don't want it, and b) Google will tell you just as well as me.

But I will share my other recipes that I made tonight that used up the rest of that five pound bag of sugar.

1) Sekanjiaban
I wanted something to drink to keep myself hydrated at Pennsic, in case the water tasted foul. Gatorade doesn't please me much, and the bright jewel-tones, while pretty, aren't exactly period-at-ten-feet. So I'd read about this vaguely Arabic kinda thing that you drink when lemons aren't in season, instead of lemonade. The Appalachian version, switchel, involved molasses and oatmeal-- ??!-- so I opted for this one instead.

2 cups water
6 cups sugar
combine over heat, stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved (bring just to a boil)
add 1 1/4 cups vinegar
Let simmer 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add several sprigs of mint.
Let cool (which will take a while, as the syrup is rather thick)
Add 3-4 Tbsp over ice to a tall glass of water.

2) Pickled beets
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp pickling spice
4-5 med-lg beets, sliced in thin rounds
Put all in a big pot. Boil. Let simmer 15-20 minutes. Let cool. Can, bottle, jar, or put into a Tupperware in the fridge. Eat. Beware of getting totally stained.
(I doubled this one.)

That's how you go through five pounds of sugar in a night and yet don't even eat anything.

I figure, I gotta get all this stuff outta my kitchen. I hope my Pennsic campmates like pickled beets. And sweet-tangy-pungent drinks.

Comments

[greenworldgirl.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, yes, many traditional Irish drinks had oatmeal in them, and the Appalachians had people from that area. Sounds weird, but then in some Asian countries they think onions, beans and sea weed go well in sweet drinks.

[lenine2.livejournal.com]

Beeeeeets!

Pickling spice?

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

It's one of the things in the spice aisle at the store. I think it has bay leaves and bits of various sorts of pepper in it, etc. I don't know what all the ingredients are. It's just a thing. Like all that stuff that goes in pickles that's not pickles.

[greenworldgirl.livejournal.com]

SPeaking of beets, is that Legolas in front of beet greens?

[lenine2.livejournal.com]

You're close. It's Glorfindel in a Mirkwood costume. He looks exactly like Legolas in order to patrol the beet forest in disguise.

Somewhere in my photo gallery there is a picture of him wearing nothing but a jewelled elfhood pouch that was custom made for him.

[greenworldgirl.livejournal.com]

THAT IS AWESOME! And...an elfhood pouch? Yes that has to be what I think it is. You know, whenever people (men) get too sassy about my crafting I threaten to make some very unique objects for them, but I admit I never actually do it.