Pickled Bologna

This is great served with crackers or consumed with beer or beverage of choice at "game" time.  A familiar snack food found in Michigan stores or taverns, this family recipe duplicates an old, hometown favorite of my Michigan born husband.

Pickled Bologna

3 lbs. ring bologna or good, non-flavored large, inch or more thick hot dogs/franks/German sausage.

2 tsps. salt

12 bay leaves

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups white vinegar

2 tsps. pickling spices

2 tsps. red pepper flakes

1 large gallon jar, or may use half gallon, or quart jars.

Fill jar/s with meat which can be cut into pieces, but not necessary.  Drop bay leaves in jar. Mix all remaining ingredients in large bowl, stirring well to dissolve sugar and salt.

Pour over meat, and if not covering all completely, add more vinegar. Allow to cure covered in refrigerator for 4 days before eating. Keep refrigerated.

Cost Estimate: Our local grocery store sells,  Hill Brand thick franks in 3# packages for $11.00.

Avocado Salad Dressing or Dip

This dressing is easy to make and so flavorful on a mixed green salad or used as a dip for chips, cut veggies or a sandwich spread.

We have a salad just about every night of the week, so serving a variety of dressings keeps a tossed salad from seemingly boring. I keep two or three homemade dressing on hand for choices, and change them from time to time.

Avocados seem to come on sale in the Spring and Summer so that's when I make it more often.  If I'm making a Mexican dish or dinner, it's the perfect dressing for a side salad or topping.

Here's a link to my other homemade dressings: 
Salad Dressings




Avocado Dressing
1 ripe Avocado, halved with pit removed and cubed
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 Tab. lime juice
3/4 cup of buttermilk, or substitute with whole milk mixed with 1 Tab. lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tab. diced onion
1 diced garlic diced
1/2 tsp. sugar or Splenda
pinch of salt and pepper

Peel Avocado, then cut to remove pit or cut in half and scoop out Avocado flesh, cube and place in a food processor. Add hot sauce (I used Green Tabasco) and lime juice. Puree on high until it's a smooth paste.

Next add: milk, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Pulse until ingredients combine and mixture is desired smoothness.  Add more milk if mixture is too thick or more mayonnaise if it's too thin.

Pour in a lid-sealed container. Refrigerate dressing for up to 2 weeks. Makes 2 cups.

Estimated Cost: $1.50 or less.