Neck Candy: Bread and Butter Pickles

Back when I was pregnant with Thatkid, I was looking for something else when I stumbled upon these mother/baby bird necklaces.  I fell instantly in love and knew I had to have it.

I love the symbolism of it, and it fit so well with the bird-themed nursery I had for Thatkid.  I still wear it pretty religiously, but recently I decided I needed to upgrade.  After all there's only one baby bird on this necklace, and soon I'll be having two under my wing.

I asked for a 2-baby option for the holidays, but when it didn't materialize as a gift, I decided to take matters into my own hands.  Except, the whole symbolism of the birds isn't as meaningful this time around because Oppo-baby isn't getting a bird nursery.  The nursery this time is going to revolve around rockets.  And so I went looking for a rocket necklace. 

I wasn't finding anything that really fit the bill, so I contacted an Zealous Bee on Etsy and asked if they could help make my vision a reality.  They agreed, and together, after several back and forths, we designed exactly what I was looking for:

Pregnancy is a fun time to splurge.  On things like necklaces or things like ice cream sundaes.  Personally, I'm always a fan of vinegary things when pregnant.  Like salad dressing.  And pickles.  And while I prefer dill pickles, I've been really enjoying the mustardy tang of bread and butter.  I can eat them by the jar.  Which is why I thought it might be a good idea to make my own.

Bread and Butter Pickles (From the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

6 cups thinly sliced cucumbers

1 lb onions

1 green pepper, shredded

1/4  cup salt

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 Tbsp mustard seed

1 tsp celery seed

2 cups cider vinegar

1. Mix the cumbers, onions, green pepper, and salt.  Cover and let stand for 3 hours.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large pot, bring slowly to the boiling point, and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Drain the vegetables in a colander and rinse them well with cold water.
4. Add them to the hot syrup and heat to just below the boiling point.  Spoon into hot sterilized jars, fill with cooking syrup leaving 1/8 inch headspace, and seal.