How to please your man*

(*If your man likes pickles. Women like them too, but I'm using the Cosmo theory of pulling folks in with unnecessarily sexy headlines.)

Make these. They're easy, tasty, and fast. Beau and my dad and the fellas in the office who've tried them give 'em two thumbs up.

Nearly Hands-Free Dill Pickles
(courtesy of RealSimple.com)

[my tweaks appear in pink]

Makes 16 spears| Hands-On Time: 05m |

Ingredients

• 4 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 pound), quartered lengthwise [I used the cucumbers I had]
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar [Plain old white vinegar works well; it's not as acidic]
• 1/4 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed [I used a bit more, but I like garlic]
• 2 tablespoons sugar [That's a helluva lot of sugar; I used one tablespoon]
• 1 teaspoon dill seed
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• kosher salt
• [If you like a kick, give it a couple of shots of red pepper flakes]

Directions

1. Place the cucumbers in a 1-quart jar or some other container with a tight-fitting lid.
2. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, onion, garlic, sugar, dill seed, peppercorns, bay leaf, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¾ cup hot tap water. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar with the cucumbers, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 day before serving. The pickles will last up to 1 week.