Wonderful Pickles

My son turned one year old on Mother's Day, and on the Saturday before we had a party for him. It was largely a potluck-style type of thing, with our friends and family bringing most of the dishes besides the hamburgers and hot dogs, which turned out to be a good thing because I was suffering from a terrible cold and didn't feel like cooking a whole lot. I did make a couple of things myself, though, like my mom's potato salad, which is always requested, and these wonderful pickles.

My little Hungarian grandma has been making this cucumber salad for years. When I called to ask for the recipe, describing the dish to her so she'd know exactly which one I was talking about (she uses cucumbers in another dish with dill and sour cream), she said, "Oh, you mean wonderful pickles." I had no idea that's what she called this salad, but apparently it's what her mother and her mother's mother always called it, so I feel obliged to call it the same thing. This dish has been in our family for generations, and the recipe may be old, but it's still amazingly good. It's perfect for summer, and it was one of the first things to be finished at Andrew's party!

Wonderful Pickles
Source: my grandma

2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar

7 cups thinly-sliced cucumber (peels on)
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced (red or white onion works)
2 tablespoons celery salt
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

Combine sugar and vinegar in a large bowl, stirring occasionally until sugar has almost completely dissovled. Add salad ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to set.