In a Pickle

Well, as the title suggests, the most exciting thing we had going for us this week is making pickles. Kirstin got just enough cucumbers off her vine to can one jar of pickles. She planted the cucumbers because she has always been a big fan of her Grandma Loveland's pickles! So she called up Grandma and got the following recipie:
Brine: Mix and boil
3 cups water
3 cups vinegar
1/2 cup salt
Sterilize jar and lid then put alum in the bottom, the amount equal to the size of a pea.
Also put in a clove a garlic and a head of dill (we got that from our herb barrel out front). Pack the cukes in the jar then pour the boiling brine in the jar. Put the lid on (don't forget to wipe the rim like I did!)
We had fun doing it and Kirstin can't wait to taste them. We decided that she could open it on her birthday.
We also went to the library for the Bug Box program and saw all sorts of creepy crawlies. Caleb tells me that he thinks that there are some cockroaches that are good. I BEG to differ! All you Lovelands know what I'm talking about (shudder). I don't care how much education I get about the virtues of bug life, I will always be creeped out by them!That's about all I have to report this week except for the fact that it is hotter than blazes with no rain in sight. Our lawn is dead and our garden (for all our efforts) offers almost no produce. Oh well, we gave it a try. Rob is currently charting the movement of the sun and which trees block it out. He's thinking about chopping some trees down and building some raised beds for next year. Sigh, these big outdoor projects get the better of me sometimes! We love all of you and appreciate the emails and comments left on this blog. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends next summer.