Pickles, Pigs and the Puyallup Fair...

So I haven't posted in over two weeks. Life has been crazy and the weekends (my usual preferred posting time) have been packed. Since my last post we spent a weekend in Vancouver, WA with Sam's sister Jodi (previously mentioned multiple times in this blog) and roadtripped to Eastern WA the next weekend to watch the Cougs get pummeled by the Ducks. Yikes.

So now it's time to share some other interesting things the Nielsons have been up to since my last post. First things first...

PICKLES

While we were down visiting Jodi and Jason in Vancouver two weekends ago, we went to Sauvie Island and visited the Pumpkin Patch which has a huge produce and flower market with some pretty good deals on yummy fresh foods. This is one of my favorite things!! I have this big thing about buying fresh and local, and I love any chance to practice what I preach.

While we were purusing the market, we came across a display where they had conveniently laid out everything one would need to make and can their own pickles. Now, I have this thing for pickles. I love them. I eat them from the jar with a fork on a daily basis and the thought of making homemade delicous pickles that don't contain "Yellow #5" was very appealing. So, we bought up a 10lb. bag of pickling cukes, a dozen canning jars, some dill, vinegar, and pickling salt.

I did my research and found what I thought to be the best recipe on the internet (how could 150 reviewers be wrong?) and we got to work. It was a blast. Well, apart from our house smelling like a pickle jar for a week. The recipe said to not eat the pickles until they've been sitting in the brine for 8 weeks, but I dug in after a day and was not disappointed! In fact, it's been almost 2 weeks now and I officially just ate the last pickle from jar #1. Hopefully all 10 jars actually make it to the 8 weeks so I can see what all the fuss was about!

Anyways, it was a fun project and now we're all inspired to can something else. Apples? Peaches? Pears?? We'll see, and I'll keep you posted. Oh I know, you're on the edge of your seat. Don't they look fun though? They make a great addition to the top of my cabinets in the kitchen and I feel Oh-so-domestic.

PIGS & the PUYALLUP FAIR

So some of my happiest childhood memories are of my summers spent at the Puyallup Fair. It was one day at the fair with my parents (I was probably 10 or 11?) when I was super inspired (yes, 11 year olds can be inspired!) to join 4H. I was so envious of the kids in the horse and dog barns who got to show off their cool pets and I knew I had to do it. Enter Dominoe. As my 4H dog for 4 years with the pivotal part of our year spent at the Puyallup Fair, it was an emotional trip to the fair this year. But it was fun. It'll always have a special place in my heart. Where else can you get a picture with creepy people dressed up as barn yard animals??

Or kiss the smallest, cutest sheep I've ever seen?? Ok, I didn't actually kiss him... but it made for a fun picture, right?

We also got to see a 4 day old piglet who was incredibly small and cute, and Sam got to eat the biggest hamburger I've ever seen... none other than the "Earthquake Burger." As if that wasn't enough, he had to get the french fries on the side that are served as a 6"x6" cube and eat every last bite of it.




This picture doesn't do the burger justice. It was huge. And delicious. Gotta love the fair!!