Snapshots: Pickles and Views

The MiL's cucumbers were just starting to produce when A. was there, so she sent him home with a bag of them. We ate a couple fresh, but I had to use some of them to make refrigerator pickles. My own plants are currently about two inches high and probably going to be devoured by the swarms of cucumber beetles everywhere, so this seemed like my best shot to ensure at least a few pickles this year. 

I had to use dry dill weed in them, because my own dill is dead, broken stalks in the garden. It's been quite a year.

I used the extra brine, to which I added a little sugar, to pickle the remaining daikon radish from commodities.

I have no idea where this packaging came from. So far as I know, we have no toy like this. But the image on the bag made me literally laugh out loud.

Specifically, the face on that top little guy. He doesn't appear to enjoy being shaken.

One of the boys was reading My Side of the Mountain, and announced he wanted to make acorn pancakes like Sam. And of course, since he did, everyone did. We don't have any acorns on hand, but we do have a lot of raw almonds. So I handed over my molcajete and told them to have at it. 

They ground and ground and ground, gaining a new appreciation for modern appliances and pre-ground flour. They watch a lot of YouTube videos about developing countries with their dad, and nearly all of them show women grinding some sort of grain with stones. Now they know how hard that is.

A lot of labor for not a lot of calories. That pretty much sums up pre-industrial life, I suppose.

We added a tiny bit of water to the resulting ground nuts, formed them into patties, and baked them. They were tasty and their makers were pleased with them, but they haven't asked to do it again.

And last, a couple of photos from when I had to travel down the hill, but still in the middle of nowhere.

A very early settlement that is now a private ranch.

And the range under cloudy skies.

There you have it! My life, snapshotted.