3 Days of Pickle

Three Days of making pickle and I don't even eat the stuff. However, it does make for some bomb diggity chicken salad  (or my family lied at the beach). Yes mam...chicken salad. Delish. This is the only form in which I consume mayonnaise.

Last week I had my first session of canning pickles since I was about 10 at my grandmas house. One of my BFF's also just recently blogged about this same here event. Her blog prolly better and I know this. She has got mad blogging skills right? And her hubby can thrown down on helping with some canning procedures.Double Bonus.

Moving on to chapters 1-3 of my canning adventures.

First, I didn't even want anyone to know that I was making pickle in case I some how royally screwed it up. I had my mom and my M.I.L on backup in case mine was a complete BUST. Not at all hard to do considering I had to do a training last week, I  was sick, I had to do claims processing, and pack for three to da beach all in the same 3 days I needed to bathe and preserve these babies. So here we are...

Chapter 1- Wash and Soak - this takes foreva....

This strainer is an excellent contraption. It can extend its arms to stretch out over the sink. Way better than the round kind you have to sit in the sink. PERFECT for rinsing.

Use a soft vegetable brush to help get off all the stuck-on dirt. This one was given to me by my fave sister-in-law. :) 

Here is the pickling lime I used. The recipe is actually on the back of the package too

This looked weird and the lime can get all over everything if you are not careful.

All the lime sinks to the bottom and I was like, "whatev...I don't even know if it's even doing the job."

After cleaning and cutting up your pickle you have to soak in lime water. I let mine soak over night until the next morning when I got up. The lime makes them crispy and firm. Just right for picklin.'

Moving on to chapter 2:

The next morning, I discarded the lime water and washed the pickles 3-4 times to remove the lime. Afterwards, I covered the pickles with ice in my sink (which was super really clean by the way) all day. I got home at 8:45 that night before I  began making the syrup for their little spa day.

super clean sink + ice

That night when I got home I had to make the syrup for their day 2 soak. Fun stuff I tell you. Especially when I had been at work for about 12 straight hours that day. Fun. Fun. Fun.

Vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, + salt. This looks so interesting. You can put the pickling spice in cheesecloth but I didn't have any. So its just floating around in there. You have to bring the mixture to a boil and then add the cucumber to soak overnight.

don't they look so refreshing and crispy?

At this point I thought maybe I didn't have enough syrup for all the cucumber. A foreshadowing here.

 I let them soak overnight until about 8:00 pm the next day.

Day 3: Cucumber Spa Day: I started again late on day 3. The pickles are already in the syrup. They just need to be boiled for 45 minutes in the syrup.  Then, I packed the jars 3/4 full with the hot pickle. You have to leave room for the hot syrup plus 1 inch of head-space around the base of the rim. Then, place the lids on and screw the rings on real tight. 

I used a can strainer to remove most of the pickling spice when pouring in the syrup. Good Lawd it was messy! Which is why I lost a little extra syrup.

I also used a boiling water bath to make sure that the lids sealed. My canning class totally freaked me out about botulism and bacteria if you don't get the internal temperature hot enough also. I boiled them submersed in water for 10 minutes. Some people skip this step but I don't play when it comes to food. If there is any question, I won't eat it and I don't want to waste my efforts!

I also got to use my mega fabulous Paula Deen stock pot we got for a wedding gift. perfect for canning and so trendy in my kitchen!

The new "bump" must have really helped because all my lids sealed woohoooo. Gives a new meaning to the canning term "head-space" don't ya think???

My only downfall was 4 pint sized jars that didn't have enough syrup to put in the jars. Next time I will not use quite as much cucumber or I will pay closer attention to how much I have. But, I did have enough to make chicken salad for the beach...BONUS. Overall, a first A+ pickling experience for Moi. :) 

The Impulse Shopper

Well ladies and gentleman, this week I came down with some nasty infection and my Doctor hooked a Sista up with an antibiotic and a few other necessities. So, while strolling through the Rite Aid waiting for my 15-minutes-or-less-prescription I had some interesting fun with items that are an absolute must for your next impromptu shopping trip at the pharmacy.

Much needed pharmaceuticals :)

 Disclaimer: Let me just say that the whole "15-minute prescription guarantee" is in fact a hoax. It must be 15 minutes per medication which put me at nearly 45 minutes of strolling around up in the Rite-Aid. So kudos to you Rite-Aid with your retail fanciness and your plot to divulge into the Austin household bank account with all my completely insane impulse purchases while you take yo' sweet time hookin' a sister up with her pharmaceuticals (I actually just spelled that without Spell Check help which is simply amazing. Go Me.)

FAIL: 15 minutes or less? That's crap.

I sure was getting antsy and I was down right hungry since all I had time for was a Diet Coke up til' then.  But, instead of standing their stomping my bronze peep-toes (my fave by the way), I decided to explore the aisles. Big Bonus found.

Remarkably, I stumbled upon a treasure I have been wanting to try since the Strap-perfect came out. And just so you know, I am convinced that somehow the makers of the Strap Perfect stole the idea from me. I have always pinned my bra straps back with a hair barrette or safety pins in order to hide straps or simply give me a little push North. Anyways, I guess I missed the boat on that business pursuit.

Now for the Goods:  

Check out my most recent hair adventure. BUMPITS 

I am not even kidding. Complete baller status for your hair girlies.  In fact, I love them so much I am going to try them again tomorrow. You must click on the link above to hear the video on the home screen. I love the lady who screams because her hair is "so-last-year." It sounds like a horror film. Oh the fun.

I will admit that my hair is not fab here lately because I've had the same boring, plain Jane cut for years now. NOT my hair girls' fault. I've been trying to let it grow with sporadic trims here and there.  However, I do love BIG hair and putting it up in a big Do'. And in Roxboro, you can find lotsa ladies sportin' the huge hair do's.  You know those ladies with the big car, big purse, and the big HAIR. Depleting the ozone layer with that much hair spray on a daily basis is unnecessary. Just saying.

 Luckily, my hair is very versatile and can do just a bout anything with it. It holds curl, its shiny, its thick, I can straighten it or leave it wet and curly and still look decent. It is one of my best traits for sure. I ain't so blessed in other areas. Like....my weight for instance. That's a whole other tangent I won't discuss right now. It will kill my Bumpits hair buzz.

Anywho, I need to get a completely different cut or do color or something. I'm just waitin' til summers over. I only color my hair in the fall because it grows too fast and then I can do dark colors similar to my own natural hair. I am taking vitamins for my hair right now which have really jump started growth again + shine. So, when I ran across these Bumpits in the RA on Wednesday, I thought to myself, "hmmmm....maybe this will at least spice up my pony a little" since I'm practically wearing my hair up all the time right now anyway cause it's so freakin' hot in NC right now. Check out the handi-work. It ain't real easy girls. Don't be judgmental either. It was only round 1.

 So, now I'm practicing every day. I really like my pony too. Major hair transformation complete.Crisis averted. Impulse purchase totally worth it.

4th of July Weekend On the Rox

If you have lived here your whole life such as I, some of these photos you will find not at all shocking or even the least bit absurd. I, however, have found that the more I seek to actually capture Roxboro at it's finest, provides me with more opportunity to reveal true "life on the Rox" experiences.

And first we shall examine the notorious Roxboro 4th of July parade. Side Note: I am an absolute feign for a parade. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. So, we must dress accordingly right? Duh. Well, my rendition of red white and blue would be umm...hot pink and navy, paired with a little white pearl studs underneath... umkay? Luckily, my little GA was totally dressing the part for the 4th. And...here we are....

Next, I shall supply you with the highlights from the parade.  Try to contain your enthusiasm. Now, I cannot comment on every photo because I may say something inappropriate and/ or I don't want to show favoritism. I hope you are not disappointed.

"Who you gonna call???"....Ghost Busters

yes. it does in fact actually exist and resides in Hurdle Mills I believe

Hurdle Mills FD representin'

 Wasn't that glorious? There are a few photos I left out for times sake and luckily for your viewing pleasure I screened them all for you. You're welcome. If you didn't go to the parade I know you are stricken with guilt  and most envious of me for getting to go.

The best part of the parade was GA and how she just thinks everything is magical. Especially when candy is involved. She even gets excited over the peppermints and the Caramel Cremes. Just precious. 

Don't you think my V. Secret bag is just the perfect size for parade treats? Oh,... so perfect.

Seriously???? How did I get such an adorable child? ANSWER: Jesus loves me!

And, not only do we proudly drive all our old school cars in the parade, we will then strategically park them in the nearest parking lot after the parade for admiration purposes.

"whatcha got under 'dat hood ova d'are?

Roxboro at it's finest. I am so proud to belong here. Seriously, we are one of a kind and I'm so glad that I belong to such a proud place. <3

Next, we shall visit Beefy's Birthday celebration / July 4th cookout at Hazel's. (Hazel would be Beefy's Grandma named Hilda which we changed to Hazel in high school. Her name still remains as Hazel. Good example of our awesomeness.)

I just love wet babies wearing nothing but a dipey . Look at his face..priceless.

I could steal him and then be on the news.

There is no such thing as the 4th without a slip-n-slide. 

Here is Hazel feeding the children some grilled marshmallows. That's cause it's too dang hot for a campfire. 

Love these kids.

And then on to the Whispering Pines....

AAA's (Mrs. Anna Welch, Mrs. Amber Austin, and future-Mrs. Alisha Triplett) Oh, and don't forget GA all up in the middle

so classy!

I am pretty upset I wasn't near my camera while GA broke down Beyonce's "Put a ring on it" while jiggling her little ruffled buttock on the diving board. "All da single ladies, all da single ladies....uh uh oh"....Floaties were indeed intact. Just priceless. She also sang "God bless America" and said the pledge for Aunt Anna (Hester) poolside. Must post ASAP! I gots to figure Youtube videos first. Maybe tmrw.

This is so my favorite photo of the weekend.

 

Then, on to the MIL and FIL's fo' supper....Doesn't she look precious? 

American as Apple Pie. And just so you know that is 50 blueberries and 100 strawberries. Personally, I think she has too much time on her hands.

This was the best thing that happened on the 4th. My Landon Thomas came home from his 11-day adventure with his mommy and daddy up North. I think he's ready to trade them in for full time with Auntie down South. I got to squeeze him. Numerous times.

 

I love this child so much. We are equally excited for fireworks. No seriously, we are.

Love Birds: We had to pimp in the Tacoma until the rain lifted with some of our besties. Aren't couple friends just the best? The boys can entertain themselves while we talk about them from afar.

30 minutes past Sean's bed time. A leetle obvious huh?

Extreme Dedication to skyline explosives.

Insert Katy Perry's "Firework" song here... :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, a great day with the Triplett's whom we roped into all our Roxboro fun and frenzies.  You know they love us when they hang out with us On the Rox + be willing to hang out with our "special" families.  They were not the least bit afraid.  Those Tripletts are keepers for sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing...BER.

Sorry this post isn't about my fab 4th weekend. (Stay tuned). You simply will not believe what is going on in my garden. First, I have to explain why this is so ironic (and random). As we discussed earlier last week, I have many nicknames. This one (Ber) is special because it has now become one of my major focuses for the summer.

Background Info:  So, You just read that one of those many nicknames is Ber. This lovely little name was given to me by some of long time friends from the S.Cack (which I get to see next week...holla!).  Thank you D, Jenn, and J-Bob for creating your own name for me at the Silver wHOlesale many years ago. I must also give a shout out to T-Bar who probably never actually knew my real name when I worked there (he started after me). This new name began nearly the same week I moved to Myrtle Beach, during one of my early 20's adventures. Since then, it has stuck and I just love hearing anyone refer to me as Ber since that means I am among good friends. When I'm down in South-cack I answer to Ber without even thinking. Lucky, I'm the kinda girl that I can just evolve no matter where I am. That's what I do.

Although I would just simply love to rant and rave about myself (imagine that), the one and only true "Ber," I must skip to the actual focus of my blogging project for today. Excitement ensuing? I knew it... Moving on...

Let me introduce you to the new BER that is taking over my life right now.

Yes my gardening friends,this is nothing other than the dreaded demise of my most precious tomato babies. Blossom End Rot. Ewww. Now, how the heck am I supposed to be canning homemade salsa this summer if my tomatoes look like shizzle and all I've gotten is 1 good tomato so far? Let's discuss.

Here is what I got the other night from my garden.

Complete Shizzle I tell you.

 I can't even believe they look like that since after all my garden looks so perfectly fresh an inviting. Let's examine their downfall.

First, hubby built me these super large really trendy garden boxes for my planting delight. (And he looked so handy building them, all sweaty and tanned. You know hard working man-type. It was a delicious scene.)

Next, my babies started getting bigger as you can see here. 

Then, they were all fallin' over cause they were thriving with growth and I had to get some big metal circle thingys to hold them up. But, that still wasn't enough. In order to hold up the majority of the plant, you must tie it in some fashion so that it doesn't hang over everything and it can continue growing straight and tall. See, tomato stems are really delicate and you can't just use any ole' fastening object to tie those suckers up. Also, the weight of the plant can be very difficult to work with. So, one of fashions' best accessories just made it into my garden. You can say I do have the most accessorized garden in our neighborhood. You can also say that to "tie the plant in some fashion" just brought on a whole new meaning in my world.

Remember these stems from this past February?

LC is giving me quite a look there...Must be the VS panty hose.

Well these, V.S. panty hose are now rescuing my tomato plants from falling over. Who knew Vickies could offer fundamental problem solving for 2 important areas; lingerie and gardening? Clarification: The panty hose are soft and delicate enough (and also clean) so that the plant stems will not be damaged, yet strong enough to hold the plant erect (I just couldn't help my self). Also, the elasticity of the panty hose allows the stems to continue in expansion while the plant continues to grow throughout the summer. Brilliant I know.

So, since I fixed that little problem, clearly I should be able to fix a little BER (blossom.end.rot) problem. Ber fixing BER? Bahahhahahah I am up for the challenge!

I first researched how this happened and then began searching for a solution. The daughter of a NC Forester, it would bring such shame if I couldn't get this right. Here is what I found out.

1. My first mistake was not getting a soil test from my local Cooperative Extension. It is also free. Contact Carl Cantaluppi at the Extension office (for all my fellow citizens on the Rox). I should know this!!!!! After all I am a Family and Consumer Sciences Major. Complete FAIL.


2. The soil becomes imbalanced between droughts and an unusual amount of rain and / or over-watering. The soil needs moisture consistency. B.E.R is also due to the amount of calcium absorbed through the plant in order to produce the fruit in a healthful way. Major science lesson here.


So, How do we add calcium? Well, I am a quick fix kinda person. I don't like mistakes and I like to see problems fixed promptly. Here are some suggestions that I researched: 

-powdered milk
-crushed egg shells
-tea
bone meal tea
-Tums tablets

While researching, the experts like to rub in that Prevention is key. Well Duh.
Some sites recommend removing affected fruit from the plant to reduce stress throughout. I did that which is how I got a compost pile full of about 20 + rotting tomatoes. Gross. Ewww. Etc. Many sources also say that this process is typical in the early season. Amber doesn't do early....EVER.. I want it right . ALL the TIME.

I decided to try one of the suggestions. Because I already had a full bottle of TUMS at home, I decided to try that first. I looked like a complete addict in my kitchen y'all. Little round pills all over the counter as I'm putting the medicine like tablets into little plastic baggies. I used my handy dandy Pampered Chef food chopper to chop those suckers up into a fine like powder. (So, would by food chopper be considered Drug paraphernalia?) The fine powder will be more likely to absorb quicker and since the soil was already moist from the rain we just got, it was a good time to do it. Then, I divided the powder among the plants and here's what I got...

Those large TUMS you see, well....Georgia Anne helped me 'plant' those....

 I don't know if this will help or not or if the gardening gods will be laughing their butts off at my quick fix. I just know that I cannot have this anymore.. Goodbye B.E.R!!!!! (hopefully)

Finally, one last bit of hope for my babies. While I was pulling away at all those tomatoes I did find one scrumptious tomato that was just right. GA will probably eat that thing like an apple. My little girl LOVES tomatoes! It does give me hope that I'm not a complete failure in the tomato world. Isn't it pretty?

Note to self: my hand looks abnormally chubby in this photo.  Give camera a thorough scolding!

Happy gardening y'all. July 4th weekend post coming up tomorrow. It was a doozie here on the Rox over the weekend. I can't wait to share all the classic Rox photos (some secretly taken). Until tomorrow then...