Pickles, Yes I Made Pickles

Started me 12 vacation doing a few things I like to do with Carter then something that I have never done, made pickles.  First, Carter and I headed off to the Tacoma Farmers Market that is held on Thursdays in the downtown business area.  I have been saying forever; well at least for the last year, that I wanted to go to this but always seem to forget.  I think mainly because it is  held on a Thursday and I am usually at work and forget to go afterwards on my way home.  So with not alot on the schedule for the day, we were off.

I have to say that it was very nice for a middle of the week market.  Alot of food vendors mainly because they feed all the corporate workers during their lunch hour but otherwise pretty good.  We will definitely go back.  Next we were off to Owen Beach for a little relaxation time.  Not much of a real beach but it does sit on the Pugent Sound so it is "real" water that heads out to sea, so it will do for now.  Just enough time there to make me want to drive to the real beach.

On the way home, we decided to stop at Duris Cucumber farm and look around at all the pickle makings and produce.  I love going here just to shop the cute farm stand, really more like a cute boutique but outside with produce and stuff.  It did not take long for us to start putting the makings for pickles in my basket; not what I intended to do at all but I got caught up in the moment!  You could say I was lead by peer pressure, everyone was doing it, loading cucumbers in their baskets, spices, vinegar, jars you name it.  Not before long you could say I was stocked up on everything I would need to produce a few jars of kosher and bread & butter pickles.

Once home I started slicing into spears for the kosher pickles.  I loved the smell of the fresh cut cucumbers and the vinegar mixture coming to a boil, it was already starting to smell like pickles in the house!

After jarring up the kosher pickles I was then on to making the bread and butter pickles, basically the same process just a different cut and lovely smell coming from my stockpot.

Not sure that I got the canning part down just right but being the first time of doing it, I didn't think it was too bad.  I probably could have stuffed a few more pickle slices in the jars but didn't want to go overboard.

Now the waiting begins, 3 weeks to let them cure then the real test will begin.  The taste test.  I am hoping that they turn out good enough that my family will want more.  Then, I will go and buy more supplies and maybe even branch out a little bit more by making more jars, and experimenting with other flavors.  So we will wait and see.  

Ok, Another New Start!

As most of the year is over, I have come to realize that I set my sights on something that just was not meant to be at the time, keeping up with my blog.  Or so called blog....

So once again, I will try my best to update, post some pictures, get creative and probably brag about my kids some.  This is what one does on a blog; right?

I always have good intentions but as we know life just sometimes gets in the way.  The kids in school, sports, clubs, carpooling, work, cleaning the house, taking care of the dogs, taking care of the family, laundry, feeding the family; I think you get my drift.  Just plain busy.  But now with my oldest daughter Alex back at school and my middle daughter a new freshman at school, that just leaves my husband, Tim, son Carer and the two golden retrievers whom we call our sons to take care of.  And yes, I am the only female in a house with four boys!  HELP!

Fortunately I have my scrapbook room where I can retreat to when I need some "me" time.  I can close the door and they know to leave Mom alone for a while.  For this I am thankful that they "get it".  

With school getting ready to start right after Labor Day for Carter I will be planning on spending much time in there getting caught up on so many projects I need to get done.  I think the only problem I will have is knowing where I want to get started.  First stop will probably clearing my table off which has become a free for all dump site, my fault totally.  This will be yet another challenge I will face going into the last part of the year.

So please join me as I do my best to keep up on blogging about life in the Liebig house.  Who knows, I may surprise you by posting everyday; maybe even twice a day.  Say What???

Til then.

A New Year, a New Beginning

Well after a very long break from not blogging (again), I am back to a it.  It is a new year and a new beginning.  A time for new experiences, changes, ways of doing things differently and sticking to it.

Every year at this time people make their resolutions for the new year and how many really stick to it?  I know I am all excited and dedicated the first few weeks then at that point it slowly goes down hill.  It doesn't matter if I am trying to lose a few pounds, stick to a new routine, scrapbook more, cook more healthier meals it always seems to die off after a few months.  Well, not this year!

 

  For Christmas two of my presents were a  new laptop (woohoo) and along with that the Silhoutte Cameo; just a few things I was wanting to "up" my scrapbooking abilities.  These two items alone will motivate me to work more on getting some much needed scrapbooking done. 

 

 So with this already being the 6th day of January, I am already behind on sticking with my new beginning but with today being a Sunday and it is football day (GO SEAHAWKS!) I will be able to hide out in my scrapbook room and get started.  Today I will clean off my table, organize a few things, take a few pictures, hopefully post them, and start my new year off with a bang.

It is going to be a good year, I can feel it! 

And of course, I will scrapbook all about it :)