Skip to main content

Weekend Family Got-Together

Memorial Day Weekend: Jon and I packed the pups and the Boler for the first "camping" trip of the season: for the Jones FamilyGotTogetherAgain days. Yes, sometimes by the end of the weekend, we have been smooshed all together just like that! :-)

We brought doglets, Zuzu and Pippin, (my brother)Todd and Nancy brought Zip and new addition to the dog-cousins, Australian Shepherd-Border Collie cross, Sis. Chip and Sharon brought both their Chocolate Lab, Quigley and their little fluffy white girl, Lily. There were only 3 human cousins this year, Kellie and Izaya and Eli.

O.k., maybe it doesn't really count if you go "camping" on your Mom's front lawn... but she DOES live right on the shore of Canyon Ferry Lake near Helena Montana, I got more knitting done on Jon's arch-shaped socks - one down, and the second one half way done. It's a bit hard to see, but the pattern I'm using creates a bias-shaped fabric that pulls the bottom of the sock snug against his arches:

and we did have a campfire both nights,

and we went out on the water, (brother Chip's boat)

and Jon caught his first fish of the summer

Actually, it was the first time he can remember putting a line in the water since age 12, when he went on a fishing trip with Ken Brett. This fish is for you, Ken!

It was great to see my nephews, brothers (can you tell?!) Izzaya and Eli



Here's another great picture of niece, Kellie, and her dad, (my brother) Chip:


Below, the sunset over the lake Saturday night was amazingly beautiful...probably because it fortold the drizzle all day on Sunday!


And here's the whole crew:

Sharon, Kellie, Nancy, Todd
Mike, Analie, Eli, Izzaya, Grama Bev, Robbin,
Chip and Jon.

In preparation for the prolonged pot-luck, I made a trifle using the leftover Heavenly Citrus Ginger Muffins. Then I made up a batch of Pickled Salmon, adapting a recipe that I got from Jon's sister, Louise over Easter. (She adapted it from Patricia Unterman's San Francisco Food Lover's Guide).

2 cups organic white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups filtered water
6 T sugar
2 T non-iodized salt
Bring above to a full boil in small pan, and then cool completely before proceeding!

Fresh fresh fresh wild salmon -skinned and filleted, about 2 pounds -cut into 2" chunks.
Layer with
2 thickly sliced onions
fresh dill fronds
and 2 -3 TBS of pickling spice blend that includes about 3 hot chiles.

We placed it all in a large glass container, covered it with the cooled vinegar mixture, and used a clean zip-lock bag filled with water as a "weight" to keep it all submerged for three days in the fridge. We prepared it Wednesday evening, ate it on Sunday afternoon and it was delicious!! Sister-in-Laws, Analie, Sharon, and Nancy all gobbled it up - as did Jon and I. My mom was totally impressed - thought it would taste like pickled herring from her childhood..... but liked this ever so much better!! (Thanks, Louise ;-) I think it's still pretty good today (Monday evening) but would not keep it too much longer than 4 days from start to finish.

Comments

Knit Witch said…
Ooooooooooo! That recipe sounds great - thanks. Looks like a very fun weekend - good for you! I am hoping that the t-shirts are coming in today.

Popular posts from this blog

Patacones!!

PATACONES   -made with green plantains - if they have gotten yellow & spotty, they will not stand up to this treatment! Heat about an inch depth grapeseed or peanut oil in a deep skillet. Slice 4-5 green plantains into about 1 1/2" chunks, and then remove the peel. Fry the plantain chunks until lightly golden, drain on paper towels. When a bit cooler, take a heavy pot and squash the plantains  flat (they look like "large paws" - patacones -) and dip them (do not soak them!) into a bowl of salted water  (about 2c. water and a tbs. or so of sea salt) then carefully place them in the hot oil and fry again until crispy brown! Top patacones with guacamole and fresh salsa, or a garlic/mayonaise combination- they are a great alternative to chips and crackers. Best when eaten hot!!

Medicare for All should be our goal

" Under the greatest adversity there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others ." ~Dalai Lama And one of Montana's Methodist Ministers, Joan Uda, wrote an editorial for the Great Falls Tribune this week, asking essentially, What would God think of this? Here's a small excerpt: I'm startled by the frenzied opposition to health care reform. Are these good people Christians? Do they recall that Jesus will judge us not by how well we've kept our earnings for ourselves but by how we have cared for "the least of these"? Matthew 25:31-46. This is a matter of salvation. I don't believe God supports any particular solution for health care. But I do believe God wants everyone, even the least, included. And I believe Jesus Christ calls us to display our best Christian virtues in the debate on these issues. Here's George Lakoff's perspective on how language influences the discussion on Health Care policies this seas

My Precious Pikle-It

Now that we have finished running about between Missoula and Portland like bees buzzing between flowers, I can tell you all about my favorite kitchen "gadget" this year..... the Pickl-It from the wonderful People at Pickl-It . I got a set for myself and  my sister-in-law, - since we both are fermenting fiends. A few years ago, I had gotten a Harsch Gairtopf crock (see earlier posts regarding sauerkraut making) because I was tired of skimming my 'kraut. Essentially, I love kitchen science, but I'm even more enamored of  accomplishing kitchen crafts with less oversight! The Harsch crock has a wonderful "burping lid" water lock system that allows you to leave your crock unattended for several days at a time while the fermentation beasties work in a safe environment. My Harsch crock is in almost constant use, and I would never give it up. But there were still times when I wanted something smaller....for those tiny baby carrots, or the 3 small heads of gard