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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.

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