I am a list maker and a planner. Each day, I have a plan for what I am doing that day - gardening and livestock kick that plan in the butt almost every day....
Pickling was NOT on the list today, but as I was weeding the top half of the garden (which WAS on the list), the cucumbers advised they were ready for the first batch to come off the vine. And oh by the way, so were about another thousand zucchini (okay, there were 12, but it felt like 1,000). So...we are interrupting our normally scheduled program to slip in some pickling.
The first pickling is a good 'un - I am too lazy to get out the canning equipment so I call them refrigerator pickles and pretend it is intentional. They are very "Klausen-like", crunchy and cold, and pretty delicious. These are the ones I eat like they are a side dish rather than a condiment.
Also, this is the time of year I always think I need a bigger kitchen as I have so many things going on at once in my little kitchen. It will be a few months before we see any open space on my cabinets again. I am gonna have to get Dave a hot plate so he can prepare his meals and not get in my way!!!