Pickle Heaven

You are looking at my favorite food. These are Aunt Tate's pickles. Aunt Tate is my mom's aunt and when I was little I would eat entire jars of these pickles in a sitting. Who am I kidding I still do it. Sadly, Aunt Tate passed away years ago, but she left us with the amazing gift of the pickle recipe. I have made them 3 or 4 times since receiving this gift, and actually my sweet mom gave me 8 jars for my birthday one year. However, while always being some of the best pickles I've ever tasted, they were never quite up to Aunt Tate par.

For our 5 year anniversary this year Caleb got me a pickling cucumber plant. It has gone crazy and I have been swimming in cucumbers just begging to become the greatest pickles of all time. I have just opened the inaugural jar, and brace yourselves, I think I've done it!!! If my taste bud memory serves me correctly, these are bonafide Aunt Tate pickles, ladies and gentlemen!

The interesting thing is that for the first time I did not follow the recipe exactly. Which brings me to this topic of conversation... I sometimes have to wonder if the older generation is simply just forgetting the actual recipe and passing down what they think they are doing, or if they want to hold the title of, for instance, greatest pickles of all time, so they finagle the recipe so that you get something good, but not great.

Case in point #1 I have been blessed with the greatest mom-in-law a girl could ever ask for. We share a love of many things and she's just one of the coolest ladies out there. She makes something called dream cookies. Caleb loves these cookies and he doesn't really like sweets so it's a big deal. I was given the recipe when we got married, but have failed many times to make them correctly. I love you Gwenda Cheree Johnson, but I'm going on record that I believe you to be witholding dream cookie recipe information. I believe one Alli Cooper will second that statement.

Case in point #2 Grammie Lou is a fantastic cook. She blessed me with a cook book of all our family recipes when we got married. However, it includes such things like her recipe for roast. Which includes a list of probably 10-12 different spices/herbs followed by the words, "Just throw any combination of the above ingredients into the pot." No amounts, nothing. I will admit though most everything I've made out of this book tastes great, so I can't complain too much.

I got a little off topic there, my apologies. Anyhoo, I'm swimming in the greatness of Aunt Tate pickles. Still have more cucumbers to pickle and I make no promises about sharing any of them even though I'll have close to 20 jars by the time the plant stops producing. Ya'll wouldn't like them anyway so don't get mad at me.

Caleb's Final Is This Weekend

He claims this is studying...

Check it out... Sasquatch is getting her PhD!!!

Things I Love About Blythe

1. She follows Caleb around the kitchen closing all the doors and drawers he leaves open. This makes my heart happy and proves she is mine.
2. She is showing all the signs of being an organizational guru. Yesterday, she was playing in our shower while I got dressed, and when I took a shower last night all the bottles that are usually all over the bench were neatly stacked in the corner.
3. She can shake it with the best of them and loves all music. However, last week a Britney Spears song came on and she immediately started going "No No No NO NO" until I changed the station. This proves she is Caleb's.

Just a few things that have made me smile in the last couple days. We go for the sonogram on Monday!! We are kind of stumped on names at the moment, especially if it's a boy. Caleb likes Johnny and I like Smith... but Johnny Johnson and Smith Johnson are just too mean.

Givin' the People What They Want

Blythe Walking Her Dog

Caleb's Man Crush

As I type this he's playing an Ode to Roger Federer on the piano. I think this may be where his recent obsession with bandanas has come from.

I Have a Complaint

I've grown up in Texas, went to A&M, so I am no stranger to the giant truck. They no longer annoy me. I usually just ignore them or at the most roll my eyes. If you want to spend that much money on gas and get a stepladder to get your girl in your vehicle that's your choice. My complaint is this. If you are going to drive such a monstrosity then MAN UP AND DRIVE IT ALREADY! I just got stuck behind one of these guys who practically came to a full stop before gingerly going across railroad tracks. Railroad Tracks. Are you kidding me? Your wheels come up to the bottom of my window and if you weren't in my way me and the CRV wouldn't have so much as batted an eye at said railroad tracks. If you're gonna drive like that get your self an Oldsmobile some blue hair and slump down until you can barely see over the wheel. At least then I would know what I was dealing with.