Laco-fermented Pickles

In our efforts to transition to a well-rounded diet of real foods, I’ve been looking at ways to get the right kinds of bacteria without trying to get my kids to love something like kombucha right off the bat. They have been enjoying raw milk Kefir smoothies and that’s a good step. I wanted to do more, so I thought…pickles! They love dill pickles but I’ve never made my own until today. I read several methods on different sites and decided on one that was simple and didn’t have many ingredients from this site. 

I made a small batch of just one jar of whole pickles and one of sliced.  The real test will be if the kids like them.  Wild Fermentation is in my cart at amazon.com, thanks to a suggestion from Molly Newman. I *really, really* hope these turn out to be just the beginning of a bunch of batches of fermented real food for us because those little lactobacillus bugs help with digestion and have anti-inflammatory properties that I could sure use.  Not to mention the yum factor.  Check back in 4-5 days for the verdict.

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Just a quick run down of the books I have read since the last post. No reviews as of yet. I might come back to them later…probably not. And just for something pretty to look at, here’s a little goodreads screengrab. Yes, Moo Baa La, La, La is in there for some reason, there are two books I never finished and a couple are way out of order, but whatever – it’s pretty.

15 – Nothing to Envy
16 – In a Treacherous Court
17 – My Mom’s a Mortician
18 – Cold Sassy Tree
19 – Funeral Home Evenings
20 – Mrs. Mike
21 – Michael Vey – The Prisoner of Cell 25
22 – (out of order) 31 Days to Clean

Next on my side table stack: (which doesn’t mean i’ll read them, it just means they get about 10 pages to persuade me)
The Colour – Rose Tremain
Nanny Returns – McLaughlin & Kraus
Open House – Elizabeth Berg
The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson

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Yeah, whatever. That’s what I have to say about this one. OK, not really, but sometime I read these things and wonder how it is even possible to gently and meekly guide and persuade your children instead of firmly disciplining them. Life at home is crazy and I’m not sure I’ll ever get the the meek and lovely stage. BUT…I will keep trying.

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Two time periods, two Janes. There were two story lines in this book that loosely connected with each other. One, an embellishment on 16th century Lady Jane Grey and the other a modern tale of middle aged Jane in Manhattan. Modern Jane finds an antique ring and as the story unfolds, it is assumed it belonged to 16th century Jane. Both stories were interesting. I did favor the historical fiction side. This is a first read of this author for me. I appreciated that she delicately addressed sensitive topics and kept it clean. I’ll probably look for more of her books to read.

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I promise I have been reading…I just haven’t posted in a timely manner.

I listened to this one in the car. I’ve realized it’s best to listen to kid-friendly audio books since half the time I’m driving with children. The kids have watched this movie but I haven’t seen it.
This book is a fun adventure story with a bit of mystery. It had some fun twists and just a hint of fantasy/supernatural. I loved the visual descriptions of the canals and bridges of Venice and the Isola Secreta. I think I’ll have to watch the movie this weekend.

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Joshua’s latest gem had to be shared. I put my apron on to grind some wheat and his friend asked “What is that??” Joshua replied, “It’s like a superhero cape, but for girls!” A friend, Lacey, suggested I turn it intosomething cute to pin, so here it is. Not nearly as cute as hearing him say it, though. I’ll keep him forever.

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I’m having a bit of Android tablet envy, then not. I had a rooted android tablet when Android wasn’t cool. Then I got my BIG sweet awesome Galaxy S2 phone and didn’t touch my tablet for weeks so I sold it. Now, everyone has Kindle Fire tablets and I drool a little and then remember how my rooted color nook sat all alone on the counter while I played with my GS2. Really, I think that until I’m ready to velcro it to the fridge door as a home organizer (my life is all things google, recipe/menu planning, chores, kids school schedules, etc.) I don’t need a tablet and I should stop envying the 2 inches of screen real estate. My GS2 does more than Fire and Nook (rooted versions excluded) and it fits in a Coach wristlet, so I am all set. ( …Until I buy 3 or 4  ’home organizers’ for the fridge, the bathroom, the upstairs hallway, the…)

(Fire vs. GS2 - Image from http://uptill1.com)

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I actually liked this book even with my aversion to computer games. Well, to be fair, it’s more an aversion to computer games as an escape from real life. And this book showed some potential negative outcomes of a life lived online. I LOVED all the 80′s references even if they were sometimes just to mention the song/game/show and not to move the plot along in any way. I didn’t particularly enjoy the juvenile way the characters talked to each other. YES, they were juveniles, but do they REALLY have to swear so much?  One of my favorite parts or issues in the whole book was how each character’s online persona/avatar was eventually revealed as similar or vastly different from their real life self.  It showed the benefits and detriments of an anonymous second world with few consequences for lying or misleading until you have to own up to it in real life. I enjoyed the different facets of this book and would like to see a similar ‘grown-up’  story that explores more of a typical working and family life in the OASIS. This is the author’s first novel, so we’ll see!

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