Lenticular Clouds over Mt. Rainier

This photo was too beautiful not to share (found on twitter but no attribute). Lenticular clouds over Mt. Rainier. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Spectacular Refrigerator Pickles

10 pickling cucumbers sliced medium thin, salted and left to drain
1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar or cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2  teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cloves

1 onion chopped fine
2 stalks of celery chopped fine
2 large cloves of garlic chopped fine
1 garden salsa pepper (hot) chopped fine
1 small jar of pimentos drained well

With a hand slicer, slice the cucumbers medium, put in a colander, salt and set aside to drain off excess water.

Chop the onion, celery, garlic, and hot salsa pepper fine. Drain pimentos on paper towels to remove excess oil they are packed in. Set aside these ingredients. In a glass casserole dish add sliced cucumber slices and chopped ingredients and toss well.

In non reactive saucepan heat vinegar, sugar, and spices till hot but not boiling.

Pour hot vinegar mixture over sliced cucumbers and chopped ingredients. Toss well and be sure ingredients are submerged in liquid. Let sit to room temperature. Later you can put the pickles into mason jars and give as gifts or store in fridge. These will keep for a few weeks but must be refrigerated. One recipient of my pickles said they used them as a salad dressing over vegetables.

You know you have a good recipe when everyone asks for it. Try making these spectacular refrigerator pickles. This is the third recipe rendition and probably the best so far. Don't omit any ingredients because they all blend together to make an excellent pickle. I think the turmeric helps keep the color of the pickles bright. Who knew I'd become a discerning pickle connoisseur. Today I'll be at the farmer's market from 7 am to 1 pm. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Meet Bonkers

A couple of weeks ago we went to the animal shelter because Gary insisted we needed another cat. I didn't want to get another cat because I was missing Barney so much even though Barney clearly prefered Gary over me. I reluctantly said ok. We agreed we needed a female because they are more cuddly and an adult cat because kittens are so much trouble and besides which we probably wouldn't outlive the cat and that was cruel.

We visited with all the adult cats and all the kittens and then went back home. Then we went back and visited with all the kittens again. This short tail male tabby cried pitifully when we put him back in his cage. He came home with us. They had named him buttercup but it was clear he is not a buttercup, we named him Bonkers. If you come to visit you are warned his toys are everywhere underfoot and he likes to chase feet. All the furniture is covered to protect it from claws. All the shades are pulled up to keep him from playing with them. We had to zip tie the fireplace screen together. Thank goodness he loves the cat tree we got him.

He was four months old when we brought him home and he had never been out of a three foot cage except to be fixed or have his nails cut. When we got him home we saw he was truly emaciated and barely thriving.  He didn't know how to eat dry food even softened with water. He didn't know how to drink water. We found out when we got him home his claws were cut so short we didn't think he had any? What are these animal shelters doing with these cats?

He's been running, playing, and eating, running, playing, and eating, but only wet food, four or five cans of fancy feast a day. Bonkers has finally built up some muscle mass. He has yet to add an ounce of fat a normal kitten would have. I am finally teaching (encouraging) him how to drink water. I have yet to deal with the shelter circumstance but I will.

Meanwhile long distance family matters happened and I've barely kept my head above water. Luckily it's rained almost every day so no need to water the gardens. Bonkers is catnapping upside down half in my arms and half on the desk in front of the computer. He is purring away as I type. I'm pretty sure he'll be surfing the internet real soon. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Homemade Pesto

This is the first year I've been able to grow enough basil to make homemade pesto. I grew basil in the bins with the peppers. I think basil needs deeper, richer soil than the heavy clay here.

I tossed the pesto with gluten free spiral noodles. Start out with some good quality olive oil, add the basil leaves, lots of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Blend in your blender till smooth. Add some pine nuts, blend. Pour into a bowl and stir in grated parmesan cheese. Delicious.

I'll be at the farmers market today from 7 am to 1 pm. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.