Nothing says spring like canning jars and PICKLES!

I've got the itch to get going with fresh, spring veggies! AND, nothing makes me happier than some yummy crunchy pickles so full of dilly, garlicky CRUNCH! Since I was at it and had gotten some great green beans in last week's delivery from Milk and Honey Organics, I might as well try some Pickled Beans too (more to come on those -- after I taste them!).

Over the past few years, I've adapted my favorite recipe to come up with these Spicy Garlic Refrigerator Pickles.

• 15 to 20 small pickling cucumbers - sliced in half, lengthwise
• 4 cups water
• 3-3/4  cups white vinegar
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill weed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 large head of garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 3 tablespoon pickling spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dill seed (although I never seem to have this on hand!)
• 1 red pepper flakes
• 8 sprigs fresh dill
• 
  
• In large bowl or pot combine: water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, pickling spices, dill seed and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Salt and sugar won't be all dissolved.

Add cucumbers.

Cover and let sit at room temperature about 2 hours.

In each of the 4 large canning jars, place 2 springs of dill. Place cucumbers in jars and filling each jar with the vinegar/pickling liquid.

Refrigerate jars. Pickles are ready in about 10 to 14 days and can be stored for a month.

Lovin' the veggies!

That's right - today was the day - our first delivery from @milkandhoneyo ! I had picked the smallest basket, just to get an idea of what we might get.... and OH BOY! did we ever get a delivery!!

I was so excited to grab the cooler off of the front porch and dig in!

Today's bounty included: beets, brussel sprouts (my FAVORITE), kale - um not so sure on this one, maybe its time to try the kale chips everyone is loving on pinterest??, sweet potatoes, onions, green beans, parsley, apples, oranges, clementines (?) kiwi and lettuce! YUM! We've already used up some of the lettuce and my daughter is super excited for the kiwi. 

Thanks Milk and Honey Organics!! 

Organic Veggies & Fruits? YES, Please!

And delivered to my house??? I don't have to get them??

That's right - lets get it straight... I can get organic fruits and veggies from LOCAL farmers delivered straight to my house each week?!?! I don't even have to get in the car!!

SIGN ME UP!

Yes, I'm excited - as if you can't tell. If you followed along with my CSA (community supported agriculture) posts over the last couple of years, you know how much I love getting fresh, local veggies. Each week I couldn't wait to whip up something new: From fresh pea risotto  to fresh salads to, well, just about anything veggie related...seeing how I am a vegetarian!!

Imagine my surprise this morning, when among my new twitter followers I found @milkandhoneyo - a new company in the Upstate that brings organic & local fruits and veggies right to your door. Milk and Honey Organics works on a subscription basis - sign up for a (pretty much) customized offering of fruit, veggies or a mix of both. You can choose a one time basket - which I've opted for just to try out - or a weekly or biweekly basket. The baskets even come in three sizes - perfect for all different family sizes. AND, get this, unlike the CSA, I can tell them what I don't like... that's right no mushrooms will ever come into THIS household! EWWW!

I can't wait to try it out AND to let you know how it goes. I've got high hopes! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Next stop ... Crowley Cheese!

Since we've already enjoyed a great beer at Harpoon on our Vermont tour, now its time for a little sustenance by way of CHEESE.

That's right, you're really not a true Vermonter if you don't pledge allegiance to the cheddar produced in the state. While there are great versions from large commercial cheese makers in the state, the one near and dear to my heart is from right down the road: Crowley Cheese - a small factory with only a few rooms, little fanfare, and lots of hard workers.

Factory in Healdville, VT

Often touted as the oldest continuously running cheese factory in Vermont, or possibly even the U.S., I was lucky enough to grow up enjoying the cheese as a common treat...

Springfield Sunday Republican 10/24/1976

While the gift shop is no longer open (and I just can't seem to drive past the building wishing it were open with a HUGE wheel of cheese waiting to be sliced), the people at the factory are still friendly and willing to stop and chat for a few minutes - about cheese or just about anything!

If you're lucky enough to time it right (be sure to check Facebook and Twitter - hey, they are old school cheesemakers but that doesn't mean they don't know the value of technology!), you might even be able to stop in and see the actual cheese making process!

The by-hand cheese making process is a tough one - especially on hot summer days like the one we visited on. See everyone pitching in and bailing the curds by hand?? Racking and stirring is all by hand still too!

 Its a job that's been made famous too - for its dirtiness - on Dirty Jobs.

Of course, we couldn't leave without sampling every type of cheese available. But I'm loyal. My favorite is still just the Extra Sharp Crowley Cheese. I know what's going on my Christmas list!

Dear Santa, Please fill my stocking with Crowley Extra Sharp!

In honor of #IPAday - Beer. Its what makes a vacation.

Ok, well, maybe not QUITE... but close! Since today marks the 1st Annual International IPA Day, its fitting that the first post about our vacation is about Harpoon - right?

A summer trip to Vermont just isn't complete without a visit to Long Trail and Harpoon. After all, as faithful New Englanders we couldn't head back south without a pint or two of the brews we can't find down here.

Boston, has traditionally been a beer city. In fact, the news of their beer fetish traveled cross country by the mid-19th century. Need proof of how much those Bostonians have loved their beer? No worries, its well documented!

 

(12-26-1876 Cincinnati Daily Gazette)

That's right, beer was (and is) a daily staple of the the town:

(9-14-1876 Times-Picayune)

Along with commercial brews, ordinary citizens attempted all sorts of recipes. Some for Lagers, some for Ginger Beer, others that were Molasses-based. Newspapers commonly printed new recipes to try:

 (4-17-1804 Newburyport Herald)

So, its not a big surprise that Harpoon, a favorite beer of ours, had its origins in the beer-loving New England city of Boston.

 (4-18-1987 Times-Picayune)

So, you're saying to yourself... that's nice, its a Boston beer tradition. But where's the Vermont tie-in? Well, that comes a while later: Due to the financial problems of Catamount Brewery, Harpoon was able take advantage of a great building in a location in Windsor, VT.

Since Summer 2000, the facility in Vermont has been enjoying success and making its own history.

(10-08-2005 St. Albans Daily Messenger)
PS. Oddly enough, that is the full article in the day's paper. The continuation never happened - as far as I can discover!

On our recent visit, we were able to take a peek into the brewery:

Pick up a few souvenirs (hey, 10 or 15 is a "few"). And try a Summer Beer & a Leviathan series beer:

While we would have loved to do the official tour and hear more about the process of brewing and how Harpoon is made, it wasn't to be. Our timing was off. BUT, that's a good excuse for a return visit - right??

Summer 2011: 5 weeks. 15 States...

Summer 2011 was one for the Flood Family record books:

• 1.5 weeks in OBX
• 5 weeks in Vermont
• 15 States travelled
• 3 Museums studied
• 2 Beer Breweries visited
• 2 Cheese Factories toured
• 1 Distillery sampled
• 1 Chocolate Factory for a bit of sweets
• 1 mountain roller coaster
• 1 Sugar House to sample maple goodies
• Countless restaurants dined in
• 6,100 miles traveled in automobiles

Yup, that makes me tired.

I can't even begin to describe the restaurant meals. Some good, some bad, some so horrendous that they will be part of Flood Family Memoirs. Some so good that they were topped off by an entire cheesecake :)

We were so lucky to visit friends and family across New England and along the way. Stay tuned to see what this year's travels might inspire ... you never know what might spur a post from me ;)

Oh yea, I bet I missed a bunch of things.  And I might cover them someday too!

My Ocracoke Top 10 - Redux.

No matter how much I wish somethings would stay the same... they never do. The kids are growing up faster than I can keep up with, technology is changing every day... and Ocracoke is no exception.

Shortly after My Ocracoke Top 10 post, I received a tweet:

@reelbuzz: @magic2go I hate to disappoint you but AT&T cell phones now work on #Ocracoke

SAY WHAT?!?!?!

Yes, I guess this is "progress" and most likely a great benefit to travelers (me included).

But, I have to admit that just a little part of me is sad. I was really looking forward to my #9 - No Cell Phones in the list of top 10 things I'm looking forward to. Yes, it will be easier for work, parents, family and just about anyone to get a hold of me while we're gone. That has its benefits... Plus, I can tweet and Facebook now (I NEED to make you all jealous, don't I??).

Somehow, we'll adjust. Somehow we'll find a way to put down the phones and convince a 13-yr old not text all day long. I'm not sure how... but we will...

So, here it is.. my new a replacement for my No Cell Phones:

#9 - Pelicans, Dolphins and Crabs! Oh my! There isn't anything more exciting than catching a glimpse of the sea- and shore-life along the Ocracoke coast. Its an unusual break from the hares, squirrels and chipmunks we get to see daily. Dolphins are so magical - getting a glimpse of one swimming by is truly a treat. The Pelicans with their over sized gullets are so entertaining. And, the crabs, well, to be honest.. they just amuse me. I love to watch them scurry along the sand and into their sand holes whenever the slightest danger or shadow passes by... I can't really say how many hours I've spent just watching their perpetual motion...