Hands Off, These are Mine

Last week my sister, her picklefreak kids, and our mother made a few jars of pickles.

These 2 jars have been set aside (well-hidden I hope) for ME.

(Pickles) Down by the Riverside

I mentioned in my previous post about The Pickle Plan pickles that it was not unusual for me to lug a jar of pickles around in my purse. I offer this video clip as proof:




This also offers proof that I DO spend time outdoors and yes, even went hiking...SEE, that's us sitting by the Hudson River eating pickles. Jesse, Xan and Charles and I ventured upstate one weekend and hiked from the presidential estate/library of FDR to the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, NY. I walked 7 miles in my chuck taylors with a jar of pickles in my giant, highly uncomfortable purse that holds way too much crap. We wandered off the trail and found a nice pebbly beach by the Hudson River for a long, delicious pickle break, where of course, I talked about pickles (McClures) the whole time... Pass that jar Charles!

Practice What You Preach

Ever been here?

My dear friends Blue Mountain from Oxford, MS are touring this summer and recently passed through Pickles Gap, AR. They brake for Fudge, BBQ, Pickles and Knives.

The First Time's Always Free

How do you win my undying love and affection?

Send me pickles in the mail.

I've been ordering pickles through the internet ever since I had a job with a computer, and about a year ago I remember coming across a website called The Pickle Plan. When I decided to get Pickle Freak up and running I made a list of all the pickles I needed to try but hadn't yet, finally giving purpose to my near daily habit of googling "spicy pickles". First I emailed the boys at The Pickle Plan and to my delight, they were just as crazy about pickles, and TALKING about pickles and pickle stuff and pickle recipes as I am. I emailed Marcus at The Pickle Plan inquiring about ordering 4 jars of their Booze McTickles Party Pickles when the next day he wrote me back and said,no, proclaimed: "we'd like to send you a complimentary jar of pickles"...

The pickles were delivered to my work address after a couple of loving and concerned emails from their makers asking if they arrived safely. I was going out after work that night and distraught that I would have to leave the pickles behind. Now, normally, it's not unusual for me to lug a jar of pickles around in my purse, but The Pickle Plan guys made me take a solemn OATH to not eat the pickles until they were fully chilled. If I had those pickles near me I was gonna eat them right away, so I had to leave them at work. We have a small fridge at work but I was concerned about the temperature change from nicely chilled to NY subway hot so I practiced record-breaking self restraint and took them home 3 LONG days after getting them and then left them in the fridge, to chill, for 2 entire days! That's 5 whole days of havin' pickles and not eatin' pickles!

I cannot thank the guys at the Pickle Plan enough! The pickles are beautifully labeled, the brine is gorgeously chock full of garlic, red peppers and fresh dill. The cider vinegar gives them a full, home-made flavor that reminds me of my grandmother's pickles. They knew what they were doing when they sent me that free jar of pickles...oh yeah, they knew...