Pickle Camp Part II

At the crack of dawn on Thursday morning we (my friend Judy, her son Sam, her daughter Mona, my Mom, The Barefoot Princess, and I) all piled into Judy's minivan and drove to our Amish friend Katie's house to make "4 Days Sweet Pickles." We were off to "Pickle Camp" and very excited.

I have to stop here and explain "Pickle Camp." Whenever we have been fortunate enough to enjoy a meal prepared by Katie, we always eat all of her pickles. And then we always ask how she makes them becuase they are so delicious! For five years we have been talking about Katie teaching us how to make the pickles and this year we got lucky! Katie's garden was bursting with cucumbers as well as other vegetables and fruits. Katie will tell you that it is because "the Lord blessed them" and it has nothing to do with her green thumb or good weather. So when Katie called, from her phone shanty, to tell us that she had so many cucumbers we could come and make pickles we jumped at the chance. How could we refuse such an offer??

When we arrived at Katie's she immediately put us to work. (The Amish do not waste a second of their day) Judy, Sam and I chopped a gazillion cucumbers while Mona and The Barefoot Princess put the slices into buckets. Yes, even the little girls were given jobs because that is the Amish way. While we all worked my Mom, Katie, and Katie's niece Sylvia made lunch. We chatted and caught up because we have not seen Katie since March. After lunch, which was delicious as usual, (how could it not be when everything is make from scratch?) we went to the Amish grocery store to buy the supplies for "Pickle Camp" part II which will resume on Monday, hence the name "4 Days Sweet Pickles." So more to come when we return on Monday...