PICKLE BLOG - Eat some pickles today

 Greetings Pickle Lovers! I have been busy seeking out new pickle adventures to report including an update on the receiving my pickle lovers package from Mt. Olive. Yes! It has arrived! Special thanks and lots of love to the Mt. Olive company for sending the sensation $1 Off coupon, Pickle Magnet and official newsletter. Oh boy! The magnet is super groovy and kept the coupon on the fridge for a few days before we travelled to the local Acme for another installment of the blog. Many pickles await at your local chain store, and ours is no exception. In addition to using the coupon for a new jar of Sweet Gherkins, I also found some Grillo's Hot Pickles in the cooler section and also grabbed some Cento Hot Pepper Rings. Indeed! c I was delighted to hear that there is a new sweet pickle lover in the family! It seems they first tasted a Mt. Olive Sweet Gherkin on top of one of my famous Deviled Eggs. Just one bite and they were hooked.  Also, I made it a point to seek out Claussen Hot Di

Tuesday and let's not sing the blues day when the gift of pickle is on the table. That's right! More pickles from Heaven in a neat and tidy container delivered by a trusted member of the pickle posse. Maybe they were more like from the Wawa, but you get the picture. I will try to find out what brand of pickles they use at the Wa-Squared because that would make a great pickle blog.  Meanwhile, Wawa is an awesome source of pickles and pickled products because you can order them on the side. Go ahead! You know you want to! Order a hoagie and then you can add condiments on the side that arrive in handy plastic containers that you can use later to sort screws and nails (or hobby supplies). And the plot thickens after posting a pickle post on Facebook, I was informed that Claussen Hot and Spicy Dill Spears MUST be added to the pickle bar. OK! I am up for any suggestions from fellow pickle fans! Also, I spoke to the man himself - my DAD - to get a report on his 2021 pickle outlook. He

It's nice to have a hobby and also a PICKLE BLOG because now each day is a new pickle adventure. Yesterday, I visited fabulous Historic Smithville and The House of Jerky. One jar of Kilhaney's Pickles Mango Tango later and we will certainly be trying more of their products in days to come. (Check the post!) Today's adventure began with a trip to Santori's Produce and Deli in Somers Point. We have shopped there for almost two decades WOW and we depend on Santori's for fresh fruit and vegetables, which we eat a lot of! Always a great selection, especially on a Monday after the weekend crowds have wiped out the shelves and everything is restocked. And Santori's also has a fantastic deli counter that stocks Dietz & Watson products, a favorite in our household. In addition to a large selection of meats and cheeses, there are PICKLES! Yes a beautiful barrel full of them for starters. I picked out a prize and moved onto the cold box where I found a jar of D & W

Thanks for reading another post from another pickle blog where I celebrate a Big Pickle Adventure in Historic Smithville. Have you ever visited Smithville? What a wonderful place! Located on Rt. 9 in Smithville, NJ., the village is filled with unique retail shops and restaurants. There are three big reasons my family and I visit Smithville including The Underground Shop which is one of the last remaining rock stores in the land dedicated to punk and the weirdness that is Jersey (with one-of-a -kind Jersey themed t-shirts, mugs, patches and stickers). Another reason is the events that The Underground sponsors including the annual Art Walk, the Rockabilly Uprising and the very popular Monster Bash. A third reason is that Smithville is FILLED with Pokestops and gyms.  But this time we were on the hunt for pickles and one of the pickle posse knew exactly where to go - The House of Jerky. Located across from the historic Smithville Inn, this place is wall-to-wall jerky of every variety incl

 Although I was saddened when our little town lost one of the best coffee houses around, I am thrilled that I can still enjoy food from the Malelani Cafe whenever I visit Philadelphia. Specifically marvelous Mt. Airy on the bustling Germantown Avenue. WOW! The food is top-notch and OH YEAH pickles! Well maybe not pickles per se but lots of pickled items on the menu. The owner decided that the best way to preserve and keep ingredients was to pickle them. I do not disagree! Pickled onions, pickled cabbage, marinated beets and BAKLAVA. (I know baklava is not pickled but OH SO GOOD.) The owner- George - who is of Greek descent, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and emigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1998. His mother Cecilia is a nurse, and his father Dimitri was a bookie in South Africa, taking bets on horses. (Betting is legal in South Africa, and bookies are licensed). Because his father couldn't continue his profession in this country, he started working for George's

Oh my! I certainly do love the internet because of all the awesome things it has shown me. Including the fact that I am in great company as a lover of pickles. Looks like there is a 4,000 year old history of pickles, so of course many a well-known person has savored them. Yes it was the Mesopotamians that started the craze and people like Cleopatra, Julius Caeser and Napoleon Bonaparte loved pickles. Don't take my word for it. You can read all about it on the History Channel web site. Some interesting facts include: Pickles were brought to America by Columbus Cleopatra credited pickles to her good health Dill was added to the brine around 900 AD Pickles by the barrel were seen in markets as early as 1650 John Mason provided a boon to the pickle market by manufacturing jars strong enough to pickle in WOW! There must be a pickle Hall of Fame with these facts and many more. For now, you can check out the official history of pickles at History Channel -  CLICK HERE

Well it has happened! Mt. Olive is sending me a coupon offer and I can't wait. WOW! The gift of pickle is coming in the mail. Surely this will be the stuff of happy pickle posts! My family and I have enjoyed their products for three generations. Just yesterday, I was bragging on my podcast that I had four - count em' FOUR - jars of Mt. Olive products in my refrigerator.  Meanwhile, I was also gifted a pickle by my co-worker. Oh my! A pickle slice for me? This was a great way to end the day and knowing someone is happy to part with their pickle is a pleasant surprise these days. I hang out with a lot of folks who not only will NOT share their pickle, they have the nerve to ask for mine!  Thanks, Kat! 

Covid-19 has changed a lot of the things we do in life! Once upon a time, I could go to the grocery store and pick from 80 different pickled items. Last year, I made a resolution to try each and every selection - BUT FAILED TO COMPLETE THE MISSION! Now, in 2021, I am resolved to take up the challenge once again. Alas, the pickle bar is still closed. And yet, there are still many pickle barrels conveniently located in my county. There's nothing like finding the biggest and best dill pickle in the barrel, although I will admit that I am not above taking the last one if able. I have a lot of great memories of travelling to the Allentown Farmer's Market and fishing out a beauty before biting into it and washing it down with a cold Birch Beer. The good old pickle days. So here's hoping that normal returns to our lives so we can see each other again and enjoy a few trips to the pickle bar. The olives stuffed with blue cheese are incredible.

 OK! One thing I really like and make a lot of no matter what time of year it is - DEVILED EGGS! I often try different recipes like replacing mayo with sweet mustard or adding onion juice or putting relish in and topping with a black olive. Actually different garnishes will radically change the flavor of a Deviled Egg whether it is a black olive vs green olive, a slice or onion vs a slice of pickle (sweet vs dill) and whether you want a shot of hot sauce. You also have to consider what spices you are using and whether to sprinkle that wonderful paprika over them. (I like a little but not a solid coating.) Sometimes I will mix the filling in a glass bowl and let it refrigerate over night to let the flavors blend. Well, here is another way to enjoy Deviled Eggs. These eggs were pickled in sweet beet brine for awhile before becoming the beautiful purple versions you see. You have to be careful that the yolks don't turn purple too or the resulting filling turns orange (no big deal and

 Here is a favorite but NO MORE FAMOUS DAVE'S in our area. That's right. The popular chain has closed and memories of hot wings (and pickles) slowly fading. We used to go and buy two jars of pickles BEFORE the meal - one to take home and one to eat during dinner. They were just the right crunch and amount of heat that made them delicious. The spice kicked in after a few bites and they tasted great on their signature BBQ sandwiches. But I was more of a fan of the Sweet Chips than anything. I never even tried the Devil's Spit version because I have had some spicy pickles that were awful BUT I am compelled to find some now and see what I missed.

 Ask and you receive. Or surf the web and then go to Facebook where I was invited to LIKE the Mt. Olive page out of the blue after making my first pickle post yesterday. So excited to be on their radar! Do they give tours of their factory? That would be like going to Graceland for the King of Pickles. Just look at these beautiful pickles on their FB page! Do they publish a Pickle Calendar? SO FESTIVE and truly a work of art! Hats off to the photographer for capturing the essence of pickles while celebrating the holidays. In fact, this photo reminded me to check the refrigerator to take stock of the remaining pickles left over from the Christmas break. Turns out there were FOUR jars of Mt. Olive products remaining including Bread and Butter Chips, Sweet Midget Gherkins, Kosher Dills and some Sweet Relish (awesome in Deviled Eggs in addition to your hot dogs and hamburgers). Hooray! And there's Mack in the background who is currently starring on TikTok @markspark2050! Way to go, Mack

Would you take this challenge? Check out this video from YouTube and watch an amazing performance. I would not do this because that is a lot of pickles I would otherwise be savoring one by one by one. Then I might even pickle something in the remaining juice. Still an impressive display of pickle consumption taken to the limit!  And HEY shout out to Mt. Olive for still providing pickle lovers with that big, beautiful jar of pickles yes sir! Love Mt. Olive and I keep the fridge stocked with their quality products. https://www.mtolivepickles.com/ PS - Don't forget to check out Allison's retro blog extraordinaire for a regular trip down memory lane. -  http://www.allisonveneziowrites.com/