Ode to VINEGAR!

Vinegar may seem like a weird thing to write a blog about but if your name is Heather Kins then it's really not that strange. As far as condiments go vinegar is one of my favorites. Surprisingly vinegar has played a big roll in my life....ok, stop laughing. Let me explain.

I don't have a huge number of memories from my childhood. Actually, I can't say that. Of course I'm not exactly sure what "average" is in the memory field. If I'm comparing the number of memories I have against my cousin Megan's then I can say I don't have very many. Course Megan has an extremely good memory, so measured against the average person I might be average too. Who knows? Among these memories vinegar has played a leading roll in 4 of them.

1. The funnest place to hang out when I was a kid was at Aunt Winnie's house in Santaquin Utah. There was always a lot of family over, tasty food, and a general good time to be had in the big back yard, just hanging out on the porch swing or just sitting around the kitchen table. There were always treasures to be found at Aunt Winnie's house. Aside from her famous "candy drawer" she kept a large bowl full of nuts at one end of the table that anyone was welcome to. At the other end of the table she also had vinegar cucumbers. These were my absolute fave! These were probably the catalyst for my lifetime love of anything vinegar. Vinegar cucumbers are thinly sliced cucumbers out of Aunt Winnie's garden submerged in white vinegar, with a bit of salt added for taste. Now here is the key bit, they were always in a small white bowl just hanging out on the table. They were the most delicious cucumbers EVER! I have tried to recreate them as an adult many times. To much despair my vinegar cucumbers don't taste anything like Aunt Winnie's. I know I'm making them right cause I distinctly recall asking Aunt Winnie how to make them one day after I had eaten the entire bowl. She said "just slice some cucumbers up, pour a little vinegar over them, add a sprinkle of salt and that's it." Well apparently that wasn't it. There was a secret to them that Aunt Winnie kept to herself cause I just can't seem to get them right. Don't worry I haven't given up yet. I think I need the little white bowl to make them right. :)
2. Memory number two involves my Grandma and my birthday. For many year growing up Gram would give me the same present...a huge jar of pickles! She knew I loved pickles so this was always the perfect gift. It wouldn't be too shabby of a gift even now.
   
3. My next memory isn't actually my memory just the telling of a story is. Gram told me many stories about her growing up years. I remember fondly one she told me when I lived with her in Santaquin. Gram came from a family of 15 children! Of course her mother, my Great Grandmother Hartvigsen did a lot of bottling and preserving of food to feed such a large family....you'd have too. The story that my Gram told me was about a large barrel of cucumbers that her mom had pickled. Each night after the family had all gone to bed Gram and her siblings would sneak down into the cellar and grab a few pickles to enjoy before falling asleep. Sounds delish and for sure something I would do. Unaware of the pickle heist that had been going on in her house Grandma Hartvigsen went down to the cellar one day to get some pickles to offer to some guest. To her surprise when she opened the barrel all she found was vinegar! Not a cucumber in sight! Love of vinegar and cucumbers must be genetic!
   
4. My last childhood memory wasn't pleasant at the time but now is fondly remembered. My Aunt Mary Beth is one of the greatest cooks I know. Everything she makes is to die for. She's also brilliant at bottling and canning. One of my favorite things that she bottles is of course cucumbers...bet you couldn't see that one coming. Hehe. My memory takes place at the Hartvigsen family reunion that is held every summer. This particular year Aunt Mary Beth brought a bottle of her delicious pickles. I recall that she let all of us kids have one each to eat. Of course I wanted more so throughout the day I would sneak into the camper trailer and grab another. Later that day Aunt Mary Beth discovered I had eaten the entire bottle. She was not happy about this. She scolded me for eating them all, but mostly I recall just feeling bad that I had stolen all her pickles. Sorry Aunt Mary Beth. I couldn't help it. Pickle theft is in my genes. I obviously have vinegar in my veins! :)

Alas, this brings me to a fantastic discovery I made this last week & the real reason for my "ode to vinegar blog." I found the most delicious salad dressing. I must tell you that most vinaigrettes don't have enough vinegar in them for my tastes. Usually vinegar isn't even one of the first ingredients. They often have more corn syrup then vinegar in them. What a travesty! Ok, no more waiting...I'm so happy to announce that I found the perfect vinaigrette for true vinegar lovers like me. As you may have guessed from the pic..."Brianna's Homestyle Real French Vinaigrette Dressing" is the most perfect vinaigrette that I've ever tried. Try it, you'll like it. :) Let me know what you think if you actually give it a go.

Hmmm I'm craving pickles now!