FIRST TIME WITH MR. PICKLE

I've been innocent way too long about this whole pickling business.

So, yesterday at the farmers market I filled up a bag with four-inch kirby cucumbers intending to put them to work today.
Size-queens take note: with pickling, smaller is better; you can cram more in; they are sweeter and less likely to go soft and rotten.
Always something new to learn, see?

I went for a "half-sour" recipe from the Joy of Pickling, which seems to be the best resource available.
The basic idea is to ferment the cukes in spiced brine at room temperature for up to 3 days, then refrigerate them for a week or so before eating your way to half-sour heaven.
The most important thing is to keep the chilitos completely submerged, or you'll end up with a bum pickle.
This method isn't FDA approved or anything so I'll let you know how it turns out. I hope they are delicious!

After all that, we had Kelton and Alex over to watch the LA Lame-kers game. Grillmaster D fired up some sausages and corn on the cob, among things. Guess there was a theme today.
Go Magic!
Red Wings?!
Darnit.