Music Update: Looking Back at Lord Huron

My one goal for 2013 is to see at least 42 musicians/bands play. As of today, I'm up to about 35 or 36.  Things are looking pretty good. It is only a great thing to exceed this goal.  Since I'm way behind in blogging these, I'll occasionally add a few highlights.

Lord Huron

SXSW//Austin, TX

March 13

That pedal board case is painted similar to their album cover.  Nice touch.

Two things about Lord Huron:

1.  Their most recent album is best listened as a whole.  This is counter the current trend in music which is to just buy songs that you like and not the whole album.  However, Lord Huron's songs blend into each other with a beautiful effect and I highly recommend buying the whole album, Lonesome Dreams.  It's one of my favorites.

2.  I cannot speak from experience, but I would imagine their best shows would be outdoors.  They have music that just makes you want to lay on a lakeshore and stare up at the stars.  This performance was excellent, but my dream is one day...outdoors. Dreamy and quiet and in nature.

They seem to all have beautiful souls, incredible talent, and the disposition where you want to go camping with them and play music around the campfire. 

One of my favorite Lord Huron songs.

Zucchini Pickles, Yo.

It only took me 5 attempts to spell "zucchini" right.  That and "took" have always been my trouble words.  I often spell "took" as "toke". Oh dear.

One of my life goals is to learn canning and pickling.  My mom, being a wonderful and industrious woman, would annually pickle cucumbers and can tomato sauce and jam.  I love the memories of opening the pantry to see all those mason jars.  It goes without saying that what was in those jars was awfully tasty.

My first canning attempt was not particularly complicated.  Slow and steady in the learning, my friends.  Here it is:

Zucchini Pickles

[adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, August 2010 issue]

Ingredients:

*  4 cups zucchini slices

*  1 cup slivered sweet onion (I used white onions)

*  3 thinly sliced garlic gloves

*  1 cup white vinegar

*  1/2 cup sugar

*  3/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I left this out because I didn't have any and it was all ok.)

*  1 tsp mustard seeds

*  3/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1.  Combine first three ingredients in a glass bowl or put into mason jar(s).

2.  Bring remaining 5 ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan.

3.  Pour liquid mixture over zucchini mixture.

4.  Cover and chill 24 hours.

Notes:

I had to almost double the liquid mixture to cover the zucchini.  I recommend trying this out as is and then adjusting as needed.  Enjoy the cooking adventure and do not be afraid to go slightly off the trail!