Eskimo Picnic

Eskimo Picnic-ing

Last Thursday it snowed. By Friday morning we had close to 9 inches of snow. It's been over 10 yrs since the last time we had more than 8 inches of snow.

By Saturday the snow was melting. Sunday it was pouring rain and melting.

This morning we went out to do some shopping. By lunch time it was "beastly hot" - at least for those of us that started out wearing our winter jackets. By the time we were at store number 2 - the jackets were in the car.

We realized we needed to "make hay while the sun shines" - and so decided to have an Eskimo picnic today. Well I'm not really sure if technically you can call it an Eskimo picnic being that the temperature was about 74 degrees!!!!!!! But it's a picnic in the winter - so that's what we called it.

First we went to get some "liquid sustenance". Big disappoint! Half the flavors were not working - and my dd's favorite and 2nd favorite flavors were in that half. I got one for ds and myself - and asked dd what she wanted out of the remaining flavors. None would work. There were tears.

We needed to stop at home to grab a quick picnic lunch (PBJ sandwich for the boy - crackers and sardines for the girl and I). I figured we could go to the park near 7-11 for our picnic and pop into 7-11 to see if they had the girl's flavor. They did. Happy. Happy.

Splashing in the puddle

It as very wet and muddy at the park - we ate before we played. It was warm enough for bare feet - but the kids had on their rubber boots - so that was good enough. You know if you are wearing rubber boots it means you can jump/splash/hop in puddles much to your heart's delight...at least so thought the kids. They got very wet/dirty. I let them be...they were happy. At one point dd rolled her sleeves and pant legs up - it was that warm.

Last Tuesday we had a beautiful day like this and within a few hours it was BITTERLY cold and snowy - it's amazing how in the same day, let alone the same week - we can have such variations in temperature.

Sardines

"it's only just round the corner, " said the Faun, "and there'll be a roaring fire - and toast - and SARDINES - and cake." (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

Today I had to make a trip to the grocery store for bread. Not just any bread - but 12 Grain Bread. As we were meandering to the check-out, we happened down an aisle that contained canned seafood. "Hey" I said to the kids "Would you like to try some sardines?" I think I added "they ate sardines in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" - to further garnish their approval.

The kids agreed.

We had planned to eat them "out-of-doors" since it was unseasonably warm. But by the time we got to the park it was overcast and very windy, so I decided it was better for the kids to just play around while the weather was still decent, and we'd eat our lunch at home.

I wasn't sure whether or not I had ever tasted sardines. If I had - it would have been when I was a child. I made sure I bought the tin that was packed in water - as I find things that are packed in oil, well, too oily - and you taste so much of the oil flavor.

I was surprised to find the plump, headless, little bodies of about 6 sardines packed in the tin. I guess I thought it might look more like canned tuna - where you don't really see the body of what you are eating. At least the heads were gone.


The boy said "I really like it...a lot better than tuna...tastes like a crab leg." The girl said "...needs some salt - scrumptilicious...delicious on crackers."

I liked the flavor a lot. I too, thought it was much better than canned tuna - I liked the mild flavor and the creamy texture. I did add a sprinkle of salt. The odor tended to linger in the house - and I'd catch a whiff of it each time I walked past the trash can.

I'd definitely buy it again!

After his wild exclamations at the delightful flavor - ds decided he DID NOT like the sardines. He could barely finish his piece. The girl did have a second helping.

While searching for info on sardines - I came across this interesting article about folks who like to eat "vintage" sardines.