Here in the Pickle Jar, we’re organizing for our upcoming kayaking/wilderness camping trip. This involves a thorough check of gear, the inevitable replacement of the most expensive electronics (sigh... electronics – even ones billed as "waterproof" object strenuously to marine environments) and food preparation. On longer trips, we have to limit the amount of bulky foods we bring, so we tend to rely on dehydrated meals. We discovered a long time ago that pre-packaged meals leave us tired and cranky at the end of the day, so now we dry our own. One of the best books I’ve found is A Fork in the Trail.
Because we like to camp in style, food preparation takes up a considerable amount of time and energy (literally – the dehydrator is on nearly 24 hours a day). Oh, sure, we do bring the occasional non-food substance, such as tater tots (which headlined in one of the Top Comment nominations below!) But mostly, we go gourmet. The meals for a typical day – many of which are adapted from A Fork in the Trail - include cinnamon walnut buns, maple peach crepes with English custard, curried bean dip and spaghetti with heirloom-tomato marinara sauces. Not your ordinary camping trip!
Feel free to share your favorite camping meals!
Now, onto Top Comments!
But first an advertisement!
If you find a notable comment during the day, send it into topcomments at gmail dot com for inclusion! Anyone can submit comments! Remember to include your screen name, so we can credit you.
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On to Top Comments!
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First, from the inbox, topcomments at gmail dot com
From blueyedace2:
I like this one from Jill Richardson in her diary Tater Tots Aren't Vegetables:
"Even as a fetus, I was outraged by Republicans." {Ed. note: I’m still going to dehydrate tater tots for my camping trip!
From Carolita:
Tim Wise makes another excellent point and a wonderful analogy in Adeot2u's White Priviledge diary.
In that same diary, which elicited a lot of good comments, CPT Doom cites research to support the psychological analysis that humans are essentially tribal by nature, which has resulted in a lot of problems - from racism to genocide to hatred for George Steinbrenner (although I'm still trying to figure out what is wrong with that last one).
From lineatus:
First you have to read the literal top comment in this diary by Joan McCarter: to understand why this comment by bagman is a Top Comment:
From bronte17:
A Siegel brings us another excellent diary on Bringing PACE to a screeching halt and blueintheface provides outstanding information on how this home energy retrofit program works. (And how the regulators at Freddie Mac are trying to suffocate it).
Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, it's worth your time to check it out. We need to make sure this program is expanded and accelerated across the nation and not snuffed out.
From sacrelicious:
This comment is great, succinct and poignant.
Pickle’s picks:
Johntastic has a very moving comment about unemployment in Something the Dog Said’s diary on that subject.
Diogenes2008 discusses hypocrisy in Adept2u’s diary.
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Thanks to the wonderful sardonyx for compiling Top Mojo!
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Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding Cheers and Jeers, search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, and various pooties:
1) Baby boomer here. by martydd — 167
2) My cousin...who was in Desert Storm.... by David Kroning II — 114
3) Thank you. Someone has to talk about this by Something the Dog Said — 109
4) All I can give you is my respect and adoration... by APA Guy — 107
5) Half of our household by Detroit Mark — 106
6) I'm dying as fast as I can already!! by exlrrp — 106
7) The Real Story of Hurricane Katrina by JekyllnHyde — 104
8) it's an interesting system we have now by citizen k — 97
9) ??? My boomer husband wrote about lynchings by karenc13 — 97
10) This really connected with me. by Johntastic — 94
11) kos should really consider adding teacherken.. by APA Guy — 91
12) one big problem with awareness... by Bill W — 90
13) But.... but... they were LOOTING!!!! by punditician — 86
14) Oh my God. by martydd — 84
15) Thanks Hoss. I have been going back and by Something the Dog Said — 81
16) P.S. my best wishes for your wife...and, by David Kroning II — 77
17) Great point by Adept2u — 74
18) Russ Feingold's Race vs an extremist Repub by FishOutofWater — 72
19) Color-blind racism is the new by soothsayer99 — 72
20) I have to agree with the kossack below... by APA Guy — 71
21) Oh lord. You need to learn some history, my by gustynpip — 69
22) been here the whole time by jeeugena — 68
23) Holder wrote this? by reflectionsv37 — 65
24) Pssst. by martydd — 65
25) Justice for all by zdefender — 63
26) It is in very bad taste at best by Lawrence — 62
27) Can you imagine how many more people by Knights of Dusk — 62
28) It hardly seems possible to lose to Cantor by Dallasdoc — 61
29) Any real reason you had to append that to by lineatus — 61
30) Oh, Democrats drive us by Dauphin — 61
31) Thanks by AntonBursch — 61
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tips? Flames? by Something the Dog Said — 615
2) why I took the time for this by teacherken — 365
3) Tip Jar by Vyan — 363
4) Tip Jar by Adept2u — 309
5) Tip Jar by TomP — 282
6) Alms (tips) by Muskegon Critic — 242
7) Tip Jar by AntonBursch — 217
8) Tip Jar by Verbalpaintball — 208
9) Tip Jar by Phoenix Woman — 197
10) Tip Jar by volleyboy1 — 183
11) Tip Jar by ericlewis0 — 172
12) Baby boomer here. by martydd — 167
13) Tips by Garrett — 150
14) Nice to see y'all again. by Crashing Vor — 123
15) Scritchie Jar by triciawyse — 122
16) My cousin...who was in Desert Storm.... by David Kroning II — 117
17) Thank you. Someone has to talk about this by Something the Dog Said — 109
18) All I can give you is my respect and adoration... by APA Guy — 107
19) I'm dying as fast as I can already!! by exlrrp — 106
20) Half of our household by Detroit Mark — 106
21) The Real Story of Hurricane Katrina by JekyllnHyde — 104
22) it's an interesting system we have now by citizen k — 97
23) ??? My boomer husband wrote about lynchings by karenc13 — 97
24) This really connected with me. by Johntastic — 94
25) kos should really consider adding teacherken.. by APA Guy — 91
26) Tip Jar by Clarknt67 — 91
27) Tip Jar The tools by LaFeminista — 90
28) Tip Jar by Ojibwa — 90
29) one big problem with awareness... by Bill W — 90
30) Happy Tuesday folks! Auction still going by Black Kos — 90