Living in a Military town from a local's perspective

Living in Virginia Beach for as long as memory holds makes me a local. So does the fact that my Dad was a local. There are streets in Hampton Roads that bare my family name. My  name is Van Patten it is engraved on the side of the first "skyscraper" in Virginia Beach. All of this makes the six degrees of Margaret of Va Beach some fun to play. Just when you think you know all about me I pull something else out of my hat. This is not much about the military you say. Well here it goes, my Dad was in the military. In fact he was an Air Force pilot. He also had four children while stationed in various countries in Europe. Now my brother, the oldest in the clan ,can not claim that connection to Europe. Luckier still he can claim he went to junior high and part of high school in Europe. That led him to his brief career in the Army and back to Germany. That Six degrees connects all the Van Patten's to the military and to Virginia Beach. I am the only Van Patten that still resides here in the largest resort city in the world. I settled here with Jon Derrick.

Jon is just some guy I met in a bar. He grew on me. We had lots in common, he was from a military family.
His Dad was a Navy pilot.A former Commander of the world renowned Red Ripper's.Funny thing is Jon was also from the same kind of family I was from; he had four sisters (all older) and was the youngest. I too, came from five and was the amongst the youngest in a military family. From the start we had things that drew us together. Now we are both locals. We stayed put in this military town.We chose to raise a family here, to put down roots.  Jon and I just celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. We have five kids. I wear it proudly (or maybe with a hint of sarcasm) on my license plate; YS5KDS. I was tired of the questions, are they ALL yours?? Must be why my Mom had her kids in sets! I digress, sorry. We chose this military town as the place to grow these wild children.

Not too long ago...our kids on vacation

This is now...

Our choice to stay put here with old friends and familiar places. Near the ocean and the surf ( haha). At the very least a quick trip to Hatteras for surf. We built a house in Little Neck. When I was in junior high it was referred to as Kings Grant or The Grunt. Now we fancy ourselves fancy and refer to the area as Little Neck. It is district ed with some of the best schools in Virginia Beach. This is were we are raising those crazy kids. It is also one of the most popular neighborhoods for families moving to the area with the Military.
Little Neck is a community not to unlike Stepford, just kidding. There is sometimes the sense that everyone knows it all about the neighbors. My first years in the hood I was super busy with our four oldest, doing preschool and eventually Kindergarten. I was always overwhelmed with the little guys. There was not much time to form any friendships.When they all got into Kingston we had been in Little Neck for 8 years. I was ready for half a day to my self. I had gotten involved with the PTA and was making all kinds of friends, many were military families. One military family that seemed to really stick for us was the Crabbs.


Leslie was kind and out going and liked connecting people. She was always willing to lend a hand. Her oldest was in class and in Cub Scouts (Leslie was the leader) with David. Through scouts we began camping with a group of her neighbors and friends. Before long we were a tight knit bunch. Enjoying our time together as adults as well as our kids playing and growing together. With every friendships you make with
a military family  a piece of you will eventually move on.

This was the case with Leslie, Tom, Andrew, and Reilly Crabbs. They moved on to Key West but not with
out taking a piece of Virginia Beach with them. Each summer, usually when Tom is underway, Leslie packs up her kids and begins a trek to visit the many friends and family all over the country. It is an adventure that

A recent visit with Leslie

makes us locals dizzy..Our roots are like a Tap root on a dandelion , deep, straight down and stubborn.  The military families, like the Crabbs, have deep roots that spread like a giant Oak tree, far and wide. Touching many as they tour the USA in the Honda van. It is a real friendship you form that allows you to come and go in each others lives,  picking up right were you left off. It is a game six degrees of Margaret VP Derrick here in my home town. I have been lucky and so has my family to have been touched by a favorite military family, the Crabbs'. It is a unique family like this who can leave that imprint as they blow in and out of town like a hurricane force wind. It is always exciting. I know for one we are hoping that even though this trip is just a stop on the road to the west coast that the Leslie will stay true to her gypsy summers and make the trip back here to nurture the seeds of friendship.

Leslie enjoys a "Kathi's" Margarita on the deck and catching up with the girls.

The things you should do with your BFF

a job well done by FRIENDS!

Recently, I have been trying to change the way I act and think in this world. I want to take advantage of all possibilities in my bubble. I figure I have spent 17 years living in Little Neck, being a Mom and running full tilt, for what reason??Sure, I have made some great friends, like Kathi DuBois and I am raising 5 busy kids. I have spent too much time not doing things that take time and even more time taking short cuts. I have trained myself to be a short cut cook. Instead I should be taking my time and savouring things made well and slowly. The media is all a buzz about buying fresh and buying local. The Locavore movement tells us that things that are grown and raised near our homes, much like real pioneers, are the things we should eat. This year I have taken stock in this theory for my family. I studied new ways to make artisan breads from home, then returned to our local fields to pick fruits (so far) to make jams and jellies. It has been a solitary process. I have made it my mission to involve  friends in future endeavours. My Mom and her close friends and sister used to make pickle lily, watermelon rind pickles, and rock candy. It was an all day event. I think Little Neck could use a little bit of this camaraderie. As a community we need to slow down and take our time with something. I enlisted the help of BFF Kathi. I believe I have her hooked on canning and jelly making.

I am getting to the point; we were going to take our time and make our own jams, jellies, pickles, relishes, and canned tomatoes. Not only would we make our own, when at all possible we would pick the fresh ingredients ourselves. I have previously posted here the recipe for strawberry jam. I also made seedless blackberry jelly..YUM! I will post some of our exploits so as to inspire other neighbors to take up the charge and make their own. Maybe even make it from ingredients from right near were they live.

Friday morning right after I crawled out of bed from having back spasms all night I jumped in my car and went to get Kathi. It was pickle FRIDAY. Stoney's Produce was the destination. We needed to get there and get the pickling cucumbers before they disappeared. Much like the jam ladies in the strawberry fields, those pickle ladies (do you think they are the same  ladies?)get all the good cucumbers.One day I will  grow my own but until then Stoney's Produce is the place. Next stop was our canning supplies; pickling salt, pickling lime, dill seed, garlic, and Pint sized ball jars. Can't forget the WHITE vinegar.Gave some thought to using apple cider vinegar and decided on the white. Good choice. Now for the picture show, our step by step approach to making garlic dill pickles. 

Dill Pickles, (canned and not refrigerator method)

36 Pickling cucumbers (smaller pickle, a bit bumpy) Here they are washed and slice to 1/4 inch thick. Those cucumbers fresh from the field should be washed with soft brush to remove stubborn dirt and stems. Kathi was the scrubber and I the slicer.

This is the perfect size and shape for a pickling cucumber. It is surrounded by the raw flavor ingredients;
We used locally grown elephant garlic, red flaked chili peppers, dill seed and pickling salt.

         

The chili's should come with a warning DO NOT rub your eyes or wipe your brow before washing your hands or you will need this last ingredient, Thera Tears. Yes, I rubbed chili oil in my eye, OUCH!

This is the size and thickness of the cucumber slices. You may also cut the cucumber in quarters for a pickle spear.

In my Strega Nona Pot I have filled the jars with water and have begun heating them. Never fill room temperature glass with boiling liquid, I am just saying.

The hot jars are loosely packed with cucumber slices and dill seed, garlic and pepper . We chose red flake pepper, as well as black and pink peppercorns.

This will make a nice salad and scrumptious pickles.

This is not the Emperor's New Clothes;Sure it does not look like much, it is actually the vinegar, water, sugar and pickling salt and pickling lime. ( I was told by a pickling Lady that a bit of the pickling lime is what makes crunchy pickles!) Bring it to a boil and be sure to dissolve all solids.

Fill each jars with the hot vinegar mixture and seal with the two part canning lids.

Now doesn't that look YUMMY! Our burgers are going to be well dressed.

The jars are returned to the magic pot and the water is brought to a boil. This is the final canning step to seal and guard against any bacteria. The water should come up to the edge of the lid. Once the water begins boiling allow the jars to sit for 10 minutes.

I am sure my critics are asking themselves why is this out of step..The pickles picture above are refrigerator pickles and once cooled need to be stored in the fridge. The water bath step allows you to store the pickles
at room temperature. So for those in a hurry you can stop here!!

The finished product after 10 minutes in a water bath..There is a slight color change. No you can tell the difference between canned pickles and refrigerator pickles.
The Ingredients for Dill Pickles:
36 pickling cucumbers (cleaned and sliced to 1/4 inch thick)
6 T dill seed
2T minced garlic
2T peppercorns
1T Red pepper flakes
2T Pickling Lime
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup pickling salt
2 cups water
4 cups White Vinegar

Here is what you do-The process

1- soak and scrub cucumbers in cold water and then drain
2- Slice cucumbers to 1/4 thick
3-Gather herbs; dill seed, peppercorns, garlic
4-Boil canning jars to sterilize
5-Fill warm jars 1/2 way with sliced cucumbers
6-Add to each jar; 1T dill seed, 1 heaping teaspoon chopped garlic,2 t peppercorns
7- Fill jars to just below the rim with cucumbers
9-Combine water, vinegar, sugar and pickling salt and lime. Heat to dissolve all solids, just to boiling
10- Pour hot liquid over cucumbers in jars leaving 1/2 inch head room, this is just below the lip.
11- Seal jars with lids. (Here you can stop and store the pickles in the refrigerator) Return jars to water bath.
12- Bring water bath to a boil and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Then remove jars to a wire cooling rack allow to cool. The pickles need to age for a minimum of 7 days.
You have made PICKLES!