Passer Mortuus Est. *

I'm not one to get all upset over "songbirds" such as the fetishizers on the Audubon websites seem to be: it's a nomenclature based on brain structure (aka passeriformes), like with many things, used for emotional effect. Many of the Songbirds in my backyard, in fact, are what's known as both Nuisance Wildlife and Invasive.

This said: had the upsetting case today, where the black cat brought in an Invasive bit of Nuisance Wildlife* to finish off. Didn't occur to me that the Poor Thing wasn't a toy until I separated her from it.

Since the injuries were such that Heroic Measures would have only prolonged his misery, I had to take him outside and kill him myself, before giving the little guy a decent burial.

Came back in and had a good cry.

***

* http://waiting-for-april.blogspot.com/2010/04/even-further-inspired-by-aforementioned.html

* * Male House Finch - invasive to the NE USA; crowd out the other, native, less aggressive finches

Stormy Weather.

At its start, the storm didn't feel like it was going to be a terribly powerful one.  As the day progressed, however, the wind certainly picked up strength.  For the first time in a good while (a decade, at least), lost power for more than a few minutes. 

After about 1/2 a day, things switched back on.  It's still kind of raging out there, though.  And the next Spring tide will be coming in, soon, which will cause more problems.

Took a short walk around the neighborhood to see the extent of damage.  Was whipped about a fair bit by the wind:  Big girl that I am, who knows  how to keep steady in wind, needed at a couple points to grab a lamp post to not be blown into the street.  Kind of scary, kind of exhilarating.  Not anything I'd want to be out in for an extended period, though.

Thinking good thoughts for all the folks who had to evacuate due to the tides.  For all the First Responders, all the Folks keeping us safe, clearing downed branches, getting our electricity back up, helping to back up an already overtaxed infrastructure.  

Romantic Mood Lighting:  as everything here's dependent on electricity, just prepped up a simple snack of cheese, pickles, crackers, tinned fish.  The big treat was braving the elements for a warm drink from Dunkin:  meh.  Power finally did come on; rested in candle light for a bit, though, as it was so relaxing.

Weighty Issues.

Rang in the New Year overweight, as always, and, as always, Sad.  That was the main impetus for Dry January.  Well, that, and the fact that, if I shed problems like onion skins, I'd get to the root of Things.

Don't know that that's what's happening, but do know that not drinking alcohol leads to wanting to cut back on caffeine, which leads to a whole bunch of other things.

In one of my stronger, more inspired moments of late, opened a box containing a journal dating back from 2012, where I found myself 20 lbs lighter than I am now ... Fretting about how I needed to lose 10 lbs.

I've always been chunky.  I probably always will be.  Doesn't mean that I'm not healthy or athletic; just means that I am Bigger than what current aesthetics dictate.

Let's us not worry so much about weight / being thin, and worry more about the body chemistry issues.  Cholesterol is fine, but could be better.  Blood sugar is fine.  Blood pressure is only high when I stress out over going to get it checked.

This is me back in 2009 - same as in 2012, when I was all upset over things.  2018 me *loves* this portrait of me, chunky as I may be.

Mating Season?

I'm a middle-aged woman, hewing pretty closely to the stereotypical image, at least in appearances, maybe, of the ladies of my area.  As such, such banter is rare for me to encounter, especially in this day and age.  Still:  Spring was in the Monday Afternoon Air, and it Felt Good.

Anyway, had been craving a veggie sandwich on (hopefully) sourdough; ended up with a very nice baguette instead.  Along with a beautifully ripe avocado, a good-smelling tomato, some cheese and carrots to grate up, a small luxury jar of cornichons, a can of garbanzos in case hummus might be necessary.  Stood in line with my purchases, when, suddenly, an older gentleman* stepped in line in front of me.

Me - ...

Gentleman:  "Sorry.  I forgot my wallet.  Need to pay, you know."

Me - ... "(slow:  very tired, and, funnily enough, when I find someone attractive looking I get tongue tied).  *Mumble* - I forget my wallet all the time.  My keys, too."

Gentleman gets his item rung up.  "Oh Wow!"  It was one cabbage - granted, an organic, hand raised, grass-fed cabbage.  Still:  it cost $8+.  "That's okay.  I can afford it.  Life is Good.  I am looking forward to my cabbage."

Me - deadpan - "Brassicas are worth their weight in gold, sir."

Gentleman - "I'm sorry?  What did you just say?"

Me - "Brassicas are worth their weight in gold, Sir."

Gentleman - "What?  What?  What do you mean?"

Me - "Brassicas, you know:  Cabbages, broccoli, cau-lee-flower.  Kale."

Gentleman - "Yes, yes, I know, but:  how does a young woman like you know such a word?  You must be very, very intelligent.  You are young, And Smart!  For knowing such a big word."

Me - "Brassica is a relatively short word (gesture an inch with my thumb and forefinger).  I know longer ones than that."

Gentleman -  "So young and so intelligent !"  (He kept repeating this!  It was weird!)  Started telling me about the cooperative he managed for years, and about, how one could go to the market and find cabbages of the same size for $.35.

Me - "Wholesale, I'm assuming.  At the market in Chelsea?  Of course they'd be less expensive.  You've got an organic / hand nurtured one from a Cambridge retail establishment.  Give it a couple weeks, though, and you'll see the prices go down on conventional ones."

Gentleman - looking at me directly, now. "Or for free.  In my garden. ... again ... how does such a woman know such a word?  You haven't told me."

Me - ....  "I like to eat them.  (Folks in line were getting restless).  Thank you, Sir, and enjoy the rest of the beautiful day.  Also:  enjoy that lovely example of Cruciferous Gold."
***
Housemate said he liked the "Cruciferous Gold" touch.  Determined that the fellow wasn't so much chatting me up as expressing surprise at my being not so dumb as I look.  


* Older for me.  I'm a relatively well-preserved woman in her late-mid 40s.  He was somewhere between mid 50s / 60s.

Classics is starting to look better and better.

Think that the Secret History of Empress Theodora is sounding far more interesting than current postulation onTom Ashbrook's Public History.  

Maybe I do need to get my Greek Up. 

Food for thought.

From my hippie tea tag line tonight:  ain't it the truth, though.

As bemusing as it is to see "Game Day" become another merchandising holiday along the lines of Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc, I will admit to appreciating the sales. Since the local grocery store had, among other things, avocados at a ridiculous price, gave in and took a distribution on my 403(b) to stock up.

Sitting here, gazing at my pile of Green Gold, cannot help but feel like I beat the system ... not unlike an investor in Bitcoin, or Precious Metals. I'm thinking of my avocados as having Intrinsic Value, like what the guy on the radio commercial says about gold. Unlike gold, however, their value isn't immutable. I'm going to have to figure out a way to store/use these things that have a habit of turning to compost all at once.

Love my green smoothies and guacamole. Could live on avocado toast. Not crazy about the eggs baked in the half-fruit that was all the rage on the internet a while back. Read somewhere that they could be used to make a particularly rich chocolate cake.

Any other recommendations / recipes would be welcome, along with storage tips.  

Turd Purrguson.

So, I was sitting here knitting away, minding my own business, when I heard first hissing, then The Charge of the Light Brigade, followed by a loud *crash.* Turned around and saw that, during their wrestling match, the black and gray angels ripped the curtains down from the front window.

Not just the curtains, mind you, but the rod and the fixtures, too. Now, if this had happened in the back of the house, would have left repairs until the morning. As it was in the front and we face the now glass enclosed hospital emergency waiting area, figured I'd jury rig something so that we'd not be offering up an all night peep show.

While I was doing my split on the cat tree and sofa back, trying to get the curtain rod to balance without the fixture, felt two sets of eyes on me: Black Cat's baleful glare and the Gray Boy's Turd Purrguson look. I call it the Turd Purrguson look, because the only other creature I've ever seen do as good an impression of Burt Reynolds in the Cannonball Run aside from my cat is Norm MacDonald. It's more than a little bit unsettling.

By the way: I can't believe this sketch is nearly 20 years old; as many times as I've seen it, never ceases to amuse. Interesting, too, is that it's one of the rare scenes where Will Ferrell plays the Straight Man.

Might be worth it to wait until the latest kombucha's ready if I want something fermented.

So wanted a beer tonight, so checked the offerings at the local package store. Slim pickings, indeed, in the non alcoholic section: one bottle of the Fre red wine (did not like their chardonnay), a different chardonnay, some sparkling apple juice, and the last six-pack of St. Pauli Girl. 

Figured that, coming from Germany, the beer couldn't be too bad. Had a nice head, a pretty amber color. Smelled like a lager. Ooh, but the taste...bitter, almost like bile. Not good; actually gave me a headache.
Oh well.

Dry February.

Dry February is somewhat of a misnomer, as this month's going to be all about hydrating and getting the electrolytes balanced up.  I'd really like to reduce the caffeine intake as well.

It's interesting how eliminating one item for a good period (in my case alcohol for a month) could cause one to focus on other aspects needing improvement (fatigue, bloating, difficulty sleeping, needing the mind to just calm down).  Along with the rehydrating, I'm incorporating some yoga, tinkering with the diet, and getting outdoors more.  Motivating for that last item is a challenge, as it is midwinter here.  Still, I generally feel better after even a few minutes of fresh air / natural light if we're having any.

Will see what happens.

In Vino Veritas.

Day 31 of Dry January.

As it was somewhat of a special occasion, decided to try a nonalcohlic wine, if only for the ceremonial cork pop. I knew the 'chardonnay' was going to be underwhelming; didn't realize it would be so darn sweet.

Lesson learned: for the next little celebration, I am going to find a nice bottle of water and make a show of opening that. Will be less expensive, not to mention better tasting.

The pictured fish cake was very nice, by the way. Oh yes, and since January was so enjoyable, will probably continue this project into February.

Dirty.

As in a martini, though this seems more like a savory Manhattan, if you can wrap your mind around that idea. 

Smoky, with a bit of a bite. Needs a bit more tweaking - bitters, maybe? - but definitely a keeper.

It's just 1/2 iced smoked (Lapsang Souchong) tea, 1/2 club soda over ice with a healthy splash of brine from the pickled vegetables and a couple shakes of hot sauce.  

Skål!

A savory, Scandinavian concoction I came up with from tonight's dinner prep leftovers. 

Who knows? What gets imbibed over the next couple nights could be just as surprising. For now, am going to call this my favorite of the drinks. 

Aquavit would make a nice addition, but is not at all necessary. Especially if you toss some crushed juniper and caraway in, as I did.

For two:

- 1/2 c. Sauerkraut juice
- Approx 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
- A few juniper berries
- Club Soda
- Crushed ice
- Fresh dill or fennel

Coarsely grind the caraway and juniper.  Set to soaking in sauerkraut juice for 1/2 an hour or so.

Fill glasses 1/3 of the way with crushed ice, divide the juice, top off with club soda, then mix.  Garnish with dill or fennel. 

Maybe I should treat myself to a copper mug.

Day 28 of Dry January! 

My version of a Moscow Mule, but without the vodka:  Loverly!  Does seem a bit naked in this glass, though.

Ginger Beer / Lime Juice.

Lassi.

Not quite, but close.  Actually, this could have been a meal in itself.   (Breakfast tomorrrow, maybe?)

For two:

- 1 c. chopped strawberries
- 1/2 mango, chopped
- 3/4 c. yogurt or kefir
- 1/4 - 1/2 c. milk, depending on how liquid you'd like for this to be
- splash of lime juice
- ginger, cardamom, mint, rose petals, sea salt, sweetener to taste
- seltzer

Blend fruit with kefir and lime juice.  Stir in aromatics, salt, sweetener.  Pour into glasses, top off with seltzer.  Garnish with lime slices, fruit, a sprinkle of cardamom or rose petals, if desired.

Half Measures.

Tired, in the doldrums, so kept things simple with a half-and-half.

(Just iced tea and some bitter lemon soda.)

Summertime Thing.

Melon, cucumbers, mint and berries go into just about everything we drink in the Summer, from lemonade to iced tea, to even the white wine or occasional rum drink. 

As it was a dry cold today, felt dehydrated on returning home. This felt so good going down.

Persian melon, slices and juice / lime juice / cucumber / mint leaves / lime seltzer / strawberry

Essentially, what I did was chop up a couple slices of cucumber, a couple chunks of melon, and some mint leaves.  Added a squeeze of lime juice and some of the juice from the melon.  Mixed that all up, tossed in an ice cube, then filled the glass the rest of the way with seltzer water.  Since strawberries were on sale and looked cheerful, used one for a garnish.  Easy as anything!  Pretty, too.

Strange Bedfellows?

At market once, received a gift of not quite a dozen overripe charentais melons. What to do with them? Make jam, of course. The recipe I found used anise and lime juice as foils to the melon's sweetness. Wow.

In a fit of nostalgia for that combination of perfumes, broke out another barquette of frozen Persian melon to mix with lime and Antesite (licorice / anise essence). Not perfect, but not too far off. My guinea pig found it unusual and pleasant.

For two:

- 1.5 c frozen chunks of melon
- 15-20 drops licorice essence (I used Antesite licorice-anise).
- 1 Tbs lime juice
- 1 Tbs coconut oil
- Lime seltzer

Blend melon, licorice, lime juice, coconut oil and maybe 1/2 c. lime seltzer.  Pour into glasses.  Top with more seltzer.  Garnish with mint, a sprinkle of ginger, or a lime slice, if desired.

Pina Colada.

This would be nice for breakfast.

For Two:

- One can pineapple slices in juice (four slices)
- 1/2 can coconut cream
- A couple good squeezes of lime juice
- Ginger to taste
- Seltzer
- Crushed ice

Blend pineapple, its juice, coconut cream, lime juice, and ginger until smooth.  Fill two highball glasses 1/4 - 1/3 full with crushed ice.  Divide pina colada mixture evenly between glasses, top with seltzer.

Matcha Latte.

Neat trick: if you have a French press coffee pot, all you have to do is pour your (NOT hot!) milk in, then pump the plunger a few times vigorously to make it foam. Works like a charm. Your milk will remain frothy while you heat it in the microwave.

For One:

- 1c milk
- 1.5 tsp matcha (green tea) powder
- Sweetener to taste (Am not nuts about super sweet, so used just one packet of stevia)
- a dash of ginger.

Add matcha, sweetener, ginger to warm milk, then mix powders are dissolved.  Froth / heat further if you'd like.  (I like mine just a little warmer than lukewarm, myself.)

Winter Sunrise.

Day 21 (three weeks!), Dry January: Winter Sunrise.

When I was a kid, worked in a chain restaurant known for making everything from scratch, on premises. During the school year, I was the night baker, which included both waiting on customers and playing (ahem underaged) bartender. There, the first mixed drink I learned to make was a tequila sunrise. How fascinating it was to watch the grenadine bleed down into the juice-hooch mix through the ice cubes.

Hadn't thought about that until tonight, when I poured a spoonful of the cranberry shrub over my apple soda and watched it filter its way down. Made me smile.

- 1 can Cawston Press Cloudy Apple soda
- 1-2 Tbs cranberry shrub
- Splash of Lime Juice
- 3-4 ice cubes
- 2-3 mint leaves, shredded

Just toss the ice cubes in, add your soda and splash of lime.  Stir to mix.  Pour shrub over soda, watch it slowly sink to the bottom with the same fascination as one would watch a lava lamp in action.  Garnish with mint leaves.  Enjoy.

Another Egg Cream.

Was surprised to learn that my housemate, from around NYC where they originated, didn't know what an egg cream was. 

Cooksplained it to him, then set to making a slightly more traditional take than the rose perfumed one. 

For two:

- 2 c almond milk
- 2 Tbs cocoa powder
- 1 Tbs coconut oil
- 1 tsp grated orange peel
- pinch of cinnamon, ginger
- sweetener to taste (I used 1 packet of stevia)
- seltzer
- crushed ice (5-6 cubes' worth)

Blend together almond milk, cocoa powder, coconut oil, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger and sweetener, 1/2 the crushed ice.  Fill highball glasses with remaining ice, pour in blended ingredients, top with seltzer water, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a pretty arrangement of fruit, if desired.

Caesar.

As it's Canadian Cuisine week, thought I'd celebrate with our friendly Northern neighbors' version of the Bloody Mary (my preferred one, too.)

For two servings:

- 1 14 oz. can of tomatoes
- 8 oz. clam juice
- lemon juice, hot sauce to taste
- pinches of salt, pepper, smoked paprika
- ice
- choice of garnishes.  Pictured:  skewered pickled vegetables, celery, cucumber.  Carrot sticks are nice, too.

Blend tomatoes with clam juice, and some water, to thin this, if desired.  Put 2-3 ice cubes in each of two highball glasses.  Divide juice mixture.  Add juice, sauce, seasonings to taste.  Stir.  Garnish as desired.

Bien Fruité.

This almost looks like a mojito, doesn't it?  Minty and sweet, though not saccharine.  Doesn't pack a whallop like the rum with sugar would do, either.

It's just Cawston's apple soda mixed with some muddled mint leaves, crushed blackberries, a squeeze of lime juice and crushed ice.  Very nice.

Soothing.

I'd heard of the wonders of turmeric. Put this to test on a day when I was feeling particularly irritated, cranky, annoyed at the world. 

Golden milk, or turmeric tea, is peppery, but soothing. Calming. Smells lovely, too. Think I'm going to drop right off and sleep the whole night through, thanks to this little tonic.

Here's the recipe I used.  Made enough for two, of course.  Housemate also loved it.

Smoky.

I'd been craving Lapsang Souchong, smoked black tea, for some time. Finally, the little hippie store had it in stock again!

What would I call this? A sort of milk punch? A syllabub? A milky iced tea? Not sure. In any event, it was rich and perfumey. Lovely both sweetened and not. Bubbly, too.

- Brewed Lapsang Souchong (or any other smoked black) tea
- Whole milk
- Plain seltzer
- Sweetener (if desired)
- Orange slice
- Crushed Ice

Fill your glass about 1/4 - 1/3 full of crushed ice.  Add a half and half mix of milk and tea.  Sweeten to taste, if desired.  This is very nice unsweetened, too.  Mix.  Top with seltzer water and twist of orange.

Headache.

Low pressure got to me today, so kept things simple.  The quinine in the tonic, along with the headache pill, did a world of good.

Sunday Brunch.

Dry January, Day 14:  Happy Two Weeks!

Felt like a good day to break out the new waffle iron again, both to try out a new recipe and to make something cheerful for a cold, gray weekend day. 

Served this up with plenty of strong coffee and a mimosa*, of course.

Champagne has always given me a headache, though other non champagne cremants never bothered too much. The Cawston Press Cloudy Apple soda is like the best Cremant de Loire, only better, as it doesn't leave me drowsy with a headachy edge afterwards.




* Normally sparkling wine topped off with orange juice.  I did half and half freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice and apple soda.

Nightcap.

I rarely go out for hot cho-co-late as mine is hard to beat. It is also very rich, so not to be abused. 
Instead of the usual Latin American inspired aromatics, tried a more Mediterranean combination of citrus peel and lavender: a keeper.

For two:
- 1/4 c. Dark cocoa powder
- 1 T butter
- 2 c. whole milk
- 1/4 c. cream
- pinch of sea salt
- stevia / other sweetener to taste (I used approx 10-15 drops)
- 2 T shredded citrus peel (lemon + orange)
- 10- 15 drops lavender essence

Melt butter in heavy-bottomed pan.  Add cocoa and salt, stirring until smooth.  Add cream.  Mix to break down any lumps.  Add milk, sweetener, shredded citrus peel and lavender essence.  Heat until nearly boiling, let simmer for a minute or two.  Beat until frothy.  Garnish with citrus peel, or even lavender flowers, if you'd like.

Shrub.

A shrub is a vinegar-based cordial, used as a flavoring in cocktails, both alcoholic and non. 

Since I still had some cranberries kicking around since Thansgiving, used them in my maiden attempt at such a preparation.  Recipe here.

Not bad! The sugar and vinegar balance each other out well. Might try something other than cloves to spice this with next time. Oh: a little goes a long way, too. Used maybe 1.5 Tbs for 12 oz of seltzer.

Rose-Scented.

How did Egg Creams get named, as they contain neither eggs, nor cream? Always liked these, the Southerners' (all things being relative) fizzy version of a Boston milkshake. (Milk and flavored syrup, shook. No ice cream; that'd be a frappe.) 

Instead of the traditional chocolate or vanilla syrup, I used rose flavored, with a bit of spice thrown into the shaker. Housemate, my guinea pig, asked me where the lamb vindaloo was that we should have been having for dinner tonight.

Sweeter than the other drinks so far, but perfumey. Could see making this one again, but going lighter on the syrup.

For two:

- 11/2 c. milk
- flavored syrup of your choosing to taste (I used rose, approx. 1/4 c, as the label said roughly 2T per serving; that was a bit intense.  Thinking that maybe half that would be ideal.)
- seltzer (I used orange)
- ice

Pour milk, ice, syrup and any other flavors you might like into shaker.  Shake until frothy.  Pour into two highball glasses, top with seltzer.  Garnish, if desired.  I used a cardamom pod, some rose petals and ginger with this. 

Mango Madness Miercoles.

The mangoes picked up over the weekend ripened up perfectly: not too sweet, not too tart. Solid, too. Blended them with pineapple, coconut water, ginger, among other good things.

Was a good pick me up, and not just for the sugar. Think I was working on a dearth of potassium today.

For two:

- 3/4 c. chopped mango
- 3/4 c. frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 c. coconut water
- 2 T. coconut cream
- powdered ginger, cinnamon to taste
- seltzer
- pomegranate seeds (optional)

Blend mango, pineapple, coconut, and ginger.  Pour into your highball glasses.  Top with seltzer, sprinkle with a bit more ginger and some cinnamon.  Add pomegranate seeds, if you'd like.  Thinking that they'd float, I tossed a few in as a garnish.  Well, they sunk.  No matter:  they did look pretty floating around in the drink, my little Dry January Garnets.

Arnold Palmer.

This one is in the pantheon of classic non-alcoholic refreshers, right up there with the Roy Rogers and Shirley Temple (which, apparently she herself hated).

When the iced tea to lemonade ratio is 1:1, it's called a Half and Half.

Palmer himself preferred a 3:1 ratio of unsweetened iced tea to lemonade, which is what I sort of intuited for myself.  

Really, you can't beat the classics.  This was such a refresher after today's runnings around.

I fancied things up a bit by using three parts Earl Grey tea to one part Fever Tree Bitter Lemon.

Am really growing to like the Fever Tree sodas; better tasting, non-sugar-bomb takes on the classic drink mixers / tonics.

Parfums Exotiques.

After a disappointing engagement with the Bigelow version of chai, decided to head to the local hippie store for some Good Stuff.  Good Heavens!  No Comparison:  whereas the Bigelow tasted like watered down Ovaltine, the Chai-wallah melange was spicy, perfumey, had a bite ... perfect!

With the temps at near freezing today, it was positively balmy compared to the weekend.  Decided on an iced latte at right around tea time tonight.  Enjoyed it at teatime tonight, on the back balcony, watching the warm weather snowflakes fall.

For two:

- 1.5 c. freshly brewed chai, cooled
- 2 T coconut cream
- Sweetener (honey for my tea partner, stevia for me) to taste
- milk
- ice

Shake or beat chai with coconut cream and sweetner until well-mixed.  Fill glasses with ice to about 1/4 - 1/3 full, add chai mix.  Top off with milk, if desired.  Give it all a good stir.  Decorate with crushed cardamom pods, rose petals, even a shake of fresh ground pepper or ginger, if desired.

Savory.

Dry January, Day 7:  First week!  Yay!

As I cannot stand vodka, I will normally order a 'virgin' mary, or perhaps a michelina (bloody mary with beer).

Made mine spicy and a little gazpacho-y, as that's what I was craving.

Sweet is nice, but I'd really like to find more savory drinks. 

For two:

- 1 can low-salt tomatoes
- Cholula pepper sauce (I used green), lemon juice, lime juice, cumin, salt, black pepper to taste
- ice
- a whole mess of crudites for a garnish.  (Carrot, cucumber, celery here.  If I had olives, would have thrown those in as well.  Maybe celery root, too.  I was craving something between gazpacho and a salad.)

Blend tomatoes with pepper sauce, juices, spices.  Fill glass with ice.  Add drink mixture.  Garnish to your heart's content.

Harvey Wallbanger.

First concocted in the early 1950s, the Wallbanger saw a resurgence of popularity in the 1970s.  As a child, I remember pitchers of these and fuzzy navels always on hand.

The strong licorice / anise scent, along with the nuclear yellow color of the Galliano are strong memories.  On looking up the components of this Italian herbal concoction, was surprised to see the complex mix of components.  Got a few, though not all, aspects in.  Would enjoy trying to reproduce this as a non-alcoholic syrup at some point.

Serves one.

- Juice of one large orange
- Antesite licorice essence, to taste (a little goes a long way, trust me)
- Lavender essence, approx. 5-10 drops
- Polar seltzer - orange-vanilla flavor
- crushed ice

Fill glass 1/4 - 1/3 with crushed ice.  Add orange juice, Antesite (I love anise, so used maybe 15 drops) and lavender.  Top with seltzer.  Mix.

Enjoy!

A Grasshopper walks into a bar

grabs a stool and orders a drink. 

The bartender asks, "hey, did you know they named a drink after you?"

"They named a drink Fred?"


***

This only resembles a classic Grasshopper in that it's Green and Creamy.  (Wonderfully Creamy.)
I was trying to use up a perfectly ripe avocado, and had some leftover melon from the other day.

For two servings:

1 avocado
1 c. coconut water
1/2 c. thawed frozen Persian melon
a good grating of fresh ginger
a squeeze of lime juice
seltzer water
crushed ice
cinnamon (optional, though it makes a pretty garnish.  Also adds an earthy, almost chocolatey perfume to the ensemble)

Blend the peeled, destoned avocado with coconut, ginger, lime juice and melon until smooth.
Fill two highball glasses 1/4 full of crushed ice, divide the avocado mixture between the glasses.  Stir to mix, then top off with seltzer and cinnamon garnish.

Very smooth and not too sweet.  Green's my favorite color.

Hot Toddy.

Day 4, Dry January:

The cold, the monthly hormones, and a fair bit more stress than usual took their toll on the tum today.  Peppermint oil, ginger ale and broth weren't helping, so decided to try another old standby:  star anise.

Broke up and set a few stars to decoct for a while (approx. 20 min) with some fresh ginger.  Tossed in a sachet of chamomile / anise infusion and let that all sit for maybe 5-10 minutes more.  Sweetened with a touch of honey.

Tonic.

Calmed the tum sufficiently to Get Things Done (mainly shoveling.  Also a good bit of setting topsy turvy to rights in the house.).

Be safe, stay warm.

When Life Gives You Melons

... you just might be dyslexic.  (Là, je rigole.  Take it easy.)

This Summer, Life dropped a Persian melon the size of a baby, along with copious amounts of coppa into my lap.  What to do?  Turns out that no one I know likes cured ham with melon, and I had enough for a crowd.

Froze it all to make time to think about how best to use.

Last night, was looking in the freezer somewhat resentfully, as the melon takes up an awful lot of real estate.  Decided to take a container out to thaw.  Since we're going through some serious cold weather, and the year didn't exactly start out with a bang, decided to make something tropical, fruity, exotic:

- 1 1/4 c. pureed, thawed melon
- 1/4-1/3 c. canned coconut milk
- 3/4 - 1 t. powdered ginger
- juice and zest from 1/2 a lime
- Polar Ginger Lime Mule seltzer
- crushed ice

Blend together the melon puree, the coconut milk, the ginger and the lime.  Pour this mixture over crushed ice in your highball / orange juice / milk glass, then add seltzer.  Garnish with more lime and ginger if you'd like.

Serves 2.

I forgot how unctuous the coconut milk was.  Was surprised at how perfumey and perfectly sweet for my needs the melon was.

This is my melon ade, I guess.

Dry January.

When Stoicism fails, you can always take to Hedonism.  That not really being my thing, I decided to wallow in Sadness.  A good cry is a catharsis; does wonders for exhausting a body, too.  

Now, I'm all cried dry.  I'm sure the sad will return, as it only receeded just a bit.  So, for better or for worse, it's going to be a Dry January.

In honor, thought I'd treat myself to an apero, a pre dinner cocktail every day this month.  Day One was a lovely apple soda from an English Concern.  Am particularly fond of the plain apple one, as well as the rhubarb one.  Funny, as was never a fan of apples or their juice.

Today was a take on a 'mocktail' (honestly, I don't like that term.  Will use it for lack of a better one, though.) that my favorite little bah / bistro first started serving last January:  the GBGB.  So tart, so green; perfect to chase the Winter blues.  Honestly, haven't tried the rickey yet, I like this one so much.

My version:

- Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 a pink grapefruit
- 6 oz. ginger beer.  Many that we get here are overly sweet and cloying.  Tried the Fever Tree Light.  Not too bad.  Could see making a ginger syrup and adding that to seltzer, as I like *strong.*
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves, shredded.  A couple more, left whole for garnish.
- crushed ice to fill the glass approx. halfway.

I used an Ikea orange juice glass; a Conran's milk glass would do.  Or a standard highball  one if you've got that. Start with the ice, add the mint, then the grapefruit juice.  Fill the rest of the way with ginger beer.  Mix it all, muddling the basil some.  Garnish.  

Enjoy.