brandied apricots

last you heard from me was spring

and now we are in summer

full stop

hmmm...

been busy on the farm

baby

chicks

ducks

geese

goats

enough to keep us very busy

i have been cooking and crafting and lots of other things

but not much blogging

my late nights are taken up by

deep and heavy sleep!

we picked a bucket load of apricots the other day

and i have been working to preserve them for our

winter larder

this year

i have decided to brandy some 

which is a fancy way of saying

infusing with brandy

i've loaded my jars with 

freshly washed fruit

(sliced in half and pitted)

a sprinkle of sugar

(about a tablespoon per jar)

and 

poured on the brandy

in some 

i added a few extra bits

rosemary in one

cinnamon stick in another

vanilla bean in a third

there are so many lovely combinations to try

i am popping these onto a shelf, in a cool pantry

but the fridge would be a great place too

(if only i had room in the fridge)

Brandied Apricots

strawberry-balsamic shrub {beverage}

my childhood summers

had one constant

my grandparents

although maybe not the true reality
i remember

our

last day of school coincided

with their arrival

"the grandparents"

all 4 of them

(yes, both sets)

my grandma grace

oh how fitting that name was for this amazing woman

each and every summer night

wandered into the kitchen

pin curls in her hair

wearing a perfectly pressed house dress

served herself

a tablespoon of vinegar

with the flair

of pouring herself a night-cap

she passed a few years ago

well into her 90s

healthy as an ox

until the day she died

sturdy and strong

with

peaches and cream

wrinkle free

skin

she ate

fresh food

all of her life

it was all that she could afford

but 

i believe 

her nightly vinegar shooter

was her secret weapon

i.

really.

do.

i like vinegar

but

i take mine moderated

in a shrub

a shrub marries

sweetness of fruit and sugar

with the 

acidity and brightness of vinegar

in a way that makes

that little shot every night

very

palatable

a shrub is typically meant to be mixed with soda water

but

it is great in cocktails too

strawberry-balsamic shrub
(printable recipe)

2 cups ripe strawberries-cleaned, hulled & sliced

1 tsp fennel pollen (optional)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

10 black peppercorns-slightly crushed

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

place strawberries, sugar, fennel pollen (if using) and peppercorns into a glass crock or wide mouth jar.  allow to sit for about an hour, then macerate to break up the strawberries. cover and allow to sit 24 hours. (i let mine sit at room temperature, but if you are concerned, it is okay to put in the fridge).   after 24 hours macerate the mixture again, aiming to crush the strawberries.  you can move onto the next step, or allow to sit another 24 hours at this point.  add to the mixture the balsamic vinegar and the cider vinegar and stir well.  allow this to sit 7-9 days at room temperature, stirring daily.  the sugar should eventually "melt" into the liquid.  it is important that you tend to the mixture daily.  after 7-9 days.  strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer (if you don't mind a few bits in it) or a strainer with cheesecloth (if you do) and bottle for use.  for longer shelf life, i recommend storing in the refrigerator.

watermelon cooler

i woke up 

this morning

in the pink

peonies

bubble gum

flamingoes

preppy handbook

PINK

this refreshing cocktail

made with 

vodka
although

more wonka than warsaw

will put you

in the PINK too!

NOTE:  this takes a bit of forethought as it uses "homemade" watermelon vodka

 watermelon cooler

(printable recipe)

3 TBS watermelon vodka (recipe follows)

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup watermelon dice
1/2 lime
2 mint leaves
tonic water
ice
place watermelon, mint, sugar and lime in the bottom of a highball or old fashioned glass.  muddle until the lime has been completely juiced, the mint has begun to give off scent, yet the watermelon has not been pulverized.  add a few ice cubes and pour the watermelon vodka over.  add enough tonic water to fill the glass. give a good stir and serve.
watermelon vodka
1 1/2 cups watermelon candies (i used these)--but i believe jolly ranchers would work well too
3 cups vodka
place the candies in the bottom of a large jar.  add the vodka. let sit in a cool dark place for about 3 days or until the candies are dissolved (may take less time).  Use as desired.

prepping the drink

we love our garden

and spend countless hours

tilling soil

dead heading roses

training vines

adjusting drip lines

repairing bird houses

and

tending to our bees

however

we are in the mountains

which makes our

season

really short

and

slightly tenuous

snow seems to fall at its whim

scorching blossoms

with a cool blast

as a result

what we harvest

is

revered

i prepare and preserve

everything

very little is wasted

speaking of wasted

this year

we are trying something new

liqueurs and elixirs

are 

one of my true loves

 lucky girl that i am

my other true love

humors my every whim

which is how we found ourselves

on a beautiful spring day

perched on ladders

wiring

bottles

to our pear tree

we picked through the tree

like it was a rummage sale

for the perfect 

barely formed pear-on a just the right size branch

once discovered

we removed the leaves 

gently plied the bottle up the branch

and

tied it off

and crossed our fingers

if all goes as planned

a beautiful pear

will grow

in 

each bottle

it will then be preserved

with pear soaked brandy

crazy cocktailin'

so i have this liquor cabinet

that seems to have more going in

than coming out

i have these grand ideas

about having cocktails before dinner

or the two martini lunch

but i just never seem to get around to it

although

i am extremely well prepared

lets say
there were a disaster

and

 the best survival tool was a cocktail

we would live forever

i was browsing my google reader
and saw this post from scary mommy

which encouraged me to hit the bottle

i have a lot of candy corn lying about
so it was a natural choice

candy cocktails
1 cup of candy
2-3 cups of vodka or rum
put in a mason jar and let sit for at least 2 days
strain and bottle

one jar with vodka

and the other

with rum

i now firmly believe that

candy corn rum

should be the requisite 

pirate tipple
it is really, really good

someone...

get depp on the phone

*i am experimenting with some other flavors and will post them soon (sneak preview...toasted marshmallow vodka)

tiny bubbles

who leaves 80 degree weather

in the dead of winter

for a balmy holiday 

in Hawaii?

well,

i do

of course

we planned this trip

long before we knew that

summer would show up by

mid-february

lest you think i am complaining

I AM NOT

by the time you read this

I will be sipping a mai tai

on the beach

while hubster

gives don ho

a run for his money

aloha

kili 

(my hawaiian name which was printed on a grain of rice and purchased by me

in 1984

in celebration of my high school graduation

and boiled by me

sometime in the 90s

in false hope

that it would be funny)

Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai Ingredients:

 1 ounce Dark Rum

 1 oz Light Rum

 1 oz Orange Curacao

 2 oz Orange Juice

 1/2 oz Lime Juice

 Dash Orgeat or Grenadine

 Dash Simple Syrup (1 cup sugar and 1 cup water boiled until the sugar dissolves) 

Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai Instructions: 

Mix all ingredients and pour over crushed or shaved ice in a glass. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of pineapple