My New Summer Drink

There are days when I am just too lazy to make iced tea.  It's also not uncommon for me to struggle with how to come up with ways to use the unpredictable contents of our farm-share box.  Often I am looking for a drink with dinner that is refreshing and caffeine-free.  My go-to alternative and new favorite summer drink is cucumber water.  It seems we always have a cuc or two on hand and there's a pot of fresh mint outside my back door.  Lemons are my summer cooking staple so I always add some fresh-squeezed lemon juice.  I don't dump in slices because we don't drink a whole batch in one sitting and the slices make the drink go bitter.

Getting Out

Now this is my idea of getting out.  If only I could soar a hundred feet above Lake Ontario like this vulture. It was neat to get the picture, though.  The weather wasn't great -- and sometimes we see more bird activity as a result.  The span of this predator's wings are as wide as I am tall.  Ugly though he or she may be, the essential function of keeping the earth clear of carrion (dead things) makes them pretty important ecologically.

Farm to Table

 We pick up our farm share on Wednesdays, and then I have to get busy!  Tonight's dinner was picked today (except for the fish).  Our small box this week contained:

2 pints of raspberries

2 heads of kohlrabi

1 bundle of carrots

1 bundle of beets

1 cucumber

1 quart beans

1 quart peas

zucchini and summer squash

1 bundle of kale

Trailer Windows

 

After having removed the blinds and valances, then installed white roller shades, I wanted to create some sort of valance and also create a way to darken the area further at night.  Many years ago, I had sewn panels to mount over the blinds at night using velcro.  Since they were already the right size, I adapted them by sewing rings on the top and hooking them onto cup hooks mounted underneath the cabinets.  I can roll them up and secure them with ribbons, which can easily be untied at night.  Not gorgeous, but functional.

Dog Recovered

 Our dog seems to be fully healed.  We finally got her groomed and were shocked by how much weight she lost during her recovery.  Some of it is muscle mass which we know she will regain.  After I uploaded this picture, I was shocked at how trim she is.  That's probably one of the things that helped her bounce back so well.  She is walking without any sort of limp or hitch in her giddy-up -- something that we find astounding given how much she limped before and the drastic surgery she had.  Happily, she is swimming again too.  We have started slowly, going every other day.  After this week, she'll be OK to go every day.  I can't wait until I am strong enough to go in with her.

We went to camp this weekend and it was my first trip up with TBG and the dog. It was so swell to be there together.  I hadn't been up at all in June.  It's easy to forget how much we like having our lakefront spot -- until we get back.  Teddy loves rolling in the grass and chewing sticks -- something she doesn't get to do that much at home since we have a slate patio.

Everything is right in my world when I can go to my camp, swim with my dog and spend time with my fella!

Jamming

 

I have started making my own jam and now I never want to buy it at the store again.  The first time, it was because we had a surplus of strawberries from our farm share.  Now they are done with strawberries, so I picked up two bags frozen, plus one bag of blueberries.  They are organic and were something like $2.50 each at Aldi.  So far I have made three batches and learned that you want to use fruit pectin, not gelatin.  So those are the main ingredients, in addition to sugar and a few flavorings.

The Responsible Refrigerator

Cleaning the refrigerator is one of my least favorite domestic chores.  With no plans for the holiday and being behind in domestic responsibilities due to my recuperation, I decided I just needed to buck it up and get the job done.  For two people, we sure do keep a lot of food in the fridge!

Oh Poo!!!

I have taken my "Make it at Home" philosophy to new lows, it would seem.  I've started making my own scratch version of "Poo Pourri," the stuff you spray in your toilet water to prevent odor that results from "dropping a deuce."  The for-sale stuff is not cheap and I can vouch that it works.  At camp, we actually spray it after we flush to help keep the smell from the black tank in check.  At home, it is used pre-poo.  Well, I use it more than TBG, which is something I've got to work on!

On-Line Shopping

We are always hearing and reading how Amazon is killing brick and mortar retail and I feel for small businesses and for those in retail who are having a hard time finding work.  The thing is, anyone who is looking for something that isn't mainstream, or who doesn't have a lot of time, really doesn't have much choice in the matter.