I'm baaaaack! No, I have not given up on this blog. It just took a much appreciated summer break to help me find some down time to write and create. My sister recently asked me how far I was from my goal of 50 drinks. Well, let's just say I still have a ways to go, mais c'est la vie. If you'll be patient with me, I will get there. Hopefully before my next decade birthday.
I've done some important things since last sitting down to write. I went on a yoga retreat in the beautiful San Juan Islands and learned how to fence and throw a hatchet -- two activities that were way more fun than the yoga. Perhaps relaxation is just not my thing. My partner in this medieval fun, Debbie, has been a friend and adventure buddy since the day we met (long ago) while training to become bike trip leaders. The miles between our homes make our gatherings few and far between, but they are always filled with enough laughter to (almost) last until the next escapade.
When school let out, I traveled to the eastern seaboard with my son to play tourist and visit family and friends. We started out in D.C. and fell in love with the city and all it has to offer, but I think my most lasting memory will be the lunch we had with my best friend from fourth grade. You see, this was the first time I'd seen Lisa since fourth grade, way back during the age of American Bandstand, the Partridge Family, and Wild Kingdom. She found me via Facebook about a year ago, and after contacting her about getting together, I admit to being just a little nervous the morning of our rendezvous. After all, it wasn't as though she had just come over for a slumber party the week before. Forty years is a LONG time. But spending time together was effortless, and once in her presence, I kept thinking that I completely understood why she had been my friend way back when. May we meet again before another forty years go by so that we are still upright with a mouth full of real teeth.
From D.C. we took the train up to New York for a visit with that purveyor of all fine things, my sister. Highlights from this part of the trip? That's tough to say -- there were so many.
We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge one day in very steamy weather and then capped the day off with a Salty Pimp. That's a soft-serve ice cream creation that one can only get in Manhattan. But for those of you who can't exactly hop, skip, or jump into NYC, I suggest you put this on the top of your travel list. Yes, my sister truly is the purveyor of many fine things.
Our next stop was Little Compton, Rhode Island. By this point in the trip, I started to realize that time really has ticked on by and decades, not mere years, have passed since last stepping foot in this tiny state. My college roommate, Lawre, is one of those people whose friendship for me has not changed despite the distance between our homes and the vast amount of time between visits. Since enduring a less-than-compelling freshman seminar class together thirty-four years ago, conversations flow as freely as ever. Gray hair? Yes, we both have a little of that as well.
When I became an independent adult, living far from any of my childhood homes, I remember asking my mom once if it bothered her that I hadn't lived close to home since high school. She responded how thankful she was for the time we did spend together and appreciated that we both treated that time with care and respect. I would say the same for my friends and family who live thousands of miles away. Memories of special times together can be powerfully precious, even if that nurturing is not on a constant basis.
While growing up, summer was my least favorite time of year. I guess I missed the pattern of school and the activity that went with it. Now, I feel the complete opposite. I love the lack of schedule and the time if offers me to be with friends and unwind. In the drink world, summer begs for the simplicity of gin and tonics. I've covered that drink already, but today I offer a fine twist in the form of St. Germain, a liqueur made from "hand selected elderflowers that impart a crisp mélange of flavors with hints of citrus and tropical fruits. Tres curieus, n'est ce pas?" Yes, this is a produit de France, and that quote comes directly off the label. I've been noticing this ingredient more and more in drink recipes and was curious enough to go out and buy a bottle. The first time I saw it in the store, however, all I could find was a really tall bottle that cost upwards of $40. I dismissed that in search of a smaller, more economical version that would allow me to test this new liqueur instead of making it my new best friend. Well, I soon learned that this 750 ml version is the only one that is made, and so I have welcomed this beautiful new bottle into my life. I'm happy to say that all signs point to a lasting friendship and several more blog posts as I explore its many uses. Stay tuned...
St. Germain Gin & Tonic
I've done some important things since last sitting down to write. I went on a yoga retreat in the beautiful San Juan Islands and learned how to fence and throw a hatchet -- two activities that were way more fun than the yoga. Perhaps relaxation is just not my thing. My partner in this medieval fun, Debbie, has been a friend and adventure buddy since the day we met (long ago) while training to become bike trip leaders. The miles between our homes make our gatherings few and far between, but they are always filled with enough laughter to (almost) last until the next escapade.
When school let out, I traveled to the eastern seaboard with my son to play tourist and visit family and friends. We started out in D.C. and fell in love with the city and all it has to offer, but I think my most lasting memory will be the lunch we had with my best friend from fourth grade. You see, this was the first time I'd seen Lisa since fourth grade, way back during the age of American Bandstand, the Partridge Family, and Wild Kingdom. She found me via Facebook about a year ago, and after contacting her about getting together, I admit to being just a little nervous the morning of our rendezvous. After all, it wasn't as though she had just come over for a slumber party the week before. Forty years is a LONG time. But spending time together was effortless, and once in her presence, I kept thinking that I completely understood why she had been my friend way back when. May we meet again before another forty years go by so that we are still upright with a mouth full of real teeth.
From D.C. we took the train up to New York for a visit with that purveyor of all fine things, my sister. Highlights from this part of the trip? That's tough to say -- there were so many.
We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge one day in very steamy weather and then capped the day off with a Salty Pimp. That's a soft-serve ice cream creation that one can only get in Manhattan. But for those of you who can't exactly hop, skip, or jump into NYC, I suggest you put this on the top of your travel list. Yes, my sister truly is the purveyor of many fine things.Our next stop was Little Compton, Rhode Island. By this point in the trip, I started to realize that time really has ticked on by and decades, not mere years, have passed since last stepping foot in this tiny state. My college roommate, Lawre, is one of those people whose friendship for me has not changed despite the distance between our homes and the vast amount of time between visits. Since enduring a less-than-compelling freshman seminar class together thirty-four years ago, conversations flow as freely as ever. Gray hair? Yes, we both have a little of that as well.
When I became an independent adult, living far from any of my childhood homes, I remember asking my mom once if it bothered her that I hadn't lived close to home since high school. She responded how thankful she was for the time we did spend together and appreciated that we both treated that time with care and respect. I would say the same for my friends and family who live thousands of miles away. Memories of special times together can be powerfully precious, even if that nurturing is not on a constant basis.
While growing up, summer was my least favorite time of year. I guess I missed the pattern of school and the activity that went with it. Now, I feel the complete opposite. I love the lack of schedule and the time if offers me to be with friends and unwind. In the drink world, summer begs for the simplicity of gin and tonics. I've covered that drink already, but today I offer a fine twist in the form of St. Germain, a liqueur made from "hand selected elderflowers that impart a crisp mélange of flavors with hints of citrus and tropical fruits. Tres curieus, n'est ce pas?" Yes, this is a produit de France, and that quote comes directly off the label. I've been noticing this ingredient more and more in drink recipes and was curious enough to go out and buy a bottle. The first time I saw it in the store, however, all I could find was a really tall bottle that cost upwards of $40. I dismissed that in search of a smaller, more economical version that would allow me to test this new liqueur instead of making it my new best friend. Well, I soon learned that this 750 ml version is the only one that is made, and so I have welcomed this beautiful new bottle into my life. I'm happy to say that all signs point to a lasting friendship and several more blog posts as I explore its many uses. Stay tuned...St. Germain Gin & Tonic
1 oz. gin (Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire work well)
1 oz. St. Germain
Tonic Water (Fever Tree is a personal favorite)
Lime wedge
Place 4-5 ice cubes in a cocktail glass and add the gin and St. Germain. Stir together and add tonic and the lime wedge. Then toast to friends and family!
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