Shrub

Not the bush…..

a kind of fermentation.

A much younger long-time friend old me about this a week ago. Where has it been all my life? Delicious! I made mine with dried mango and it is so good. I use sparkling water only, as I cannot have alcohol due to medication. It is so good. I also tried with tap water and this is also good. I have read it may be used as a vinaigrette using a couple of spoons-full added to olive oil.

Fresh or frozen fruit:

Shrub

A dried fruit shrub is a vinegar-based syrup made by rehydrating dried fruits in a mixture of sugar and acid, offering a deep, concentrated flavor. Also known as "drinking vinegars," they serve as complex, sweet-tart mixers for cocktails, mocktails, and sparkling water. [1, 2, 3]

The Dried Fruit Method

Unlike fresh fruit shrubs, dried fruits need time to absorb liquid to release their sugars and flavors. Because dried fruits are highly concentrated, they require slightly more liquid in your recipe.

• Base Ratio: 1 cup dried fruit, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 cup vinegar.
• Method: Combine the dried fruit, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes to soften the fruit and dissolve the sugar. Once cooled, stir in your vinegar. Let the mixture steep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, shaking daily.
• Straining: Strain out the fruit solids using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing gently to get the last drops of syrup. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Flavor Combinations

Certain dried fruits pair beautifully with specific vinegars to elevate your beverages:

• Dried Figs & Balsamic: Creates a dark, earthy, and rich syrup that pairs perfectly with bourbon or drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
• Dried Cherries & Apple Cider Vinegar: Produces a bright, tart, and fruity profile ideal for gin or seltzer.

RAIN!

Early Tuesday afternoon the sky opened and gifted us with rain into the evening. It made nature and me very happy. The unhappy part is the heat and humidity coming our way. 

My prednisone induced mojo has somehow disappeared. Not fair. Now I must put forth effort to maintain even the slightest bit of what I had for a week. Not fair. I guess I feel the need to do some whining, or is it just kvetching? We'll go with that.

Let's talk about one of the easiest meals to prepare. Cajun shrimp. I looked up a recipe, something I very rarely do. Other than cooking the rice, it took maybe five minutes. I made the seasoning per instruction. It had a kick! This will be on my quick and easy dinner list.

Now off to search the corners for some motivation. 

He Wanted ALL the Biscuits

This showed up in memories yesterday.

Howard B. Hound

2007-2017

He was a very opinionated basset hound. He grew up with a couple of greyhounds, a yellow lab and a German Shepherd/Afghan Hound cross. Yes, that is an unusual cross. He was 100 lbs of attitude.

We are hopefully going to have a rainy afternoon. I will gladly give up my outside work for more rain. I'm generous like that.

Aroooooo Howard. 

Relish the Day

My burly son's dog, Homer, wishing all papas out there a lovely day.

 

It's Their Day Once Again

Frieda is my doppelgänger in cat form. We both carry the same 'you lookin at me?' face. Mark and Matthew have often commented on the look, they especially freeze when the eyebrow goes up. But, as my lovely Frieda would say, we are just a couple of kitties. 

Frieda does carry extra weight but not like it looks. That enormity is a belly flap. She has the largest I have seen. When she trots away it's so large it literally sways from side-to-side enough to touch her body. She was a unbelievable jumper when younger, which is the point of the flap (primordial pouch).

It wouldn't be a proper Saturday without Gatto. The boy loves a box, whether opened or standing on end.

 

We've thankfully had a couple of rainy days. Everything is green and lush. Last evening the wind picked up to a roar and took down a tree in the east pasture. It's not on the fence so it can wait. Kind of like all of the others. Yes, there is a small note of complaint in that last sentence. If it is dry enough by afternoon I will continue with my weed trimming.

This is why I have a cupboard of pasta. There are days I have no cooking mojo but we are both hungry. Solution? Egg noodles, garlic, butter or olive oil and pecorino romano. Does the trick for us. 

Enjoy the day. With or without cats.

Wiped, Not Whipped, Out

There is something to appreciate about a two-legger who doesn't put things away.

I didn't realize I had exhausted myself but it seems I had. I slept twelve hours last night. Twelve. I guess I exhausted Jigs, too. We had overnight rain with more coming later this morning so I won't be whipping weeds and grass for a day or two. Thor decided to give me a break, while still doing good for us all with much needed rain.

I have accomplished about a third of my trimming, which pleases me no end. It's amazing how much is improved when there isn't shaggy grass bordering everything that has a border.

Do what brings you contentment. Even if it is whacking grass.

Toiling On

Good Monday Morning

My new tool. I used it a few days ago and am happy with it. It will take a few days to be done, but I'm glad I can get to it. This also has a substantial saw blade I'll be able to use to go through all the scrub that grows wildly in unwanted places. A bonus.

We went to Fleet Farm for grain yesterday. Mark went to the grain, I went to the garden center. I found another eggplant so I now have my customary two plants. I also got fennel, the herb, for seeds. Fennel seeds are a favorite.

Otherwise, nothing much going on. Which is not a bad thing.

Gatto Day

Is it Caturday yet?

I prepped and painted the "veranda" floor Thursday. Now I can get the porch furniture out there. I did some mowing yesterday, but partway through my body said that's enough and I quit for the day. My weed cutter with wheels arrived, which means once I get it assembled I will start cleaning up the untrimmed areas. It's been untrimmed way longer than I'll admit. Neighbor Bill has had our push mower for a long time. It has something needing repair, but Bill has not been himself for sometime now. I finally made the decision to buy this contraption. If I feel I need it I will buy a lawn mower after trying this.

It is satisfying finishing a long awaited job. I'll do the ceiling this autumn. It should be done first but my neck just isn't up to looking up for that long. If not better by autumn Mark will need to do it. Mark does not paint.

That's it from my little patch of this earth for now. Happy cat day!

Title? What Title?

We got rain! The storm part of it was to the east, but it rained. The downside, why is there always a downside, is 90 F/32 C and smothering humidity. I usually don't remember dreams but I have a vague memory of yard work and satisfaction. Starting tomorrow as we cool down.

Wildflower seeds are showing life, yippee, so I'll place that in the for-now-win column. I plan to paint the veranda (Mark insists it's a veranda) floor tomorrow. I've planned to do this since 2020. Can't jump into these things you know.

I pulled myself out of the cooking rut yesterday and made broccoli chicken with brown rice. It was good. One of the things I miss about St. Paul is the authentic hole-in-the-wall Chinese pick-up restaurant and the upper end authentic Vietnamese restaurant in the neighborhood. Nothing beats the egg roll.

 

Monday

Good Monday Morning

 The last bearded of the season. 

We had a light overnight rain. Not enough but welcome anyway. Another hot, humid day on the way. I got the rest of my seeds strewn, maybe the light rain was the weather gods' gift to me for that.

I do try to stay away, as much as possible, from the insanity of my country....but. I saw the clip of the trumplodite's interview on NBC. May I say, quite presidential of him. Odin help us.