Last summer we had a drought. Everything turned to dusty straw. I drank copious amounts of water to attempt to overcome the heat. And I thought global warming had doomed us to hell. The last part still has time to come to fruition (why, oh, why did I choose last summer of all times to watch Al Gore's film--it felt so apocolyptic when everything around mestarted dying). We had a cool, wet spring this year that everyone but me complained about. I hate cold and hot, so give me cool or warm any day. Currently, we are on the brink of August and the weather is still lovely. We've had the heat and humidity, but we've also had our share of just absolutely perfect days weather-wise.
With the summer comes fruit. Vegetables come also, but who cares about them when there are peaches around? I bought lots of extra peaches and blanched them, put them in a honey/water syrup, and froze them in single servings for my morning oatmeal come December. My friend Abbey gave me a heart-shaped silicon cup-cake pan as a present that is perfect for freezing things in; said frozen objects slip right out. Plus, they are super cute, as much as that counts for frozen fruit. They might even make me smile before having coffee in the dusky, dead of winter mornings.
Peaches frozen into hearts. Who doesn't want that?
I also hate to admit it, but last night I blanched broccoli and corn and then froze them (separately). It was kind of scary reminder of growing up and canning/freezing/picking ALL summer. I hated it. This time, though, someone else grew and picked it. And, it was only one bag each. Which isn't to say that I won't become obsessive about it some day, but, afterall, I do have a doctorate to finish and the frozen food section at the store works quite well.
Knitted handiwork and a pose/expression that I can't even begin to understand.I have now officially learned to read and knit at the same time. Which means I could embrace funny old lady habits of taking knitting everywhere I go and clicking my needles in public places. For now, no, though. Above is a shirt I knit and I like it an awful lot. I'm thinking of vowing to not buy new clothes ever again and just do thrift stores and do it yourself type things. Probably the vow won't happen, but I could follow the spirit of the law or something. Sometimes I think that each season's trends are really a man-made phenemonon to force us to be more consumeristic and I completely buy into it way to much, even though I live in an unpopulated midwest area that is probably five years (at least) behind NYC. Maybe the current economy might teach us as a culture not to buy so much stuff.
Comments (8)
I think that your thoughts on the frozen food section of the grocery store and on thrift-stores and do-it-yourself clothing require a little reconciliation!
Can both be true at the same time? Does this encompass whole-life experience or are we being dichotomous?
those peaches are sure to warm you up this winter on a cold morning!
i'd love to start preparing for the winter, but my freezer isn't big enough... i think i might have to splurge and buy a separate freezer for such a thing.
don't make any vows about little things - they come and go with need and opinion. i thought the hearts were tomatoes at first and i was really jealous. i love maters so much. especially in the summer. one year we had some little cherry tomatoes and in the evening we'd go eat them right off the vine, still warm from the day's sun - almost cooked... i miss my tommy toes this year...
i am tres jealous of that shirt!!!
i wasn't allowed to go to the pool until i had broke a bushel of beans, when i was young....
i can't sew a damn thing. left handed and no one had the patience to teach me...
hmmm...i am not familiar with this word "blanched." Funny since my mom used to jar/freeze a lot of stuff...and eww oatmeal.
Kara! I love the peach hearts! I am currently buying ridiculous amounts of cheap (and relatively local) blueberries and stocking them away in the freezer for winter blueberry pancakes...mmmm!
The shirt is great too, I just packed the lovely sweater you knitted for Lucy away in her box of stuff to give her when she is one day (30 years from now!) with child. It is a truly beautiful thing, thank you agin for such a thoughtful gift!
ryc: actually our neighbor does have some 20' from our back door :D
aw one time lucy vowed to stop buying clothing and make her own stuff/do the thrift store thing. and she made it pretty long i think... at least a couple months!