Another batch of home made syrup. Boiled up fresh lime, agave nectar and fresh mint. Turned the flame down and reduced it. Then drained it off and mixed with some #SodaStream. Delightful. Will make a nice mojito.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Sunday, July 13, 2014
ADVENTURES IN SODA STREAM
ALL NATURAL SODA-STREAM SYRUPS
We decided to buy a Soda Stream. Really not supposed to drink soda - mostly cola - but thought this would be a much healthier alternative as we could choose all natural flavors and I found some great recipes for syrups made with fruits, herbs and natural sweeteners. We ordered the machine from Amazon and within a week we'd tried the sample pack of flavors that came with the unit along with some flavors we'd concocted on our own. I ordered some cucumber/mint no calorie flavoring and I decided it was time to try some of the recipes that I had gleaned off the internet and put on Pinterest; not to mention a book I had purchased for my Kindle.
1st Recipe - Berry Basil Syrup
The hubby had purchased some beautiful berries at Sprouts. Juicy strawberries, plump blueberries and some ripe raspberries. I took about 3 cups of strawberries that I had hulled and sliced and boiled them in a saucepan with the washed berries, 1 cups of water, ½ tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 cups of raw cane sugar and some fresh basil leaves.
I brought the mixture to a boil over high heat then reduced the heat and let them mixture simmer and I stirred to make sure the sugar was dissolved. After cooking 10 minutes making sure the berries were soft, I then muddled the fruit and herb mixture and let that simmer for another 5 minutes.
I then had to strain the mixture through a strainer to extract all the juice. The recipe said to thro the mashed berry mixture away but I am saving it to mix with some quinoa or other grain for a delicious breakfast. 
Strained juice mixed with berry-basil syrup is delicious! Not too sweet and oh so refreshing!!! The basil is subtle and the berry syrup not too sweet. 
After bottling up the Berry Basil Syrup I started on the next recipe.
This began by slicing up some fresh ginger root into thin slices and added that to 2 cups of water and a cup of granulated sugar. As the mixture boiled over a high heat I whisked in ¾ tablespoon of ground ginger to give it some added ginger flavor. The heat was then reduced so the mixture could simmer and cook down until the the syrup is reduced by ½. After boiling it was strained and put into a bottle and labeled to mix with the soda for some dry, refreshing ginger ale.Tuesday, July 8, 2014
BEST LAID PLANS
Yessssssssssssss..............the intent was to blog. To actually do some writing about what was going on my life. To express what my life felt like and how I was coping (or not coping) with my life. Oh yes, that was the plan.
This was it:
1. Start a new blog - call it REBRAND (oh ain't that clever?)
2. WRITE
It was really simple. A 2 part plan and perhaps it was just too damned simple. I thought it would work but then again - I am simple. Therefore; it did not work.
So it's been since JANUARY that I have written anything in this blog. Oh sure I have done my time on FacebookAt that time I was rocking the Sun Salutation Club at the Farmer's Market and having a grand springtime. Things were going ok.
Then I began my intensive yoga teacher training and that's when life got real, yo. (I hear that's what the young hipsters say). I had to take off about 6 weeks of every Thursday vacation day to go down to the studio and work on yoga ALL DAY. Then I had to do homework and write essays. I had not written an essay since 1980. Really. I thought those days were over for me. Old dog/new tricks - that sort of thing. However I persevered and got through all the classwork. I am now just doing my student teaching at Yogini's. I need to get in my 50 hours of teaching so I can get the certification. GO FIGURE! After all these years, at age 56 I go for yoga teacher training. It still tickles the hell out of me. I now have a plan of what to do after I retire. It's kind of cosmic and cool. I am enjoying it a lot.
Speaking of retiring. I bought some service time for when I worked for the City and now I am sitting with 20 full years on the books with the State retirement system. Now the question is to retire early and supplement that with yoga or hold on for another 2 years until full retirement and see if I am still willing to supplement with yoga. I know the day job is aging me in dog years and I am not so sure if I will want to do anything at all after I retire in 2 years let alone teach yoga. It's a big decision and I am not the best at big decisions. I know my student teaching won't be over until summer's end and I get another retirement point (and $$$) for turning a year older in August. Nothing is happening until then but I am going to a seminar with the retirement system on Wednesday the 16th. I will find out more then and make a decision then. Have to be honest I don't think the hubby is too terribly thrilled with the idea of me retiring. Jealous? Maybe. Scared of losing insurance? Probably. Terrified of losing the income? DEFINITELY. I just have to make him realize that sometimes your dreams what the universe wants you to do is not the most lucrative. However they bring abundance galore.
The daughter has been doing everything for her wedding in November. Not much for us to do at this point she's so organized. I am blessed to have a daughter so in charge of her own destiny and so resourceful, motivated and she is going to be SUCH a beautiful bride! It will be a blessed event to see.
Speaking of blessed events - I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER! The son - our eldest - and his wife of 5 (almost 6) years are expecting a baby in January! January 2nd to be exact - a New Year's baby! To say we're excited would be an understatement. Her family is over the moon about the news as are we. To think my "baby" boy is having a baby of his own in 6 short months blows my mind! We are pushing for the names of G-Unit and Grandiddy.
The hubby changed jobs to one he is much happier in and is working his ass off. At least he's enjoying himself. Together we go on random date nights, hang out and watch TV and act like the middle-aged couple we are. We can get rather predicable so I try to buy some different types of vouchers from Living Social and give us a taste of hip new local stuff. It's good for us.
Writing in this blog is good for me. I keep a yoga journal and this is a better way to get the personal stuff out. I need to find the time (along with ALL the other stuff ) to actually sit down and write what I feel.
Right now I feel joyous. I feel somewhat stuck in my life and ready for change. Mostly I feel joyous. I hope that's how everyone else is feeling too. 
This was it:
1. Start a new blog - call it REBRAND (oh ain't that clever?)
2. WRITE
It was really simple. A 2 part plan and perhaps it was just too damned simple. I thought it would work but then again - I am simple. Therefore; it did not work.
So it's been since JANUARY that I have written anything in this blog. Oh sure I have done my time on FacebookAt that time I was rocking the Sun Salutation Club at the Farmer's Market and having a grand springtime. Things were going ok.
Then I began my intensive yoga teacher training and that's when life got real, yo. (I hear that's what the young hipsters say). I had to take off about 6 weeks of every Thursday vacation day to go down to the studio and work on yoga ALL DAY. Then I had to do homework and write essays. I had not written an essay since 1980. Really. I thought those days were over for me. Old dog/new tricks - that sort of thing. However I persevered and got through all the classwork. I am now just doing my student teaching at Yogini's. I need to get in my 50 hours of teaching so I can get the certification. GO FIGURE! After all these years, at age 56 I go for yoga teacher training. It still tickles the hell out of me. I now have a plan of what to do after I retire. It's kind of cosmic and cool. I am enjoying it a lot.
Speaking of retiring. I bought some service time for when I worked for the City and now I am sitting with 20 full years on the books with the State retirement system. Now the question is to retire early and supplement that with yoga or hold on for another 2 years until full retirement and see if I am still willing to supplement with yoga. I know the day job is aging me in dog years and I am not so sure if I will want to do anything at all after I retire in 2 years let alone teach yoga. It's a big decision and I am not the best at big decisions. I know my student teaching won't be over until summer's end and I get another retirement point (and $$$) for turning a year older in August. Nothing is happening until then but I am going to a seminar with the retirement system on Wednesday the 16th. I will find out more then and make a decision then. Have to be honest I don't think the hubby is too terribly thrilled with the idea of me retiring. Jealous? Maybe. Scared of losing insurance? Probably. Terrified of losing the income? DEFINITELY. I just have to make him realize that sometimes your dreams what the universe wants you to do is not the most lucrative. However they bring abundance galore.
The daughter has been doing everything for her wedding in November. Not much for us to do at this point she's so organized. I am blessed to have a daughter so in charge of her own destiny and so resourceful, motivated and she is going to be SUCH a beautiful bride! It will be a blessed event to see.
Speaking of blessed events - I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER! The son - our eldest - and his wife of 5 (almost 6) years are expecting a baby in January! January 2nd to be exact - a New Year's baby! To say we're excited would be an understatement. Her family is over the moon about the news as are we. To think my "baby" boy is having a baby of his own in 6 short months blows my mind! We are pushing for the names of G-Unit and Grandiddy.
The hubby changed jobs to one he is much happier in and is working his ass off. At least he's enjoying himself. Together we go on random date nights, hang out and watch TV and act like the middle-aged couple we are. We can get rather predicable so I try to buy some different types of vouchers from Living Social and give us a taste of hip new local stuff. It's good for us.
Writing in this blog is good for me. I keep a yoga journal and this is a better way to get the personal stuff out. I need to find the time (along with ALL the other stuff ) to actually sit down and write what I feel.
Right now I feel joyous. I feel somewhat stuck in my life and ready for change. Mostly I feel joyous. I hope that's how everyone else is feeling too.
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