a few bullets

• Busy, fun summer of reading
• and knitting
• and loving on my family--
• Son #1 is back from China for 2 months--then going back for another year

• Books recently finished:
• Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
• Henrietta's War (a Bloomsbury book)
• Just started Harry Potter #3
  
• More posts coming this weekend....

Refreshing and Yummy!

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads each week and offers a unique way to merge booking with cooking!

Apparently I really don't look at many cookbooks anymore--as evidenced by the fact that I never seem to have any to review for this weekly meme. What I do have, however, is some yummy recipes, because if there is one thing this family of mine loves to do, it is eat!!

So, today, I am going to share with you an amazing, refreshing beverage. While the news has been focused on the heat wave hitting the east coast the past week, they forgot to mention the heat here in little old Washington State--a state where 95 percent of homes do not have air conditioning! It has been in the mid to upper 90s most of this week-one day reaching 98 in the suburb where I live! We are sweltering and I needed something yummy and cool to drink! I found it on my favorite cooking blog, My Kitchen Cafe, and the picture and recipe are from her blog. She is my go to blogger when I am looking for some new recipes to try! Go visit her, I think you will find something delish to try!

Rasberry Lime Rickey

12 oz. package frozen raspberries
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 limes (It took 4 limes to get the 1/2 cup juice but I only used the zest from 3 limes – it was plenty)
Club soda, chilled
Ice

Heat raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the raspberries begin to release their juices, about five minutes. Mash the berries with a potato masher until the berries break down, then stir in the lime zest and juice. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about five minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids to extract the liquid. This works best done in batches so the seeds don’t clog up the bottom of the mesh strainer. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups syrup. Discard the berry solids. Refrigerate the syrup until completely cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. To serve, combine 3/4 cup club soda and 3 tablespoons syrup in tall, ice-filled glasses.

I hope you all find a way to stay cool and that you have a wonderful weekend--full of cool drinks and good books! On a reading note, I am about 1/2 way through The Lost Summer Of Louisa May Alcott and must say I am thoroughly enjoying it! I have also been busy knitting my first ever garment (that isn't a baby hat) for my little sweetie Lyddie.

Cheers....

Mailbox Time

What's In Your Mailbox Monday is hosted each week by Marcia over at The Printed Page.

My mailbox is slowing down as I have not requested many new ones. My shelves are just too darn full! The two I did receive were courtesy of paperbackswap.com. Now that graduation is over, the 4th of July is over and boys baseball is winding down, I anticipate more reading time. My June total was just a dismal 2! Oh, and then part of a 3rd that will get counted in my July total. Later today I am going to post a list of the books I hope to read in July and August.

Celebrate!

Happy Independence Day to all my bookish friends!

We are having a quiet day this year as opposed to the huge party we hosted last year. We told our boys maybe next year we will host a big bbq again, but we just did not have it in us this year to pull one together.
As I type though, homemade ice-cream is churning away--and later will be taken to our friend's house who has graciously agreed to have people over for ice-cream and fireworks. It has been a cloudy, cool, and sometimes showery day here in Seattle, so really hasn't felt much like the 4th.

We are going to grill some steaks, and with those also consume corn on the cob, macaroni salad, rolls and watermelon, so we at least have sunny, celebratory foods to eat! :)

I am off work the next 2 days, and hopefully will be able to post some bookish stuff and roam around visiting all of you!

Wordless Wednesday

Little Lyddie bug at the community pea patch garden.
7 months old