Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Limoncello: The Finale


So after many days (actually months) of toiling (not really, but still) over the limoncello, it's ready! For those who missed the initial blog I will repost the recipe for you all! I have used the recipe given on one of my favorite blogs www.NapaFarmhouse1885.blogspot.com This recipe is easy, really hands off, and turns out DELICIOUS! Nate took some to a dinner with his buddies, and they loved it! I am going to scour some recipe books and find a cocktail or two that involves limoncello, and of course I will have to test them out before I post about them!

meyer lemon limoncello
step 1
36 meyer lemons
two 4-in rosemary sprigs, washed and dried
2 bottles (750 ml. each) 100-proof vodka such as stolichnaya or smirnoff
2 1-gallon glass jars with a tight seal

peel lemons with citrus peeler, taking only the zest (the top layer). avoid any white pith. put a sprig of rosemary in each jar. place half of zest in one jar and remainder in second jar.


pour 1 bottle vodka over jar of rosemary and zest. repeat with second bottle of vodka over second jar of rosemary and zest. let jars sit undisturbed in a cool, dark place for 40 days...


After 40 days....

limoncello, part 2
10 cups water
9 cups sugar
2 bottles (750 ml. each) 100 proof vodka, such as stolichnaya or smirnoff

bring the water to a boil in a large pot. add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature.

divide the syrup in half and pour first half into one of your lemon-vodka mixture 1 gallon glass jars and the second half into the other gallon jar. pour 1 full bottle vodka into each jar. stir well. seal container and let sit undisturbed in a cool, dark place for another 40 days...

After another 40 days....

meyer lemon limoncello, part 3





pour limoncello through a cheesecloth covered large pitcher. (if you doubled the recipe like i did, this may require a couple of steps). divide among glass bottles and... because this needs to be stored in the freezer... i use rubber stoppers vs cork... Now you get to enjoy it!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

San Francisco Reunion

As luck would have it, my old friend Keren is living in San Francisco this summer. Tory instigated the whole trip, and we (we being some dear high school friends) found ourselves in San Francisco for a relaxing weekend! We biked the bridge, had lunch in Sausalito, went dancing, stumbled on a street fair, and took 100s of pictures. (This is what happens when you get three aspiring photographers together!)

I left the weekend with a warm feeling. I am a big fan of the "Sunscreen Song." It is the closest thing I have to a personal creed. There is a line that says "Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get the more you need the people who knew you when you were young." Now I don't really feel old, and I don't feel like I "need" to get in touch with the past. With that said, it was wonderful to be with old friends. I felt a little closer to past I had forgotten and a little closer to wonderful people I have spent to much time away from. Reunions should happen more often!




Bike the Bridge!



"It's just the way we roll."











Wednesday, June 17, 2009

A Snipit of Spring

It was a delightful spring! I say "was" because as of this weekend, it is officially summer! Hooray! Spring has been filled with family, friends, celebrations, reunions, and wonderfully mundane weekends! Stephen graduated, Nate's brother, Bart, married Sara in Boulder, CO, Nate finished his 3rd year of med school, and we spent time with good friends. Sigh.
Every time the season changes, I am brimming with excitement and filled with sadness. I love the future and relish the past. I spend so much of my time awaiting tomorrow, yet I secretly miss yesterday. I think this is why I love taking pictures. I love being able to capture a moment, a laugh, a furrowed brow, an open window, and revisit it time and time again (as it passes through my screensaver!)
So we are saying adieu to Spring and hello to Summer! We're bringing out the flipflops and Nate and I will travel to Vanuatu, our dear friend and avid blog reader, Lori, will get married to Matt, and we will enjoy the fruits of our gardening labors!

Here are some pictures of our Spring Adventures. Enjoy!

Thomson Kids without Adam, sad.

Stephen's Graduation Party



Clamming


Paull Family in the tidal zone foraging for dinner

Saying good-bye to Adam

Life Lessons with Mimi

Diane made Buffett and crown

Weekend Picnic


Working in the P Patch


Paull Family

Ben and Mara at Taste

Find your Farmers Market