I've kind of let the blog die a little.
This wasn't intentional. But the truth of the matter is... time is short. Now that I'm on summer vacation, you'd think I have endless bounds of free time, but that's not entirely true. I spend a lot of my waking moments now watching over the baby or running errands while someone else watches the baby. And don't get me wrong, I love him. We've had many a park adventure, we've played with his new water table, watched lots of movies and cartoons and had snacks galore. But during the few hours in the middle of the day when he decides to take a nap, I try to find time for myself, and after having spent a full school year staring at a screen, writing a blog post does not sound appealing. Instead, all I want to do is sit outside and do nothing.
Thank god we bought to a house with a patio. The patio has become my little oasis. It's got a fire pit, a grill, lots of furniture, a modest garden with some tomatoes and peppers, and wonderful sunlight throughout the early afternoon. Once the baby is comfortable in the crib, I immediately switch into a swimsuit, mix a quick cocktail, douse myself in SPF 30, set up the baby monitor, and bask in the sun with a book in hand. (I tore through Alison Bechdel's Fun Home and I'm currently working on Sy Montgomery's Becoming a Good Creature--her The Soul of an Octopus is glorious, highly recommended). Sometimes I'll opt for an outdoor workout before I sunbathe. Sometimes, I'll play some meditation music. But there's always sunscreen. And there's always a libation.
Given that time is precious, the cocktail is always simple and never requires the fussiness of a jigger or shaker. Lately, it's been sparkling shrub. Shrub is essentially fruit and vinegar mixed with sugar to create a tangy simple syrup. We popped over to Maple Acres Farm one weekend and picked a few pounds of strawberries, so a few ounces of those made their way into the first batch of shrub this summer. After the shrub sits for about a day, it gets topped with liquor of choice and some seltzer. I keep the shrub in a mason jar and make the quickest cocktail ever when it's oasis time (oh my god, is shrub just meal prepping for cocktails??).
This newfound hobby of reading in the sun is a bit strange for me. Growing up in Florida, I was a bit of a weirdo for openly disliking the beach. I wore jeans throughout my entire high school career out of spite; any exposure of my ankle would illicit reactions akin to those of pretentious Victorian gossipmongers who had, um, just seen an ankle. Add in the fact that I used to scoff at the idea of recreational reading, I've become a real contradiction of my former self.
I'm going to visit family in Florida for the month of July, where I'll be able to live out these backyard oasis fantasies. Though my parents have met the baby several times, my aunts, uncles, and cousins have not, so there will be a lot of people that want to watch him and take him off my hands. This means I may be able to bask in the sun more than I can in my own backyard. I'm not saying I want to pawn my son off to everyone else so I can be alone (I want to spend time with him too!), but it's nice to know that there will be extra pockets of me-time in the future. And after years of wearing long pants in my youth, maybe I'll finally get my legs and arms to be the same shade of tan.
So today, I say find your oasis. Maybe it's your backyard. Maybe it's somewhere out in public, like that shady tree in the park or that sweet spot on the beach. Maybe it's your bathtub or your reading nook. Just make sure it's enough of a destination, that way it feels special. Having an oasis has helped me slow down, even in the middle of summer break, so I'm going to relish every moment of relaxation.
I'll drink to that.
~c.j.
STRAWBERRY BASIL SHRUB
YIELD: About 2 cups of shrub, which is yields roughly 16 cocktails
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
INACTIVE TIME: 24+ hours
ASSEMBLY: Like less than a minute
INGREDIENTS
8 oz (1/2 lb) fresh strawberries
2/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 c. granulated sugar
2 sprigs of basil (add more if you like it extra basil-y!)
1-2 oz liquor of choice (my go-tos are vodka or tequila, but anything works)
seltzer, for topping
DIRECTIONS
Make the shrub: In a medium bowl, smash the strawberries with a fork or, if you're feeling frisky, your hands. Move the smashed berries to a large-ish mason jar (you can also make this in a bowl and cover it). Top with vinegar* and sugar, and mix until combined. Throw the basil in. Allow to sit for about 24 hours, mixing occasionally to dissolve all of the sugar. Pour through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids; the strained liquid is your shrub and because vinegar is already fermented, it will last for months in the fridge. The longer it sits, the mellower it gets.
To assemble the cocktail: Fill a highball with ice. Add about an ounce of shrub, and ounce or two of liquor, and top with seltzer. (Seriously though, I just eyeball that shit). Stir and enjoy.
*COOK'S NOTE: Some folks will let the fruit macerate in the sugar, then strain after 24 hours and add the vinegar then. That's totally fine, and if I'm not mistaken that's the "traditional" way to make shrub. You just might want to wait another day or two before making a cocktail with it. If not mellowed over time, the vinegar in shrub can make for an unpleasant, acerbic drink. Mixing the vinegar in at the beginning helps take off the edge quicker, with the sugar and fruit cutting through some of that sharpness on the forefront of the shurb-making process so you don't have to wait days to make your drink.
*ANOTHER COOK'S NOTE: Yeah, strawberry-balsamic-basil is a well-known classic flavor combination, but it doesn't stop there. All juicy fruits (re: berries, peaches, plums, etc.) are fair game here, as well as any vinegars or herbs you may want to add. Go nuts!