What Ales You
So far, 2013 has been the year of the bug. Save for a few days last week, one of us has been sick since day one. We both have our own way of dealing when we’re under the weather. My other half refuses any sort of drug therapy, opting to suck on cloves of garlic (forcing me swiftly to the other side of the house). I’m a little less puritan about these things and will happily down a dose of Sudafed or anything that will rockabye baby. We both, however, honor and respect the power of nutrition in both prevention and healing. So today, on day five of this lousy cold, I’m waging war. My weapon – the biggest hunk of ginger I could find.
I’ve been researching homemade ginger ale recipes and decided to mashup a few of those that look best. Most call for a traditional simple syrup made by simmering ginger into sugar and water. I wanted to keep things as clean as possible so I opted for honey instead of refined sugars. I also added cardamom seeds to amp up the flavor. And of course, lots of fresh squeezed lemon.
[Slice 1 1/2 cup of raw ginger.]
[Combine the ginger + 1/4 cup cardamom seeds + 1 cup honey with 1 1/2 cups water.
Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 20 min.]
[Strain the syrup and allow to cool.]
[Collect 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice - roughly 1 1/2 lemons.]
[Add 2 tbsp of syrup and 1 tbsp of lemon juice to a glass of ice. Top with 1 cup of sparkling water.]
This really is the perfect concoction. Sparkling and spicy with a bit of tang and not too sweet.
Maybe I’m just desperate to feel less lousy but I’m pretty sure I can feel it working.
Bye bye, bug!
xo – Heather
Sedona
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…
Wide open spaces
Airport-free travel
Nowhere to be
A hundred hikes to choose from
A local, craft beer after a day on the trail
And breathtaking views around every corner
This year we hit the road for the holidays, destination – Sedona, AZ. While we missed being with family, I must say, this was a pretty brilliant idea. Not too far away but far enough, if you catch my drift. I left Sedona feeling that giddy, expanded thing that you feel after you’ve travelled to a new place, learned something or tasted a new flavor for the first time.
I’m now back into the swing of biz as usual but this trip gave me a very nice and dearly needed dose of Zen.
Hanging on for as long as possible!
xo – Heather
Pop. Clink. Fizz.
Happy 2013!
May it be filled with adventure,
unexpected joy and much love!
xo
Heather
White
While it’s technically Boxing Day
I’m still wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.
As for us, we’re going to drag out our white one
for as long as possible!
xo
Heather
“Oh Look, it’s the Yuletide Season”
I have this funny memory from high school. A couple of girlfriends and I were cruising the rural routes of South Dakota late one night before Christmas (there may have been an older boy or two along for the ride). We were driving around checking out the houses that were lit for the holidays. As we spotted the glow of lights in the distance one of us would announce “Oh look, it’s the yuletide season” in our best, most awful British accents. We repeated this pubescent goofiness over and over, giggling ’til it hurt. It seems pretty silly now but it left an indelible mark because that moment surfaces every year during the holidays and this year is no exception.
We cooked up a little yuletide magic of our own last week. ”Oh look…”
In a nod to my family’s honey business the angel on our tree is a little bee doll.
Next to the ornaments made by my nieces she’s my favorite thing on the tree.
xo Heather
Inn ‘n Out
While we were back East for Thanksgiving we took a drive up the New England coast to spend our last night in Kennebunkport, Maine. We love the idea of a cozy inn but aren’t exactly classic B&B people. We found The Inn at English Meadows and as far as finding our perfect spot, we sort of nailed it. Our sweet & savvy hosts Eric and Liz moved to Maine after growing professional careers in NYC’s apparel industry. Leveraging their obvious sense of style they remodeled this lovely victorian home to reflect a more contemporary, less traditional esthetic. They’ve completely mastered the art of cozy + modern. From the bed linens to the bath products, everything was warm and tasteful (bath products were my very faves from Malin & Goetz). And don’t get me started about the breakfast portion of the program. I only wish I’d nabbed a photo or two of the poached pears with marscapone or the homemade pancakes with fresh Maine maple syrup. Some moments simply can’t be interrupted.
Such a great way to spend the last night of our holiday.
If you get the chance, please book a night or two with Eric and Liz.
We’re already cooking up an excuse to go back!
xo Heather
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