Summer Vacation

In case you haven't noticed, Cassandra and I have been sort of conspicuously absent these last two weeks. Cassandra and her family took a trip to settle her college-graduate daughter into a year-long job in Mexico City and I've been traveling a lot for work.

Add to all this travel, the fact that both our jobs have gotten a lot busier in recent months and you have a recipe for "not much crafting time."  My garden looks a mess and I haven't picked up knitting needles in ages. I have a million sewing projects (okay, maybe not a whole million) that are screaming to be done. But, when I get home at night, I just want to veg out with TV or a book. 

I need to retire. 

Truthfully, I'm going to be the best retired person in the world because I'll finally get to do all the projects I'm dying to do now. 

So...what does all this grousing mean? Cassandra and I have decided to have a summer vacation from the blog. We've been at this consistently, at least twice a week, for four full years and we just need a little break.

For the next couple of months, we'll do some re-prints of classic Mighty Distractible posts for your reading enjoyment and we'll get back to new, fresh content after our summer is over.

Thanks for being consistent and loyal readers. We hope you'll stick with us during (or come back after) our vacation. :)

- Alex

How Does My Garden Grow?

This week my garden grows in bags. :)

In case you missed it, this cool gardening tactic has been making the rounds on Facebook lately. Bag gardening isn't new - just do a Google search and you'll yield thousands of results. However, the blog post that has been referenced on FB presents the idea in what I think is a better way. It brings the height of the garden up to waist level (for me, anyway) and out of the reach of the voracious bunnies that live in my neighborhood.

So here, in pictures, is my adventure in bag gardening. Easy to do - took me one shopping trip and about a half hour to plant. I'll post updates as the bags grow (or don't!). And please, send us pics if you do this too. I'd love to see your results.

- Alex

Shopping list:

2 wooden sawhorses (Home Depot) - $19 ea - reusable for many jobs

1 piece of cow fencing - cut to 3' widths (Farm & Fleet) - $20 for eight finished cuts

4 one cubic foot bags of garden soil (Home Depot) - $5 ea

Seeds for shallow rooted plants (herbs, greens, etc)

You'll also need a utility knife or some other sharp knife or scissors.

This is what cow-fencing looks like.

Two sawhorses, one cut of cow-fencing, holds four bags of soil.

Poke holes in the bottom of the bags for drainage.

Cut open the top of the bag, leaving about a 2"-4" border.

Like this. Leave the "flaps".

Loosen the soil.

Remove and retain the top layer of soil (you'll reuse this).

Shallow-rooted seeds.

Sow the seeds per the package instructions.

Use the removed soil to cover the seeds.
Roll the flap up and tuck them in the sides. This provides stability.
I used the seed packets to mark my plantings.

My finished bag garden!

Fingers crossed, I should have a fabulous garden of greens for my summer eating!

Vintage MD: Summer Recipes

Cassandra and I are both having a bit of a rough week. Nothing to get too worried about but enough of a distraction to keep us from blogging properly. So, we're going to take a very short break (we'll probably be back to normal by next week) and regale you with some vintage posts. 

Today's re-post is one of my favorites from last year - a collection of some of my classic summer recipes. We have a few weeks left before it's autumn, right?? 

Thanks for your patience, friends. 

- Alex

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Original post date: Monday, June 4, 2012

Summer Chow

Summer food is the most glorious thing - especially if you try to prepare things "seasonally" as the garden matures. It's been a while since we've posted recipes here at Mighty Distractible and, as it turns out, both Cassandra and I had the same idea for our posts this week! Maybe we really have started sharing a brain.


So, consider the next few posts our homage to summer cooking. Whether you prefer cold salads or stuff hot off the grill, we'll have something to entice you and, hopefully, recipes you'll add to your collection.


Because we live in Wisconsin, a lot of the older homes (mine is 104 years old) don't have air conditioning. I heard that audible gasp... I have a large window unit that I ran for exactly four days last year. I also have ceiling fans and my house is cooled by the large shade trees in the front yard. However, the house is still too warm to eat like it's winter time. I'm rarely looking for heavy comfort foods in the summer so I have my collection of warm-weather recipes that I can whip up quickly and have in the refrigerator for snacking at a moment's notice.

Here are a few that I hope you'll enjoy.

Orzo Salad
(stolen from my dear friend, Johanna)
 

1 lb of orzo
1/4 C chopped green onion
1/4 C chopped kalamata olives
1/4 C quartered cherry tomatoes
 A handful of pine nuts
1/2 C chopped fresh spinach
1/4 C Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C olive oil
crushed garlic (1-2 cloves
Salt
Lemon juice (optional)

This makes a BIG batch that's perfect for a picnic, a potluck, or to keep in the fridge for the week.

While the orzo is cooking (follow package direction and don't cook it past al dente), crush the garlic and put it in the olive oil to soak. Prepare all the vegetables and set aside. When the orzo is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Put the orzo in a bowl and mix in all the vegetables, pine nuts, and cheese. Reserving the olive oil, strain the garlic out of it (now you have garlic-flavored olive oil). Mix in the olive oil and a little salt (the olives and feta are both salty so you shouldn't need much). Add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavors up a bit. Done!

This salad gets better the longer it sits. Make it early in the day and put it in the fridge for dinner. The flavors will mix and the salad will take on a whole new dimension. Also, be creative with the quantities. If you like more of a particular vegetable, put more in! This is an easily adjustable recipe depending on your tastes.

Beet Salad
(adapted from a local restaurant item - hopefully they won't sue)

This recipe is written for a single serving. Multiply it as necessary.

2 medium-size roasted beets (you can use pickled beets for a different flavor)
1 big handful of arugula
1/8 C coarsely chopped walnuts
1/8 C crumbled blue cheese (gorgonzola is good too)
1 small handful of dried cranberries
Balsamic vinaigrette

Dice the beets into bite-sized pieces. Mix all the ingredients and dress with the vinaigrette. That's it.... Great combo of flavors.

My Ex-Mother-in-Law's Perfect Potato Salad
(Thanks Joan!)

This is written for a small batch of salad.

One of the secret ingredients

3 lbs of red potatoes (Joan used some other kind - I don't remember - but I like the reds)
1 medium sweet onion (preferably Vidalia), chopped
1/2 C sweet pickle relish
Mayonnaise
A touch of Miracle Whip
Salt

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cook in boiling water until a fork easily goes through a large piece of potato. DO NOT OVERCOOK or you'll end up with mashed potatoes. :)  Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mix in the chopped onion and the sweet pickle-relish - coating the potatoes as much as possible. Leave the potatoes alone until they cool to room temperature (about an hour). You can stir them a couple of times to help the cooling along.

Once the potatoes are room temperature, add your mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. This is where it gets dicey... I've never measured the amount. I like my potato salad really creamy so, if I had to guess, I'd say I add about 3/4 C of mayonnaise and about 1/4 C Miracle Whip. That's the ratio you want - 3 parts mayo to 1 part Miracle Whip. You'll have to play with it though and decide how much you like...  Add salt to taste.

Optional - add some diced hard-boiled egg. I don't care for it but some folks like the added texture.

Orange Blossom Lemonade
(idea stolen from a local restaurant - hopefully they won't sue)

So, this is a bit of a cheat. I don't have a juicer and am not willing to make lemonade from scratch. If you are, go for it. If not, you can do it my lazy way.

1 can of good frozen lemonade - without pulp. I like Cascadian Farms Organic.
1 T orange blossom water (can be found at stores that have a good selection of ethnic foods - used a lot in Middle Eastern cooking)

Prepare lemonade as directed. Should make two quarts. Add orange blossom water - adjust (add more) if necessary to achieve a nice balance of lemon and orange. Serve over ice.

ENJOY! - Alex

Summer Reading

In the heat of the summer, is there anything better than lying on the sofa under a slowly turning ceiling fan with a good book? Or even a not so great book... The act of being still and reading is such a languid, hot-weather indulgence. Invariably, a nap sneaks its way into the afternoon - with book open on chest.

Some of us even enjoy this same activity outside while lying in the sun.

I say indulgence because, when you live in a place that has nine months of winter, every summer day is precious. There's a need to fill every glorious moment of sun with outdoor activity and reading is so quiet and passive that it, generally, doesn't work into the goings-on. Personally, I love to make time for lying still - especially if the day is very, very hot.

So, in that spirit, I'd like to share some recent personal favorite reads with you. Most of these are going to fall into the geeky realm as I'm not a fan of heavy drama or "chick lit". I tend to sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery novels. All of these are perfect for summer - no great commitment, easy to read, and fun. Hopefully, you'll find something in here that piques your interest. :)

- Alex

(Amazon and GoodReads work on a 5 star scale)

1. Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel: 3.5 stars Amazon; 3.5 stars GoodReads

"In the near future, America is crushed by a financial crisis and our patient Chinese creditors may just be ready to foreclose on the whole mess. Then Lenny Abramov, son of an Russian immigrant janitor and ardent fan of “printed, bound media artifacts” (aka books), meets Eunice Park, an impossibly cute Korean American woman with a major in Images and a minor in Assertiveness. Could falling in love redeem a planet falling apart?"

This is a "love it or hate it" book. I loved it for the hilarious and probably accurate look at our near future. It's a great commentary on where technology is taking us and one man's attempt to hold on to something real.

2. Ready Player One: 4.5 stars Amazon; 4.3 stars GoodReads

"It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.  

At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed."

My favorite book of last year - bar none.

For anyone who lived through (and was plugged in to pop culture) in the 80's this is a must-read book.

3. Crystal Eyes: 5 stars Amazon; 4.75 stars GoodReads

"It's beem over two hundred years since the solar system was left devastated by a huge pulse of energy from the sun, the survivors of the human race eke out a fragile existence on an earth where life has been twisted by radiation and where the Solanists - a dark and brutal religious cult - hold sway.

In this savage, ignorant world, one family tries to protect their mutated daughter, a demon in the eyes of the Solanists. Their only chance lies with the enigmatic and dangerous gunslinger known as Crystal Eyes, the deadliest demon to ever travel the badlands. Only with her help will they evade the Solanist preachers who hunt for them. But Crystal Eyes has her own hunter - the greatest preacher of them all on a quest for revenge."

Basically, this is a post-apocalyptic Western. It is rolliking good fun - worthy of being made into a movie - and left me wanting a sequel (which I understand the author is in the process of writing. Squee!)

4. Carpathia: 3.7 stars on Amazon; 3.13 stars on GoodReads

"When the survivors of the Titanic are picked up by the passenger steamship Carpathia, they thought their problems were over.

But something's sleeping in the darkest recesses of the ship. Something old. Something hungry."

This is a "revised history" - so, fact wrapped in fiction. It is a heart-pounding, scary, fun exercise in imagination.

5. Enders Game: 4.6 stars on Amazon; 4.3 stars on GoodReads

Soon to be a major motion picture!

"In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Is Ender the general that Earth needs to survive?

Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel."

The brilliance of this book (and what I'm afraid will get lost in the movie) is the subtle commentary on the psychology of war and children, family dynamics, politics and more. It's a stunningly good book that is the first in a long series. I haven't read any of the others but really enjoyed this first one.

6. Wool (Omnibus): 4.7 stars on Amazon; 4.4 stars on GoodReads

"This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside is uninhabitable, the view of it is limited, talk of it is forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside."

This is a great treatise on how an isolated society behaves - even when given a strong set of rules to follow. It's a fascinating read and compelled me to move on to the next set of books (a prequel) in the series.

Friday Finds: Strawberry Country Cake

It's finally getting hot out around here, and that means strawberry shortcake tastes extra good! Instead of the lazy usual way I make it, (sugared strawberries and whipped cream atop store-bought pound cake on individual plates) I am going to try something more home-made.

After doing some web searching, I found this great recipe from The Barefoot Contessa. I'm trying it this weekend! It doesn't look too time consuming for this lazy summer girl.

Photo courtesy of Barefoot Contessa.

Have a great weekend!

Cassandra

Ladybug: Aphid Killer

Ladybugs are cute - all red and polka-dotted. In childhood books they're portrayed as sweet and adorable.

In realilty, ladybugs and their more aggressive cousins, the Asisan beetle, are stone cold killers.

As I have mentioned (probably ad nauseum), I have a severe infestation of black cherry aphids on my lovely, beloved cherry tree. I've tried a lot of things to eradicate them. The first year, I got so frustrated, I actually used a nasty chemical - against my better judgement. It didn't work. So, for the last couple of years, my tactic as been to manually remove the infested leaves and treat the entire tree with organic insecticidal soap. Yeah... not so much.

At the end of last summer, I did serious research on how to get rid of the little buggers. However, I missed a critical piece of information - the one that said "do all this in the fall". I waited until spring and, of course, by then it was too late to do the preventative stuff. So, I was back to picking off leaves and spraying soap in hopes of keeping them under control. My last ditch effort was the one that I had the least faith in - buying live predators and realeasing them on the tree to kill the aphids.

I read too much online to have any faith in buying ladybugs to eat the aphids. Most of the reviewers complained of releasing $40 worth of ladybugs only to see them fly off into the sunset (or to the neighbor's yard). Short of putting a net up to keep them on the tree, I couldn't imagine that this tactic would work at all.

But... desperate times call for desperate measures. I ordered 3,000 ladybugs - two packages of 1,500 from two different suppliers (just in case one was a dud). I also ordered some ladybug "lure" which is supposed to make the tree irrisistable.

Here, in photos, was my experience:

Box #1 - Nicely packaged. Good air holes. Well branded box.

Box #2 - hand-made airholes. No branding on box. Giant "live ladybug" sticker on top.

In box #1 - a vial of nectar concentrate. Enough to make 1 qt of nectar to feed the bugs.

Box #2 - a bag of nectar powder. Enough to make about 1 at of nectar.

Both sets of bugs came in this type of plastic mesh bag.

At this point, I'd like to point out some differences between my two shipments. Box #1 included a lot of stuff that box #2 didn't (or didn't do as well.) Box #1 had lovely, 4-color inserts with information on the lifecycle of the bugs and how to release them, cross-sell on a bunch of other cool ladybug stuff (including kits for kids), and a coupon for 10% off my next purchase. Box #2 had two sheets of typed information that explained about ladybugs and how to release them. They were copied on green paper.

The biggest difference between the two was the health of the bugs. Box #2 had about 1/2 inch of dead ladybugs in the bottom of the bag. Now... I'm still sure I got my 1,500. There were TONS of live bugs in there. But they were rather weak which, when it was all said and done, worked in my favor. Box #1 had a total of 7 dead bugs in the bag. Seven. Seriously. And all the bugs were super-active and seemed very healthy. This could have been attributed to the fact that box #1's bag had a small piece of "feeding cotton" in it. I'm sure it was soaked with nectar. So, why were the weaker bugs better?? Because they immediately sought out food (the aphids) and they didn't disappear as quickly. The healthy bugs in box #1 ate some, but were perfectly content to fly off.

Check this out:

After releasing the ladybugs, a lot of them stayed around and feasted on aphids. If the information in box #1 is to be believed, they will have laid some eggs and will hatch larvae that will continue to eat the aphids - thus controlling the pests completely. Who knows. Out of 3,000 bugs, there were probably a few hundreds left on the tree after a day. Maybe that's all it takes...

Regardless, the process was fun and it was great to see the bugs do what they were meant to do. Fingers crossed!

- Alex

Summer Has Sprung

For the third year in a row, Wisconsin has not had a proper springtime. We have, essentially, jumped from winter (and 30 degree weather) to summer (and 70 degree weather). Frankly, I would really like a transition... but that just me, I guess.

This past weekend we were graced with temperatures in the high 60's and low 70's so, when you have so few months of decent weather, you don't let days like these go to waste. After a rollicking night out on Friday (my bookclub's second anniversary party which resulted in excessive imbibing and bowling until 12:30a.m.), I got my hungover butt out of bed, drank a bunch of water, and started doing yardwork at 9a.m.

The interesting thing about working off a hangover is that there's this moment when you're absolutely positive you're not going to make it and then, suspiciously, you get over it and, between the sun and the fresh air, you suddenly feel great! Or, at least, that was my experience on Saturday.

Because I'm a lazy gardener, I didn't clean out my planting beds at the end of last summer. Saturday's efforts were spent on yard clean-up - raking leaves, digging up volunteer trees, and pulling some of the early, aggressive weeds. At the end of two and a half hours of hard labor, my son, his girlfriend, and I had filled 8 giant leaf bags with yard waste to go to the landfill and (becuase we ran out of bags) left a huge pile of leaves at the curb. My yard is far from finished but I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment getting the beds clean and ready for mulch and new plants.

Inside the house got a smidgen of attention on Sunday with a bit of cleaning and some general moving around of stuff. House plants got moved to the porch and the grill got cleaned and used for dinner. But, the best part of our sunny, 70 degree day was taking my dogs to my friend's farm for a run-about. They spent three hours smelling smells, running in the sun, and chasing the teenaged pigs around the barn. There's nothing funnier than watching a 10 lbs miniature pinscher herd pigs that are four times its size. I wish I'd remembered to bring a camera...

Actually, the best part might have been the fact that the dogs slept the sleep of the dead last night. I can't remember the last time they were so exhausted.

I rounded out my first weekend of summer with a visit from a friends who's learning to knit. We had dinner and then set out to review her work to date and get her going again. She had been to two previous knitting "events" with friends and had a basic understanding of knit stitch. But, she also knew that her fabric (which was about four inches long) was kind of a mess. She had a number of dropped stitches and her tension was pretty uneven so her work looked like that of a beginner (surprise!). So, we ripped out her work and started her on a new piece. I think that, having someone right next to you to talk through problems row by row, really makes a huge difference. She knit about 20 rows and managed to keep her tension pretty consistent and only made a few mistakes (so she also got to see how to fix them). One thing I'm learning about beginning knitters is that it's not unusual for them to "twist" their stitches - usually by throwing their yarn the wrong way around the needle. She did this very consistently but I was able to show her what she was doing and why doing it the "right" way was better. It's going to take some practice for her to change the bad habit but now that she knows how to identify what she's doing wrong, I think she'll get there sooner rather than later.  Oh! I also got her off the insanely long metal needles she was using and onto some nice, easy-to-handle bamboos.

I find that I rather like teaching people how to knit. :)

Finally, in this personal ramble of mine, I'd like to update you all on my allergic reaction that I wrote about last week. Turns out that it wasn't the soap! *yea! I can still use my awesome new felted soap!*  Sadly, it turns out that I had a reaction to an antibiotic I was taking... This is bad for many reason, the worst of which is that I LOVE the Z-Pack and may never be allowed to take it again. Grrrrr.  Also, pretty bad is the fact that, because the meds stay in your system for 10 days, I'M STILL ITCHY!  Although it's much better since I'm taking a cocktail of allergy meds and lathering myself with anti-itch lotion every day.

I hope that, like us, you all  are enjoying glorious weather - wherever you are. All hail summer! Let the gardening begin.

- Alex

Movie List Follow-Up

A while back, I made my Summer Blockbuster Movie List. This included the big-budget movies that I intended to see between June and September. I got a little heat from a few people because the list didn't include certain smaller, independent movies (some of which I saw) but this was supposed to be "blockbusters" - those movies that make a gajillion dollars in the first weekend and cost even more gajillions of dollars to make. I love blockbusters.

Anyway, I thought I'd give you a brief update on what I saw from that original list and how I felt about them. No big reviews here - just a summary and maybe my opinion of whether or not you should see it. :) So... here we go...

The Avengers

Perfection. Exactly what you want a blockbuster movie to be - action, pathos, action, humor, action, cute boys, action... etc. Joss Whedon's mark was all over this film and the franchise is better as a result. With an intelligent level of humor, he was able to bring all these individual super-heroes together and make one, wonderfully cohesive buddy film.

Men in Black III

I never made it to this one. I don't know what held me back as there were a number of things about the film that appealed to me. I guess, in the end, I felt like it would be fine to see on my TV in HD...

Snow White and the Huntsman

The weakest link in this movie was Kristen Stewart. I really had a hard time envisioning her as "fairest in the land" - especially when her competition for the title was FREAKIN' CHARLIZE THERON. Who, by the way, was exquisitely beautiful and exquisitely evil as the wicked witch. They played fast and loose with the story but it worked fine. The sets were nicely done and the CG was awesome. Overall, I'd say it was one of my favorites of the summer. FYI - this is a dark and evil tale with some seriously scary bits. Do NOT let your children watch this movie.

Prometheus

What to say about Prometheus? I saw it in IMAX 3D, which was stunning. The story was appropriately scary and epic and provided a fantastic "prequel" to the Alien movies. It had a number of amazing actors in it but none were as good as Michael Fassbender playing an android who wishes nothing more than to be a "real boy". So, why was I left a little cold? Maybe it was too serious for its own good. Maybe it didn't have enough resolution. I'm glad I saw it but it was missing something and I'm not sure what.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

WOOT! Fun, fun, fun. I'm a fan of alternate histories and this one is a doozy. The dude who plays Abe Lincoln, when fitted with a prosthetic nose for the role, looks so much like a young Liam Neeson that I actually went online to find out if they were related. They're not. But the kid is the husband of Meryl Streep's daughter, Mamie Gummer. There's your celebrity trivia for today. Rufus Sewell is yummy as the ancient vampire who rules the South. And, interestingly enough, they didn't sugar coat the slavery or Civil War bits. It was a surprisingly well written story and a great rollicking movie.

The Amazing Spiderman & The Dark Knight Rises

Never made it to Amazing Spider-man. Similar to my issue with Men In Black III, there was just "something" that kept me away from the theater. To be frank, it may have been casting Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. I just had a hard time buying him in the role. Anyway, I'll see it on my tv at some point.

On the other hand The Dark Knight Rises was AWESOME. I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved this movie. The entire cast was incredible with a special nod to Anne Hathaway as the most stunning Catwoman ever. And the story was the perfect ending to the series. It was beautiful in IMAX and really should be seen that way. Go before it leaves the theater. You'll be glad you did. (I'll admit it... I cried a couple of times.)

Total Recall, The Campaign, and The Odd Life of Timothy Green

These are all still on the list and currently in the theaters. Hopefully, I'll get to carve out some time in the next week or two to see them.

Additionally, I saw Moonrise Kingdom which I give 4.5 out of 5 stars, Magic Mike (don't judge me) which I give 2 out of 5 stars - and those two were just because it was full of half-nekkid, handsome men, and Manos: The Hands of Fate which was done by RiffTrax Live and receives a full 5 out of 5 stars for the shear insanity of it plus the fact that I'd had a GIANT margarita before I went to the event.

Non-blockbuster movies that I've added to my list of things to see include: The Intouchables (UK); Safety Not Guaranteed; Seeking a Friend for the End of the World; Ted; The Queen of Versailles; and Paranorman.

I also read some books but that's another blog post. :)  Hope you all are having a great summer!!

- Alex

Cocktail Hour

 When its hot outside, there's nothing better than a cool, refreshing summer drink. And using fresh summer flavors make any cocktail (alcoholic or non-) even more special. A peek at the (very hip) craft-cocktail movement reveals the use of completely unexpected flavors in today's drinks - often to extremely refreshing effect. Specifically, the use of uniquely flavored bitters, herbs, vegetables, and even tinctures and oils have introduced entirely new flavor profiles to imbibing.

This past weekend, I was invited to Sunday lunch at a friend's home and was tasked with bringing along some type of mixer for our cocktails. The host suggested making a "mojito" of sorts with basil, mint and cucumber. I decided to take it a step further and create some syrups that could be mixed with seltzer to make both a refreshing fizzy drink or a mixer for gin or vodka.

In the end, I made two syrups - my host's suggested combination as well as a strawberry rhubarb (because I had leftover strawberries that were over-ripe and a MOUNTAIN of rhubarb in the backyard). For a first go-'round, I think they came out really well. The kids particularly enjoyed the "strawberry soda" and the adults tried both concoctions with either gin or vodka. My favorite was gin mixed with the cucumber syrup.

Today, I'm going to share the recipes for the two syrups with the caveat that I'm still experimenting and I reserve the right to update the recipes at a future date. Since the basic construction is the same, you can do this with nearly any fruit/vegetable/herb/etc. If you start experimenting and come up with anything particularly awesome, please share in our comments section. Thanks!!

Please remember to drink adult beverages responsibly!

- Alex

Strawberry-Rhubarb Syrup

2 C water

1.5 C sugar (you can use up to 2 C sugar but that's too sweet for me)
Juice from one lemon
1 C strawberries (cut up)
2 C rhubarb (chopped)

Combine all ingredients in a pan. Bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Then lower heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 30 minutes, uncovered. Once the strawberries start losing their color, use a potato masher to mash the strawberries and rhubarb in the syrup. Turn off heat and let the pan sit and cool for a little bit. Then, through a fine mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a Mason jar or similar, glass container. Use the back of a spoon to push the liquid through the strainer.

I reserved the strawberry/rhubarb mush to put on ice cream.

Let the syrup cool completely then mix with seltzer for a fizzy strawberry/rhubarb soda. If you're over the legal drinking age, try it with vodka, gin, or white rum!


Cucumber Basil Mint Syrup

2 C water
1.5 C sugar or less (this particular syrup was WAY too sweet with 1.75 C of sugar which is why I'm still experimenting...)
2 large cucumbers (cut up) - approx 2 C
1 C basil leaves
1/2 C mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a pan. Bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Then lower heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 30 minutes, uncovered. Once the cucumbers are very soft, use a potato masher to mass the cucumbers and basil/mint leaves in the syrup. Turn off heat and let the pan sit and cool for a little bit. Then, through a fine mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a Mason jar or similar, glass container. Use the back of a spoon to push the liquid through the strainer.

Let the syrup cool completely then mix with seltzer for a fizzy, refreshing herb/cucumber soda. If you're over the legal drinking age, try it with vodka, gin, or white rum!

Summer Chow

Summer food is the most glorious thing - especially if you try to prepare things "seasonally" as the garden matures. It's been a while since we've posted recipes here at Mighty Distractible and, as it turns out, both Cassandra and I had the same idea for our posts this week! Maybe we really have started sharing a brain.


So, consider the next few posts our homage to summer cooking. Whether you prefer cold salads or stuff hot off the grill, we'll have something to entice you and, hopefully, recipes you'll add to your collection.


Because we live in Wisconsin, a lot of the older homes (mine is 104 years old) don't have air conditioning. I heard that audible gasp... I have a large window unit that I ran for exactly four days last year. I also have ceiling fans and my house is cooled by the large shade trees in the front yard. However, the house is still too warm to eat like it's winter time. I'm rarely looking for heavy comfort foods in the summer so I have my collection of warm-weather recipes that I can whip up quickly and have in the refrigerator for snacking at a moment's notice.

Here are a few that I hope you'll enjoy.

Orzo Salad
(stolen from my dear friend, Johanna)
 

1 lb of orzo
1/4 C chopped green onion
1/4 C chopped kalamata olives
1/4 C quartered cherry tomatoes
 A handful of pine nuts
1/2 C chopped fresh spinach
1/4 C Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C olive oil
crushed garlic (1-2 cloves
Salt
Lemon juice (optional)

This makes a BIG batch that's perfect for a picnic, a potluck, or to keep in the fridge for the week.

While the orzo is cooking (follow package direction and don't cook it past al dente), crush the garlic and put it in the olive oil to soak. Prepare all the vegetables and set aside. When the orzo is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Put the orzo in a bowl and mix in all the vegetables, pine nuts, and cheese. Reserving the olive oil, strain the garlic out of it (now you have garlic-flavored olive oil). Mix in the olive oil and a little salt (the olives and feta are both salty so you shouldn't need much). Add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavors up a bit. Done!

This salad gets better the longer it sits. Make it early in the day and put it in the fridge for dinner. The flavors will mix and the salad will take on a whole new dimension. Also, be creative with the quantities. If you like more of a particular vegetable, put more in! This is an easily adjustable recipe depending on your tastes.

Beet Salad
(adapted from a local restaurant item - hopefully they won't sue)

This recipe is written for a single serving. Multiply it as necessary.

2 medium-size roasted beets (you can use pickled beets for a different flavor)
1 big handful of arugula
1/8 C coarsely chopped walnuts
1/8 C crumbled blue cheese (gorgonzola is good too)
1 small handful of dried cranberries
Balsamic vinaigrette

Dice the beets into bite-sized pieces. Mix all the ingredients and dress with the vinaigrette. That's it.... Great combo of flavors.

My Ex-Mother-in-Law's Perfect Potato Salad
(Thanks Joan!)

This is written for a small batch of salad.

One of the secret ingredients

3 lbs of red potatoes (Joan used some other kind - I don't remember - but I like the reds)
1 medium sweet onion (preferably Vidalia), chopped
1/2 C sweet pickle relish
Mayonnaise
A touch of Miracle Whip
Salt

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cook in boiling water until a fork easily goes through a large piece of potato. DO NOT OVERCOOK or you'll end up with mashed potatoes. :)  Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mix in the chopped onion and the sweet pickle-relish - coating the potatoes as much as possible. Leave the potatoes alone until they cool to room temperature (about an hour). You can stir them a couple of times to help the cooling along.

Once the potatoes are room temperature, add your mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. This is where it gets dicey... I've never measured the amount. I like my potato salad really creamy so, if I had to guess, I'd say I add about 3/4 C of mayonnaise and about 1/4 C Miracle Whip. That's the ratio you want - 3 parts mayo to 1 part Miracle Whip. You'll have to play with it though and decide how much you like...  Add salt to taste.

Optional - add some diced hard-boiled egg. I don't care for it but some folks like the added texture.

Orange Blossom Lemonade
(idea stolen from a local restaurant - hopefully they won't sue)

So, this is a bit of a cheat. I don't have a juicer and am not willing to make lemonade from scratch. If you are, go for it. If not, you can do it my lazy way.

1 can of good frozen lemonade - without pulp. I like Cascadian Farms Organic.
1 T orange blossom water (can be found at stores that have a good selection of ethnic foods - used a lot in Middle Eastern cooking)

Prepare lemonade as directed. Should make two quarts. Add orange blossom water - adjust (add more) if necessary to achieve a nice balance of lemon and orange. Serve over ice.

ENJOY! - Alex

Summer Blockbuster Movie List

Last week, Cassandra provided you with her Summer Reading List. What she didn't tell you is that she "reads" through her ears... It's really her summer listening list because her hands always have some kind of work in them (knitting, quilting, etc) so she can't turn actual pages. Her audio book consumption impresses and inspires me and I am going to make an effort to move from page to headset. I love being able to multi-task but I haven't mastered this version of it quite yet. I'm prone to mind-wandering when I listen to books.

I do read in the summer but usually in a prone position on the patio with numerous impromptu naps interrupting the actual reading portion of the activity. However, what I REALLY love is Summer Blockbuster Movies.

What is better than going to a lovely air conditioned movie theater during the heat of the day and watching a completely entertaining story - preferably one that's action packed and has some eye-candy in it - with a big, cold Coca-Cola and a bucket of popcorn at your side? Nothing that I can think of really...

So, to that end, I provide you with my Summer Blockbuster Movie List. For those who may be new to the Mighty Distractible party, it will become immediately evident that I'm a giant geek and have no qualms about letting that freak flag fly. I guess what I'm saying is that many of these movies definitely have a "theme" that may not be to anyone's taste (except for a 14-year old boy, other nerds, and me.)

The Avengers

It's been out since May 4th. If you haven't seen it yet, shame on you. Probably one of the most satisfying comic book movies ever made - and available in 3D (I like the extra D) if you're into that sort of thing - this movie sports an all-star cast and Joss Whedon at the helm. It's a small slice of perfection.

Men in Black III

Okay... so it's questionable when a franchise takes a decade off. However, Josh Brolin as a young Tommy Lee Jones is worth the price of admission alone. Add Jermaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame as the villain and you've pretty much guaranteed that I'll spend real money to see this at the theater, regardless of my fear that Will Smith is going to ham it up so badly that he could, potentially, ruin the movie. Also available with an extra D.

Snow White and the Huntsman

I'm not sure how it always happens that multiple movies on the same subject seem to get released at the same time but it's happening again with the dueling Snow White movies. There's the Julia Roberts version which looks pretty Disney-fied and kind of lame and the Charlize Theron version that looks dark and evil and really, really good. I'll be going to see the Charlize Theron version (obviously). Bonus points for having hunk-of-the-month eye-candy Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers, Cabin In The Woods, and about 80 other movies this year) as the Huntsman and Ian McShane (old-school eye-candy and now just awesome actor) as Caesar.

Prometheus

Ridley Scott's new outerspace sci-fi epic. Starring the triple-threat eye-candy of Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Charlize Theron (something for EVERYONE!) "A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race." Yeah... that. Also available with an extra D.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Don't judge me. Also available with an extra D.

The Amazing Spiderman & The Dark Knight Rises

Comic book movies ARE summer blockbuster movies. In a perfect world, these will show as a double feature at the drive-in at some point. I'm not completely convinced that either is going to be particularly good but I'll go see them because, well, they're comic book movies. Spiderman has an extra D and Dark Knight will be in IMAX (without an extra D)

Total Recall

Yeah. I'm not really sure WHY this movie is being remade already but the cast is pretty great - Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, and John Cho - and I guess that, with new effects technology, it could be a better movie than before. No extra D's though... which I think is kind of odd since this type of movie seems ripe for it.

The Campaign

Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, and Jason Sudeikis in a political comedy? Yes, please!

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

I saw the trailer for this on IMDB the other day and I'm kind of looking forward to it. It seems sappy and sort of lame but, by the time this comes out, I'll be "action movied" out. Might was well end the summer on a sweet note. Let's hope it doesn't totally suck.

So, that's what I'll be watching this summer. How about you? Are you a Summer Movie Blockbuster kind of person or would you rather be outside on a sunny 85 degree (F) day? (If that was C, we'd be dead and movies wouldn't be an option.)

- Alex

Completely Distracted

I know we talk a lot about being distracted here at Mighty Distractible but, folks, I have to to tell you... 80 degree weather in March, in Wisconsin, is the equivalent of being stoned. I can't focus on anything!


I'm plodding through work and, about every 10 minutes, I stare out the window and think about how badly I want to be raking my garden.


I walk outside and my brain fizzles at the feel of a WARM breeze hitting my lungs.


I meander around the block with my dogs and the ground is a riot of color from early blooming crocuses and now daffodils.

My brain simply can't handle the dichotomy of May weather in March.


The cynics around me keep saying that they're "waiting for the other shoe to drop" - a stupid euphemism for the expectation of another snowfall soon. However, I simply refuse to believe it.

This past Sunday morning, I took down the winter, insulating curtains and put up the summer shears. My living room was immediately transformed from a cozy cave of darkness to a sun-filled paradise - and I could see every speck of dust that had accumulated over the last six months. I spent the day dusting and vacuuming (hoovering for you @pinkundine!) and generally ushering in the Spring. That made it official. I nearly moved on to my closets and to put away winter clothes but thought better of that. While I don't believe it's going to snow again, I do imagine I'll need sweaters (occasionally) for a couple of months yet.


This weekend I'm tackling the yard - as long as the weather holds. My cherry tree has leaf buds ready to burst and my flowers are breaking through the fall mulch.

Welcome Spring and thank you Global Warming. I've never been happier to be a Wisconsinite.


- Alex