thinking lemonade & pretending there's not much else to be doing...

I hesitate to blog as it could be reduced to whining, given the state of life right now. So much to do. So very underpowered am I. Accomplishments are measured in mini steps, rather than the leaping bounds necessary for exiting our lives here in an ever shortening amount of time. The latest: friends who we thought had committed to buying our wonder house have discovered they cannot make it work. Yikes. Now, we have some necessary inside and outside work to accomplish as the next interested party might not appreciate some 'as is' parts of it. Thank goodness we may point to the new 50-year roof...exterior paint job...new furnace/AC...and some artistic efforts, such as painted floors. The uniqueness of The House is its own selling point. But the yard must be finished and some crucial interior painting must be done. AND, as Fr. C rightly points out: all activities moving are in direct conflict with showing the house.

So, with much on the Saturday plate...of course I suddenly feel like escaping blogging...

Last Sunday's Choir end-of-the-year party (final version...) was simply marvelous. Singers of all types descended after church...including some spouses/significant others, delightful children, and even a grandchild. I met K's fiance & L's Sam. It was sweet in every way. Hummingbird was the mixologist, serving mojitos and mojingos, mit variations. Introvert's husband did honorable service as encourager and assistant to Fr. C at the BBQ. A Life's Tenor provided exotic shrimp. Miz Minka made The Most Amazing Truffles, and M brought his legendary tabouli.

The persistent image & flavor of fresh Meyer lemon-ade in mouth & heart is the memory's theme for the day. With perfect, large, past-their-prime Meyer lemons from a neighbor's tree, we (a cross-generational group) made batch after batch. In a two-quart container: 2 lemons, cut into eighths, completely crushed/muddled with 1 c. sugar (perhaps a bit too much considering the sweetness of the Meyer's), then filled with crushed ice and water. We tended to mingle new lemons with the previous batch's, leaving a thick, chunky mass at the bottom for a delightfully 'real' presentation. Mmmmmmmmm... sipping perfection for such a memorable summer afternoon together.

The night before, jumping unwisely into a never-before-been-tried project (as I'm prone to do), comforted by the availability of tasteless white substitutes available at the store, I made whole-wheat hamburger buns. Late night sumo-wrestling with misbehaving ovens left me tired and discouraged -- geez, the buns produced seemed uniform only in less-than-perfect shape and were disappointingly hard. However, after spending the night wrapped in a plastic bag they softened perfectly and took on a glow of goodness and beauty that put them in the loaves&fishes miraculous category and we roundly devoured them, eschewing the just-in-case white pretenders. I consulted two recipes: This one, for the ingredients (I increased the proportion of whole wheat flour...and we decided we preferred crushed garlic...and the 400 degree oven was perhaps excessive) and this one for the concept of forming them from a rectangle.

Of course, I just had to make the usual, expected, ultra-intense, 'adults only' chocolate mousse, served in Spega La Natura yogurt jars (I have way over 60 of them which I collected over the space of a year. Do the math when you see the price on this blog! But the yogurt is worth it and the jars are an extra bonus):

From Best of Bon Appetit: Combine 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I only use Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Chocolate Chips), 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt in a blender or food processor, mixing for 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups whipping cream which has been heated to boiling point and continue mixing 30 seconds or more, until chocolate is completely melted. Add 6 egg yolks and mix about 5 seconds. Transfer to bowl and allow to cool. Beat 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into chocolate mixture. Place in small serving glass or bowl. Chill. Serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy...