Monthly Archives: July 2011

Good Thymes

I’ve got a lot of thyme on my hands these days.

Thanks to my Hometown Seeds and ample garden space I now have an herb garden providing a plethora of scents and flavors.  The thyme and sage have done particularly well.  Problem is, I’m not very familiar with either of these herbs, usually opting instead for the always-amazing rosemary or basil.

What to do with all this thyme?!

Seeing as how it was nearly the weekend (a respectable Thursday night) booze came to mind.  And lime because it’s delicious, refreshing, and rhymes with thyme.

Good Thymes Melon Cooler

Makes two drinks

  • ~6 tablespoons gin (or not! This would make a delicious “virgin” cocktail too!)
  • juice from one lime
  • 2 chunks of lime, rind and all (wash first!)
  • leaves from two-three springs of thyme
  • ~1/2 cup cubed watermelon
Everything goes into a blender
note: the lime rind adds a lovely little bitterness that compliments the gin nicely.  you may want to start with one little chunk and adjust to taste.
Blend away!
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add contents of blender, shake vigorously for 10 seconds, pour into glasses.  The shaker will strain out most of the little bits of lime zest and pulp but you may end up with a some in the bottom of your glass.
If you don’t have a shaker you could always add a cube of ice to the blender.  I wouldn’t add more than a cube or two though because it will dilute the drink too much.
A melony mix of sweet, sour, and bitter!  Good times…
Thyme is a really good source of beta-carotene, a vitamin I’ve been upping my intake of lately.  A cocktail with vitamin A from the watermelon, C from the melon and lime, and beta-carotene from the herb?  Make mine a double! 😉
What’s your favorite way to use thyme?  Or time?!
As far as time, spending it outdoors is always good in my book!  Tate and I just decided on a whim to head to WV after work and join my family on a lakeside camping trip.

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I Do

One of the first things Tate said this morning was “Whoa!  It’s 60* out, open all the windows!”  “oh, wait.  That’s in Portland.  It’s 78* here.”

He still has Portland weather pop up on his iPhone because it reminds him that we made a good decision to move away from there (because the weather and the distance from home are the only two strikes against that wonderful place!).

78* at 7:30 a.m. most definitely calls for a cold breakfast.

A combo of two blogger favorites: a green monster and overnight oats.

A super-power packed jar.  Flax meal, bee pollen, maca, chard, wineberries, spirulina, oats, loads of goodness packed in that little jar.  And it tasted great!

We all have people in our lives that seem superhuman to us.  Those people who are highly-motivated-always-on-the-go-and-never-tire.  I have a few of this type of person in my life currently and I saw one of them yesterday.  This women runs on jet fuel.  She works crazy long hours, is super active, is working on her PhD, travels, is planning her wedding, functions best on minimal sleep, and is always cheerful and perky!

Whenever I see her I am super inspired.  I think, “wow, that girl gets it done!  I could definitely be doing more with my time…”

After going through a long list of “I shoulds…” in my head yesterday I had a realization: there may always be “I shoulds” but I also need to remember “I do”.

I do: remain highly motivated to exercise [nearly] every day.

I do: prioritize cooking tasty and nutritious food for Tate and I (and friends!).

I do: value my downtime.

I do: always strive to keep educating myself in nutrition, cooking techniques, and exercise principles.

I do: value time with friends on a regular basis.

I do: love my home and prioritize making it cozy and spending time there.

I will continue to be inspired (and in awe!) of people who have boundless energy, seem to never procrastinate, and can gracefully juggle hectic schedules.  The world needs this type of person, they get shit done.  I, on the other hand, like to stop and smell the flowers. 🙂

Be inspired by others, embrace your “I do’s”, and stay cool my friends!

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