Yep...I became a kitten mamma. I brought in two feral litters that were born around the building I live in. Originally, there were seven. Unfortunately, I lost two...so I still have five kittens who are growing, eating huge amounts of food, and learning how to get into everything (and driving the older cats crazy!). It's been a learning experience for sure and as soon as they are up to date on vaccinations, and have been spayed/neutered, four of them will be finding new homes. Yes, I have a favourite who is staying with me. He's a scrappy little piece of fluff who I always found curled up by my neck every morning the first couple of weeks I had them inside. Meet Sonic. (As in the Hedgehog)
Since I managed to skip most of Spring on here...let's jump right into Summer, shall we? Being Independence Day, it's the perfect excuse (not like I need one) to bring out the lemonade. From my last produce co-op exchange, I brought home a huge amount of lemons since it seemed that everyone with trees had a bounty to cull from. And what's better to make from lemons than lemonade, except maybe lemon curd? An even nicer touch to lemonade is how it can easily go from a refreshing Summer drink to adult beverage with a little alcohol.
I took it a step further by adding blueberries, because I am a sucker for any lemonade with berries added. So when life hands you lemons and blueberries...make lemonade.
Have a happy and safe Independence Day! And keep your pets safe when the fireworks go off tonight!
Blueberry Lemonade
Adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes.com
Makes about half a gallon
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 5 oz clamshell blueberries
In a medium saucepan, add one cup water with the sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a small saucepan, add the washed blueberries and a scant 1/4 cup water. Bring to a low boil, breaking berries with the back of a spoon until you have a thick fruit syrup.
In a container large enough, add the blueberry syrup, lemon juice, simple syrup, and the remaining water. Chill and serve over ice.
To make an adult beverage--add a shot of vodka to a 12 oz glass of lemonade. And maybe a spritz of tonic or club soda.
Cheers!
