Summery

It feels warm these days, so warm that my body is confused, by the sweating and whatnot. So warm that I've switched my usual breakfast from my beloved oatmeal to my summer version of oatmeal, a variation on bircher muesli.

There are many versions of this, but I like to soak some oats in dairy or non-dairy milk (or apple juice)--you can soak them just a little while, but overnight is best. Then add fruit and nuts of your choice, and a couple of dollops of yogurt or kefir. I usually grate half an apple and add some toasted almonds, and as you can see I had some blueberries today. As you can also see, my coffee's on ice.

So that's what I've been eating lately. And that's what I've been drinking lately, although I'm eagerly anticipating a strawberry-rhubarb shrub I'm making (it takes a week), which when mixed with seltzer will be the perfect summer drink (I think). And speaking of rhubarb, I had never made anything with it until last week, when a bunch from the farmers' market turned into my almost-shrub and a glorious strawberry rhubarb pie, too.

I am proud of this pie, and I can hardly wait to make another one.


I've been watching (and savoring) The Americans and Mad Men with my trusty TV Club.
Reading (and loving) The First Bad Man, by Miranda July.
Missing my girl, who's getting settled in Mysore, where she's learning to speak both Kannada and Tamil this summer, before starting grad school in Chicago.
Digging in the dirt almost every day, just as I'd hoped.

This isn't the best photo of them, but you can see my lupines' happy green leaves and a couple of purply spikes (also forget-me-nots, always going crazy all over our yard, and some chamomile that came back, and some iris I need to divide...). Lupines are my favorite.