It's Hot

I don't know if it's just that I've been cooped up inside a lot this summer, or if it really hasn't been all that summery hot this year but I'm having a hard time believing that end of summer is coming. I'm not going to pretend though--I am not shedding any tears. Though I love some aspects of summer, like the markets, fairs, and all the fabulous produce, when it comes down to it, I'm just not a summer girl. I am so incredibly heat intolerant--nothing is more miserable to me than being hot. Grouchy and mean words come out of my mouth uncontrollably--it's like I have some sort of heat induced Tourette's. Do you think that's a real thing maybe?

I'd take a snowstorm over 95 degrees ANY day. I think England, even with cold rain coming down, is preferable to Mexico or the Caribbean. In fact, there's only a brief one month period around February, where tropical vactions even appeal to me.

All this to say that I really wanted to throw something in the dutch oven and let it simmer all day long, but the weather did not cooperate. Nothing was going to be simmering for very long in this kitchen. Luckily, simple syrup takes about 5 minutes tops.

I love cucumber slices in my water--it's just so fresh tasting. I also love this new trend of cucumber cocktails. While I could take or leave alcohol, I wondered if the same ingredients, minus the gin, would be as refreshing. It was...it was better actually.

I made a basic simple syrup (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, boiled until sugar dissolves), cooled it to room temp and threw it in the blender with one chopped up english cuke. I refrigerated it until cold, and strained out the cucumber pieces.

Add some of the cucumber syrup to a glass with the juice of half a lime and a bit of seltzer and who needs soda? Add some schmance, frivolous diamond ice cubes, and the heat is almost tolerable. Almost.