afternoon summer treat

Summer is for sharing a jar of iced coffee after dinner on the front porch with a friend or spouse. It's for eating coconut popsicles in the late afternoon when the sun starts shining in the kitchen windows. Summer is laying on the couch and feeling the warm breeze push through the sheer curtains.

I don't normally post recipes on the blog, but lately my sister has been raving over the iced coffee I've been making for her, so I thought I'd share a quick tutorial.

Delicious Iced Coffee

• French Press
• Coffee grinder
• 4 tablespoons whole beans (I use Eight O'Clock)
• 3 cups hot water
• soy milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar

While your water is heating over the stove in a tea kettle, coarsely grind the beans. Since a French Press uses a larger filter, the beans can't be too finely ground or they'll come through the filter and into your coffee. Pour the coarsely ground beans into the French Press and, once the water is boiling, pour 3 cups over the grounds. Stir and wait 4 minutes. Stir again and with a spoon scoop off the foam at the top of the coffee. That foam is what sometimes gives the coffee a muddy or "earthy" flavor that I try to avoid. Put the lid on and press the plunger down.

I usually make a little extra coffee so I can have a hot cup in the morning. Then I let it cool on the counter for a while before I put it in the fridge to chill.

Once the coffee has chilled, fill a mason jar with ice. Pour soy milk (optional) over the ice, then fill it the rest of the way with coffee. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir and enjoy.

possibilities

It was a slow morning for us.  Aren't those the best kind anyways? It usually takes at least an hour to clear those clouds out of my head.  I sat on the front porch with coffee and breakfast and a stack of books, some to read and some to write in.  All morning I sat out there and watched the neighbors pull out of their driveways, headed to work.  Watched the finches eat their breakfast.  It must have rained in the night because the air today is thick and cool.  I sat out there until my coffee was cold and then came inside to find Seth had finally gotten out of bed.  Poor guy has been out of sorts lately and slept in today.  He even called in sick.  Now those are two things he almost never does.

I thought about the possibilities of the days and weeks ahead.  Perhaps I'll take a trip to the zoo this week.  I've been meaning to do that to get some new sketches and paintings going.  Maybe I'll unpack from the busy weekend.  Maybe I'll finish the paintings already on my table.  But for sure, what I long to do, is sit and think and plan and dream of my next series of paintings.  I have these stories already filling the empty space in my head, crowding out other important things.  Really, I've got to do some writing.  What I really need is some time away from the routine of things to gather as much inspiration as possible, to draw and travel and to write my stories.  To get out of the studio for a while and go exploring.  Then, bring all that inspiration back and begin brand new.

Speaking of inspiring, I found this postcard set from Yelena Bryksenkova which I hung in my favorite little corner of the house.  This spot in the kitchen at the sink is where I do a lot of my thinking and all of my dishes.  It's where I daze out the double windows and clean with candles going and perfume filling the house.  It's also where I watch my tiny African Violets bloom and where my gnome likes to hide.

I hope on a dreary monday like today you too can find inspiration in tiny corners.

a quick update...

Well, I apologize for being M.I.A lately.  Aside from being slightly under the weather, I have no good excuse!  This past weekend was filled to the brim with an abundance of sleeping and cleaning.  Admittingly not the most eventful few days of my life. 

Aside from sleeping (and I mean to say a lot of sleeping),

I'd like you to remember this from a few posts ago...

It's hardly a recognizable kitchen.  You can see our only countertop

(excluding the floor) was the chair.  But, you know, at least we could

keep things chilled in the random fridge in the corner of this empty room.

Now take a gander at what I first saw when my loving husband came

 and woke me from my (eh hem...day-long) nap on Saturday...

Gasp!  A sink!  With a fully-functioning faucet!

(The donuts were a later addition.)

We've been working on it in stages- the lower cabinets and stove

and dishwasher were assembled about a week ago.  

Despite the fact that there are still random wires

poking through the ceiling and some cabinets still sitting on our living room floor,

I can't help but smile every time I see my new sink and stainless steel faucet.

I spent all day Sunday cleaning every dish that was in our basement.

Although some of the dishes and accessories are still in

our pantry on the other side of the room, I was able to organize

most of my belongings into, what is now, my very own kitchen (so fun)! 

***

On another note...

I've finally printed some new business cards!

And by tomorrow I hope to post a few new paintings.

I've also got something on order that I'm so excited to share with you

(when the time comes, of course).  I'm leaving for a mini-vacation

this Thursday, and when I get back I really hope there is a package

waiting for me!

Do come back on Wednesday for my July giveaway

and to find out much more about my little surprise!

Happy Tuesday!