I can feel it coming...

My summer is your winter:

Yes, I can and do go outside, but it's better if I don't.

     I hear of people up north just getting their gardens started and half of my garden is already fried and the other half is showing signs of heat exhaustion.

     The heirloom Boston Pickler cucumber was disappointing.  Initially, the cucumber output was promising but the moment the temps hit the upper 80's, it was over.  I let one cuke go to seed and I'll try it next year under shade cloth.

     Luckily, I put up a few jars of refrigerator pickles before the end.  I gently experimented with my last batch, meaning I didn't put in too much of any one ingredient so that the pickles would at least be edible after the experimental flavors seeped in.

Introducing...Southeast-Asian-Style Cucumber Pickles

     I don't know if it's a novel idea as I did no pre-Googling and went about the process with my mental blinders on.  I'm sure it's been tried before, probably by people in southeast Asia, but I like living in my fantasy world where I introduce so many new ideas to mankind.

     I added a stalk of lemon grass, a couple of kaffir lime leaves, a small slice of ginger (didn't have any galangal), hot pepper slices, and garlic, plus an extra teaspoon of sugar to the brine.  

We shall see.

     The gardenia bush is distracting me from my dying cucumbers.  As you can see, it is not receiving the proper nutrients to keep its leaves from turning yellow.  I've tried all the recommended fertilizers.  I think the gardenia doesn't like living under the towering angel trumpet tree.  I'm going to keep the angel trumpet branches trimmed back and see if that helps.  Still, the spindly, weak shrub churns out a handful of velvety, perfumed blossoms every year and for that, I am grateful.

     The Mexican gherkins (tiny watermelon-looking things in the pic above) have been producing well. I've already pickled 2 small jars of them and am working on a third.  They taste like little cucumbers.  I'm hoping they will self-seed around the yard next year.  The cherry tomatoes with the green stripes are starting to ripen, as are the tiny cherry tomatoes that now volunteer each year.  I've been missing real tomato taste.  Bring it!

     In the alternate "food" universe (which I am embarrassingly familiar with), I saw these in the store:

What on earth is this all about?

     I stared at this product for a long time, trying to wrap my mind around the bright colors, the faux Greek font, the word "artificial" emblazoned above the flavor, and the thought process behind taking something so yummy and good, which has already been diluted by our market (fat free?!) and somehow creating this product out of it.  

     I'm one of those "amphora half-empty" people and I predict these will be on clearance shelves at your local grocery store by summer's end.

     In my house, the inverse of the yogurt cake is the yoga tape.

(a review)

     The reason I've done so little yoga in recent years is that the practices on my favorite DVD's are an hour long and I can easily talk myself out of that.  I've ordered some inexpensive used DVD's on Amazon but didn't find an instructor that clicked with me.

Until I found Shiva Rea!

     This DVD is definitely for intermediate yoga practioners.  Her style is athletic, challenging, yet also features a variety of flowing, free-form elements.  Completely new to me and just what I needed to reignite my love for this type of exercise.  AND, most importantly, I can choose from her preset practices which range in duration from 30 minutes to an hour or I can go to the "yoga matrix" screen and put together my own practice by choosing separate elements, depending on my energy level and time constraints.  I freaking love it!  I am challenged yet not overwhelmed; I'm doing yoga more than ever and feeling the results.

     I don't know who you are, Shiva Rea, but your yoga DVD gets 2 thumbs up!

     After that effusive recommendation of an ancient form of exercise which originated in India, I admit that the coming summer months will see me practicing it in the AC.

     Here's a photo of a yogic pose by a Floridian without AC:

Trust me!  You don't want to go there.