Sometimes it's so strange to think of who we used to be, how our habits have changed and we moved around a lot to find new ones. How the dogs have grown up. How Milo, who I found in a trash can a little over two years ago, has become this boy that smiles when we catch his eye. How money doesn't matter as much now and I can call my sister to ask how she is and that I love her. How Nolan and I worked and worked and worked on ourselves to be the people we are now. How we stopped paying rent and bought a home. "Five acres guarantees no neighbors," a coworker told us this weekend. That's heaven for me, the echoing footsteps and no one to answer them back.
We eat at home most days (or try to, anyway). I live in my own head. I'm quiet except to answer a work call or to call the dogs in when I'm bored. I pick orange flowers that grow by the roadside and I did the dishes on my lunch break. Nolan works long hours; but we are self sufficient in our own right.
So different than two years ago, So different, you could say, from when I first participated in Popsicle Week. Then, I cared about money. Then, I cared about Los Angeles. Then, we spent our money at bars and I didn't drink beer then, so I drank whatever was on the menu. Then, Nolan got a Pimm's Cup for the first time and it's been his favorite since. Then, we would be in silence for two hours on the way back home.
Then, I was looking for ways to escape.
But two years can change a person and I found out I'm better suited for Pennsylvania. We both are. The humidity doesn't bother us. The dogs change with the seasons and we do, too. And that's okay; because we finally found a reason to settle down and enjoy a drink on the porch swing for a minute or an hour.
And so, for this year's popsicle contribution to the zeitgeist that is Wit and Vinegar, I wanted to pay homage to how this tradition has been something to look forward to amid all that has changed. And so, I looked back on Nolan and us and his favorite drink in LA and made a Pimm's Cup popsicle--it's easy, it's fruity, and it's a little bit cold (just like me!).
Enjoy! And check out all the other recipes here! And check out my previous contributions here and here!
Pimm's Cup Popsicle!
Feel free to use your favorite ice molds, but know that the volume measurements below will be way off! I used these! (Can you tell I love Amazon?)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Pimm's
- 1/2 cup lemonade
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup ginger ale
- Juice of one lime
- 1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
- 4 strawberries, chopped
- 6 mint leaves
- 1/4 cup orange, chopped
Directions and Assembly: In a measuring cup, mix together Pimm's, lemonade, water, ginger ale, and lime juice. Prep eat popsicle sleeve by manually inserting a bit of each fruit and one leaf of mint. Pour mixture over fruit and seal. Place in freezer for a few hours to freeze completely and enjoy!
