What is a drinking vinegar/shrub

Last year, I bought a bottle of drinking vinegar from a farmer’s market. It was labeled Elderberry shrub. I took a sip a day, to make it last longer. Then, I started reading about “shrubs,” the drinking kind. There are blogs and books devoted to “shrubs” because they’ve become popular in fancy mixed drinks. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

By the 19th century, typical American recipes for shrubs used vinegar poured over fruit—traditionally berries—which was left to infuse anywhere from overnight up to several days; afterwards, the fruit would be strained out and the remaining liquid would be mixed with a sweetener such as sugar or honey and then reduced to make a syrup.The sweet-and-sour syrup could be mixed with either water or soda water and served as a soft drink, or it could be used as a mixer in alcoholic cocktails.Shrubs eventually fell out of popularity with the advent of home refrigeration.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never gotten into alcoholic drinks. But, I am a fan of raw apple cider vinegar, it’s health benefits, and the health benefits of a varied whole food diet, especially when it includes the wild things we can forage, like my Grandma and mom taught me.

So, it occurred to me, that if I wanted to keep drinking elderberry shrub, I should make it myself. I had elderberries coming on in my windbreak for the first time last summer. And from what I read, the benefits of elderberries, which are impressive and well-documented, can be extracted into the vinegar and preserved. That’s a pretty rough description, but if you are into this kind of thing, you might know the actual terminology! I do kind of “geek out” on natural foods that grow around me, but once I know that it’s a powerful food, I try to include it in my diet, and forget all the facts.

I had been making elderberry syrup for wintertime. It was my wellness elixir, I called it. I actually ordered organic dehydrated elderberries for this purpose, because my bushes hadn’t produced yet. But, I thought, if I made a shrub with my elderberries, they would go further and I could enjoy the benefits of apple cider vinegar and elderberries at once.

I made my first batch of elderberry shrub, and it was delicious. I have served it as a refreshing drink with water and ice. The funny thing is, it feels almost fizzy, like a young kombucha, when poured into a glass of ice water. Shrub on the rocks!

I made a big batch of elderberry shrub, including a little fresh ginger and some herbs. I didn’t write it down, naturally. I did it by feel. Sorry, that’s how many of my recipes are. I started giving it away in cute glass bottles, to my family members who needed a little extra health support. It is, simply, my favorite thing. I take a swig from my own personal bottle every morning. I pour it over ice and add water for a refreshing afternoon pick me up….and get immunity support at the same time. I have a niece who requests my elderberry shrub, and we call it Aunt Annie’s Magical Elixir. Don’t worry, no health claims. Just a fun name.

However, I will say, if I feel the hint of a cold coming on, or if I get sick, along with more rest and drinking more water, this is part of my defense arsenal. I have not had cough syrup for so long, I can’t remember the last time. Raw honey and elderberry shrub.

Now, what about the rhubarb shrub in the Instagram post? Next page! I have to get my workout in now, do some online coaching work, and then fire up my sewing machine. I promised a niece I’d record something for her today.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Too many things out of place

I call it my chaos threshold; when too many things are cluttering countertops, chairs; too many things misplaced/out of place; too many projects going on at one time. That’s where I am today.

Understand, I’m not an “A-type” personality. I’m no Adrian Monk. But, I do reach a point when all the little things that didn’t get put away, or all the projects that are started or just not quite finished, and the boxes or bags or odds and ends cleaned out from a car, but never sorted through in the house, get on my nerves. Consequently, I start to feel like I can’t find anything or every task requires a family circus route to accomplish it.

That’s where I am this morning, friends. It’s not a peaceful feeling. And I don’t have any answers, except to take steps forward and breathe.

I don’t want to spend an entire day cleaning and tidying my house. There are a lot of moving parts right now. My son’s college dorm room ended up on the closest chairs/floor/couch to the front door when he moved back home. It’s like the dorm room flew by and puked in my living room and no one wants to clean up that big a pile of puke. In the garage, the big shelving unit we moved, looks great because it’s pretty empty except for my hubs’ tools that he left there after moving it. And, all the stuff that was on the shelves, is in piles to sort through and put back. There are 3 little boxes in the dining room, with…stuff…from cleaning out a car. Stuff, stuff, stuff. It’s a beautiful sunny day, and I’ll get really grumpy if I put my head down and start cleaning inside. Really grumpy. You might know the grumpy I’m talking about; irrational slamming cupboard doors, huffing and puffing, snapping at my family for their contributions to the chaos. Let’s just say, I’d rather not act that way…again…which is why I’m writing about it, obviously.

The projects currently going on in our house, also contribute to this unsettling feeling. I’m moving my sewing room to a studio space off the back of the garage. But, I can’t really move everything out there, because we still have to insulate the ceiling and paint the rest of the floor that isn’t painted because in a brilliant move 3 years ago, we painted all of the floor except where the home gym was. We thought it would always be in that part of the garage, so why move all our mats and paint and put them back? Why indeed? We moved the home gym to a different, smaller corner. It’s perfect. But now there’s concrete to clean, etch, and paint. Part of me thinks that may never happen!

I’m not trying to get pity here! I’m just using my writing this morning, my stream of consciousness, to weed through my personal environment chaos.

I think the floor situation in my studio is a good example of something we, as a married couple, have struggled with for 35 years; taking shortcuts to get something done, then having way more work, possibly expense, in undoing and redoing later on; garden plots, rock piles, home remodels; you name it, we’ve “made it work for now” so we could get something done, then regretted months or years later that we didn’t take the extra time to do it right the first time.

That’s my stream of consciousness blog today. And here is what I am going to do so I don’t get into an ugly grumpy state where the other 2 humans living with me, have to walk on pins and needles.

I’m going to pick 3 areas of low hanging fruit to sort through, that will give me peace when done.

1. 3 little Amazon boxes that have gathered bits and pieces of stuff out of the cars

2. Put the grey shelf stuff back on the shelves in the garage (this will bring a huge space of relief in my garage and prepare for the insulation of the ceiling in my studio.)

3. Match the receipts to the sons’ clothes that have to go back to the store and put them in my car

4. Clean off the top of the dryer

I’m also typing up a complete list of all the little areas in my home that need these 10-30 minute sort/toss/put away “episodes” and maybe make a game out of it.

My niece does this fun game that she shares on Instagram, “Tap to Tidy.” She’ll either do a time lapse and post that, or take a picture of the room or area she’s cleaning, before and after. It’s always inspiring and fun to see. You can find her on Instagram @thestrollermom if you are looking for an inspiring young mom to follow!

Well, it’s time to start the waffles for Sunday “church and sourdough waffles” at home. I hope you are doing well. Feel free to comment below how you manage the clutter in your home.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Avocado Zucchini Alfredo with Shrimp

(Makes 2 servings, approx. 12 shrimp and 2 cups zucchini each)
Total time: 22 min.
Prep time: 15 min.
Cooking time: 7 min.

1/2 medium ripe avocado, mashed
1/4 cup reduced-fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided use
1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided use
1/2 tsp onion powder, divided use
Nonstick cooking spray
24 raw, medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed (approx. 12 oz)
4 medium zucchini, spiralized (approx. 4 cups)
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine avocado, yogurt, 1/4 tsp each of the pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.

2. Heat large nonstick skillet, lightly coated with spray, over medium heat.

3. Add shrimp. Season with remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, garlic and onion powders; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

4. Add zucchini; cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from skillet.

5. Add avocado mixture; cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp is firm and opaque, and mixture is heated through.

6. Evening divide between 2 serving plates. Top with grated Parmesan cheese; serve immediately.

• My notes: Have everything ready before you start. This dish cooks up quickly and is best eaten right away. You won’t have the the time you might with other dishes, to clean off the table, and so on.

• If you spiralize your zucchini early in the day, and set a paper towel in the container, you won’t have a lot of extra liquid once you start cooking.

• I use a Le Creuset braiser which is not non-stick. So, I use about 1 tsp. Olive oil instead of a nonstick spray.

And one day, I’ll figure out how to add a recipe easily on my blog so it’s printable, if you want that. Feel free to ask questions in the comments. I assume you already know how to cook when you read my recipes, so ask questions if you are just learning.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Bob-o’-link, bob-o’-link, Spink, spank, spink

From my picture window, I love to watch the birds early in the morning. This morning, for instance, from my not so comfy rocking chair, yet the one I sit in every morning, I see goldfinch, grackle, purple martins, chipper sparrow, hummingbird, oriole, barn swallow, nuthatch, robin, tree swallow, bluebird, and cardinal. And that’s with just a quick glance.

The goldfinch, nuthatch, cardinal and sometimes bluebird will stay all year. The rest come to nest. And then, there are those flocks that just stop by on their migration.

Yesterday, I looked out and recognized a type of blackbird I hadn’t seen before. I looked it up and it was the bobolink! A small flock of about 50 birds, had stopped to refuel. Lucky for them, I don’t poison dandelions, because they eat dandelion seeds. Their bubbly song as they foraged in my yard, was so happy. It was interesting to watch them, because there were a couple of birds I didn’t recognize, that must have been hanging with the flock, traveling along together.

I learned that bobolinks have one of the longest migration flights of any songbird, a whopping 12,500 miles, round trip from South America to North America. Think about that! It amazes me. The oldest female bobolink on record, was 9 years old.

A migrating Bobolink can orient itself with the earth’s magnetic field, thanks to iron oxide in bristles of its nasal cavity and in tissues around the olfactory bulb and nerve. Bobolinks also use the starry night sky to guide their travels.

From All About Birds

And a poem, Robert of Lincoln, written by William Bryant, would be a lovely one to read to your kids today - “Bob-o’-link, bob-o’-link, Spink, spank, spink”

How do you learn about the birds in your yard, or where you travel? Look them up. That’s what I do. I see a bird, I look it up in one of my books, read about it, tell about it, and watch for it. I especially love sharing about our little tree swallows that nest in the spring, and watching the barn swallows never gets dull.

I have 4 resources at home, that I use to identify and learn about birds.

• Merlin app

• Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds - this book has some of the scientific facts, but is more story-like in it’s bird descriptions, highlighting characteristics and personalities of different birds. It was a gift from my parents.

• Peterson Field Guide to North American Birds - I have a much older edition

• Birds of Nebraska - this is like a pocket guide book and I like how it has color codes on the edge of the pages, so if I’m trying to identify a bird that is mostly grey, I start by flipping to that section.

• and websites, when I want to identify a song or learn more about a specific bird, especially the ones that migrate through Nebraska. Some birds, like the purple martins, have such enthusiastic fans, that they have their own conservation websites. (I am one such fan!)

Those who love watching birds, will understand why I was almost giddy at seeing bobolinks yesterday. We live on the very southern tip of their expected nesting range, so to have them nest here, would be unusual. The hummingbirds generally don’t nest here either. They just stop by to fuel up.

We get a break from the drizzle and wind today, and it’s going to be glorious. Thanks for stopping by. Let me know in the comments if you like watching birds or if they all look the same to you!

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

I want your life - but do you really, all of it?

I always laugh when someone tells me they want my life. I’ll admit, it’s pretty okay. But, it’s messy, just like everyone else’s life.

I suppose what they are referring to is, my highlight reel, my Instagram or Facebook life. That life that I love posting about because it brings me joy or happiness. And because no one wants to see a picture of cat puke that soaked my sock when I stepped in it in the dark.

I’m glad that I can give people something to work for, or long to creat for themselves. But hopefully these few examples give you an idea of how people look at your highlight reel, and why we can’t take offense, because we all do it.

For instance, I posted a cool picture of honeycomb. Someone said…that’s so neat. I wish I had your life. That’s fine, but does that mean you want the 2 hours that it took to take care of my bees that one day; the lifting, sweat, trips back and forth with equipment, bees buzzing around my head, the money I invested in the bees…That part? Or, the part where I took a picture of honeycomb, with no bees around me?

I posted a picture of my longarm quilting machine. Someone said, “I wish I had your life.” That looks awesome. Which part do you want? My going to bed at 12 and getting up at 5, to get my work done, so I have time to quilt. Winding numerous bobbins, carrying a bolt of batting, maneuvering backing, pressing, picking out wrong stitches, stretching out sore back and neck muscles, investing in a machine instead of a new car, questioning whether I chose the right thread or quilting pattern, troubleshooting when my machine goes berserk; those things? Or, taking a picture of a quilt on a longarm?

You went to France? “I want your life.” 20 hours one way, because the plane turned around, sore body all over, sitting next to someone with a cough for 8 hours, days of pre-planning and packing and changing flights; that part? Or, taking a picture by the Eiffel Tower?

I sit by my window and watch the birds early in the morning on our acreage. “I want your life.” The bird-watching part, or mowing for hours, pulling ticks off, controlling erosion, defending plants from deer, being alone-far from town, wind that blows the mulch away, paying $120 for the appliance repairman just to make the trip out here to look at our humming fridge; those things? Or, the part where I’m sitting for a bit to watch the birds?

See? We often see one thing, think that would be a great life, and forget or block out the parts that we don’t want to think about. There’s a whole lot of behind the curtain work that goes into living, no matter what.

I hope you think of this, next time you see something on Instagram and wish that was your life. Would you be willing to take on all of that life, or just that cute picture of a baby grinning in the early morning?

You friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Can you sew over pins?

Can you sew over pins? Yes, you can.

Should you sew over pins? I’ve talked to a few technicians in my day, and they all say, no.

Most of the time, if you sew over a pin, slowly enough, the needle will move the pin aside if it hits it. But, if it’s a thicker pin, the needle might hit just right and dull the needle. Or, worse, shatter the needle; little bits flying into your machine, around your table, possibly in your face.

What about using the super fine pins? Most of the time, with those, if a needle hits it dead on, the pin will bend. (Bye bye pin, needle is still duller, even if it didn’t break.) It’s also a very sad day, when that super fine pin bends enough to be forced down into the machine. And, I’m told, that happens. Then, that devil-may-care attitude about sewing over pins, will cost you a service call and time without your machine!

Ultimately, it’s your machine, pins and needles.

But, when someone comes to sew at my house, or if I’m teaching them to sew, I teach them the very best habit of simply pausing the machine a stitch or two before the pin to slide out the pin, and continue sewing. As an experience sewer (I really don’t like the term, sewist, so I’m going to use sewer and you just have to know that I’m pronouncing it as one would, when referring to sewing,) I can slow my machine without stopping and remove a pin. But, what’s the hurry, really?

I have throw away a lot of bent pins and sewing machine needles that go thunk, thunk into the fabric, after I’ve hit a pin. I’ve had to take my machine in, to get out the extra bits of broken needles. It’s really as simple to remove the pin as you sew, as it is to sew over it and remove it later.

Do yourself a favor, and make it a habit not to sew over pins!

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter

Mask or no mask - can we just be friends

It occurred to me, as stores start allowing more shoppers, and churches start opening their doors again, one of the most divisive topics, will be to mask or not to mask.

And, this post isn’t about which one is right. I have my own opinion, as I am guessing you do too.

But, how do we stay friends, if we don’t agree?

The same way we do if we don’t agree on other topics. Respect that everyone is right from their own perspective. You have your trusted experts, I have mine. They might not agree either.

I don’t have answers. Just a reminder that as we move back into more social situations, don’t lose friendships over opinions or perspectives on face mask usage.

You will have friends who are adamant on everyone wearing masks. Love them.
You will have friends who think it’s overkill. Love them.
If a business doesn’t require mask wearing, and you feel they should, don’t shop there, or shop online.
If a business requires you wear a mask to come inside and shop, then respect that or shop somewhere else.

It’s pretty simple, really.

I believe there are far more dangerous things that could come out of Covid19, than sickness, if we don’t look at them head on, and decide how we want to respond as human beings.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel - The Fit Quilter