“What you would do if you did not have fear?”

This saying always intrigues me.  In my forties fear  means risk.   I have worked very hard to have a stable safe happy home.  I have not only seen the consequences of life but I have lived them. Enough things have happened that I live in “fear”. Fear that my happy little world could be jeopardized. When you are in your forties, you know someone who has battled cancer, lost a parent, sadly even lost a child. You may have had a spouse lose a job. You have felt pain and hardships. Longer and more intense than our younger days. There is much more at stake now. All of these things keep us from putting ourselves out there more. We aren’t taking risks. We see the potholes before they even form. We talk ourselves out of the bumpier road.  Does it make us more safe? Or are we just safe? Are we missing out from not trying new things? Are we breathing the same stale air in our bubble?

If we don’t open ourselves up to new experiences, will we ever have a breath of fresh air?  I am guilty. I am the first to judge a situation. I see the potholes. I see all the reasons why something could go wrong.  But I am mindfully trying to squash that voice. I am taking risks. They are small. I taught myself a type of photoshop because I was too lazy to iron a tablecloth for a photo in this blog.  It would have been much faster to iron, but I am stepping out of my box. I am making myself less safe by allowing myself to possibly fail.

So this weeks infusion is an old recipe from the 1800’s.  A dear friend of mine send me this great book suggestion.                                    How’s your Drink by Eric Felten.     It is the history of cocktails and has some really interesting recipes. This recipe I prejudged.  (Vinegar YUCK)  But I made it anyway.

1 cup Water

1 cup  Sugar

2 pints of raspberries or blueberries.

Combine in pot on stove top. Cook 10 mins. Mash up berries as you cook.

2 cups white vinegar, ( see how I put that later so you wouldn’t prejudge )

Add vinegar. Bring to a boil.  Strain and put in sealed container. Keep in refrigerator. The colonials added all the vinegar so it would stay good without the refrigerator,

Honestly this shrub was horrible.  I don’t let horrible or mistakes stop me so I made a new improved  recipe.

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 pint of raspberries

5 Black peppercorns

2 tbsp red wine vinegar.

Bring the the first 5 ingredients to a boil. Add vinegar cook for 10 more mins. Cool strain and keep in refrigerator.

Put yourself out there. Drive a different route, vary your normal routine. Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. Doesn’t have to be earth shattering, just mix it up. And if it’s horrible, try something else.

Friday we use this in our drinks.