Harriet's Written Year, Chapter Two

[Defining]

7 hours ago, Harriet said:

I don't usually do cocktails because they're too easy to drink fast and get drunk on, and many of them I don't even like the taste (and it's hard to know from reading the menu). But a low percentage one might be nice. I don't think I've seen cocktails based on water before, though. What kind of things were you thinking of?

Horse's Neck: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/horses-neck/

Rose Spritzer: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/rose-spritzer

522 North Pickney: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/522-north-pinckney-cocktail-51160710 (you can use more juice less sparkling wine)

Cranberry Ginger Shandy: https://www.thespruceeats.com/cranberry-ginger-shandy-recipe-4588955

South Side: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/geoffrey-zakarian/southside-cocktail-2303816

 

There are loads of fun mocktails out there too, for non-alcoholic fancy stuff. Bitters are always a good 'drink spice' to collect, easy to use in other drinks or a few drops on their own in sparkling water.

[Harriet]

9 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

Anything in a tall glass is relatively low percentage by volume (gin and tonics, for instance, and the Japanese variation where half the tonic is replaced with sparkling water; you could also go light on the gin without noticing much), but a lot of Italian spritzes are even less than a single standard serving, I believe. They've got a whole history of light before-dinner drinks that are mostly sparkling water with, like, a little citrus and wine. (They're designed so people can drink a couple with a little food before dinner, and not be drunk at dinner.)

 

Basically, if it's carbonated, whether that's tonic, sparkling water, or soda, it's going to be a large drink per single alcohol serving. If you go with more non-US origin drinks, you'll find ones that are less sweet, which I prefer. They also drink slower than the sweet ones.

 

Replacing some tonic in the T&G sounds good. I don't want super sweet stuff.

 

4 hours ago, Defining said:

Horse's Neck: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/horses-neck/

Rose Spritzer: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/rose-spritzer

522 North Pickney: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/522-north-pinckney-cocktail-51160710 (you can use more juice less sparkling wine)

Cranberry Ginger Shandy: https://www.thespruceeats.com/cranberry-ginger-shandy-recipe-4588955

South Side: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/geoffrey-zakarian/southside-cocktail-2303816

 

There are loads of fun mocktails out there too, for non-alcoholic fancy stuff. Bitters are always a good 'drink spice' to collect, easy to use in other drinks or a few drops on their own in sparkling water.

 

Ahhh, those look like boozy soft drinks or sweetened wines, which would just be adding a sugar habit to my alcohol habit. I can't afford to pick up the habit of drinking soft drinks again. I quit years ago after having been very attached to them, and I don't want to go back. But bitters are delicious and adding them to sparkling water alone sounds intriguing.

[sarakingdom]

3 hours ago, Harriet said:

Replacing some tonic in the T&G sounds good. I don't want super sweet stuff.

 

Same. I also use diet tonic, cuz that shit is basically soda nutritionally, but that may not be available where you are.

 

Also, I haven't done it, but gin, two ounces of fruit juice, and the rest sparkling water sounds intriguing. Maybe a dash of bitters.

 

3 hours ago, Harriet said:

Ahhh, those look like boozy soft drinks or sweetened wines, which would just be adding a sugar habit to my alcohol habit. I can't afford to pick up the habit of drinking soft drinks again. I quit years ago after having been very attached to them, and I don't want to go back. But bitters are delicious and adding them to sparkling water alone sounds intriguing.

 

There's a book called Spritz (I believe) which is all about Italian spritzes, which are way less sweet. I think the basic one is sparkling water, sparkling wine, and bitters, or some citrus juice or something. (Bitters and other bitter alcohols feature heavily, as does sparkling wine, but generally under half a serving, if I'm recalling correctly.) Bitters can be pretty good in sparkling water alone, if you're a little heavy-handed. Sweet vermouth and soda is pretty good, which is not quite as sweet as it sounds. (And could be mixed with dry, if you find it too sweet. I find it varies significantly by the brand of vermouth, how dry or sweet the sweet is.) Some of those amaro are sweetened a fair amount, but bittered wines are generally not.

 

Grapefruit bitters are pretty great as a general flavoring. The one soda I'm really susceptible to is Italian grapefruit soda. It's fortunately hard to find, but it makes grapefruit flavored other things my go-to.

[raptron]

Seconding spritzes in general as an option: I really like italian digestifs so I drink a good amount of campari + sparkling water or campari + sparkling wine + sparkling water. Cynar + sparkling water or + sparkling wine +sparkling water. I definitely do not find them to be akin to soda (I don't really like drinking sweet things).

 

Also classic tall drinks at home for me is usually just like: ice, sparkling water, squeeze of citrus, 3-4 dash bitters, + clear liquor. I find if my drink tastes like alcohol I'm less likely to drink it very quickly, so they tend to be a bit on the stronger side, but I only have one or two.

 

Bitters + sparkling water is great.

[Harriet]

Writ: I report

Warcraft: I lifted for the first time in centuries uncounted. There was suffering involved, but my new theory is that I need to exorcise the demon of weakness. I walked twice.

Weaving: Nothing yet. I feel bad about this but exercise comes first since it supports the health and energy which supports the weaving.

Witchery. Meditation & prayer

Willowy: No sugar/caffeine reduction continue as planned

Yes. I'm so happy I lifted. I felt buzzed and happy afterwards. Hopefully things will be looking up again.

[fearless 2.0]

9 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Writ: I report

Warcraft: I lifted for the first time in centuries uncounted. There was suffering involved, but my new theory is that I need to exorcise the demon of weakness. I walked twice.

Weaving: Nothing yet. I feel bad about this but exercise comes first since it supports the health and energy which supports the weaving.

Witchery. Meditation & prayer

Willowy: No sugar/caffeine reduction continue as planned

Yes. I'm so happy I lifted. I felt buzzed and happy afterwards. Hopefully things will be looking up again.

[Scaly Freak]

1 hour ago, Harriet said:

Warcraft: I lifted for the first time in centuries uncounted. There was suffering involved, but my new theory is that I need to exorcise the demon of weakness. I walked twice.

...
Yes. I'm so happy I lifted. I felt buzzed and happy afterwards. Hopefully things will be looking up again.

 

This is excellent and good news.  

 

Imagine how happy you will feel when you lift again!

[Harriet]

13 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

This is excellent and good news.  

 

Imagine how happy you will feel when you lift again!

 

If I lift a second time I will be TWICE AS HAPPY! It accumulates, right?

[Scaly Freak]

15 minutes ago, Harriet said:

 

If I lift a second time I will be TWICE AS HAPPY! It accumulates, right?

 

Absolutely.

[Everstorm]

On 2/18/2021 at 6:29 PM, Bullroarer Took said:

Mrs Took has trouble with iron and um... reacts poorly to supplements.

 

This ^^.  I was put on an iron supplement after childbirth as a matter of course.  It was issued with a stool softener.  It was still horrible.   I had to stop taking it.

 

And yay for lifting! 👏👏👏

[fearless 2.0]

17 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

If I lift a second time I will be TWICE AS HAPPY! It accumulates, right?

yass!

[Addelas]

On 2/22/2021 at 1:11 PM, Harriet said:

Warcraft: I lifted for the first time in centuries uncounted.

 

Hooray! That's great news!

 

Hmm...The earlier soda water machine chat in this thread may convert me over to it. I've been teetering on buying one for a while now; I buy a LOT of sparking water/seltzer water cans and would love to cut back on all that aluminum recycling.

[Harriet]

Writ: Should have reported yesterday but will do now.

Warcraft: No lifting because I was sore from the day before and it didn't seem super intelligent to do a full body workout every day. But I went for two walks, one of them rather longer than usual.

Weaving: I picked up a book*, and read a little bit just to assure myself that I can still do stuff. I didn't get much read but I have poked another small hole in the leechen cloak.

Witchery. I did not do this. Oops.

Willowy: I am down to four teas, and I had sugar for a very good reason for the first time this month.

 

*Nussbaum's Women and Human Development. It's not directly relevant to my writing project, but indirectly.

It was our eighth anniversary. Mr Harriet bought flowers, went on a very long walk with me to a frozen lake, and ordered... an unusual dinner. A fine restaurant is making deliveries (I'm sure they hate it, but I guess they have to). Several courses arrived in a lot of separate bags which could be boiled. It was interesting. Not quite as charming as being at a restaurant, but Mr Harriet and I bobbed around the kitchen to da funk in acknowledgement of the end of the band that was so formative for him, while trying to figure out what to do with the cauliflower. Then we watched a little making of LOTR (we finished the actual movies ages ago but the making of is taking longer). So yes, I had sugar--some sort of cheesecake inspired cream with lemon curd and puffed amaranth. You know how restaurants are. Nothing is finished unless you sprinkle something small and crunchy on top. I also drank wine, and I'm not sure I even enjoyed that part of it. Seriously thinking about giving it up.

 

[Scaly Freak]

54 minutes ago, Harriet said:

I also drank wine, and I'm not sure I even enjoyed that part of it. Seriously thinking about giving it up.

 

Personal opinion: If you are not enjoying eating or drinking something, regardless of what it is, that something needs to be life saving medication, or there is no reason to continue eating or drinking it. 

[Salinger]

Sounds like a wonderful anniversary ❤️ congrats xx

[Mike Wazowski]

WOOO, she returns to lifting!!!

 

Sounds like a lovely anniversary dinner, at least within the constraints of Covid.

[Harriet]

Writ: Am reporting

Warcraft: Lifted. 2 walks

Weaving: read some nussbaum

Witchery. no. mr harriet was in my room setting up things and now he's gone but i'm tired

Willowy: four teas/no sugar continues

 

new theory: weakness and fatigue are demons that must be exorcised/exercised from my body with as much activity as possible. but in good news, the tiredness is not the awful, groggy, joints-aching brain-melting fatigue of the slug phase. just normal tired.

 

is 7:42 too early for bed?

 

[fearless 2.0]

yes to a great anniversary! The day sounds fun! Sending you little light spots in your day to enjoy fully!  

[KB Girl]

2 hours ago, Harriet said:

is 7:42 too early for bed?

 

no, beds are great

 

awesome to see you got a second lifting session in! 

And congratulations on your anniversary

[Everstorm]

Happy anniversary!

[raptron]

Aww, happy anniversary! Fancy take-out has been a funny experience, but it does feel nice to still support those restaurants. 

21 hours ago, Harriet said:

new theory: weakness and fatigue are demons that must be exorcised/exercised from my body with as much activity as possible.

🤘

[Harriet]

Writ: Am reporting

Warcraft: Did yoga video! I hoped I would get the same nice exercise feeling without impacting recovery. 2 walks

Weaving: read some nussbaum, painted a quick alligator.

Witchery. not yet

Willowy: four teas/no sugar continues

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Everstorm]

How is it going with reduced teas?  Do you find you miss them or it's not such a big deal?

[Jupiter]

Happy anniversary!

[fearless 2.0]

love the pic!

hang in there, sister! keep doing tiny great things like you do now! hug! ❤️