![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
Recipe: Agua de Jamaica (Mexican Hibiscus Tea, sometimes simply referred to as Jamaica)
Nov. 29th, 2025 08:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebelsheartThis recipe will produce 2 quarts of the drink.
Ingredients
- 50 grams flores de jamaica (flores de jamaica = hibiscus flowers)
- These can be fresh flowers or dried. Dried results in a stronger flavor.
- Fresh flowers are best-sourced from a local Mexican grocer. Stores such as Natural Grocer have the dried.
- These can be fresh flowers or dried. Dried results in a stronger flavor.
- 3 cups will need to be measured, the rest does not if you have tap water available
Directions
- Add the flowers a medium-to-large bowl that can be sealed, or a pot with a lid, and cover with water.
- Seal the bowl or pot, then shake to rinse dirt and similar from the flowers.
- Strain the flowers. This water will not be used.
- It is recommended that you do this no more than twice, as the potential flavor is rinsed away with the contaminants.
- In another pot capable of holding at least 4 cups (1 quart), bring the 3 cups of water to boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Dissolve the sugar in the water.
- Add the flowers to the sugar water and just barely bring to a boil, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and allow the flowers to steep for 25-30 minutes.
- Strain the liquid into a 2 quart pitcher, then add water to get to 2 quarts.
Notes:
- This is generally enjoyed chilled, but can be consumed warm.
- If your household regularly has some sort of sugary (or fake sugary) grape-flavored fruit drink available such as Kool-Aid or Crystal Light, this can be easily mistaken for it - label if needed.
Thank you to Geist for sharing his family's recipe with me.
[pain] oh this book is bad
Nov. 29th, 2025 08:59 pmkaberettThe terrible hyphenation one can reasonably attribute to a failure to invest in subject specialist proof readers (or possibly any proof readers at all, good grief).
The wildly ahistorical nonsense about the history of medicine? Less so. I begin to understand why there isn't a references section, and I've only made it as far as page 7 before needing to stop and shriek about it and also stare at a wall for a bit...
it's that time again!
Nov. 29th, 2025 09:21 amalthea_valaramy thread here
If you're not familiar with this: you comment on the post with your username(s), and then people ANONYMOUSLY leave comments on why they like you.
Post-Turkey (well, there are leftovers...)
Nov. 28th, 2025 07:20 pmazurelunaticHave I mentioned that especially after Colonoscopy Week I've had more trouble than usual walking? I've been using my cane inside the house for the first time in quite a while, and I'm limited in how much I can carry without (more) pain. It sucks. Belovedest has set up the short ramp against the shortest outside stairs, and while going up it is Bad, going up the stairs without it is Worse. (Both outside doors have stairs.)
I wasn't available to assist with any of the Thanksgiving cooking. Belovedest did it themselves! Including: turkey, the epic tray of dressing, biscuits from the mix, and instant potatoes made the way that erases the taste of Box. (There was also salad available, but there's quite a bit of vegetable in the sausage-cornbread dressing.)
Today we had some roof inspectors. The inspection's free; the quote for fixing things up is *sigh* very much not free.
[pain] a strong contender for The Worst Possible Hyphenation
Nov. 28th, 2025 08:56 pmkaberettSpotted in today's book, with just as much of a medical theme as you might reasonably expect:
... biopsy-
chosocial...
my appetite has mysteriously vanished...
Nov. 27th, 2025 06:06 pmysobeltwo types of salad, turkey, ham, sage stuffing, peas and shallots, roasted brussels sprouts / carrots / onions, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, potato rolls, and like eight types of pie (including: pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, chocolate cream, key lime, and idk what else) with real whipped cream.
All homemade, all insanely good, and there was even a centerpiece that was a handmade cornucopia made out of bread and containing actual fruots and vegetables.
I ... am going to go into a food coma now, lol
(no subject)
Nov. 24th, 2025 04:45 pmysobelAnd then randomly, he stopped. Since then he does still attack his tail sometimes (occasionally seeming extremely annoyed by it) but without making it bloody. I sort of get the impression he doesn't really understand that his tail is even attached to him, let alone part of him. Sometimes he shoves his tail down, stalks to a different bed, and gets upset that it followed him. Sometimes it feels like, to him, he bites the wiggly thing and then it bites him back.
But regardless, he wasn't doing serious damage.
Until last week.
We noticed a spot on the underside of his tail that he seemed to have licked bare. Then it bled a bit. So Friday was Vet Day. They shaved the area, cleaned it up, and gave him an antibiotic shot because it looked like he had just ... chomped way too hard.
So he's back in a cone. Hopefully it's just for the 10-14 days recommended by the vet. But. It's a different spot, but he does have history with, erm, tail issues.
If he continues with his tail the way he did in 2018... ( cw: mention of potential medical procedures )
Right now the dogs are banished from my bedroom so that Loki can have easier access to food/water and to litterbox. They are confused by this. Loki has been extremely clingy, jumping on my lap pretty much every time I'm in there and sleeping on me probably 80% of the night. I don't actually mind providing extra cuddles! But I think all of us will be happy when things go back to normal...
vital functions
Nov. 23rd, 2025 10:27 pmkaberettReading. ... I think, like, a page or two of Descartes (Treatise on Man), and that's it?
OH. NO. I also finished my first pass through indexing The National Trust Cookbook for EYB. That's right. That's a thing I did.
Watching. Three Whole Entire Episodes of Beddybyes, halfway through the third of which the toddler (who felt it was Very Important that we saw it) pretty much fell asleep where it was sat.
Playing. RIDICULOUS Inkulinati run for Preposterous Amounts Of Prestige.
Cooking. Medlar jelly (plain, spiced). Quince sorbet. Several bread. A batch of buttermilk pancakes. Some terrible First, Burn Your Lettuce, thereby ticking another item off the current Cook The Book project. Buttermilk pancakes.
Eating. One of the CHILLIS from the CHILLI PLANTS we brought HOME from the GREENHOUSE just after first frost (but they were fine); also A turned the small pile of peppers that broke off the sweet pepper I brought home on a bike, still green, into akuri this morning.
Exploring. Important sploshy stomp through the puddles of Barking Park. I... think that's it?
Growing. I have NOT sown any physalis or lemongrass in the electric propagator, to get them hopefully Established by the time I need it for Other Things in the new year. This is a deliberate decision. They can go in next week.
... and now it's very definitely time for bed, goodnight world. <3
I have processed the fruit
Nov. 22nd, 2025 09:30 pmkaberettThere was less of it usable than if it hadn't been sitting in my living room for a fortnight, but there is one dehydrator load of apples drying, and one saucepan of Apfelmus cooling, and... I think the latter is probably going to get frozen (at least in the first instance) because I am not at all convinced I have water-bathing a couple of jars in me right now. That might be a December problem.
But. The pulp leftover from the medlar jelly is frozen in Future Sticky Toffee Pudding-sized portions. The quince sorbet is in the freezer in its tub. And the apples are As Above. I am very very glad to have got that all dealt with, but alas have no other thoughts to contribute. <3