My New Favorites

My new favorite hot-weather drink is Jamaica.  I first learned about this refreshing drink when I visited Mexico. Jamaica is made with dried Hibiscus flowers, brewed like tea leaves.  Its a beautiful ruby red color, sweetened to taste, and often spiced with a cinnamon stick and a few slices of ginger.  Sometimes a splash of lime juice is added or a fizzy drink which makes a bubbly version.

As the years passed, I brewed it less and less frequently, but when the daytime temperature reached 100 degrees, and the forecasts of 100 plus degrees days were soon to follow, I began thinking of chilled lemonades and iced teas.  Then out of the blue, I remembered Jamaica.  Instead of making only a glass at a time like I used to, I now keep a jar of concentrated Jamaica in the fridge and dilute it with chilled water. 

Another new favorite is an old favorite once remembered, Key Lime Pie.  A restaurant here specializes in Key Lime Pie and a serving lasts me four days!  The graham cracker crust is so thick, its a dessert by its self.  The pie is served with a huge tea cup size strawberry, with its stem still attached,  on the plate.  It definitely requires a take out box to bring home.

My new favorite comedian is Kate Mc Kinnon of Saturday Night Live.  Her satirical portrait of Hillary Clinton is priceless!  I like the other characters that she plays, but her 'Hillary' is worth a 24 carat gold star!

My new favorite book is by Michael Sims.  Its a collection of Victorian Detective Stories.  The title, The Dead Witness, is taken from the title of a story in the book.  The collection depicts the evolving character of a detective from the first detective story published in 1837, the year Victoria became Queen, to the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock.