Five years ago we moved into our house and one of the things that swayed our purchase decision was the size of the property--nine-tenths of an acre. There are times when I suspect we bit off more than we can chew.
These grounds have a life of their own. Oh, we attempt to show them who is the boss and whip them into order, but they laugh at us and go right on proliferating their weeds and dropping their leaves and sending their thorny shoots everywhere.
And then there is the mint. At first I loved the mint, but then it took over a little garden plot and I was forced to do fierce battle with it. I ruthlessly cleared the whole lot of it. For a few moments I felt guilty, and I bore the smell of my murderous assault with shame.
Well. Do not spend too much time mourning the loss of the mint, as it has had the last laugh. This year it has sneakily sprung up from between the cracks of a brick landing around our deck. It stands tall and proud, and vibrantly healthy. And I did what any reasonably sane person would do. I surrendered; then plucked a few leaves and made mojitos.
A word about mojitos. I had had one once and hated it. It tasted like a very sweet toothpasty medicine. But I had a bunch of mint and a bunch of limes and a desire to make a beautiful marriage between the two. And I discovered it's like all marriages--the key is balance. You must achieve the perfect blend between the intensely sweet simple syrup, the sour limes and the, well, minty mint. And then, like all marriages, it takes some muddling. But it's worth the effort.
These grounds have a life of their own. Oh, we attempt to show them who is the boss and whip them into order, but they laugh at us and go right on proliferating their weeds and dropping their leaves and sending their thorny shoots everywhere.
And then there is the mint. At first I loved the mint, but then it took over a little garden plot and I was forced to do fierce battle with it. I ruthlessly cleared the whole lot of it. For a few moments I felt guilty, and I bore the smell of my murderous assault with shame.
Well. Do not spend too much time mourning the loss of the mint, as it has had the last laugh. This year it has sneakily sprung up from between the cracks of a brick landing around our deck. It stands tall and proud, and vibrantly healthy. And I did what any reasonably sane person would do. I surrendered; then plucked a few leaves and made mojitos.
A word about mojitos. I had had one once and hated it. It tasted like a very sweet toothpasty medicine. But I had a bunch of mint and a bunch of limes and a desire to make a beautiful marriage between the two. And I discovered it's like all marriages--the key is balance. You must achieve the perfect blend between the intensely sweet simple syrup, the sour limes and the, well, minty mint. And then, like all marriages, it takes some muddling. But it's worth the effort.
Awww, Mojitos. One of my favorite drinks. But there is no telling what you will get when you order one out. Some are delicious, others are undrinkable.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the rum?
ReplyDeleteThe rum? Dang, I knew I forgot something!! Yeah, the rum is important, but when you get a bad mojito it sure ain't the rum that's off.
ReplyDeleteI did, in fact, order a mojito once (before I tried yours) while waiting for a bad date. It was called something like Ho Ho Hojita. Always a sucker for Christmas specials, I placed my order with the barbietender and tried to slyly spot my internet date in her backlit mirror without turning around. She seemed to take quite awhile, and I was surprised to hear her using the blender. Five minutes later, with no date in sight, I received a green froth that was something akin to seaweed bubbles on a sandy shore. Impossible to drink without forming a mustache, I sipped it gingerly, filtering the green bits that eventually forced me to chew my drink. I still gag lightly when I remember the chunky bits of mint that got stuck on the way back of my tongue. Yes, my date showed up. He was a one date wonder, and I am probably remembered as the girl with the green tongue.
ReplyDeleteAt least you had great breath!
ReplyDeleteI love mojitos! I'm going to make some tonight.
ReplyDeleteSorry you're battling mint. That happened at the Enumclaw place. At this place it's staying in a several large container -- containers that will be heavily pruned for mojitos tonight. :-)