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It’s time for cold

Yes, we’re going to talk about getting cold!

And yes, it’s midsummer and it’s hot, humid and, of course, that’s what summers are all about, correct? We’re lucky because now we not only receive our cooling from air conditioners, open windows and fans but we can also get cooled from an ice filled glass of your favorite summer time beverage.

However, there’s something else that can chill us to the bone about this time of the year and those things are called family reunions. Those good old memory building events that are filled with surprises, shocks and at times, shakes. Come on, you know what I mean! Families may be different but they’re so very much the same in many ways.

For instance, we all have the “black sheep” of the family, right? That person who, for whatever reason, is the person we sort of filter out of the conversation. Then we have the sweetheart of the family. That’s the person we all love and want on our side because they’re so dang sweet.

And, then there’s the rest of us. The normal folks who relish our times together but kind of breathe a sigh of relief as we drive away from the gathering.Whew! No blood letting, hair pulling or angry outbursts — at least this time. Let’s get home and have a cool one!

This past weekend was my sibling reunion and since my family consists of rock solid good people, our time together was amazing, informative, lesson learning, funny and full of good food and beverages.

Because of the plethora of insects that have now taken up residence around this part of the state, most of our family’s time together was spent in the nicely air-conditioned indoors. It was cool, comfortable and everything was chill — from our conversations to the beverages we consumed. It was cool, man!

My brother travels a bit and he brought a couple of bottles of wine with him from around the country.

The first was a bottle of American White Zinfandel from Stone Cliff Winery in Dubuque, Iowa. That bottle ended up not being opened and to be polite, I took it home with me. Well, someone has to be the good one of the family!! It’ll be interesting to compare it to a white zinfandel from California.

He also brought a bottle from St. James Winery in St. James, Missouri, called Velvet White. It’s a sweet white wine and is now chilling in my refrigerator. Again, someone had to be polite and accept the bottle on behalf of the family — sometimes being the polite family member is a cross one must bear. If only my siblings could learn that! It’ll be interesting to compare the wine to a moscato.

I brought a cool French Provence Rosé that paired nicely with the smoked turkey my brother-in-law produced for the dinner table. The wine had enough body to carry it through the baked beans and potato salad and it looked beautiful on the table.

Along with the French rosé, I brought a New Zealand Mud House Sauvignon Blanc — it was cold and tasty. I really like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines because they run the taste gamut from a soft wine to those with very tart lemon/lime tastes. They are all just plain good — especially when chilled to about 40-45 degrees.

One of the very cold beers that appeared at our reunion was Brau Brothers’ Threasher — a great Bohemian Pilsner. If you’re looking for an excellent thirst quenching beer, treat yourself to this pilsner. It’ll chill your throat and state of mind as it slips down your throat.

One last thought — if you want something cold this summer, consider a Tom Collins cocktail. It’s easy to make, it’s delicious and it’s…COLD!!!!! Simply put a couple ounces of gin along with an ounce of lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar in a shaker that half filled with ice. Shake the heck out of it, strain it into a highball glass that’s half filled with ice, fill the glass with club soda and enjoy! It’s cold, tasty and will lower your mental and physical temperatures. It’s the quintessential summer cocktail.

Our sibling reunion was very memorable and partly because the suggestion was made that, before coming together, everyone read Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” After the reading of it, we discussed what it meant to each of us — try it, I think you’ll find it very cool!

I enjoyed my time with my sisters, brother and brothers-in-law. They’re good people — of course, from my perspective, there’s always room for improvement in them! Humor makes for great memories…

Next week, let’s let the light in…

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!

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