I am kind of a big reader. However, I will admit I am picky about what I read. I have always heard that readers make great writers.  It is an interesting thought...  Does that mean that people who don't like to read much can't write?  Or maybe there interest would never lie in writing since, who wants to write if they don't even like to read.  Right?

 Our society is slowly drifting away from reading.  Bookstores are becoming the thing of the past.  Libraries seem like they have to beg for money to have support.  It's a bit sad to me.

 After all sometimes those moments were the best of our lives.  Remember all of the friends you made at the library?  I don't mean the real people but the "book people".  The ones who told you about their lives.  The ones whose reality became where you were living for those 30 or 40 minutes you spent opening the book before you checked it out, to let your book friend come home and visit you at your house.

 I recall  reading a book as a kid "From the mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" it was about two kids who ran away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  It was an adventure for them. It was my adventure.  I was there hiding in the bathroom, standing on top of the toilet seat, waiting for the guard to check and make sure the visitors were gone from the museum.  I was with them when they slept in the beds of the royal kings.  I was collecting the coins in the fountain to have money for lunch.  It was real, so, so real.  Children have amazing imaginations. I like to think I am one of those children.

 Sometimes I think about that...do I still have that kind of imagination?

 Stress, life, being so busy, that overwhelming feeling of not getting everything done, it takes it's toll, don't you think?

 I have pushed aside my reading as of late and maybe that's why it is in my head right now.  Why has life been taken over by that feeling of "too busy"?

 I went to a food blog conference recently and heard story after story of people and what they consider "success" but each time I found that they seemed overwhelmed, a bit burnt out or "I didn't see my family" kind of success.  And although I agreed with the work hard attitude it is never worth it to me to see success in that manner.  That isn't success, that's sadness.

Maybe I will never have loads of money or tons of vacations but that isn't important to me.  If losing the moments of imagination, if creativity becomes a burden, if we forget to pick up a book and lose ourselves in it, then "success" was never there.

  I hope as you read this you look for a little piece of imagination in your life and remember success isn't about living the reality of the dream it's about continuing to dream.

Ingredients:

• Mother for Vinegar

• 16 oz Red Wine🍷

• 8 oz water

• Cheesecloth

• Glass or Wood container with a spigot and an opening at the top for pouring

• Time⏱

Step 1

Place mother inside of clean container and add wine and water. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with rubber band as needed. Mark the start date somewhere on your jar.

Step 2

Keep container in cool dark place for at least three months.  When you have wine leftover remove cheesecloth and add wine. Then place cheesecloth back on with rubber band.  You will want to add wine about once per week if you do not have leftover wine regularly to add. 

Step 3

Check vinegar using spout after a few months for taste.  If not too liking continue to add wine about once per week. Not much needed maybe two tablespoons at the least at a time.  If you have more and the container is not full you may add more.

Step 4

When Vinegar is too your liking you may pour from spigot into clean glass jars and cork.  You can strain via a cheese cloth if you do not want any fermentation in your container.

Tips

• Do not skim off the top of the vinegar that is the mother working well and good bacteria (FYI however it isn't very pretty)

• Tasting the Vinegar is important!  You want it to taste like vinegar not wine.  (A little tang on the tongue)

• Need a good Vinaigrette Recipe go here

• If you prefer White Wine Vinegar same steps just use white wine and a white wine mother

• Time is important to make great vinegar but once you have it you can continue using the mother for years!

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