Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peel

Yum..... An excellent use of otherwise discarded citrus peel.

Ingredients:

 Peel of 5-7 oranges, lemons or grapefruit

 3 cups water

 2 cups sugar

 1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional)

 3/4 cup granulated sugar for coating

   or melted chocolate for dipping (my recommendation)

Directions:

  1. Slice citrus peel into 1/16" x 1 1/2" strips. Using a sharp paring knife,  cut away as much of the white pith as possible.

  2. Place strips into large saucepan. Add water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain. Dry and chill strips on a towel or parchment paper.

  3. Return strips to saucepan. Boil with 3 cups water and 2 cups sugar. Bring to a gentle boil for 15 minutes.

  4. Remove the pan from heat and add the Grand Marnier. Leave strips in liquid and covered loosely for 12 hours.

  5. Remove from liquid. Lay out to dry. Dip in melted chocolate as desired.

  6. Enjoy!

High Summer

With temperatures hovering around freezing most days, the height of summer has arrived. The first trickles of melt lubricate and dissolve the frozen landscape resulting in an exponential increase of melt water each  day. Snow is melting, streams are running, small ponds are thawing and the locals are celebrating.

Our local pond affectionately known as Dirty Little Hoare.

Shoreline melt. Ice meets water meets earth.

An ephemeral polar desert stream.

Lake Brownworth.

An evening frisbee session on our glacial beach.

Ahh, the feeling of sand between your toes.