Summer’s Almost Denouement

Denoument // noun // the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

I chose the word denouement to make a play on words and acronyms. I’ve noticed its already that time of the year for me. The big S.A.D or Seasonal Depressive Disorder. I might be the only one in Texas that prefers the scorching hot 100 degree weather over our comparatively mild Winter, but that is because I rely on the sunshine. In the winter when the sun goes down at 5pm it becomes disorienting, I go to bed early and sleep in late, like a baby bear trying to hibernate. Unfortunately our world is not set up in a way that allows us to just relax. Even as a stay at home spouse I feel like I’m failing when I take it too easy in the winter. On top of that this marks the third year I’ve gone unemployed, and while I feel that my best efforts go into helping maintain the household, not bringing in any money in late capitalism has a way of making you feel like a bum, no matter how hard you’re working.

Last year I was self aware enough to finally name the dread I had been experiencing year after year. This year I am even more prepared, I learned about lamps that simulate the sunlight, to keep my sleep schedule in order and maybe trick my brain into thinking the sun is out. Obviously I will still be depressed, but maybe this year I’ll swim a little instead of just float.

Because summer is almost over it is time for a bit of reflection. I know I didn’t do as much as I wanted to in the summer. I had it in my had I was going to be able to do a lot of gardening – but then once the preheat was over I realized it was 100 degrees outside and not worth the pain. I still did try to garden, all summer long- and I killed every. single. plant. Maybe I’ll have better luck next year. I was however able to do some experimentation in the kitchen.

I wanted to share a project I attempted, and in my opinion failed. It’s a recipe that ill return to again once Texas starts to preheat its oven. Sea Salt Ice-cream but make it Plat Based! I was super excited to try this after starting Kingdom Hearts 3 for the second time around. The first place I shared it was on my Schools Alumni page the article is as follows

My First Attempt at Sea Salt Ice-cream
I have been in my nostalgia playing the most recent releases of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, KH3 and Melody of Memories. Every single time I saw the sea salt ice cream I have wanted to try it so I finally made my dream come true.

Using this recipe for a plant based sea salt ice cream (https://yestoyolks.com/2015/08/04/sea-salt-coconut-milk-ice-cream/) I dyed it teal and took it to a popsicle mold. This was all on a whim and I learned so much.

The first lesson is I used way too much food dye, they are too blue in color and need to be just a few shades lighter. The second lesson is I need to curate a different recipe- because this was an ice cream recipe that required a churner, it did not de-mold easily. I think I need a base that’s more juice than sugar and milk.

Luckily for me there are so many fellow nerds on the internet that have done a rendition of this ice cream, not a lot of them are vegan but I can take what I know about plant based foods, cross reference and rework these until they’re perfect (to me).

Video games are always my go to form of escapism when the going gets rough and Kingdom Hearts will always have a special place in my heart. It was one of the first stories I was able to immerse myself in fully, from fanart to fanfiction, it was one of the first fandoms that consumed me entirely. I made friends through the fandom and explored so much of my own creativity because of it, so exploring it even further through my new found joy in food was just perfect. I know what I want to do with these the next time around to give them more of a popsicle feel and I cant wait until next summer.

Until then there are so many things to look forward to. Winter might bring the big bad sad but it also brings the time to enjoy stuff that are otherwise mostly unpleasant in the summer; hot beverages, layered fashion, warm spices and carb heavy foods. A busy kitchen steaming from an afternoon of baking and the warm glow of the crockpot will lend help to our central air. Being a little sad cause the sun is sleeping will be well worth the joy of food.

Discussion Questions
Are you going to miss the summer?
What’s your favorite part of winter?
Will you help me, one day at a time, pave the path for the generations after us to be able to just relax and maybe hibernate just a little in the winter?