Tradition Addition Edition

My mother-in-law visits us every Thanksgiving for several days, and being full-blood Ukrainian (as is my lovely bride), she always helps us create some pysanky and we make a big (fully justified) fuss over the homemade perehe she brings us for dinner.

This year, a colleague who is married to a 1st generation Ukrainian beauty brought his family unit for a little visit, and introduced us to Medivka - a traditional concoction of vodka, spices and honey.  All I can say is "mighty fine".  And it's right next to spectacular when added to the morning coffee.

Pysanky

Perehe (aka pirogi)

Medivka:

1-1/4 cups water

Zest of 1 orange, tangerine and/or lemon

3 whole cloves

1 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup buckwheat honey

2-1/2 to 3 cups vodka (or grain alcohol)

Place the water, citrus zest, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Strain the water through a clean cotton cloth into another pan and add the honey.

Bring to a low simmer, skimming the foam from the top.

Warm the vodka (or alcohol) in a bottle, in a water bath. 

Add the honey mixture to the warmed vodka (or alcohol), shake well, cap, and let cool.

Pysanky

We have a bunch of Ukranian Easter Eggs (pysanky) that Irene's mom has created thru the years.  Once in a while, something goes wrong and we lose one of them.  In this case, it looks like the egg leaked and began to spoil the dye, so we had to put it down.

Luckily, we can preserve something of these unique little treasures in digital form.