By Two months to the wedding. I have been trying to write in this blog every week but some weeks what I want to say does not fit easily into words and this was one of those weeks. The wedding is becoming real in a physical way. The dress is done. The vows are almost done. The food is planned. The people who love me are coming.
I cried on the phone with Gloria on Wednesday for no specific reason except that I was overwhelmed with how much I love her and how much I wish James could be at the wedding. Gloria said James will be there in the way that people are there when you carry them. I said I carry him. She said she knows. She said she carries him too and when we are both in the same room she can feel it like a weight that is also a comfort, which is the exact right description of grief that has become livable.
Went to a final wedding planning meeting at Debbie. Roy made sweet tea and sat at the end of the table again with his coffee and occasional agreement. At the end, when things were wrapping up, he said to me, you are going to be a good addition to this family. He is a man of about seven words a gathering and he used most of them on that. I said thank you. I meant it in every direction it could be meant.
Made peach preserves Sunday with the last of the summer peaches. Preserved them into jars, which I have never done before. Something about wanting to save the good things before the season changes.
After I finished sealing the last jar of peach preserves on Sunday, I stood in the kitchen with sticky hands and the particular kind of fullness that comes from doing something that matters quietly, and I thought about how a peach at the peak of its season deserves to be celebrated as much as preserved. That feeling — of wanting to honor the good things before the season turns — is exactly why this Peach Bellini felt right. It’s simple and bright and a little bit celebratory, which is exactly where I am right now: two months out, carrying everyone I love into a room where everything is about to change in the best way.
Peach Bellini
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 ripe peaches, peeled and pitted (or 1 cup frozen peach slices, thawed)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey or simple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 bottle (750ml) chilled Prosecco or sparkling wine
- Fresh peach slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Puree the peaches. Add the peeled, pitted peaches to a blender along with the lemon juice and honey. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
- Strain (optional). For a silkier texture, pour the peach puree through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl or pitcher, pressing gently with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Chill the puree. Refrigerate the peach puree for at least 10 minutes if not serving immediately. It can be made up to a day ahead and stored covered in the fridge.
- Assemble the bellinis. Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of peach puree into the bottom of each champagne flute. Slowly pour chilled Prosecco over the puree, tilting the glass slightly to preserve the bubbles. Stir gently with a long spoon just once to combine.
- Garnish and serve. Add a fresh peach slice to the rim of each glass if desired. Serve immediately while cold and bubbly.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 10mg