Lemon Bars #1

We have a plethora of lemons here at our house and I feel so bad watching them just drop to the ground and rot (although the chickens do enjoy them), but I have too many things I'd rather be doing than picking lemons just to pick lemons. So I've decided I need to utilize them more (we can only drink so much lemonade before we get sick of it!). So I've decided to discover the best lemon bars. This was recipe #1. It was quite delicious, had the lemony tart, but something was missing. If you like lemon curd or lemon preserves, this is great. It has a little crust with a LOT of lemony filling. I like my lemon bars a little chewier, but I can't say I didn't like them. I pretty much downed a whole row by myself (somewhat to my credit - the short row, not the long one). So if you have (or know of) a good lemon bar (or any other lemony) recipe, let me know! Beware, this recipe makes a LOT. Next time I will definitely 1/2 it!

For the crust:

• 1 cup butter, softened (supposed to be unsalted, but I like salt, so I don't bother)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 tsp salt

For the filling:

• 6 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup flour

• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light. Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a greased 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Chill for 15 minutes.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust (crust does not need to be completely cooled) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Strawberry Sandwiches

We've been enjoying strawberry season here in sunny California for a couple weeks now.  And man, do we have some GOOD strawberries in our area.  We are lucky enough to live where they grow, so we get berries straight from the field...can't beat that!  One day we bought a 1/2 flat of strawberries (that's at least 6 baskets) and they were gone in less than 24 hours...mainly eaten by our 2 year old, but we all are berry lovers.  Anyway, one day I asked my 5 year old what he wanted for lunch and he said "a strawberry sandwich."  Being in the good mood that I was, I thought, "what the heck, why not?," ignoring my motherly intuition that was telling me not to let my son have a sugar filled lunch.  He told me what to do and I did it.  He said the cake would be the bread, the whipped cream the mayo, and the strawberries the meat.  Sounds good to me!  When it was all made (its basically a strawberry shortcake) he said that I needed to take a picture for my blog, but "make sure you tell everyone that it was MY idea!"  So, yes, this was my 5 year old son's idea :)

• Loaf of angel food cake
• Whipped Cream (homemade is the best!)
• Strawberries

Cut 2 slices of angel food cake.  Cut the strawberries into slices.  Spread whipped cream on one side of each slice of cake.  Top on slice (whipped cream side) with sliced strawberries.  Put the remaining slice whipped cream side down over the strawberries.  Mmmmm.

Green Smoothie Recipes

I thought I'd post a few our family-favorites! You may need to add less greens in the beginning (especially for the kiddos) and more fruit, but as you do this more and more, they will be able to drink more greens and like them! I sometimes sweeten their smoothies with a little agave nectar or raw honey. However, that's not really necessary if you use very ripe fruits. I hit the sales on super ripe bananas or day-old strawberries and freeze them in large batches. Frozen grapes are really good for smoothies too.

Smoothie #1

• 3 bananas
  
• 1 cup of papaya
  
• 4 big handfuls of baby spinach
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #2 (similar to #1, but very still a hit)

• 3 bananas
  
• 3 huge handfuls of baby spinach
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #3

• 2 bananas
  
• 6-7 strawberries
  
• juice from 2 oranges
  
• 2 handfuls of romaine
  
• 1 cup of water
  

Smoothie #4

• Half a head of green leaf lettuce
  
• 2 bananas
  
• juice from 2 tangelos
  
• 1/2 a bag of frozen mangoes
  
• 1 pear
  
• 1 cup of water
  

Smoothie #5

• 6 ounces of orange juice
  
• 1 cup of pineapple
  
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk (this is the best if you get a Thai coconut and use the water and meat, but the canned stuff works too)
  
• 2 handfuls of romaine
  

Smoothie #6

• 1 stalk of celery
  
• 2 cups of blueberries
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #7

• 6 to 7 romaine leaves
  
• 1 cup of red grapes
  
• 1 medium orange (peeled, but whole, not juiced)
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #8

• 2 large grapefruits- juiced
  
• 6-7 frozen strawberries
  
• 1 cup of peaches
  
• 2 handfuls of lettuce
  

Smoothie #9

• 4 ripe pears
  
• 4-5 kale leaves
  
• 1/2 bunch of mint
  
• 2 cups of water
  
• (I would add sweetener on this one!)
  

Smoothie #10

• 2 bananas
  
• 2 large collard or chard leaves
  
• 1/2 pack of Trader Joes frozen "Mangolicious" blend (has frozen mango, raspberries, and blueberries in it)
  
• 1-2 cups of water or orange juice
  

**You can substitute water with any juice you like. The amount you put in depends upon the consistency you like. My kids like it thick like ice cream...I like it almost as thin as juice.

The possibilities are endless really. You can add greens to any of your usual smoothie favorites. It will change the color, but if you do it in a small amount, it shouldn't take away from the flavor much. You can substitute in these recipes for any greens you like. The greens we use the most are kale, collard greens, chard, spinach, romaine, and bok choy. I try to use the dark leafy greens that my kids won't eat on their own, cooked or otherwise. I sometimes also add ground flax or nuts/nut butter for added protein. Most of these recipes will yield a quart of green smoothies (32 oz). Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Holli W.

The Best Jello Jigglers

What would a family gathering or a church function or a summer bbq be without jello?  I'm not huge on the jello casseroles or whatever they're called, but I DO love my jello jigglers!  But here's the thing, I don't like them the way they say to make them on the box.  I like them my mother-in-laws way.  You've never had a jello jiggler until you've eaten one Ma's way!  So I'm spilling the beans and sharing her secret with all of you (sorry Ma, it had to be done!).  

• 1 (6 oz) pkg of jello (any flavor of your choice!)
• 1 pkg unflavored gelatin (yes, you heard me right, extra gelatin!)
• 1 cup boiling water (you heard me right, that's 1/2 of what normal jigglers use!)

Boil water.  While water is boiling, pour jello and gelatin into square baking dish (I prefer glass, but you can also pour them into molds or ice cube trays).  Stir in boiling water, but be sure to do it slowly so you don't create foam on the top!  Stir until everything is COMPLETELY dissolved, otherwise you'll get weird crystals forming on the top and bottom of your jigglers!  This may take a couple minutes.  When the jello and gelatin are completely dissolved, place dish in refrigerator for a couple hours until they're solid and nice and chewy!  

To serve, cut them into squares or whip out your cookie cutters and make 'em into shapes!

Mango Lassi

My hubby and I are big fans of Indian food.  Every time we go I HAVE to have a mango lassi!  Lassis are yogurt fruity drinks and they're SO stinkin' good!  Tonight I decided to make my own.  I looked at a few recipes, but essentially just did my own thing.  So here's what I came up with and it was SO delicious!  PS - don't know if this is real authentic Indian, but its worth a try anyway!

• 1 cup frozen (or fresh) mango cubes
• 1 cup Vanilla non-fat yogurt (I used Trader Joe's French Village)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• about 1 cup water
  

Place all ingredients in blender; blend.  Taste - if its too thick, add more water or juice.  If it is too sour, you can add honey or sugar if you want.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Cake from Scratch

I was going through my recipes the other day and came across this one.  It originated from All Recipes.  For my son's birthday last year he requested a strawberry "Sandman" cake and I believe from scratch is so much tastier than from a box (although a box is much more convenient!).  I frosted it with Cool Whip Cream Frosting (which was super yummy) and between the 2 layers of cake, I used some frosting and sliced fresh strawberries.  Since he wanted a Sandman cake, I sprinkled it with crushed vanilla wafers, but it would be oh so mighty tasty topped with the C.W.C frosting and fresh strawberries!  Mmm!

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 (3 oz) pkg strawberry flavored gelatin
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Combine the flour and baking power; stir into the batter alternately with the milk.  Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely.

Serves 14.

Julie R.

Carly's FAMOUS Spinach Smoothies

My friend (and old college roomy) Carly posted this recipe on her blog a couple weeks ago.  I'm always in search of yummy, healthy stuff, so I thought, "what the heck, I think I'll try it."  I'm glad I did - it was great!  My 5 year old, who LOVES spinach (thanks to Popeye!) said he didn't want to try it because it grossed him out to have spinach in a smoothie.  When he saw us all drinking them and lovin' it, he said, "well I'll just try a sip."  He sipped, his eyes rolled back in his head and he said, "Oh, this is SOO delicious!!"  Score!  He even asked for it the next day!  Thanks, Carly for your yummy, healthy smoothie!

• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
  
• 3-4 cups of spinach (fresh)
  
• A couple handfuls of frozen strawberries and blueberries or any other frozen fruit you want (peaches, mango, blackberries, etc)
  
• 1 banana
  
• Flax seed (optional)
  
• Water
  

Poor all ingredients in a blender, leaving the water for last.  Poor water until it fills almost to the top.  Blend.

Julie R. (& Carly S.)

Orange Dreamsicle Mousse

I've found that a lot of low cal/low fat desserts really aren't that great.  I'd really rather skip dessert than have a bad one (really, is it worth even the few calories?).  So I found this recipe a while back (I wish I knew where, so if this is your recipe, let me know so I can give you credit!).  I made it thinking it probably wouldn't be that great because its sugar free (you know how sugar free stuff has that funny fake sugar taste?), but it actually turned out really good.  My boys all LOVED it and it isn't even sugar filled!

• .44 oz pkg sugar-free orange gelatin
  
• 1 oz pkg sugar-free instant white chocolate pudding mix
  
• water
• 1 (8 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
  
• 1 (8 oz) container fat-free cool whip
  

Dissolve the gelatin in 1 cup boiling water.  Add 1 cup cold water and let it set up for 5 minutes.  Using an electric mixer, beat dry pudding mix into the jello until well blended.  You may have to let it set up for 5 minutes in the refrigerator.  Fold in mandarin oranges and cool whip.  Chill either in a bowl or in individual mousse dishes.

Serves 4.

Julie R.

AG, CA

12 Days of Yummies: Berry Cute Santas

Day 4

This is a recipe from Taste of Home.  I haven't actually made these yet, but they just looked so cute and fun for the kids (and adults too). 

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

• 1 loaf (10-3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed
  
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  
• 12 red-frilled toothpicks
  
• 12 large strawberries, cut in half widthwise
  
• 24 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  
• 12 fudge-covered cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
  

Cut twelve 1-in. cubes from pound cake (save remaining cake for another use). For icing, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a #18 star tip. Fill bag with icing.
For each Santa, thread a frilled toothpick through a pointed strawberry half, then through a cake cube and a second strawberry half. For eyes, place a dab of icing on the bottoms of two chocolate chips; press onto cake. Pipe icing to form beards and to add fur brims below strawberry hats. Place each Santa on a cookie; serve immediately. Yield: 1 dozen.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Thanksgiving: Fruit Dips

Some of my favorite appetizers/snacks/desserts are fresh fruit dipped in yummy dip (I'd take it over any dessert any day!).  I know there's a bunch, but here are just a few favorites and a few new ones I haven't tried, but definitely want to!

Strawberry Yogurt Dip

(photo courtesy of Kraft Foods)

• 1 c thawed Cool Whip Lite Whipped Topping
  
• 1 (8 oz) container strawberry lowfat yogurt
  
• 1/2 c finely chopped strawberries, sweetened
  
• Assorted fresh fruit (Strawberries, peaches, bananas, etc)
  

Mix whipped topping, yogurt, and strawberries in small bowl. Serve as a dip with fresh fruit.

Makes 2 cups.

Fruit Dip

(photo courtesy of Recipe Tips)

• 1 (7 ounce) jar Kraft marshmallow crème
  
• 3 Tbsp orange juice
  
• 1 Tbsp orange rind, grated
  
• 1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese, softened
  

Mix together with beater until smooth. Serve with cut up fruit of your choice.

Strawberries and Cinnamon Mascarpone

This is from Butter, Sugar, Flour. She's from Australia, hence the measurements in grams. 

(photo courtesy of Butter, Sugar, Flour)

• 500g strawberries, washed
  
• 250g mascarpone cheese
  
• a few big tablespoons of icing sugar
  
• ground cinnamon
  

Mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar and cinnamon to taste.
Serve with the strawberries. That’s it!

Julie R.

AG, CA

Thanksgiving: Snicker Salad

Over the past couple years, this has become a staple at family holiday events.  My youngest sister has become the official snicker salad chef.   This recipe is just approximate measurements – you can add as much or little of everything that you want.  It's supposed to be served as a salad, but both my husband and I usually save it for dessert.

• 5-6 Granny Smith apples (or any tart apple)
  
• 3 king-size Snicker bars
  
• Bunch of red grapes, halved
  
• 12-16 ounces Cool Whip
  

Chop the apples and Snicker bars into small bite-size pieces. Mix apples, snickers, and grapes thoroughly into the Cool Whip. Use the sprinkles for garnish over the top. For best flavor, refrigerate for several hours.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Lemon Cake

This is an old family favorite that goes back at least to my grandma and her sister.  It so easy and moist and if you love lemon...YUMMY!  Instead of using the 4 serving size lemon jello, I used 1/2 of the bigger box, but it didn't come out as lemony, so I wouldn't recommend it unless thats all that you have (it was still real good, just not as lemony as I'd have liked).

Cake:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
  
• 1 (3 ounce) lemon or lime jello
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 3/4 cup salad oil
  
• 3/4 cup water
  

Topping:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Real Lemon Juice

Put jello, eggs, oil and water into cake mix and mix well. Bake according to directions on box in 9x13” pan. It may take a little longer. Prepare the topping by mixing the powdered sugar and lemon juice.  When cake has been taken out of oven, pierce with fork immediately and pour the topping mixture over the cake. 

Julie R.

AG, CA

Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling

In my search for my much loved Lemon Berry Cobbler Cake, I came across this recipe at Just Baking (although it originated from FIne Cooking magazine Issue #93 - June/July 2008).  It is nothing like my Cobbler Cake, but it looked good none the less.  Being perfectly honest, I did not like them at first.  They were dry and much too rich for me, so I sent them to work with my husband.  There were a few left over, so the next day I thought, I should try this if everyone is saying how wonderful they are and they were wonderful!  The lemon-cream filling had absorbed into the streusel and crust and made it moist and delicious.  They are still rich, but delicious.

• 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
  
• 13 1/2 ounces (3 cups) all purpose flour
  
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
  
• 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 large egg, separated
  
• 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  
• 2 1/2 cups room-temperature blueberries (about 13 ounces), washed and drained on paper towels

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using your fingers, blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for topping. Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs and press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. Tap it with the bottom of a measuring cup to even it out. Bake the crust until it starts to form a dry top, 10 to 12 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Let stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.

Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the hot crust, then drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute a little more evenly, but take care not to crush the berries. The lemon mixture need not be perfectly evenly spread. Bake until the lemon mixture just begins to form a shiny skin, 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. Carefully lift them out of the pan using the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars when cool. The bars may be stored at room temperature for a few hours, but should otherwise be kept in the refrigerator.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Canning Pears

Our pear tree was full of fruit that we just couldn't eat fast enough, so as with the tomatoes, I thought I should can some to enjoy throughout the year.  I've only canned pears once about 7 years ago, so I didn't really know what I was doing at first.  As with all canning, it definitely took time and I made a big mess, but it really was easy!

• 2-3 lbs pears per quart
• quart size canning jars
• lids and screw tops
• citric acid
• sugar

(This is the hot pack method)

Wash pears; drain.  Cut into quarters or halves; core and peel.  Treat to prevent darkening.  

Make a light syrup*; keep syrup hot.  Drain pears.  Cook pears one layer at a time in syrup (or boiling water) 5-6 minutes or until hot throughout.  Pack hot pears into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.  Ladle hot syrup over pears, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles.  Adjust two-piece caps.  

Process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes, in a boiling-water bath canner (remember to start the timer after the water has started boiling).  

Note:  Pears should be harvested when full grown and stored in a cool place (60°-65°F) until ripe but not soft.  Bartlett pears are considered best for canning.  Kieffer pears and similar varieties are satisfactory if properly ripened and cooked in water until almost tender.  Pack in sugar syrup, juice, or water.

* Syrup for Canning (I used Extra-Light):

• Extra-Light Syrup (20% sugar) - 1-1/4 cups sugar + 5-1/2 cups water = 6 cups syrup
• Light Syrup (30% sugar) - 2-1/4 cups sugar + 5-1/4 cups water = 6-1/2 cups syrup
• Medium Syrup (40% sugar) - 3-1/4 cups sugar + 5 cups water = 7 cups syrup
• Heavy Syrup (50% sugar) - 4-1/4 cups sugar + 4-1/4 cups water = 7 cups syrup

(recipe courtesy of Ball Blue Book)

Julie R.

AG, CA

Good Gadget Review: Electric Citrus Juicer

I'm starting something new called a "Good Gadget Review."  It'll showcase kitchen gadgets that I/you/we just can't (or would rather not) live without.  For my first one, lets explore the wondrous electric citrus juicer.

(image courtesy of wikipedia)

We've got lots of citrus trees - oranges, lemons, limes - but what's a girl to do with so much fruit?  Why make juice of course!  And nothing is better in the morning than freshly squeezed orange juice!  But to have to squeeze those oranges by hand is no good at all, so thats why last year I broke down and treated myself to an electric citrus juicer.  I think I got it at Walmart or somewhere, I don't know, but I do know that it only cost $9.99 - nothing to totally break the bank - and oh how I LOVE it!  I like to freeze the juice in ice cube trays (then store them in ziplocks) and pull them out for smoothies or drinks later.  

Julie R.

Lemon Berry Smoothie

My son has been asking for a few days now to make smoothies, so I finally did it.  It was really easy and I just used what I had.  This was a "throw it all in and blend it and hope it tastes good" kind of a recipe.  They did turn out really good and my boys loved them!

• Frozen lemon juice (I used 2 ice cubes worth)
• Frozen berries (I used Boysenberries - about 2 cups)
• Milk
• Sugar (about 1/4 c)

Put frozen lemon juice, berries, sugar, and some milk in blender; blend.  Add milk as needed to get smoothie to be the right consistency.  When it is all blended, taste and add more sugar if needed.  Serve and enjoy!

Julie R.

AG, CA

Plum Jam

We have lots and lots of plums on our property, so today I finally made some jam with them.  I wanted to make sugar-free jam (our plums are really sweet), but didn't have the right stuff, so I opted for the sugar.  Its been a while since I've done any canning of any sort, so my mom came and guided me through it, but it really wasn't hard at all.

• 4 lbs plums
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp butter (optional)
• 1 box Sure-Jell* pectin
• 8 cups sugar
• 9-10 small jars with lids and screw tops

*You can use any pectin of your choice, but instructions may vary according to the package.

Prepare jars and screw bands by washing, then boiling in water (this is just to make them hot and sterilized, so you can use dishwasher if you choose).  Place jar lids in boiling water and let stand until ready to use.  Be sure jars and lids are dry (but hot) before using.

To prepare plums, discard pits (do not peel) and finely chop plums (I used a food processor).  This should make about 6 cups of mashed fruit.  Place plums and 1/2 cup water in saucepan.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  

While fruit is simmering, measure exact amount of sugar into separate bowl (REDUCING SUGAR OR USING SUGAR SUBSTITUTES WILL RESULT IN SET FAILURES - use Sure-Jell for Less or No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin for no- or low-sugar jams).

Stir 1 box pectin into fruit in saucepot.  Add 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired (this really does work!).  Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in sugar quickly.  Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off any foam.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops.  Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with two-piece lids.  Screw bands tightly.  (When you get to the end of the jam pot, if you don't have enough for a full jar, put what is left in a jar and refrigerate.)

Place jars on elevated rack in canner.  Lower rack into canner.  water must cover jars by 1-2 inches; add boiling water if needed.  Cover; bring water to gentle boil.  Process jams 10 minutes; jelly 5 minutes.  Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely.  After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger.  (If lids spring back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.  Store unopened jams in cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year.  Refrigerate opened jams up to 3 weeks.

Recipe adapted from Sure-Jell package instructions.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Fresh Lemonade

We have a plethera of fresh lemons we picked this week that I needed to use up, so we made fresh lemonade...very refreshing!

• 1 quart water
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 cup FRESH lemon juice
• **Sparkling water (NOT tonic water, like Perrier)

Mix first three ingredients together.  Fill a tall glass 2/3 to 3/4 with lemon mixture then fill with sparkling water.  

An interesting variation is to puree some fruit (raspberries, strawberries, mango, etc) with a little superfine or powdered sugar and put that in the glass before adding the lemonade and water.

** If you don't have sparkling water, add an extra cup of plain water to the pitcher.

Julie R.

AG, CA