Lemon Ice Cream Bars

Sorry for the delay in posting this week.  We had our house painted, as well as my kitchen cabinets.  So needless to say, I was out of the way for most of the week.  Then I unplugged my internet and had to have my husband help me fix it.  So, luckilyI'm back in business now, a week later.

So, I was going through all of my old Food Network Magazine's and I discovered I had some pages marked, so I finally got around to making these.

I'm telling you, theses are g.o.o.d.  The lemon curd is nice and tart but easily gets sweetened up by the ice cream.  The crust is crumbly and delicious, a good combination of sweetness with a little hint of lemon.  Great recipe to have for the upcoming summer!

Lemon Ice Cream Bars

Recipe from Food Network Magazine. Jan/Feb 2014 page 64

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• pinch of salt
• cooking spray
• 2 5-6 oz shortbread cookies
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Cooking Directions

1. Make the lemon curd first. In a saucepan, combine the egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice.  Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken. 
2. Add in chunks of butter until smooth and let thicken until it covers the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.
3. Strain through a fine mesh seive.  Then add the lemon zest and salt and let cool. 
4. Spray a 9x9 or 8x8 inch dish with cooking spray.  Line it with aluminum foil so there is over hang on the sides, then spray again. 
5. In a food processor, add all the cookies and pulse it until they are all crushed.  Slowly add in the melted butter and and lemon zest and  pulse a couple more times. 
6. Press the cookie mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish, use your hands to make it even and press down firmly. 
7. Press the lightly softened ice cream on top of the cookie crust.  Press down and even out the top as much as possible. 
8. Pour the lemon curd over the top and smooth out.  Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the top and place in freezer for a minimum of 4 hours. 
9. When ready to serve, grab the ends of the aluminum foil and lift out of dish. Cut into squares and serve. 

Blueberry Lemonade

This will be one of my summer drinks this year.  Seriously, it's so refreshing. The blueberry flavor and the lemon flavor meld so nicely without one flavor overpowering the other. Perfect on a hot day by the pool or after a long day doing yard work.

It cools you right down.

It makes you want more.

I'm gonna go get some.

Blueberry Lemonade
Recipe from Damn Delicious

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
• 1 cup blueberries
• 3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Cooking Directions

1. in a medium saucepan, add the sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Add the blueberries and bring back up to a boil, then lower to simmer for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Strain the mixture with cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
3. Add 5 cups of water to a pitcher and add the lemon juice. Stir in the blueberry mixture and chill.
4. Serve over ice with additional blueberries if desired.

Lemon Chicken Piccata

The weather in the South is schizophrenic. One day of 70's, the next day of 40's. I know you are all experiencing the same thing.  I never know how to dress from one day to the next! Although, I do feel like spring is almost upon us.  A couple more cold days in the ten day forecast but for the most part its definitely warming up. 

I continue to try to amp up my taste for chicken.  I made a very important step in that process by brining the chicken first.  Great improvement.  Not that I would sit down and eat a brined grilled chicken breast anytime soon but it's getting better. I need lots of flavor on chicken.  This recipe has that. 

First off, I love that you cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise first.  This allows for more lemon flavor and less big chunks of meat.  That's part of my problem with chicken breasts, too much white meat in a bite.  I need more sauce on less chicken.  That's just how I roll. 

Secondly, this is easy to put together and even though there are some steps, they aren't major.  You can get this ready pretty quickly.  I enjoyed it very much, and coming from a non-chicken lover, that's sayin' somethin'.
Lemon Chicken Piccata

Recipe from jo cooks

Ingredients

• 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half length wise.
• salt and pepper to taste
• about 1/4 to 1/2 cup all purpose flour for dredging
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
• 1/4 cup brined capers
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley flakes, chopped

Cooking Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter and the olive oil.
2. Salt and pepper the chicken and then dredge in the flour, shake off the excess. Place in the hot skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown, flip over and do the same to the other side.
3. Remove from the pan and remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon juice, broth (or wine) and capers and place back over the heat. Heat to a boil and then reduce to simmer.
4. Add the chicken breasts back in and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken again and add the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter. Whisk until slightly thickened.
5. You can either add the chicken back into the pan and put the parsley on top or you can plate the chicken and pour the sauce over the top and add the parsley.

Top 5 of 2014

#5 Ruth's Chris New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp came in at number 5 for the year.  Hard to go wrong with this recipe, if you are a shrimp lover this is a great recipe to try. 

#4  Homemade Jerky Marinade.  I seriously make this recipe all the time!  It's unusual for me to make the same recipe over and over again and not change anything but this is one that I don't mess with. Great flavor without being too spicy. 

#3  S'mores Cookie Bars are a favorite for so many people.  The bar itself is perfectly chewy and with the addition of the chocolate and marshmallows on top you just can't go wrong.

#2  Crock-Pot Pork Chops are so easy to throw together and let your slow cooker do the work.  The meat comes out so tender and delicious.

#1  Lemon Velvet Cake is just scrumptious.  Perfectly lemony and perfect for the summer.


Thanks for all your support these past years!  I am looking forward to seeing what the New Year brings.

Paleo Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

As you may or may not know, I've been doing an eating plan called Whole30.  Whole30 is slightly different from Paleo, but it's close enough that you can use many of the same recipes. So, I happen to have a Paleo cookbook in my possession.  Lucky for me, because some mornings I just don't have time to cook an omelet or make some bacon.

Coconut flour is the key to this recipe.  If you're not having any luck finding any it's because it depends on your grocery store as to it's placement. I bought the Bob's Red Mill brand and I saw that some grocery stores had it in the flour section while others had a gluten free section and still others had a Bob's Red Mill section of some random isle. I'd just ask when you first walk in and save yourself some frustration.

There was some unapproved Whole30 ingredients in this recipe that I want to reveal to you now. You aren't supposed to have maple syrup or vanilla extract.  I've already done my 30 days and so I didn't feel that the minor cheats in this recipe would hurt that much.

This recipe is very different from a traditional lemon-blueberry muffin.  Good, but very different. We get so accustomed to the sweet flavors and the taste of all-purpose flour of regular muffins that sometimes it takes a while to get ourselves off those flavors.  The good news is that in my opinion this muffin had a nice sweet flavor, and the blueberries were perfect.  The lemon flavor was very mild and the texture is different but not in a bad way from a regular muffin. Not as fluffy but still moist.

Great alternative to the meat or eggs I have gotten used to with this eating plan.

Paleo Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Recipe from Practical Paleo page 246

Ingredients

• 6 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
• 1 whole lemon, juiced and zest
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs, butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, lemon juice and lemon peel.
3. Sift in the coconut flour, sea salt and baking soda and stir until well combined.
4. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Line a muffin pan with muffin papers (natural parchment muffin papers work best) and use a 1/4 cup scoop to fill each muffin cup. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Pomegranate Lemonade Spritzers

It's been so hot here.  I mean, I just returned from vacationing in Montana and it was 90 degrees there, but 90  degrees here feels 10x worse. Like, walking outside into the humidity is exhausting. I go ahead and count that as my workout for the day.  I mean, there is sweat involved so it's practically the same thing…right?

This drink is so refreshing, you almost forget you're melting into your chair.  Almost. 

This version is non-alcoholic but adding a flavored vodka would be delish in my opinion. Maybe just an ounce before adding the club soda.  Just thinking out loud here. 

Pomegranate Lemonade Spritzers

Recipe from Just Putzing

Ingredients

• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4-6 cups water
• 1 cup simple syrup (1 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar simmered until the sugar dissolves)
• club soda
• lemon slices (for garnish)

Cooking Directions

1. Mix the first four ingredients in a large pitcher. Fill glasses with ice and then pour in a little more then halfway with the pomegranate juice mixture. Fill the remaining portion with club soda and give it a little stir. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Blueberry Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze

Blueberries are in season right now, quick go pick some!  Just kidding, well not about them being in season.  They are, and you should if you're able. 

I have two blueberry bushes in my back yard and they are nowhere near enough for my family.  I pick about 20, bring them in and watch my daughter devour them.  If I want any, I better eat them outside.  Luckily there are plenty of farms around here where you can go pick your own.  My daughter and I did go pick a half gallon and it's already gone.  Took about three days. 

This bread was one that I made for the 4th of July party with my neighbors. Very moist, yet light and the fresh blueberries just popped in your mouth.  I topped mine with some leftover lemon glaze I made for the lavender cookies I brought.  (link below) and I thought it was a great combination.  You can't beat the taste of lemon with blueberries.  This recipe is nice because you can use frozen blueberries too, making it a bread you can enjoy anytime.  I'll make it again, for sure. 
Blueberry Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze
Recipe form Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. 
4. Add the eggs one at a time, while the mixer is on low. 
5. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until creamy and smooth. 
6. Add the flour and baking powder to a separate bowl and then slowly add to the creamed ingredients until smooth. 
7. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the blueberries, incorporate carefully by hand so they don't break. 
8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean.  The loaf should be nice and golden brown on top. 
9. Let cool completely before adding the glaze. 

Glaze recipe found here

Lavender Cookies with Lemon Glaze

This is the beautiful lavender I am growing in my garden. It smells amazing!  This is the first year I've grown it and I'm very surprised at how many things there are that you can use lavender in.

I had read a book one time that the character used lavender in cookies and I haven't been able to get that out of my head.

So, here's a quick run-down on lavender drying.  If you grow any yourself, just make sure not to spray it with any chemicals.
Cut the stalks that have the flowers on them.
Use a rubber band to tie around the bottom of the stalks.
Hang the bundle upside down from a wire hanger with a cloths clip, or some other type of clip.
Put a clean towel or sheet under the bundle so when the flowers dry up they can fall onto the sheet. Hang the bundle in a cool dry area, like a closet. (I hung mine from a cabinet on the counter because I don't have a clean empty closet)
It took about 4 days to dry.
You can either pluck the remaining flowers off my hand or you can roll the bundle in a clean pillow case and then pick through and get the buds.

I was able to find a ton of lavender recipes on Pinterest and the Internet.  I would like to try several more before the summer is over. 

Be careful not to use too much until you're sure you and your family like the taste.  It is a wonderful flavor but if you use too much it can be sort of perfume-y.  

I used a lemon glaze on top because I thought it might help those who didn't like the lavender flavor.  Turns out that it compliments that lavender so well, and I used the same glaze on a blueberry cake that I made as well. It is delicious!  It's got plenty of lemon flavor, I loved it!

Oh, and I brought these cookies to the 4th of July celebration in my neighborhood and everybody tried one.  Some of my neighbors LOVED them.  Makes me happy. 
Lavender Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp dried lavender flowers (purchased from a spice shop, or if home grown, not treated with pesticides) This amount can be doubled, if you're already familiar with, and like Lavender. 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375º
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the shortening, butter and sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy. 
4. Add the eggs, one at a time and blend, then add the vanilla and almond extract. 
5. In a separate dish, combine the flour, lavender, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and then slowly add to the mixing bowl while the mixer is on low speed. 
6. Use a teaspoon to add a rounded ball of dough to the cookie sheet.  
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Will be golden brown around the edges and pale on top. 
8. When the cookies are cool, top with the glaze (see below)

Lemon Glaze

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients with a whisk until smooth.

Lemon Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

One of my favorite fishes is Salmon.  I love it.  I don't think I've ever had it and not liked it.  My husband however, not a huge fish fan.  When we first got married, I couldn't even cook it for myself because the smell was too much for him.  He got around to not minding that, which slowly led to trying a bite here and there just to test a new recipe.  Now, he's progressed to being able to eat it (and actually liking it) every couple of months or so.  Progress!

My recent lemon surplus led me to this recipe which we both enjoyed.  Lemon and salmon are a classic flavor.  The lemon flavor is noticeable but not overpowering.  The dill sauce sends this over the top.  Make sure to mince the garlic very small since it is raw in this sauce.  I happen to love garlic so that wasn't a problem for me. The combination of the dill sauce and the salmon was pretty great.

This is one of those 30-minute or less recipes, great for a busy weeknight.

Lemon Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Recipe from Cooking Classy

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 ounce salmon fillets
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Dill Sauce

• 1/3 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Whisk together. 
3. Place the salmon in an oven proof dish (9x13) and drizzle the lemon juice mixture over the top, rub it in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes. 
5. Bake for 12-16 minutes.  This will depend on the thickness of the salmon fillets. 
6. While the fish is baking, make the dill sauce. 
7. Combine all the ingredients in a small dish and whisk together until smooth. Can be refrigerated but if you do that, remove it from the refrigerator and let come up to room temperature for about 20 minutes. 
8. Serve along side or over the top of the fish.

Lemon Chicken

Happy Friday!  Are you ready for the weekend? I sure am.  I don't have anything planned for the most part but we're supposed to get some nice warm weather so I'm excited to get out and enjoy it.

I've been on the lookout for some yummy lemon recipes so if you have any, send them my way!

Here is one I found on Pinterest.  What would we do without Pinterest?

Probably starve and have a dirty house.

Anyways, this one looked tempting for a lot of reasons but I especially liked how quick and simple it was.  There wasn't any need to marinate for hours or anything along those lines.  Basically just pour the sauce over the chicken and coat it well, then cook it.  I love easy recipes.

The chicken was super tender and juicy.  I used bone-in chicken so it took a little longer but I just kept checking it.  I left the skin on the chicken and if you're going to do that you might want to broil it quickly at the end just to crisp up the skin, otherwise you might want to peel the skin off or buy skinless so the flavors can really get into the meat.

Speaking of sauce, it's delicious spooned over some rice!  Good lemon flavor but it also has a lot of other flavor components.

Great easy weeknight dinner idea!

Lemon Chicken

Recipe from Shutterbean

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken thighs or 3 pounds of bone in chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + more for pan
• 1 1/2 large lemons, juiced and about 5-6 lemon slices
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh Italian parsley, chopped for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375º
2. Use a 9x13 inch glass dish or enamel pan, drizzle olive oil lightly on the bottom.
3. Place the chicken thighs in the pan and set aside.
4. In a small dish, combine the oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic, thyme and oregano. Mix together well and pour over the top of the chicken. Turn the chicken several times to coat well.
5. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes for boneless chicken, About 40 minutes for bone-in.  Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. 
7. Cover the pan and let sit for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with rice.  Make sure to pour some of the juice over the rice. 

Lemon Brownies

In case you couldn't tell, I have some lemons I need to use up.  Not only did I buy a bag of regular lemons I also bought a bag of Meyer lemons, this recipe I used regular lemons.  I wanted the clean crisp taste that I think only a real lemon can give.

This brownie is more of a "caky" type of brownie with a subtle but totally necessary lemon glaze on top.  The combination of the sweet tart lemon flavor is so refreshing. The lemon flavor is definitely the outstanding flavor but it's not going to give you lemon face.  The glaze hardens just slightly on top so when you bite into it you get a little texture right away, then the brownie itself is soft and delicious.

Lemon is always a favorite flavor to bring to summer events so keep this one handy.  I don't think you'd want to let them sit outside if it's too hot because the glaze will heat up and sort of melt away, and that would be a shame. 

Lemonies (Lemon Brownies)

Recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Brownie Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Glaze Ingredients

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
3. In a small bowl combine the flour and salt.
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
5. Add one egg at at time, mixing after each addition.
6. Add the lemon juice.
7. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until smooth.
8. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test the center for doneness.
9. Let cool in the pan until it is room temperature.
10. To make the glaze, mix all of the ingredients in a small dish until smooth.  Pour over the brownies and let harden about 10 minutes. 
11. Cut and serve

Lemon Velvet Cake

I'm sure you've all heard about this thing that we're supposed to be seeing soon.  Sometimes it's called the sun.  You know, the bright thing in the sky that makes your world brighter? Sometimes it teases us a little here and we see it for a day and then it hides again.

Anyway, something else you might have heard of.  Red Velvet Cake.  Sound familiar? Well this recipe was developed from a Red Velvet Cake recipe and turned into a lemon version.  When you begin to see that elusive sun you might want to make this.  To celebrate.

I happened to have some Meyer Lemons on hand so I made this cake with those, but the original recipe calls for regular lemons. It was delicious.  We used a different frosting recipe from the one on the original post because my husband wanted the contrast in flavors from the lemon cake so we just used a vanilla frosting.

OK, let me tell you a little about this frosting.  If you have ever watched "The Pioneer Woman" on the Food Network then I'm sure you've heard about this recipe.  It's a very unusual frosting because first of all, it has flour in it.  Don't let that scare you away.  Second of all, it does NOT have confectioners sugar in it!  I know, right? Be brave and trust me.  This recipe will change your life.  It has the texture of a thick whipped cream or a very light buttercream frosting.  Even though there is butter in it I don't think it's classified as a buttercream frosting.  Apparently it used to be the original Red Velvet frosting before people got fancy and started using a cream cheese frosting for that type of cake.  Anyways, if you're in the market for a new, totally delicious vanilla frosting.  You gotta try this one!

Overall the cake and frosting were a success.  The cake isn't over the top lemon-y but you can definitely taste the lemon. My husband was right, the contrasting flavors are wonderful.  Especially if you're not really in the mood for something very lemon flavored. Great Spring/Summer cake!

Lemon Velvet Cake

Recipe from RockRecipes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon extract (I used lemon juice)
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• zest of two small or one large lemon, finely grated and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325º
2. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans and flour.  Cut out two pieces of parchment paper to line the bottom of each cake pan.
3. In a large bowl combine and sift both flours, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Set aside
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the oil and shortening and mix on high until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and lemon extract. 
5. With the mixer on low add the eggs one at a time and combine after each addition. 
6. Fold in the lemon zest.
7. Alternatively add the flour and the buttermilk, folding in by hand. Begin with the flour and end with the flour.  Three additions of flour and two additions of buttermilk, folding in after each addition. 
8. Don't over mix, as soon as the batter is smooth, pour it into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Test it with a toothpick to make sure it's done. 
9. Let cool in the cake pans for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to a cooling rack. 
10. Let cool completely before frosting. 

That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had

Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan combine the flour and the milk, use a whisk to stir while heating. You want the mixture to become very thick, like brownie batter. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Add the vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.
2. While the flour mixture is cooling, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until the sugar is no longer grainy.
3. Once the flour mixture is cool, add it into the butter/sugar and mix well.
4. If it begins to look like it's separating it means you haven't mixed it enough. Keep mixing and it will soon become light and fluffy.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I'm not sure if you've noticed my love of lemon yet on this blog.  I do love me some lemon. My gramma used to make the best Lemon Meringue Pie and yet I haven't even posted that kind of pie yet....soon to be rectified, trust me. I got off track didn't I?

Let me try again.

I've never met a crinkle cookie that I haven't liked, they are usually always soft and chewy and coating them in powdered sugar just makes this lovely to look at.  Usually there are beautiful cracks throughout and when coated in powdered sugar those cracks stand out even more making them very attractive. I'm so grateful that I found this recipe because up until now I'd only had this lemon cookie to fall back on.  It's important to have more than one lemon cookie to fall back on in my opinion.

Here's what I loved about this cookie.

1. Lot's of lemon flavor without being so strong that you actually pucker when taking a bite. 
2. Texture, I loved the chewy factor in this one. 
3. Coated in powdered sugar, need I say more? The powdered sugar makes sort of a glaze in some spots that gets sort of crisp after it cools, which adds to the texture aspect. 
4. Nothing to "melt" making it perfect for picnics or outdoor parties. 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Recipe from LDSLiving by Lauren Brennen of Laurenslatest.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the softened butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  
3. Add the vanilla, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well.  Scrape the bowl and then mix again. 
4. In a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients (minus the powdered sugar). 
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer bowl and mix until combined. 
6. Put 1/2 cup of powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. 
7. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and then roll the ball around in the powdered sugar until well coated. 
8. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and continue with the rest of the dough. 
9. Bake for 9-11 minutes.  The cookies will remain pale in color, you're looking for them to turn matte, not shiny and not brown. 
10. If using a dark cookie sheet, reduce baking time by 2 minutes. 

Blueberry Lemonade

I bought a bottle of blueberry juice from my local farmers market a while back and really had no idea what I was going to do with it. But I figured, how can you go wrong with blueberry juice?

This is the bottle I bought, I don't know if this is available in the Internet but I've seen it other places as well so I know it's findable, probably wherever you could go and get fresh produce or farmers markets would be your best bet.

My husband and daughter got hold of this and drank it all up practically before I could even get any.  They're blueberry fans to say the very least.

The lemon and blueberry work perfectly together of course and what's nice about using blueberry juice is there isn't any seeds or pulp.

The lemon juice adds a little tart bite in the background and the blueberry is front and center but it mixes perfectly.  I'm just sad it only makes a gallon, seriously, I'm off to find more blueberry juice!

Blueberry Lemonade

Recipe from Hillcrest Blueberry Farm website

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups lemon juice
• 1 quart (4 cups) blueberry juice

Cooking Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a gallon sized container and fill the rest with cold water. Mix until the sugar dissolves.

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

For my daughter's birthday party everything was strawberry themed.  Even the drinks.  I knew for sure that strawberry lemonade was going to be served, I just had to find a recipe.  In case some of you are new to this blog, if I can make it from scratch I probably will, so I didn't want a recipe that included any kind of canned or bottled anything.  When I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew it was the right one for the job. 

I had a truckload of strawberries at my disposal so measuring out 1 1/4 pounds of strawberries was not a problem.

For this recipe, you're going to want to get the organic lemons.  You have to puree them skin and all.

Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve to get out all that pulp.

Pour the remaining water through this pulp mixture so that you're getting all that flavor.

All in all it was a very simple recipe to make as long as you've got a blender or food processor handy.

You can really taste the strawberries and the lemons, I would say that the ratio is perfect and you can sweeten as much or as little as you like.  I used honey and it was awesome.  It's sort of a thicker type drink - not smoothie thick but more like pulpy orange juice thick.  Garnish with some fresh lemon and strawberry slices and you've got a showstopper drink.  Perfect time of year to serve this one since strawberries are at their peak (well at least in the South they are).

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

Recipe from laylita.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pound fresh strawberries, washed and halved
• 2 whole lemons, washed and quartered
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup honey or sugar, to taste
• 6 cups water
• ice

Cooking Directions

1. In the blender, add the quartered lemons (rind included, use organic if possible), the strawberries, 2 cups of water and honey (or sugar).
2. Strain the mixture over a bowl or pitcher along with the other 4 cups of water.
3. Add additional sugar if desired.
4. Garnish with ice, lemon and strawberry slices if desired.

Dinner Club: Theme - Soup

Thank you Shannon for hosting February's Dinner Club!  I loved the theme this month because I'm a huge soup lover and I like to see what other people have in their arsenal of recipes.  Shannon is always a great host because she makes everyone feel very comfortable and her house is warm and inviting. And last but not least, she's an incredible cook!

Shannon made a wonderful black and white soup.  Half of it was black bean soup and the other was cheese soup and you pour them into the bowl at the same time which makes this nifty black and white look.  

Cheddar Cheese Soup

Epicurious

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 1/2 large yellow bell pepper, cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Cooking Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat add the butter and then the peppers, onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 6 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
2. Add the flour and stir for two minutes.
3. Whisk in the stock, then the milk and cream and cook at a simmer for three minutes.
4. Stir in the cheese 1/2 cup at a time and whisk until smooth.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.




Black Bean Soup



Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried black beans
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 5 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cups chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Cooking Directions


1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by 3 inches. Soak overnight.
2. Drain the beans and transfer to a large heavy pot.
3. Add 4 1/2 cups of water and the next 7 ingredients.
4. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the beans are tender (about 1 hour and 10 minutes).
5. Working in batches blend the black bean soup with the 2 cups of chicken stock.
6. Return the soup to the pot and add the chopped cilantro.
7. Add more stock if needed to thin it out.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, pour 1/2 cup of each the cheddar soup and the black bean soup together at the same time. Top with sour cream if desired. 

TiNeill wins the cook of the night award for bringing FOUR items!  This girl loves to cook and it's so obvious because her dishes are incredible.  I'm a dessert hound as you may have guessed and I fell in love with these brownies.  Mixing an Oreo with a brownie, good heavens!

Cookies 'n Cream Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 box fudge brownie mix
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup coarsely chopped chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 4 tsp milk

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Sprinkle cookies over batter.
2. Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
3. In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over brownies. For brownies, cut into 5 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.

Makes 20 brownies

Everyone loved these breadsticks, very soft and light in texture and the seasoning on top really added a nice saltiness and spice. 

Bread Sticks

Ingredients

• 1 package yeast
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
• 1/2 stick butter
• McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning

Cooking Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast into 1 1/2 cups of warm water.
2. Add the sugar and salt and stir until it dissolves.
3. Add the flour and stir in with a fork until the dough isn't sticky anymore and you can roll it into a ball. Add more flour if needed.
4. Put the dough into a greased bowl and cover with cheesecloth (or plastic wrap) in a warm spot. Watch for it to begin to rise, about 15-20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface and roll and shape into an oval, use a pizza cutter to cut breadsticks.
6. Melt the butter in a dish and dip the breadsticks into the butter and then place them on a cookie sheet.
7. Sprinkle with McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning.
8. Let the breadsticks rise in a warm place for another 10-15 minutes or until they are fluffy.
9. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. The breadsticks will probably not look golden and you might not think they are done. When they are fluffy and dry they are done.

The name of this recipe says it all.  Creamy deliciousness is how I would describe it. 

Creamy Slow-Cooker Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups favorite homemade meaty spaghetti sauce (recipe to follow) or 24 oz jarred sauce with 1/2 lb hamburger and 1/2 lb ground sausage
• 4.5 oz fresh spinach leaves
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 16 oz frozen cheese tortellini

Cooking Directions

1. Combine spaghetti sauce (and meat if adding it in separately), spinach, cream cheese, chicken broth, and mushrooms in a slow-cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours, on high for 2-3.
2. 20 minutes before serving, turn heat to high if it isn't already an stir in frozen tortellini. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until tender and hot.
3. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.



Sort of Homemade Spaghetti Sauce



Ingredients

• 1/2 lb ground beef (browned) do not drain
• 1/2 lb ground sausage (browned) do not drain
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 1 small tomato puree
• 1 package Mild McCormick Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning
• salt, pepper, minced garlic, oregano, basil - to taste

Cooking Directions


1. Simmer all ingredients together for 1 hour with lid on lowest heat, stir occasionally

Lisa F. brought this yummy salad which was perfect with the soup. TiNeill brought the salad dressing.

Poppyseed Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

Cooking Directions

1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender and refrigerate.

Lynn brought this fantastic hot artichoke dip.  Everyone dove in and came up smiling.  Seriously good dip that I cannot wait to add to my party recipes!

Three Cheese Hot Artichoke Dip

Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup shredded mozerella
• dash hot sauce
• dash Worcestershire
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese.
3. Add the mayonnaise and beat until smooth.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
5. Transfer to a pie plate or shallow oven proof dish and bake for 30-40 minutes. The top will be golden brown and bubbly.

Lynn also made an incredible Lemon Pound Cake (which I failed to take a picture of).  Just trust me, it was goooooood.

Starbucks' Lemon Pound Cake w/Icing

The Recipe Circus

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Mix until smooth.
5. Add the oil and mix well.
6. Pour the mixture into a well greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center coms out clean.
8. Let cool in the pan.

Lemon Icing

• 1 Cup plus 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp whole milk
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract

1. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth. 
2. Remove the cooled cake from the loaf pan and frost with the icing.  Wait for the icing to set before slicing. 

Melissa Y. brought a cheese and cracker plate with two flavors of preserves.  We sandwiched the cheese in-between two crackers slathered in preserves, talk about good!  Glad she taught me this little trick so I can use it in the future.

On this try was Sharp Cheddar, Brie, Goat Cheese, Muenster and an Artisan marinara and pepperoni cheese (delish).
Strawberry and Raspberry Preserves.
Assorted Crackers.

My contribution for the evenings soup dishes was this Butternut Squash and Apple Soup.  I have the full post here.

As always, I'm super excited for the next gathering.  I think every time we get together we learn more about one another. Great excuse for us to EAT!

Cuisinart Cook Central Multi-Cooker, 7-Quart - 7 quart (Google Affiliate Ad)