When Life Gives You Lemons.....

.....Make Lemonade! Or so they say. 

My good friend, Gina, always says 'make limoncello'. Either way it works.  

Growing up, I loved me some lemonade mix. My mom and grandma Eckenrode (Sally) always kept it on hand for us and it was refreshing sugary drink on hot summer days that was easy for kids to make on their own. An extra bonus when they got the pink lemonade. 

I've somewhat grown up since then and don't keep the sugary stuff on hand.  I was recently in the mood for lemonade so I foregone the mix and got to squeezing some lemons. It's a lot of work squeezing the lemons but I promise the outcome is well worth it.

Once you have your lemon juice it's super simple! 

All you need is simple syrup (sugar water), cold water, and lemon juice. Don't be lazy and use lemon juice from a bottle! It won't taste as good. Get to squeezing, peeps!

Lemonade

Lots to Ladle (slightly adapted from foodnetwork.com)

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of water (to boil)

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)

1/2 gallon ice water

(sliced lemon, thyme springs, fresh mint to garnish) - optional 

Bring a 1/2 cup of water to a simmer over low heat, mix in sugar until dissolved. Pour sugar water mixture into a pitcher. Add lemon juice and remaining water. Mix well. Serve with sliced lemon and herbs.

Summer Summer Summertime

Can you believe the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day Weekend, just passed? I honestly can't but I'm super excited about it. I'm really looking forward to this summer. I honestly love living in the Northeast (Philadelphia to be exact). There's nothing better than the change of seasons and we're lucky enough to have all four seasons here. I'm not going to play favorites (yes, Fall, I love you!) because I honestly do love something about each of the seasons.

 Here's what I'm looking forward to this summer. I'm hoping I can share all my 'to dos' with you throughout the summer and I'm hoping you're as excited as I am. =) 

I'm hoping to grill more this year. Summer is the season for grilling and I find myself always saying "we should grill more"! What's not to love? It keeps your house cool and clean up is super easy! Nadya really wants to splurge and get a Weber Grill. I have a feeling her wish will be granted sooner rather than later. Our grill is a couple years old (not quite on it's last leg) and after barbecuing on my dad's Weber and her dad's Weber this past weekend it's pretty much all she can think about. 

There are a lot of summer favorites that I  have on my to do list--barbecue sauce, ice cream, sorbet, homemade s'mores, & specialty summer drinks are just a few. What are you favorite  dishes? What should I add to my list? 

I'm also super pumped for the expanded and better hours of my neighborhood farmer's market! I look forward to seeing what they bring each week and challenge myself to come up with great recipes for the fresh crops.  

Are you a fan of summer? What's your favorite summer dish or in-season fruit/vegetable?

Sour Cream Cookies

I was recently watching an episode of The Martha Stewart Show, she and her guest were making these sour cream cookies that came together really quickly. I know here staff has everything already measured out and whatnot but these really were easy to throw together. I had sour cream on hand and needed to use it up. A perfect excuse to make cookies! 

 

Sour Cream Cookies

The Martha Stewart Show

 

1/3 cup unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheet
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

 

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and butter. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add enough of the flour mixture to form a soft dough. You may have up to 1/2 cup flour mixture remaining. Transfer dough to refrigerator until chilled.
Place heaping teaspoons dough on baking sheet and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Transfer to oven and bake until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Ravioli with Sautéed Asparagus and Walnuts

I'm sure I've mentioned a time or two before that I keep a binder on hand of all recipes I want to make. It's a collection from all my magazines that I subscribe to and some printouts from the 'nets. I was on the hunt for an easy recipe. One that you can throw together when you get home from work and still have time to enjoy your evening. I stumbled upon this one which I have made before just haven't blog about it. 

It's easy, quick, filling AND tastes good too! What more can one ask for! 

Here's a good tip from Woman's Day too!: Transform the asparagus-walnut mixture into an easy hors d’oeuvre by mixing in the Parmesan cheese (or substituting feta) and spooning it on top of crostini, crackers or endive leaves.

Ravioli with Sautéed Asparagus and Walnuts

From Woman's Day

• 1 package (14 to 16 oz) cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 oz)

Cook the ravioli according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and walnuts and cook, stirring often, until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant and the garlic is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the asparagus and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Serve over the ravioli and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Breakfast Quinoa

I've been trying to get to the gym during the day (on my lunch break) so I have some more free time at night. However, I noticed I need a bigger breakfast to get me through a daytime workout. I've been wanting to try quinoa for breakfast for quite sometime. I really enjoy quinoa in a savory dish so thought I'd give it a try in this sweet breakfast dish. 

I'm a huge fan of oatmeal, especially steel cut oats, so I really thought I'd like this dish more than I did. It was really easy to put together (aside from the boiling milk over the pot, my bad!) .  The flavor was really good. I just struggled with the consistency/texture. I was hoping for it to be creamier. What are your thoughts on quinoa for breakfast?  I think I'll give it a try again. Don't let me turn you away from it, Nadya was a fan!

Breakfast Quinoa: Martha Stewart Living, February 2010

2 cups whole or low-fat milk, plus more for serving
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar, plus more for serving
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
1 cup (1/2 pint) fresh blueberries, plus more for serving

Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in blueberries, and cook for 30 seconds. Serve with additional milk, sugar, cinnamon, and blueberries.