Adventures in lemonade

Everyone knows the saying, “When life gives you lemons….”

…make lemonade.

Today, the little Meyer lemon tree in our front yard gave me a gift. Lemons. Eleven of them. And I shared some with our dear neighbors and new friends, CL and Judi. It was warm and sunny and it reminded me of going to downtown Canal Fulton, Ohio, where I grew up. Every year in July our little town would hold a summer carnival — Olde Canal Days — with rides, exhibits, and typical fair food. I would always enjoy a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. Yes, today reminded me of those wonderful, lazy, carefree summers. 

The lemons from our tree were so fresh and very juicy.

I squeezed about 1 3/4 cups of fresh lemon juice. I looked online and found an easy recipe for delicious lemonade made with simple syrup. Using sugar and water, I made the syrup, chilled it and added it to the lemon juice. This is what the recipe calls lemon concentrate. You simply add water and ice until the lemonade is to your personal taste. Easy!

It tasted so delicious; just like I remember growing up in Canal Fulton. Even Andrew, who has never liked lemonade, had a glass and said it was very good — which is high praise, coming from him!

This afternoon, the doorbell rang. It was CL. He brought over a plate of the most delicious, ooey, gooey-est, rich, decadent lemon bars made with the lemons I had given them! We are so blessed to have found this new home in this new state (for us) with such wonderful neighbors. We are indeed blessed!

So when life gives you lemons, I say share them and enjoy!

UPDATE:

My neighbor, Judi Prow, shared the recipe she used to make these scrumptious lemon bars and she has kindly given her permission for me to share the recipe with you!

LEMON BARS  by Donna Ward

2 C. flour
1/2 C. powdered sugar
2 cubes butter

Combine flour, powdered sugar and butter to
form bottom crust. Pat into a 9” X 12” greased
baking pan (I prefer a glass pan.). Bake at 350°
for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

4 eggs 1 tsp. baking powder
2 C. sugar 1/3 C. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. flour lemon zest

Beat eggs. Combine with sugar, flour, baking
powder, and lemon juice & zest. Pour over baked
crust. Bake another 25 minutes. Remove from
oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into
squares when cool.

3 Comments
  1. Where do you call home now, Kimberly? I love Meyer lemons. My mouth is watering just looking at those beautiful lemon bars and thinking of that fresh lemonade. Thanks for sharing.

    • I also have a Meyer lemon tree in my front yard & it always has way too many lemons for just me. I have offered “you pick you can have them free”…so far have had no one come by. I keep fresh lemon juice in my freezer & have fresh lemonaid all year..I love Lemon Margin Pie & make it & lemon pudding also. Now just wish I could get someone to pick the ones on the ground that goes into the trash…what a waste of good fruit..Am happy that you have some Kimberly

  2. I always look for the Meyer lemons when I need lemons. And to have such super fresh ones…lovely.
    At the moment it is apricots that are ripe in Europe and I’m enjoying them. Kimberley, we are in Prague at the moment. This is where in April, 2010, that I came to attend a workshop at the Wellness and Sports Hotel complex that you were teaching… we used jelly rolls to make a star sample… it was at their annual Patchwork exhibition… I now quilt almost every day! And have several of your books and I still use the flying geese ruler I purchased there…Thanks for the memory…

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