Monday, March 7, 2011

a trio of lemony ideas


I bought a family pack of lemons this week at the store. I thought, "what the heck will I use 16 lemons for before they go bad?" I contemplated giving a few of them away, until I realized that I had plenty of ideas for lemons--I just needed to use them! ( well--besides allowing little Noa to trace them :))
My first idea: a natural sweetener for my water... As I work towards a non-processed foods/drinks diet, cutting out juices/soft drinks is a definite must. I decided that because water is so not my drink of choice, it may help to just add a hint of juiciness. What I ended up with was a tupperware container of lemons in my fridge. My hope is that when I open my fridge for a drink, I will remember those little yellow slivered gems and forget about my V8 Splash, root beer or mango iced tea. (not likely, but it will help I hope!)



Idea #2: Hummus! Hummus is a great treat to have around my house. Not only for our snacking, but for a great protein for my not-so-meat-loving daughter. She seems to like it the spicier the better, which leaves me the liberty of creating a flavorful snack or lunch. The recipe I use is adapted from the book: Feeding the Whole Family (actually both #2 and #3 lemon-y ideas are from this recipe book!) I have however adjusted it a bit and especially added more spices. The fresh lemon juice really makes a difference compared to the packaged stuff!

2 cups cooked/canned chick peas/garbanzo beans
3-4 cloves of garlic
5 tbsp. tahini
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. parsley

Blend in food processer--garnish with paprika!

Idea #3: Lemon/Cranberry Scones - I followed the recipe from the book listed above pretty much to a tee. I don't suggest straying--except I did exchange 1/2 of the wheat flour for white flour. I tend to like more white flour than wheat for pastry items.
I refridgerated the dough overnight, to make sure that first thing in the morning...while the coffee is brewing and we are all waking up, I could quickly pop these little triangles in the oven and come out with the freshest product possible! Boy were they good. :) 14 made yesterday and we are down to 4 left! HA!

What are your favorite ideas for lemons??