April, 2003

Lemon Heaven

  • April 9, 2003
  • Categorized: Sweet   Tagged:

lemons.jpgThere is something wrong with the world
Very, very wrong, I think
When there is real lemon in my furniture polish
And artificial lemon in my drink.
~Rex Knowles

One of our local grocery stores had GREAT lemons this week!! It’s so exciting (and surprising) to find quality produce in the middle of winter in New York state!! I’ve been hearing a lot about Meyer Lemons lately too–apparently they’re a cross between an orange and a lemon, so one of their many superior traits is that they’re sweeter than regular commercial lemons. Inspired by the unblemished and sprightly skins, I stocked up on these puppies and made some scrumpscious lemonade this weekend.   

Fresh Lemonade (Blend until smooth)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup-3/4 cup sugar
1 cup crushed ice
4 cups water

Because I had some generic brand frozen lemonade in the freezer that I needed to use up, I made an alternative lemonade by preparing the frozen lemonade according to the directions on the can (i.e. add water and stir), but used 3/4 cup less water. Then I squeezed the juice from two lemons into this prepared lemonade, sliced one lemon and threw those in for color and texture. DELISH! It was just the right amout of tartness and sweetness.  In addition to providing gustatorial pleasures, lemons have natural medicinal purposes to boot!

Make the most out of your lemons!

 

Chocolate and Whipped Cream

  • April 5, 2003
  • Categorized: Binghamton   Tagged:

whip.jpgThis was a rough week: the first week I actually had real schoolwork to do every single day! Plus, I took the entrance exam for the Culinary School that I’m desperately hoping to get into. So, I got to study 8th grade math all week too, which was really a nice change since I haven’t done math since senior year of high school!

(Want a taste? Here’s a SIMPLIFIED problem for you: The cost of food sold at the Seascape Inn amounted to $347,991. The food sales totaled $1,853,234. What is the food cost percent of the Seascape? The real catch is that you’re NOT ALLOWED TO USE A CALCULATOR)

To celebrate the end of all this hectic stressfulness (and because we like to have fun as much as possible), Caitlin L. held a potluck dinner last night. She made pork tenderloin soaked in a vinegar marinade for two days–yummo! We also had corn, rice, two different kinds of chicken, and wine. Then for dessert Jen made a tasty fruit shortcake and I made a buttermilk chocolate cake with chocolate sour cream frosting. The cake was an experiment that I don’t recommend anyone try, so I won’t post the recipe. But the frosting was good!

In the process of doling out the whipped cream for these tasty treats, a whipped cream war ensued; then Luis got out the chocolate syrup. Oh boy. Can we say HUGE MESS? I think we can. By the end of the whole thing just about everyone was COVERED from head to foot in whipped cream and chocolate. And then Caitlin K. decided it would be hilarious to incorporate the entire dessert onto our bodies so she started throwing cake crumbs. Faces were the main targets, so you can just imagine the fun we all had washing our hair last night. AIEE! It was great fun!

Jen and co. are going to have better pictures on their sites soon–these are just a few to give you an idea of the situation. 😉
Joe is coming to visit today!