Sunday, November 11, 2012

When Life Hands You a Lemon, Part 2

"...Make Lemonade" follows. This is a simple recipe that I just learned from my daughter, fortunately, considering the amount of lemons I have. It is soooooo refreshing on a hot day. Other recipes exist--this just happens to be my favorite. Tried and true.

Real Lemonade
Wash 10-12 lemons (quantity depends on the size of lemons) and cut them up into eigths—enough to fill a blender about ¾.  
Put them in blender and fill the blender ¾ full of water.
Add 2 c. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. If you like a tart lemonade, add less sugar.
Blend until you have a pulp. (I have to take my time on this step in order not to burn out the blender motor.)
Pour into a large pot, add 4 c. water, and let sit for an hour or two.
Put a filter (the kind you use for tea) over a pitcher and filter out the pulp so that only the liquid remains (I press the pulp in the filter with a spoon). Toss out the pulp.

Taste the resulting liquid. If concentrated, add water. If still bitter, add more sugar, then refrigerate.

Obviously, shelf life is relatively short since there are no additives. Use within several days.
Or the lemonade can be put in plastic bottles and frozen. Once thawed, use it within several days.
This technique works for limes as well. For an elegant drink, you can add a couple of limes with the lemons when blending for lemonade (my favorite).

Unbelievably, I have had a request for another recipe, which is also extremely simple.

Limoun (lee-moon') or Pickled Lemons 
Wash 3-4 large yellow lemons (yes, there are green lemons; it is the thick skin that counts here).
Cut into the skin from stem to navel, but not clear through.
In the meantime, prepare the brine in a bottle (mason jar, for example) large enough to hold the lemons. 
Fill the bottle about half full of water. 
Add enough salt to float an egg. I find it helps to heat the water so the salt will absorb faster and then put it in the bottle when cool.
Add 2-3 T. vinegar. 
Put the lemons in the brine. Add water if they are not entirely covered.

It takes about 6 weeks for the lemons to pickle and they last for a l-o-n-g time. My bottle of limoun is about a year old and the lemons are still good. Limoun can be used in salads and North African main dishes. I chop up a small amount in very small pieces and put in potato salad, for example. 

Now on to more interesting things: my sketchbook page with fabrics laid down.
   The final version.
And I found that working with yellow, which I seem to avoid, pushed me into a cheerful composition that happily illustrates the old saying under discussion.

24 comments:

Mo Crow said...

love your thread sketching and the spontaneous playfulness that comes through!

deanna7trees said...

i love the idea of just laying down little scraps and stitching around them. it turned out great.

Nancy said...

Looks great. So interesting how color affects mood, yes?!

blandina said...

Thank you for the lemonade recipe, I never heard about this way of preparing it.
I use lemon pickles as often as I can, I love the taste also in a simple white rice dish.
Oh, the magic of lemons!

Stitching Lady said...

I love this little quilt - - it is so lovely unconventional.
Your lemonade sound fantastic.

Els said...

Hey Nadia, I love the sketchy machine-lines on this (and the previous) little quilt !!!
Drawing with the machine: love to do that too ... (and you're great at it !)
Sorry for your lemon crop and hurray for the lemonade ;-)

libbyquilter said...

your journal page is once again wonderful to see~!

i hope to give some thread sketching a try one of these days.

:-)
libbyQ

Unknown said...

Your sketch is so fresh and summery, Nadia. I would love to have enough fresh lemons to make this lemonade. Maybe next summer... Happy week, sus

Merilyn said...

Wonderful innovative work from you as always! I do enjoy seeing what you create!!! Great lemonade recipe too!!!

Nina Marie said...

ohhh this is great - its pretty - creative AND useful - what more could you want :) I host Off the Wall Fridays - its a link up of art quilters to show creative posts from their blog each week - would love to have you come join us! We find it the connection motivating and inspiring!

Gaia said...

I love the sketch of the glass and way the ice cubes[ i think] are done..!

Quilteuse Forever said...

Tu fais des tableaux qui pétillent de bonne humeur! Merci pour ces belles recettes aussi, j'adore la limonade de citrons frais (très peu sucrée pour moi!). Quand je lis les romans américains, j'ai l'impression qu'on en boit bcp plus qu'en France d'ailleurs...

Anonymous said...

Your cloth sketch book is wonderful. I love the cheerful colors and all the wonderful stitching.
Thank you again for the Pickled Lemon recipe. My husband and I have fallen in love with them.
I have a recipe for a Shaker lemon pie...it is delicious. Would you be interested in that recipe?

Patty Ashworth said...

You can freeze the lemonade in the ice cube trays, then add them to a glass of water, instead of the other way around. Or just suck on them for popsicles! Nice treat in the summer.

Rachaeldaisy said...

Another wonderful sketch. I can hear the ice tinkling in the glass. Thank you for the lemonade recipe, it sounds delicious.

Nellie's Needles said...

FUN!!! ...the stitchery and the recipes. Looooove it all. I'm off to pickle that bag of lemons in my refrigerator.

Francien said...

To be honest Nadia...i don`t like lemon in any way......but your journal page is absolutly stunning...i love it.....you inspire me to make some pages with fabric again....greetings Francien.

Ayn said...

Love your sketchbook stitched pieces - it's marvelous to see your drawing in these studies! Showing the artist's hand in textile work has always been a challenge for me and something I so appreciate in others' work. Your fabric sketches are very inspiring, thanks!

joanna said...

Your freehand stitching makes this piece so wonderful!
very inspiring journal!!
xoxo

Michele said...

Thanks for the lemonade recipe! It looks delicious! The project is beautiful! I can't say that enough! It looks so spontaneous, fun, and yet thoughtful at the same time.

Linda A. Miller said...

Love your lemons and recipes...thank you! I make preserved lemons: Rinse 8 lemons; quarter length-wise into wedges, put into bowl. Stir in 1 ½ cups kosher salt. With potato masher or wooden spoon, press fruit to extract juice. Transfer mixture into wide mouthed 1 to 1 ½ qt. jar. Press fruit into jar to immerse in juice. Add fresh rosemary, if desired. Seal and store in refrigerator at least 2 weeks to 6 months. In the first few days, press fruit down to submerge into liquid.

Katie said...

This project/sketchbook really delights me. Your style is so interesting and perfect. I love fabric journaling.
You do amazing things with scraps.

Michelle said...

Do they go in the blender with the peels?

MulticoloredPieces said...

Yup, with the peels.