Deep Fried French Toast, A new Third Sunday Dinner Favorite

       Third Sunday Dinner is amazing. Here is a photo journey of this months dinner. Be sure and read below as I will explain what really happened. Each month brings new friends and fun. I love Third Sunday Dinner and all that happens when people meet around food. It amazes me each month the miracles that happen, and the biggest miracle that happens is in my own heart as I learn to love deeper and trust more in God, and have faith to do hard things. Third Sunday Dinner is not always easy, but the end results always out weighs the work and effort involved. Enjoy the pictures, and commentary  below.

It is great having the back yard filled with family, friends, and new friends.  

Making the Syrup

Having fun...

Oh my,  it is great.

Deep Fried French Toast

I am so glad you came.

Have you met......

The happy fryers.  

Deep Fried French Toast. 

Welcome everyone,  Are you ready to eat?

The line forms here. 

We fried over 300 of these. 

Topped with fresh fruit,  comfort food at it's best.

Come on in, there is still room and food.

Me and the boys,  I love these boys. And the boys love food.

My two new best friends,  David and Jay.  They fried for 2 hours.

     I will have to explain why I said that Third Sunday Dinners are not always easy. Sometimes there is so much going on that I feel overwhelmed. This month was one of those times. My son just returned from his mission, being gone for 2 years. So we had a big family weekend planned. I was ok Friday,  having been sick with that nasty cold bug going around.  I did my shopping and felt somewhat ready knowing that my home would be filled with people for the weekend.

     I could not sleep Friday night. Some family arrived and so I tried to sleep sitting up in a chair. Every time I tried to lay down I coughed. I got maybe three light hours of sleep. The rest of the family started to arrive at 5:00 am Saturday morning. It was great fun.  I fixed a big breakfast for everyone, and then we went to the farmers market. Later more family arrived and I fixed a big lunch. We all went to the mall and still more family arrived. That night we had a big pizza party for everyone. I put some pork in the smoker for Sunday lunch. We played late Saturday night, and I still could not sleep.

     Sunday morning we had breakfast, and off to church for the homecoming of my son. It was great.  More Family arrived for it, and we had a big lunch after church.  Lunch ended and the last of the family left about 3:00. I looked at my watch realizing that I had 2 hours to get ready for Third Sunday Dinner.  I said a silent prayer and jumped in to get ready. The 2 Justins arrived and my son and son-in-law set out the tables and chairs.

      We ran around and were perfectly ready at 5:00.  It was a great day. The food was amazing.  I only  did the French Toast and Buttermilk Syrup, with some fresh strawberries and pineapple. The rest of the food like magic showed up. I think we fried over 300 pieces of French Toast. It was great.

     I was exhausted before it started, but as people showed up my energy returned and I was able to enjoy the entire event.  That is what I have learned most about Third Sunday Dinner,  to serve others is not always easy, but the end result always makes up for any sacrifice and after all is said and done I always wonder why I stress.  It always turns out wonderful when people gather around food.

     The entire weekend was great, a lot of work, yes. Worth the work, YES.  The memories that are created around food are like no other memories.  Seeing the joy on faces as they eat and enjoy each others companionship is priceless. Is what I am trying to say is that no matter what goes on or how hectic life gets, when it is all said and done, the dishes put away, the house back to normal, a couple days of rest, then we start to see the picture clearly and we remember what it was all for and we are ready to start the entire process over again, and again, and again. I love food,  I love what food can do when we truly understand it's full purpose. Not only to strengthen the body, but to nourish and feed the  spirit.

     I hope you are making your own "Third Sunday Dinner Traditions" in your life.  Enjoy the adventure. It only gets better.

Recipes

Buttermilk Syrup

     3/4 cup butter
     1 cup buttermilk
     3 cups sugar
     2 teaspoons vanilla
     2 teaspoons baking soda

In a large sauce pot melt butter, buttermilk, and sugar together.  Bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda.  Whisk quickly,  it will bubble up to the top of the pan.  Serve warm.  This syrup reheats well and can be made with Xagave in place of sugar.  

Deep Fried French Toast

     6 eggs
     2 cups milk
     1/4 cup oil or melted butter
    3 teaspoons pumpkin spice or baking spice
    2 teaspoons vanilla
    White bread
    Oil for Frying.   

In blender place all ingredients except oil and bread.  Blend well.  Place mixture in bowl and dip bread quickly in batter.  Drop in hot oil and brown on both sides.  Serve with fresh fruit, syrup, and powdered sugar. 

It's time again for Third Sunday Dinner

The menu changes every month

      I cannot believe that it is already Third Sunday Dinner again. Time sure flies. The weather looks like it will be great and I love that. We can set up tables and chairs in the back yard and let the fun begin.

      Each month I start thinking about what we are going to serve about as soon as one ends. I decided in January that for February I would like to do my Grandpa's French Toast. He owned cafes for years in Gallop NM, and one of the things he served was deep fried French toast. It is amazing. I don't fry foods often, but sometimes we need a good warm memory day. When we are frying this, I will be thinking of my mother and my grandpa.

      The very first time I left home and had French toast I was sorely disappointed. It came pale and soggy, without flavor. I thought it was a mistake. After all, French Toast was supposed to be deep fried.  Today I cook mine like most Americans, on a cast iron griddle. But once in awhile I get the hankering for deep fried, and oh my it is great.

      I was thinking that fresh fruit will be great, and of course I will be making butter milk syrup to top the French toast. Lemons are in season so I will create some wonderful lemonade beverage. This is a simple one. Buy the bread, day old will be perfect. And is all I have to do on Sunday is slice the bread,  heat the oil, make the batter, I use a high tech blender for this, and make the drink. Easy, but the end result will be amazing.

The Ingle Family,  David comes early to help cook. Wow,  he is amazing in the kitchen.

      David will be coming early to help get the frying done. I have two boys, Justin and Justin, that come early to help cook and set up tables and chairs. So I am all set. No stress involved. Tuesday I will post the recipes and give you an update on what went down.

The line forms....Where?

      The little couple at the end, the Petersens, have moved away. I will miss his complaining about the food being to spicy. He is a darling man, but out spoken..  I informed him one Sunday that I could not design the entire menu around his diet and he should just behave and find what he could eat. His dear wife agreed with me. After all this is not a short order cafe. I will miss them. They are older and are moving to be closer to her family in Maricopa. Sometimes though, I have to set the rules. And the rules are really simple. Enjoy what we have, no complaining, and get to know others there. Quit simple.

     So I will be preparing for another Third Sunday Dinner experience. I look forward all month to Third Sunday Dinner, and the miracles that happen when we invite others into our home to enjoy food, fellowship, family, and friends.

Love at First Bite

Nothing says love like a warm fresh baked cinnamon roll with added chocolate, WOW.

Fresh Baked Cinnamon Nut Rolls

Simple Cream Frosting

      A good cinnamon roll should be "Love at First Bite". How often have you looked at a cinnamon roll and tried it, to find was filled with disappointment. That happens far to often as far as I am concerned. They look great, and smell great, but are lacking in taste.
   
      Once in a while I even give in, and try one at the mall and I end up gaging. They are pretty, and make the mall smell great, but they are totally lacking in flavor. Other times someone will bake them and they use an old cinnamon and a powdered sugar glaze with out flavor.  How sad to go through so much work and have the final product end up flavorless.

      One thing I do want to make clear is that I do not believe in a healthy cinnamon roll. If you are going to eat a cinnamon roll, you should go all the way  There is a place for healthy, but not in a cinnamon roll. Call it something else, but don't defile the sacred name of "cinnamon roll" with the word healthy.

     When I do a cinnamon roll, I go all the way.  White flour, good white flour, sugar, butter, more butter, nuts, chocolate, heavy cream, and more butter. I like a cinnamon roll dripping with flavor and exploding with taste. The dough should be moist and light, and the glaze should be the crowning glory of the roll, and not some tasteless sugar topping that takes away from the absolute wonder of the roll.

     As a young boy my mother set the standard of a cinnamon roll. She made the rolls out of her "Good ole White Bread" recipe. They were amazing, she topped them with a wonderful maple glaze. They were dripping in goodness. She had a few tricks that I have never seen anyone else do. One of the tricks she had was when the dough was rolled out she sprayed the entire surface with water.  It made them moist and wonderful. As a young man I worked in a store bakery. The head baker was wonderful. But his rolls, I thought, were dry. I casually mentioned that to him one day with the remedy of how to fix it. Needless to say he was so mad. Imagine an 18 year old boy telling him how to bake.  His rolls continued to be dry and I didn't last there long.

     Over the years I have worked and worked on perfecting the recipe for cinnamon rolls. A few years ago I was asked to bake them for the wedding of a friend. I was worried and even took a cooking class in Phoenix. It was great. There is always something new to learn and I have discovered that we should never get to comfortable with what we are doing. There is always room for growth. My cinnamon rolls did get better after that class.  The teacher was amazing and she taught me some great tips.

Letting the Rolls Rise before baking.

 
   They turned out great for the wedding. I was so glad I went to learn more. The next weekend I went to a wedding that almost all the same people were attending and they were serving cinnamon rolls. I was a little nervous. It's an ego thing. But to my relief  they were good, but not a good as mine.  Ha Ha. Going to the class really put mine over the top. Cinnamon rolls are a little work, but it is worth the effort when you can make so many happy.

Fresh Baked Cinnamon Roll

Cinnamon rolls   

3 cups warm butter milk

1 cups Chef Brad’s sour dough starter  You can order this at www.chefbrad.com

½  cup sugar

½ cube melted butter

1 tablespoons salt

3 eggs

5-8 cups Hi-Gluten White Flour (to begin with)

2 ½ tablespoons yeast

Place ingredients into your Bosch, with yeast on top of the flour.  Turn on the Bosch, and add enough flour to clean the sides of the bowl. Mix for six minutes and than remove from bowl and place in oiled large bowl and let rise until double.  (Remember, a sticky dough makes the best rolls.)   Remove from bowl Divide into 4 equal pieces. placing one piece on rolling surface, roll dough out into a large semi circle..  Top with melted butter, than a cinnamon, and brown sugar mixture, sprinkle lightly with water.   Roll dough up starting from furthest away and roll towards you pulling the dough tight. When rolled tight, cut in half and than cut the halves in half and than cut each piece into 3 pieces.  You should end up with 12 rolls. Place rolls into pan sprayed with nonstick pan spray, leaving a small space in between each roll,  and let rise until double in size.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Do not over bake, this dries out the rolls.  

yield: 4-5 dozen

prep/cooking time: 2 hours

Maple Frosting

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 eight oz. package cream cheese, room temp.

1 tablespoon maple extract

Enough heavy cream to smooth frosting

8 cups powdered sugar

Whisk together in food processor until smooth and than spread on warm rolls

Love Love Love 

With or without frosting they should taste great.

     Cinnamon rolls really do say love and I love them. We don't eat them often, so when we do it is a real treat. My family loves them and I love making them. I have gotten up early at girls camp and scout trainings to make cinnamon rolls. Nothing is better than a warm cinnamon roll, dripping in butter and frosting and exploding with the flavor of cinnamon. Just a note, the right cinnamon does make a difference. Use a good quality one,  one that has been in your pantry for years is probably not the right choice. Penzeys has a great one, and you can order on ine.

A good cinnamon roll truly is "Love at First Bite".

"Fast Sunday Rolls" and family traditions.

Spelt Potato Rolls

      Food is a lot about traditions, and bread making is one that I love. Bread making has been a tradition in my family for years. I grew up in a home where bread making was just part of life.  As I have mentioned before, my mother had no idea she was establishing a tradition of bread making in our lives.   know my siblings bake bread on a regular basis, and I know it is because of my mothers effort to bake bread regularly. She was a wonderful bread maker ,and the memory of her bread is still burned into my mind and heart.

     In all the bread making growing up, I can'y remember my mother ever baking dinner rolls. We usually ate her sliced white bread with butter, Sorry it was not butter back then, it was margarine. So much cheaper than butter. Every meal there was bread and margarine. She did make cinnamon rolls with her dough and fry bread, but never dinner rolls that I can remember.

      My love of dinner rolls came later in life with the purchase of my first Bosch Mixer. As I started teaching classes I fell in love with dinner rolls. Since those days dinner rolls have become a tradition in our home. One of my families favorite traditions is "Fast Sunday Rolls".  In my faith we fast one Sunday a month, no food or drink for 2 meals, and donate the money we would have spent to the church to feed the elderly, homeless, struggling, etc. So after church on fast Sunday my family thinks they are starving to death. I treat them with what I call "Fast Sunday Rolls".

     "Fast Sunday Rolls" are special and over the years my goal has been to create rolls like my Aunt Mom's. Aunt Mom in really my moms sister  Jean Flake. I call her Aunt Mom because she has been like a mother to me for all my life. She makes the most amazing dinner rolls ever. She is famous for her rolls. So her rolls and the rolls of Mrs. Clarson who was the school cafeteria cook in my elementary school, are my standard. Mrs. Clarson's rolls like Aunt Moms are perfection, especially sliced hot and stuffed with butter. You have to let the butter melt and than it is like taking a bite of heaven. Oh my goodness, right now my mouth is watering. When I grew up I actually went to Jesse Clarson's home and thanked her for her wonderful rolls. I was so glad I was able to do that before she passed away.  I can picture her making teaching the angles in Heaven how to make them.

     I really learned the secret of roll making from my dear friend Jane Merrill. She wrote the "Set For Life" cookbooks. She is a master and she taught me one phrase that I teach everyone, when I am teaching about roll making. The Phase is "THE STICKER THE DOUGH, THE LIGHTER THE ROLL". That has been my guide in making all my rolls and my rolls are sometimes almost as good as Jesse Clarsons and Aunt Moms. That really is the trick. Keep the dough slightly sticky, it is a little harder to work with, but the end result are rolls that almost float. Even whole grain rolls are amazing when you follow that advise.

     So on fast Sunday's I am constantly experimenting on just how light I can make whole grain rolls.  Can they match up to the standard of Jesse Clarson or Aunt Mom. I sometimes fail, but when I have a winner my family is so happy. I decide that they all cannot be winners,  if they are all winners then the family gets to used to perfection and they just don't appreciate it as much. So once in awhile I mess up just so they can appreciate it when I have a winner. But this last Sunday. Oh my, I hit the jack pot.  My son had just returned from his mission and had missed out on "Fast Sunday Rolls" for two years.  I really wanted them to be perfect. I made spelt potato rolls. You will love the recipe. They are splendid in every way.

      So the Tradition continues in my home. "Fast Sunday Rolls" and bread making, do make memories that will last forever. I hope long after I am dead and gone my family talks about my rolls with fond memories.



Spelt Potato Rolls
This are the new favorite "Fast Sunday Roll"in my home.  Nothing makes a roll better than a cooked mashed potato.  Instant just are not the same.

1 large potato, peeled and cooked until tender
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar or Xagave
2 teaspoons salt
4 egg whites
2 cups warm milk
2 tablespoons instant yeast
2 cups natural white flour
4 cups fresh ground spelt flour

In your Bosch mixer place cooked potato, butter, sugar, salt, egg whites, milk, and spelt flour.  On top of the spelt flour place yeast.  Turn on mixer and add natural white flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.    Continue to mix,  making sure the dough stays sticky.  After six minutes, remove from bowl on oiled surface.  Form into golf ball size segments.  Place on sprayed pan and let rise to double.  Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 t0 25 minutes or until done.

Basic Rolls

Jean Flake…Or Aunt Mom to Chef Brad.  This recipe was taught to her by her Mother, Chef Brad's Granny. Breadmaking is something Jean loves to do and she certainly does it to perfection.  She  is well known for her light wonderfully tasting rolls, and bread.  She shares this recipe with you.  Enjoy!

1 cup milk

¼ cup butter or oil

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

5-6 cups flour

1 Tablespoon yeast

Scald milk or use powdered milk mixed according to directions. 
Add butter, sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour.  Mix until smooth.  Beat in egg and 1 Tablespoon yeast.   Add flour to make soft dough.  Knead until smooth and elastic.  If using Bosch mixer add flour until dough barely cleans bowl.  Shape into rolls and place in greased pan barely touching each other.  Let raise until double in bulk.  If you are kneading by hand let dough come up once before shaping into rolls.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Can be used for cinnamon rolls or crescent rolls.

Fresh baked rolls turn any meal into a Gourmet Experience.

The Lemon Cleanse Post 6

Before,, I hate this picture and there are more just like it.

     Do you ever look at pictures of yourself and wonder what happened. Some of the pictures of my in my chef cloths leave me feeling fat and uncomfortable. I love food, and I love to eat food. My life is all about food. I am constantly working on new recipes and tasting new foods. I discovered a couple of years ago that I had better make some changes or I would be in trouble. For me it was hard because food is such an important part of my life. My excuse was I have to eat,  I am a Chef. 

        I guess the big change came when I was able to see what I really looked like. More importantly  when I was able to be honest with myself and really fess up to being over weight and out of shape.  I had been using cooking as a crutch for my lack of self control.  I am not  an exercise person, but I do understand the value of it the the more I do it the more value I can see in doing something on a regular basis.  I really admire those totally dedicated persons who work so hard to look like I want to look, but so far have not been willing to pay the price, so I thought.  

      I had convinced myself that it was hard and useless, and no matter how hard I worked out I wouldn't get the results I wanted.  Wrong.  I have found that our bodies are amazing when we treat them right.  Not to say I adore working out, but I have found a great satisfaction from working out.  The secret to to find what you like and be consistent.  

     Ok, enough about working out. What I want to talk about is cleansing the body. It is as important as working out, especially in todays chemical filled world. Our bodies need to have a occasional oil change so to speak. I am talking about a good cleanse that will remove the toxins from the body and leave us feeling stronger and healthier, and the bonus is our bodies will respond better to exercise and eating the right foods, when it has a frequent cleanse.  

     Think of all the foods we eat, and all the garbage that is in the processed foods. Our bodies are toxic, and even if we are eating well, we live in a toxic environment. We know that to get optimal performance out of our cars, we need to change the oil on a regular basis. If we don't, the cars performance is compromised. Our bodies work the same way. We compromise the performance when we don't take the time to change the oil, cleanse.  

    Over the years I have done several, but this year was the best one I have found yet. It was doable and I really enjoyed the experience. My manager told me about it and I thought at the time no way. It sounded terrible. He said that he and his wife to it 2 to 3 times a year and they like it.  

     A couple months passed and I was feeling like I needed something of a cleanse after the holiday season. So I set out to the health food store to see what I could find.  he clerk recommended the same cleanse my Manager used. So it being lemon season I decided to do it myself.  I have to say I loved it.  Really,  I loved it.  I felt great every day and lost 14 lbs. and I felt like my oil had been changed.  What a great feeling. You have to be prepared mentally for any cleanse and especially when you go without food for an extended period of time.  

         You are wondering what did I do. I did the Lemon Juice, Cayenne Pepper, Maple Syrup Cleanse.  You can google it and read more about it, but it is basically drinking a mixture of 2-3 Tbls. lemon juice, 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you can handle it), and 2-3 Tbls. maple syrup, all mixed in 8-10oz water, all day long for as many days as you can do it.  It was amazing. I was not hungry at all,  did I mention that no food is allowed at all.  I enjoyed it and never felt hungry or tired or left out.  I did it for 10 days, that includes the couple days after you finish the cleanse when you slowly add foods back in. I loved the spicy lemonade and look forward to the next oil change.

       Being healthy is all about discipline and self control.  What I like about a good cleanse is that is helps with self control. I decided that if I can go without food that long I can do anything. The problem in today's world we want instant results,  and with our bodies, that is not going to happen. We fail to realize that after years of abuse it just might take some time for our bodies to get back into shape. A cleanse is a great place to jump start our determination to be healthier. I strongly recommend that if you are a coach potato, get up and start doing something. Tomorrow just might be to late. Enjoy your next oil change. It will put life back into your engine.  

After the cleanse. This is better.  It is amazing what a little self control will do.  

Lemon Pie Post 5

     When most people think of lemon desserts, I think lemon pie has to be what comes to mind. Is there anything better than a great lemon pie? I don't think so. And the best part of it is that lemon pies are the easiest to make of all pies.

  Lemon Meringue Pie topped the list for years and years as the most popular lemon pie, but in recent years it has moved down the list and has been replaced by Sour Cream Lemon Pie.

     Sour Cream Lemon Pie is tart but creamy, and can be made in minutes. I love the sour cream, but have used Greek yogurt with great success. In fact I like the slightly tartness of the yogurt, not to mention it is better for you than sour cream. The crust can be a simple cracker crust, or a baked crust,  the choice is yours. If I am really in a hurry, I have even used the ready made crusts from the store. You don't even need a crust for this pie, it can be used as a pudding  with great success. I love making pies and I think this one is at the top of my list of great pies.

      If you have the lemon juice frozen in the freezer, this pie is a great one for the summer BBQ.  Summer time and lemons seem to be the perfect combination.

The Recipe
Sour Cream Lemon Pie

     1 cup sugar or Xagave
     1/2 cup Lemon Juice
     1 cup milk or other liquid, I use Silk Coconut
     A dash of Flori di sicilia  (citrus extract) or Vanilla
     pinch salt
     3.5 tablespoons corn starch
     3 egg yolks lightly beaten
     1/4 cup butter or coconut oil can be used
     1 cup sour cream or Greek Yogurt
     Whipped Cream for topping

In medium sauce pan place sugar, lemon juice, milk, extract, salt, and cornstarch. Turn in heat to medium high and whisk well while cooking until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and in separate small bowl add egg yolks lightly beaten. Add 
to yolks a small amount of hot mixture whisking well, continue to do this until you have added about half of the hot mixture.  The reason you do this is so you don't fry the eggs all at once with the hot mixture.  After you  have added about half and it is well mixed add it back to the hot mixture in the sauce pan. Return it to the heat and continue stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and add butter.  Mix well.  

Now you have 2 options.  

Option Number 1 is add all the sour cream for yogurt to the entire mixture and mix well and place in prepared pie shell and let cool.  Top with whipped cream and enjoy. 

Option Number 2 is remove about 1/3 of the mixture to a separate bowl and add the yogurt or sour cream to this mixture.  Pour the remaining mixture in the bottom of the prepared pie shell.  Smooth out and place the yogurt mixture on top and spread it out over the bottom mixture.  This option gives you a layered look.  Let cool and top with whipped cream to serve.



     As in all baking, it should be fun and relaxing. If you are stressed, you are doing something wrong. Before baking sit down and relax, enjoy a nice glass of lemonade, and take a few deep breaths, and then get up enjoy the experience.

    I love baking, especially when I think about the joy my food will bring others. Is that not the reason we bake, to serve others and bring joy into the life of those we love? Just like homemade bread, a lemon pie says the same thing. I love you.  And when they taste it they know it is true.
      

 


     I found this product when I was attending a week long baking class at King Arthur's Flour back east. It was a wonderful week, and in the bakery they use this amazing extract. You can probably mail order it from them or find it on sale at a speciality kitchen store. I love the unique citrus flavor it lends to the foods I use it in

It's Lemonade Time. Post 4

       Nothing freshens a glass of anything, like a slice of fresh lemon. Lemons have a long and wonderful history. They date back in recorded history, as early as 700 BC. The most recorded events in history come from Egypt, where lemons were used in many ways. Ancient Greece used the fragrant lemon trees to keep their estates smelling fresh and clean all the time. 

       

       Lemons have the ability to add beauty from their green foliage to the bright yellow, and the trees grow well in many parts of the world. Perhaps the most use lemons get the world over is for flavoring beverages. Lemons add freshness to anything from a warm tea, to a plain glass of water. In fact it is most used to disguise the bad flavor of tap water the world over. A side benefit to adding lemons to water is that not only does it help the flavor, it also has antibacterial properties as well. Lemonade is probably should be the national drink in America, it certainly is a staple in the south where thousands of gallons are consumed each day.

     This is my method for making lemonade. I had a cafe once, and will again some day. At my cafe I used a formula to keep the beverages consistent. It was the gallon formula.  Everything I made to drink was by the gallon. I still do it at home. I keep several gallon plastic containers with lids handy for making beverages. For the lemons, I have found at a local store 1 cup containers with lids that stack in the freezer.   When I make lemonade I fill them up, and fill up the freezer.   One cup of lemon juice will make one gallon of lemonade or one cup will make a gallon of whatever beverage I am making. Here are some of my favorite recipes.

                                                                          

     Fresh Ginger Lemonade

           This is a family favorite.  You will need one cup of lemonade and one cup of fresh ginger juice.  To make ginger juice take about 2 cups of fresh ginger root, do not peel.  Place in heavy duty blender and cover with 4 cups of water.  Blend until smooth. Strain through a mess strainer and place in one cups freezer containers and freeze until ready.

      

            1  cup lemon concentrate

            1 cup ginger juice

            2 cups sugar or desired sweetener.  Stevia or Xagave work well.  Some like honey also.

             Water to fill gallon.  

Place lemon, ginger, and sweetener in gallon container and fill with water.  Mix well and serve over ice.  

 Fresh Watermelon Lemonade

        6 cups fresh chunks of watermelon

        1 cup lemon juice

        2 cups sugar or desired sweetener.  Stevia or Xagave work well.  Some like honey also.

        Water to fill a gallon.

Place water melon in blender and blend until smooth.  Place in pitcher with lemon and sweetener and mix well. 

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

     3 cups fresh blended strawberries, blended well.

     1 cup lemon juice

     2 cups sugar or desired sweetener.  Stevia or Xagave work well.  Some like honey also.

Place all ingredients in gallon container and fill with water and mix well.  

Fresh Lemonade

      1 cup lemon juice

      2 cups sugar or desired sweetener.  Stevia or Xagave work well.  Some like honey also.

Sweeten to taste,  I like it sweet. It is a personal thing.  Start out with less and add more is a good rule.  

There really is no end to what you can do with lemonade. From fresh mint, to cranberries, lemonade can be a refreshing beverage all year long with an never ending variety of  taste. The gallon formula works well and when I am creating, that is how I go about it. I get out the gallon and start adding. It has worked for me for years and I hope it is helpful to you.