Thursday, July 31, 2008

lemons, oh lemons


Know'st thou the land where the lemon-trees bloom,
Where the gold orange glows in the deep thicket's gloom,
Where a wind ever soft from the blue heaven blows,
And the groves are of laurel and myrtle and rose?
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

i think lemons are wonderful. they are pretty. they smell great. and have a multitude of uses. yesterday i made these cornmeal sandies. they are so light and delicious. i have made them twice this week. once i had gotten all the lemon zest i needed, i used the lemons to make vanilla lemonade. yummy. and then, as to not be wasteful, i sprinkled some baking soda on some of the squeezed lemons and used them to clean my sinks. a very great tip i got here. the rooms smelled so fresh! and finally, i threw a couple in the disposal to clean it. how is that for making the most from your lemons?

i hope to get back to some more regular posting now. i have been so consumed with getting ready to homeschool, that i have had little time for anything else. but it has been great and i am very excited. i do hope to post my thoughts on homeschooling so far, i just need to gather them first.

*Sorry about the link for the cookie recipe. Here is the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens:

Cornmeal Sandies
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp. finely shredded orange peel
2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
Sugar for tossing
(note: on my second making of these, I omitted the orange peel and increased the lemon peel to 5 tsp. and then decreased the vanilla to 3/4 tsp and added 1/4 tsp. of orange extract and they actually came out better)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the 1/4 cup sugar, fruit peels and vanilla.
3. In separate bowl combine flour, cornmeal, and salt; gradually add to and mix with butter mixture until a cohesive ball of dough forms.
4. Using a 1-ounce scoop or tablespoon, roll dough in 3/4-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Place additional sugar in shallow dish; gently toss warm cookies in sugar. Cool on rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

10 comments:

kristi said...

ok if you made these sandies twice in one week i definitely have to try them, but when i click the link it asks me to sign up for an account at BGH. help!

great idea about the lemon/baking soda combo. i use baking soda to clean almost everything in my house, and i've used lemons to bleaach out stains, but i've never thought to actually use the lemon as a scouring pad! have to try that one.

i'm anxious to hear all about your homeschooling experience. i'm also anxious to send my oldest 2 off to public school in a few weeks and get them out of my hair (hee hee).

Anonymous said...

i love your posts, amy, even though i'm not always commenting! by the way, go over to my blog and put your name in my giveaway pot! hurry!

Bethany said...

I was so happy to get a comment from you because as I looked at your blog, I see we have a lot in common! I love MaryJane's Farm and Jen Corace is my all-time favorite illustrator/artist! And you posted the recipe to my favorite cookies that my mom used to make at Christmas time... those wedding cookies or whatever you want to call them! I'm adding you to my "favorites"!

deborah said...

Those cookies look so good. I can almost taste them, guess I will try to make them. Sounds like you are about ready to start homeschooling. Good luck. Hugs and kisses to all.
Love Aunt Deborah

LisaAnn said...

I can only imagine the work involved in getting ready to homeschool. Best of luck for the upcoming year!

Anonymous said...

These sound really good. And I'm intrigued by the vanilla lemonade.

mary anna said...

It's about time you start blogging again. I miss reading them because I stand/sit amazed at how talented and artsy/craftsy you are. You certainly did not inherit from me. Maybe your love for books and reading came from me.

erica said...

I can attest that those cookies were indeed delicious. I would have eaten about ten more but I felt that would be rude. Thanks for sharing!

the fabled needle (jen) said...

yum, those look good! i wonder if they'd be yummy also with a little bit of lavender instead of the vanilla? hmmm....

Hen Jen said...

I don't bake very often, because I have a sweet tooth and no will-power. But, I think I have to try these...thanks for sharing.

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