Tag Archives: summer

lemon bars for my gramps

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21

I have always been especially close with my Gramps — I’m even named after him! {His middle name is Dallas.} I’m really grateful to be home for this week and get to spend time with my family. I love being able to just hop in the car, drive three minutes down the road, and pop into my Gramps’s house to say hi. We usually end up chatting over TCM movies, episodes of M*A*S*H or “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”

Speaking of The Food Channel, my Gramps loves lemony desserts. Lemon meringue pie, lemon cake, lemon sorbet. He was diagnosed with cancer this past December {that is mercifully in remission now} but ever since undergoing radiation his taste buds really crave sour food. So I decided to make him some lemon bars after I was inspired by this recipe on a blog I love, Recipes Happen.

I’d never attempted lemon bars before, but these were easy-peasy and turned out really well! I like the shortbread texture of the crust mixed with the smooth tartness of the lemon and the sweetness of the powdered sugar on top.

gramps’s favorite lemon bars

for the crust:
-1/2 cup butter, softened
-1 cup flour
-1/3 cup powdered sugar

for the lemon topping:
– 1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
– 3 eggs
– 3 tablespoons flour
– 1/3 cup lemon juice {I used two medium-sized lemons}
– zest from one lemon {about 2 tablespoons}
– powdered sugar to dust on top

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish and set aside.

2. Combine the softened butter, flour and sugar to make the crust. Dough will be crumbly. Press into the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.

3. While crust is baking, make the lemon topping: beat the eggs and add the sugar and flour. Juice the lemon and pour the juice through a sieve to make sure no seeds get into the dessert! Grate the lemon peel and add to the mixture. Blend well.

4. Pour the lemon topping over the hot crust and put back into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

5. When done, lemon bars should be solid in the middle, not soupy. Dust with powdered sugar. I’d recommend letting them cool before attempting to cut them. {I personally think lemon bars are delicious refrigerated!}

Enjoy! Gramps and I sure did! 🙂

Hope you have a wonderful weekend with lots of time with your loved ones,
Dallas

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Time: 40 minutes {including bake time}
Cost: about $3.00

patriotic fruit cobbler

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Happy 4th of July! Hope you’re celebrating with family, friends, sunshine and good food. On this day {well, every day, but especially today!} it’s important to remember and thank all of the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. Here is a nice way you can let current service members know they are appreciated: A Million Thanks letter-writing campaign.

I have a quick dessert recipe to share with you today — it’s a great way to use up delicious summer fruit, and you can make it patriotic if you throw in some strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Add some whipped cream and you’ve got a red, white, and blue dessert, perfect for a 4th of July barbeque or potluck!

patriotic fruit cobbler

-1 box pie crust mix {I used Jiffy}
-4 cups diced summer fruit {I used blueberries, strawberries, one pear and one apple)
-1 tbsp flour
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish.

2. Prepare pie crust as directed and press dough into bottom of baking dish in a thin layer.

3. Core and dice the fruit. Gently mix it together with the flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.

4. Pour fruit on top of pie crust. Bake for 20 minutes, or until fruit is starting to bubble.


Let cool for five minutes, then serve with whipped cream or iced cream.

YUM!

Happy Independence Day!

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Time: 30 minutes (including bake time)
Cost: $5.00

cool off with these summer drinks

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Wow, summertime in the Midwest sure is H-O-T! It can get warm where I’m from in California, but I’m having a bit of a hard time getting used to the humidity of Indiana summers. I am grateful to air conditioning and electric fans for getting me through the hot afternoons we are having! {And local friends tell me it’s only going to get hotter in July & August…}

When it is hot out, it is especially easy to get dehydrated, which can make you feel lethargic, irritable, and headachy. I’ve been guzzling the cold water, and I’ve come up with two quick and easy recipes that have been keeping me hydrated and cool even on the hottest of summer days. I’m excited to share them with you!

Zero-calorie Iced Tea

1. Steep a bag of your favorite tea in hot water. This recipe works particularly well with fruity teas — two current favorites of mine are Trader Joe’s Mango Black Tea and Lipton’s Blueberry-Acai Green Tea.

2. Fill a large drinking glass with ice cubes. {Don’t skimp on the ice — I typically use half a tray!}

3. Once the tea has steeped for 3 minutes or so, pour it into your ice-filled glass and enjoy!

Ice Water with Cucumber Slices

This recipe comes courtesy of my grandma, who declares it “the most refreshing drink around on a hot day.”

1. Rinse and peel a cucumber and cut it into thin slices.

2. Fill a large drinking glass or pitcher with ice cubes and water.

3. Drop the cucumber slices into the ice water and let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes until drinking.

*This recipe is also great with lemon or lime slices, but there’s something about cucumber that I think is the most refreshing of all.

And there you have it! Hope these recipes help you stay hydrated, healthy and cool this summer. What are some of your favorite summer drinks?

Always,
Dallas