Homemade Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup lemon peel strips (about 6 lemons)
• 3 cups lemon juice (approximately 14 lemons)
• 1 liter bottle of club soda, chilled

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, in a large saucepan - heat sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir frequently.
2. Gradually stir in lemon strips. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and cool liquid.
5. Add lemon juice, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
6. Remove lemon strips and combine chilled liquid mixture with chilled club soda.

Hint: Slowly stir lemon mixture into club soda, or it will bubble over quickly. If you don't mind pulp in your lemonade - freshly squeezed lemons are best. (My kids have texture issues and won't drink "fuzzy" drinks.) Add some frozen strawberries for a little extra pop - or - my favorite, maraschino cherries. Enjoy!!

Peach & Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients:

...fruit filling...

1 (16 oz) bag frozen sliced peaches
2 (5.6 oz) containers fresh blackberries, cleaned and dry
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 TBS cornstarch

....crumble topping...

1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 TBS butter, cut into small pieces

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a square baking dish with cooking spray.

* Combine peaches, blackberries, lemon peel, 1/3 cup brown sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish.

* Using a food processor, first combine AP flour, almonds, salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar using the pulse setting. Next add butter pieces and continue to pulse until the consistency of the mixed ingredients has become chunky.

* Top the fruit mixture in the baking dish with the crumble mixture from the food processor.

* Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

* Let cool for a minimum of 10 minutes before serving.

* To score big, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Disclaimer: Apparently today is the day I couldn't read a recipe to save my life. 3 different times I messed this dish up and was sure it would be inedible. The dish was quite tasty, but I give you fair warning so you can learn from my mistakes....read the recipe, read it again, and then read it one more time. It can't hurt! Happy cooking!!