This dessert is so light you’ll want to eat the whole pie, but don’t fool yourself, it’s chock full of ice cream and whipped cream, aka two of the most fattening fabulous things in the world. But the secret is the crust. I had leftover Nilla Wafers lying around and didn’t want to waste them. Thank goodness, it sent this pie over the top! You just may find yourself eating it straight out of pie plate like I did. Ahem. I’m classy.

ingredients:
1 (9 inch) nilla wafer pie crust (see recipe)
3 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2 cup lemon sugar (you can just white sugar if you don’t have lemon)
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons powdered sugar

Prep your pie crust, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in the ice cream, make sure it’s softened, you’re job will be easier!

In a mixing bowl whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until soft peaks form. PAY ATTENTION: You will only use HALF of this. Fold HALF into the ice cream mixture and pour into the pie crust. Place in the freezer until set!

NOW use the other half of the whipped cream to dollop on top of the pie before you serve! And come on, serve it on a clean plate, let’s be civilized here!

This is a really refreshing take on a berry lemonade…but slushy. It doesn’t have to be summer to have this…we drank it when the weather was in the 40s!! It’s slushy time, all the time!

ingredients:
2 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water

Frozen strawberries are the key, you don’t need to add ice, they do the work for you.

Blend everything together. Sure, let a small child play with an electric appliance and then take a picture. Hey, he’s just a really small sous chef, ok?

Blend until you get a mini tornado going in there, then pour into cups. This makes two large cups or 4 very small ones. I’m talking about kids here, not oompa loompahs.

This smells amazing when it’s cooking, all the ingredients come together so nicely. The kids just loved this and ate it right up, unfortunately that’s why I don’t have any good pictures – I apologize, but trust me it was delicious!

ingredients:
6-8 chicken thighs (bone in!!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons parsley
3 teaspoons lemon zest
3 carrots, cut into chunks
3 celery, cut into chunks
juice of one lemon
12 ounces chicken broth
1 cup water

Place chicken in the slow cooker pot. By using bone-in thighs, the chicken stays moist as compared to using filets which can really dry out, even in a crock pot.

In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, flour, chopped garlic, lemon zest and parsley. Rub into the chicken.

Put the cut carrots and celery on top.

Add the lemon juice over everything, then slowly add the chicken broth and water down the side (not on top of the veggies) filling the pot. This keeps the lemon and the spices intact.

Cover and cook for 6 hours on low. I served it with rice, but by itself with a nice biscuit is pretty great too!

I made these up on a whim, they came out really good, then I realized I needed to write down the recipe. Oops. So I had to make them again. And again. And again…not to test the recipe…just because they were so good – YUM. Lemon-y. Moist. Soft. And muffin-y. I’m sure those aren’t words, but let me tell you, they’re delicious. The secret? Lemon sugar, of course!

ingredients:
1-3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup lemon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon

more lemon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep a muffin pan with liners. (you will only get about 10 muffins out of this)

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, lemon sugar and baking powder, whisk to combine.

Add the oil, egg, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Oh. So. Lemony. This is the kicker here, peeps. Lemon juice, lemon sugar, lemon zest. Don’t skimp, you’ll be rewarded in the end! Stir until JUST combined. Not too much – you don’t want a tough muffin!

Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full. Top with a sprinkling of even MORE lemon sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack.

These are for true lemon lovers. Flavorful, not overly sweet – just the perfect muffin for a morning snack.

Just like LAST YEAR, the Lemon Fairy left a gigantor bag of lemons on my porch. I don’t know whether to hug her or punch her because she knows my weakness. I just can’t let these things go to waste. I’ve been working my way through them like a maniac, so you know what that means…it’s Lemon Week! A new lemon recipe everyday…until I die from citrus poisoning. Is that possible? I hope not…
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Simple, right? It is – but the taste is beyond compare. It’ll make your days brighter and your life longer. Ok, maybe not, but it sure makes does give your baking that extra somethin’.

ingredients:
1 cup sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon

Zest the lemon into the sugar. Stir around so that the oils can mix into the sugar. Keep in a sealed container. I use this for baking lemon cakes and muffins, it adds a whole new dimension to your lemon-y desserts!

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped basil
zest of one lemon

one package of pasta

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Boil the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of liquid before you drain it.

Toss the pasta in with the lemon mixture, then add the zest and the basil. Add the reserved pasta water a little at a time, you may not need all of it, you just don’t want the pasta to be dry.

Serve immediately. I like this as a side dish to chicken or fish, but it is great on it’s own.

Part of my own personal ‘Iron Chef: Battle lemons’ series.

I have been wanting to make cake with olive oil for some time now, and the abundance of lemons gave me the perfect opportunity because the combination is terrific.

ingredients:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon (zest and juice)
1 cup flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a mini cupcake pan with liners.

Using a microplane, grate your lemon zest directly into the one cup of flour and set aside. I like to sort of infuse my flour when cooking with lemons, to get the mixture going before I even start baking.

In a small bowl, squeeze all the juice out of the lemon and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale. On low, slowly add the flour mixture, then the olive oil, and finally the lemon juice.

You will get a beautiful glossy batter. Pour the batter into the prepped baking cups. Bake for 10-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Once cool and ready to serve, dust the powdered sugar over the tops of the cakes. What you will have a nice moist, perfectly light cake, ideal for an afternoon snack. But my kids like them for breakfast!

This is really light and refreshing and freezes really well. You can even hollow out the lemons and reserve it in the shells! But who has time for that. Just eat it.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
juice of 3 Meyer lemons
zest of one lemon
1 can pineapple chunks, drained

Prep your lemon zest and set aside. Same with the lemon juice.

First make a simple syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Place the lemon juice and the pineapple chunks in a blender and puree until smooth. You’ll end up with a foamy, almost smoothie like substance.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. You want just the best stuff, not the gunk. Add the zest and the simple syrup and stir together. Place in the refrigerator and chill until cold.

When you are ready, freeze according to the instructions for your ice cream maker. Scoop into a freezer safe bowl and store in the freezer until you are ready to serve. This sorbet is always soft and scoopable. Great on a HOT summer’s day.

Part of my own personal ‘Iron Chef: Battle Lemons’ series.

This a great side dish and since it’s baked, a little bit healthier. The lemon brings out a refreshing taste in the fries that you wouldn’t expect.

ingredients:
4 baking potatoes
1/8 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic
zest of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and pat dry your potatoes. I like the skin on, but if you don’t – go ahead and peel them. Slice the potato into stick-like fries.

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl, and lay it out on a lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes. That’s it! Couldn’t be easier. You know what goes great with this? LEMON COKE. Honest.

This isn’t a fantastically high tech recipe, but you know. Whaddya gonna do. I love Lemon Coke. I order it when I go to old skool soda fountains. I’m retro like that.

ingredients:
1 can of coke
juice of HALF a lemon

Pour a can of coke into a cup. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice in. Stir.

Told you it was a lame recipe. But SO GOOD.

These go GREAT with Lemon Zest French Fries…