When life hands you 2 pounds of lemons...

Everyone knows what to do when life hands you lemons... but what about when you come home from a work event with two pounds of literal lemons in your hands?

I took it as an opportunity to make lemonade, lemon cookies with lemon glaze, lemon water, and lemon decor! As a tribute to all things summery, make the most of citrus this summer. Here are some ideas and recipes to get you started:

The bright colors of lemons, limes, and oranges stand out as wonderful centerpieces as an alternative to flowers.

A slice of lemon and cucumber are very refreshing to add to your water bottle for work. 

With temperatures up to 106 in Atlanta, John and I threw a dessert party for after the sun went down. Brownies, ice cream, lemon cookies, lemonade, and lemon water were on the menu! See below for recipes.

John hand-squeezed all of the lemons for the lemonade... but I would recommend using a juicer if you have one! The recipe below serves 6, so we tripled it to serve a group.

Homemade Lemonade

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup lemon juice

3 to 4 cups cold water 

Preparation:

1. Make a simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Use a juicer to squeeze the juice from 4 lemons (enough for 1 cup of juice). If you are using yours hands, it will take about 6 lemons for 1 cup of juice.
3. Add the juice and sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water until you're satisfied with the strength. If you prefer less sweetness, add more lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes. 
4. Serve with ice and sliced lemons.

Lemon Glaze Cookies

While John was squeezing lemons for the lemonade, I made Martha Stewart's Lemon Glaze Cookies. You can click the link to see the full recipe - I followed it exactly and the cookies turned out perfectly! The glaze recipe makes more than you need, so I would cut it in half next time.

So now when life hands you lemons, you know what to do... get creative and try out something new! (Remember, my summer challenge to you?) On a larger note, when disappointments or obstacles occur (i.e. lemons) don't just stop at making lemonade; instead try to find all of the hidden potential. Oftentimes one small opportunity will quickly multiply. You just have to be intentional about looking for them!