Fresh Lemonade:

It might seem like an odd time of year to be talking about Lemonade, but we had some fresh lemons that weren't getting used, and lemonade sounded good. There's a lot of recipes out there, but this one is fast, easy and delicious! So if your having the winter blues, go get some lemons and make lemonade!!!

 

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 gallon of cold water

2 cups fresh lemon juice

Lemon slices, if desired

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 2 cups of water to a boil, whisking until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Pour the gallon of water and the lemon juice into an extra large pitcher or container. Add the sugar/water mixture and stir all together. Add lemon slices if you want. Chill for a couple of hours.

Note:

-This was good right away, but it was WAY better the next day.

-The reason, I don't have a picture, is because this is a very light-colored lemonade! It just looked like a glass of water! But take my word for it, it didn't taste like water!!!

Copycat Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken:

We love Cracker Barrel's Grilled chicken, so I was really excited to find this recipe and try it out.

It was super easy, and whereas I didn't think it tasted exactly like Cracker Barrel's, it was still very, very good!!

I hope you will try it out too!

(FYI: Cracker Barrel's Grilled Chicken is gluten-free, so go get some if you've never tried it!!)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into tenders

1 cup Zesty Italian dressing

2 tsp. lime juice

1 tblsp. honey

In a small measuring cup, combine dressing, lime juice and honey. Mix well. Place chicken in a gallon zip lock bag and pour dressing mix over the chicken. Seal the bag and toss to coat all the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but longer is better. Place chicken & marinate juices in a large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Now, you will probably think that there is WAY too much liquid in the pan and that it will never boil down, but it will. It will just take a long time - 40-50 minutes, actually. DO NOT COVER THE PAN!!! Stir it around about every 10 minutes or so. After about 35 minutes, you should see a big difference and you may need to stir it more often. You chicken will start to brown and since there is honey in the mix, it will thicken and caramelize on the chicken. Stir and flip chicken until all the chicken is browned and most of the liquid is evaporated. Serve!!!

Note:

-The original recipe called for zesty or regular Italian dressing, so you can use whatever you prefer.

Homemade Gum Drops:

Happy Valentines Day!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

This recipe might be a little late to make for Valentines Day, but you could make them just because, or for a party or something. They are really easy and very yummy! I made them for kids I babysit and also for the kids in my Sunday School class, and they turned out so cute! And they would be great for lots of different things - stars for the 4th of July, Christmas trees...basically the ideas are endless! You can make them whatever color and shape you want!

I hope you give them a try!

2 cups sugar

1 & 1/2 cups applesauce (I used the no sugar added)

2 (3 oz) pkgs. jello, any flavor or color

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (Knox)

1 tsp. lemon juice

Additional sugar for coating

In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, applesauce, jello, unflavored gelatin and lemon juice. Whisk together and let stand 1 minute. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, while stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute (stirring constantly). Immediately, pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish, that has been well coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate until firm (3-4 hours). Loosen the edges of the jello with a spatula and carefully invert onto a cutting board or wax paper that has been sprinkled with sugar to keep the jello from sticking. Using cookie cutters, cut into your desired shape or just cut into squares. Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Place gum drops on top of sugar and let dry for 6-8 hours. Place more sugar in a small bowl, and roll each gum drop in the sugar to evenly coat. Store in an airtight container!!!

Note:

-The first picture is not mine. I forgot to take a picture of mine before I had them all in bags!

Here is a link to the blog where I found this recipe and where the picture is from!