When Life Hands You Lemons... Make All of These Things!

So I love eating lemons. I add them to everything!!! Lemon bars? Yes please! Lemon pound cake? Yaaaas! Lemonade? Hell to the yes! Well there a couple of other great things I use lemons for and I just wanted to share some other uses that I have with this fruit.

1. D.I.Y Lemon Scrub: Totes easy to make. All you need is-

    - Juice of one lemon

    - One Tsp of olive oil

    -  Five Tsp of sugar

    - One Tsp of honey

Mix together all ingredients in a jar until smooth. After washing your face and while skin is still damp, gently rub exfoliator into skin with fingers in a circular motion. Great for the lips too! (I dare you not to taste it!) Rinse well with warm water. Follow up with moisturizer of choice. Ask everyone within a reasonable distance to come feel the softness that is otherwise known as your face. This recipe makes enough for 3-4 separate uses.

As far as a cost breakdown goes, it’s cheaper than cheap. The entire recipe cost is around $1.25, depending on the price of your lemon. Each recipe is good for 3-4 uses, so that’s $0.31-$0.42 per use. I think this would make a super cute (and economical) friend gift. [1]

2. Hot Lemon Water: I've talked about all of the great benefits of starting off a day with drinking warm lemon water and I'll reiterate it now. Not only does it help cleanse your system, wake up your metabolism, and help with digestive problems lemon water aids in dental care and is super yummy. Just pour yourself a glass, warm up for two minutes and squeeze in half of a lemon into your mug. I can't praise this enough.

3. Blueberry Lemon Marble Cake: Umm who wants to eat cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Ya, I know me too. Here's the easy peasy recipe. 

Cake Ingredients

• 2 sticks (vegan) butter, room temperature
• 2 Cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1½ tsp lemon extract
• 7 egg whites
• 3 Cups of all purpose gluten free flour
• 4 tsp baking power
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1¼ Cups of soy milk milk
• 1 13 oz. jar blueberry jam with lemon juice

Frosting

• 1 C granulated sugar
• ¼ C water
• 2 eggs
• 3 sticks ( 1½ Cups)  of vegan butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour 3 eight inch cake pans and line bottom with wax paper.
3. Cream together butter, sugar, lemon zest and lemon extract until fluffy.
4. Add in the egg whites gradually, a couple at a time. Beat well between additions and scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Mix together in another bowl the flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Alternating flour and milk, beat the dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed for one minute to eliminate any lumps.
7. Set aside 1 cup of batter in a small bowl.
8. Divide the remaining batter between the three cake pans, smooth top with spatula.
9. Add 2½ Tbsp jam to the reserved batter and mix well.
10. Drizzle by the teaspoon over the batter in the pans.
11. Use a wooden skewer to swirl the blueberry mixture into the lemon batter without mixing it in.
12. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cake pulls away from the sides.s
13. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and remove from pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Frosting

1. In a small pan combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar.
2. Continue boiling without stirring. Use a pastry brush and some water to wash down the sides of the pan to remove sugar on the sides of pan. Heat until syrup reaches the soft ball stage or 238 degrees. Immediately remove from heat.
3. In a large mixer beat the eggs briefly on medium speed.
4. Slowly add the hot syrup in a thin stream, pouring it down the sides of the bowl. Do not allow it to hit the beaters or may splash.
5. After all the syrup has been added raise speed to medium high speed and beat until the mixture is fluffy and cooled to body temperature. About 15-20 minutes.
6. Reduce speed to medium low and gradually add the softened butter 2 - 3 Tbsp at a time, beat well between additions.
7. Add in lemon juice and zest.
8. To assemble cake place one layer on cake stand and spread with half the blueberry jam. Place second layer on top and spread with the remaining blueberry jam. Add third layer and frost the cake on top and the sides with buttercream. Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices
9. Serve and enjoy. [2]