AliLarter.com

April 24, 2015

Spring has arrived in Los Angeles; I can smell it in the air – literally!  The return of sundress-and-sandals months is always heralded at my house by the sweet scent of citrus flowers wafting in from our beautiful tree, filling my head with visions of warm-weather entertaining.  Lemons play a big part in my cooking, year-round, but they can also brighten up your decorating scheme, refresh a simple yet irresistible cocktail, or even bring some lift to your wardrobe!  How very sweet.

xx,

A

Lemonade is so quick and inexpensive to make yourself, there’s no reason to purchase it bottled!

Lemonade with Maple Syrup

This is genuinely one of the easiest, most delicious cocktails I’ve tasted.

Lemon Cocktail with Mint Ice Cubes

Lemons can be used for more than just food and drink, they serve as a great cleaning agent too!  It’s easy and inexpensive to make a delicious smelling all-purpose cleaner for your home with items you already have in your kitchen.

Lemon and Vinegar All-Purpose Cleaner

Ingredients

Lemon Rinds
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 part white vinegar
3 parts water

Directions

Combine lemon rinds, lemon juice, vinegar and water into an airtight canning jar.  Wait two to three days for the lemon to infuse into the vinegar.

Decor

This tip is self explanatory, because lemons are beautiful.  You can use them everywhere!  I love to put them in bowls, almost to the point of overflowing, and then accent them with leaves.  If you can’t acquire them fresh of the tree with their own leaves, you can mix in other sorts as pleases your eye.  I used a wooden bowl this go around, but silver is also gorgeous against the pop of rich yellow and green.  You can also stack them in a vase or pop them in a flowerpot.  Let their brightness inspire your creativity!



Citrus Flower Arrangements

Recently, with friends on their way over for an impromptu dinner and the rarity of cut flowers anywhere in my home, I improvised by snipping a few of these sweet, short-lived buds from my tree and placing them in tiny crystal glasses to bring warmth to the table.  Their fragility and irreverent grace is playful and vibrant, and so too was our gathering.



And finally, a delicious dessert from the archives:

Meyer Lemon Cake with Lavender



Enjoy!