Friday, April 9, 2010

Spinning Sunshine into Gold

We are all thoroughly enjoying the view from both the back kitchen window

And the front door.
It is a city but it feels like something a bit more remote - you still need to keep everything locked up tight at night, most certainly.

The treasure of the yard? A Meyer lemon tree that has (or had) something around 70 lemons on it (as of yesterday the number decreased by about 30)

Those lemons + 3 hours of time spent to supreme and juice and chop peels + the most bouyant spirit I've felt in some time =

Liquid Gold:

Meyer Lemon Sucanat Sugar syrup:
100% organic
perfect on pancakes and ice cream
wicked on cottage cheese for a lunch-sert today.

Sunny's Note: Sucanat is a non-refined cane sugar that keeps its molasses content, giving it an earthier flavor and an intense sweetness.
Measured against the pucker of the Meyer lemon it creates the perfect balance.
When Anthony tried his first little spoonful last night he said, "It is so many nostalgic tastes rolled into one..." his eyes happily moved to the right and up to the ceiling just like his beloved father when he tastes things :) It's like they're trying to follow where the taste is going!

A few of these vials of sunshine will be in the mail in the coming days, finding their way to others who have previously blessed me with their incredible canned deeeeelectables.

Tonight? I am making candied peels from the rest of the leavings I created yesterday.

The other forty lemons.....
suggestions?

The tooling table is ready.... waiting to receive my new silver workbench in the mail on the 13th:
I get to have two workstations!!!!

Today I went to drop off my application to join the Naglee Park Open Studios event, where artists in this small neighborhood open their workspaces their curious neighbors to sell and chat about their craft:

I spent 1.5 hours talking over coffee with the loveliest woman, an unexpected visit full of laughter and stories.

I haven't been invited into anyone's home for coffee in a little over one year.

Life is good, my dearest friends :)

xoxoxoxoxox,
Allison

16 comments:

MrsLittleJeans said...

I am sorry I cannot focus...the cat is staring at me! WHere does one find the Meyer Lemon Sucanat Syrup? I am drooling!

xoxo

PS-that is a real question

Allisunny S. said...

Hi, Lovely!!

Janey has a way of distracting people :)

The syrup was made from a recipe for marmalade and substituting white sugar (partially) with sucanat, a less refined sugar. I changed some of the amounts so it wouldn't thicken quite as much.

Would you like the recipe????

xoxoxox,
Allison

kerin rose said...

I never ever heard of such a thing?...sucanat syrup?....
yes, recipe pleeze!

PS if you were here, I'd have you for coffee too!

MrsLittleJeans said...

I would love the recipe sunny Allison...
Kerin, I will send you sucanat!

You two divide the kisses I just sent you!

xxxx

Anonymous said...

That penultimate sentence really touched me. Sunny, I'd invite you into my house for coffee any day.

The syrup looks divine. Lemon curd is also delicious, and so are lemon bars.

Have a lovely weekend!

Good Girls Studio said...

Yeah for new friends! Your lemon syrup has my lips puckering & drooling at the same time!

Dave Schipper said...

yum... though I thought it was some kind of ale at first... oh yeah that's right I'm the only guy around here.

GRRRREEAT concert booking 41 on Sat and 37 on Sunday... gettin the word out for future gigs.

Jaime/GirlLovesGloss said...

my mouth is watering - I am a lemon lover!

Anonymous said...

Sounds delicious; beautiful pictures.

Mrs. Tart aka Violet Cadburry said...

Looks divine and until you post the recipe I'll be wondering if it is as good all that:) I envy you starting over, new floor plan, new plants, new neighbors, new issues with just enough familiars to establish a foundation...husband, cats, furniture and dreams. A definately forward moment.

Andrea said...

Come for coffee!:)
xo
Andrea

jentwo said...

There's a Meyer lemon in my parents' backyard, and most of its fruit gets turned into lemonade. We make it VERY strong with a lot of lemon juice and a fair bit of sugar. Tart and sweet and full. Lemonade I get outside in the world just never compares to what we make at home.

My dad also makes lemon bars with them, too.

jordan said...

oh man, to have a lemon tree in my yard!! i was in heaven in NZ because my friend leslie's holiday house had a lemon AND a grapefruit tree in the yard...those lemons were so juicy and sweet i was eating them whole for breakfast. no joke. the syrup looks divoon - perhaps we should have a swap of canned goods...i have some plum butter and peach rum sauce made last fall that are looking for a home...

jordan said...

ps - i keep forgetting to tell you that when i arrived home from our trip to NZ, i found a lovely little leather lady waiting for me - the ebony koi with her blister pearl is GORGEOUS and i've worn her SEVERAL times so far. thank you thank you thank you!!
xoxoxo

Allisunny S. said...

Ahhhh!!! So much to say to you amazing people!

MLJ: Recipe coming in a few minutes as a post!!

Kerin: Ditto, my lovely faraway friend :)

Liz R: and the same goes for you and coffee :) You are so lovely.

GoodGirls: seriously, it would have you doing that in person, too!!!

Dave: you know I am coming back, right??? :)

Jaime: well, come on over, sweet thing!!!! :)

Sassy - thank you so much, and thanks for commenting!! I have been swooning over your goats: I'd give them all a home in my backyard if I could :)

Mrs. Tart: ah, the grass is always greener: I envy stability and long-term-ness... somewhere in the middle is where it's at ;)

Jentwo: Oh, man I would love to taste those lemon bars!!!!

Crownology: OK!!! :) It's a date, just gotta get my passport ready :)

Jordan: the sucanat is all spoken for (two for my own belly!) But I am making some more lemon syrup soon: let's swap-a-lop!!!!

xoxoxoxoxo,
Allison

Melissa said...

You need to make lemon meringue pie and lemonade. Both simple, but deliciously rewarding. We love our lemon tree :)