5 Ways to Go Green with Lemons

Tart, bright, and shaped like a smile, the simple lemon is useful for a variety of purposes including decorating, cooking, and cleaning. Lemon is delicious in tea or a tall icy glass of lemonade. It adds tart zest to many dishes, even pancakes. Lemon is also an eco-friendly household cleanser. Here are five ways to use this cheerful fruit every day.

1. Making Lemon Buttermilk - Add a teaspoon of lemon for every 1/4 of milk to curdle milk for cooking. I use this method whenever I make pancakes.
2. It can be used instead of vinegar for windows
3. The acid in lemons is very effective at removing tough stains from stove tops
4. Using it as a drain cleaner is a biodegradable way to clean the kitchen pipes without using harsh chemicals. Drop three tablespoons of baking soda into the sink drain, then squeeze one cup of lemon juice onto the powder. It creates a chemical reaction with the soda, causing a fizzing that is fun to watch!
5. Don't throw away the lemon rinds. Use the drained lemons as cleaning pads. Sprinkle baking soda into the sink basin. Turn the lemon skins inside out so the fleshy inside will touch the surface of the sink. Scrub away until it shines.

The natural fresh scent the lemon leaves behind is a pleasant byproduct. Add a little lemon to your cleaning routine to go green.

Apples, The Fall Fruit

Apples are a great seasonal fruit for fall. Colorful, crunchy, sweet, tangy, and healthy, they are perfect as edible centerpieces for the holidays. Apples keep well at room temperature and are excellent chilled. They can be used in many holiday dishes to add extra color and seasoning. Stuffing, appetizers, entrees and pies can all benefit from sweet or tangy apple varieties.

Try them cut up in stuffing, with cream cheese and crackers, or roasted with main dishes such as turkey, duck, or chicken. They are also a great accent for stews.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy apples?

B -A -N - A - N - A - S

Growing up in the Southeastern U.S.,mbananas were both an exotic fruit and an everyday staple of snacks, desserts, and lunches. It was unheard of to go to a restaurant buffet and not see a generous portion of Banana Pudding with alternating golden circles of cookies and banana slices.

Here are some fun facts about Bananas from http://www.eatmorebananas.com:

• Bananas are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber.
• Bananas have no fat, cholesterol or sodium.
• Bananas are great for athletic and fitness activity because they replenish necessary carbohydrates, glycogen and body fluids burned during exercise.
• There is no such thing as a banana tree. Bananas grow on plants.
• Bananas are not grown commercially in the continental United States. They are grown in Latin and South America from countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Guatemala.
• Bananas are available all year-round. They are harvested every day of the year.

Unexpected Nectarines

Tart and juicy, nectarines are an unexpected delight. Put them in cereal, on a fruit tray, or cool them in a refrigerator and pack them for lunch.

More Bing for your Buck

As a child my favorite part of a sundae was always the Marachino cherry. It was mysterious, sweet, and rare. I was only allowed to eat them when I went out with my parents, which wasn't often. One afternoon a friend of mine gave me cherries as a snack. I remember sitting in her parent's kitchen feeling surprised and dismayed when I bit down on the cherry and discovered the stone. I was reluctant to each cherries after that. It seemed like too much work.

Now that I've grown up I can appreciate the beauty and variety of cherries. They are an unexpected addition to snack mixes, cookies, and sauces. Cherries are a hearty fruit with a firm texture. Fresh cherries ship well and have an excellent shelf life. Try our Florida cherries for a tart treat anytime.