With fresh lemons as close as your kitchen garden pots, you’re always ready to prepare zesty lemon desserts or savory lemon butter sauces to compliment fish or vegetable dishes. Lemon butter, when sweetened, makes a perfect sauce for cake, especially gingerbread, a tangy yet sweet filling for tarts or pies, or a mouth watering pudding all on its own. Very similar to lemon curd, but a lot easier to make, sweet lemon butter sauce has a variety of yummy uses. Here is a holiday favorite:

Gingerbread with Lemon Butter Sauce

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 egg, beaten
1 c. molasses
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. hot water

Cream together sugar and butter then add beaten eggs and molasses. Blend. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and stir. Add hot water and beat by hand until smooth. Grease a 9×13 pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes.

Lemon Sauce

½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. Corn starch
Pinch salt
2 cups water
¼ cup margarine or butter
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 tbsp. Lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Serve over gingerbread.

Lemon butter is equally tasty as a savory sauce over chicken, fish or vegetables. Here is a recipe for an easy and versatile lemon sauce that you’re sure to use over and over again.

Savory Lemon Butter

Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
5 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1.5 tbsp fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and flour together. Add juice, zest and parsley and cook over low heat until thickened. Add seasonings to taste. Garlic can be added at this point as well if desired. Serve over desired entree.

Here is a short description of four of the most popular styles of citrus juice press and how they are used.

Hand held Press

This gadget consists of two half circle cups that hold a halved lemon, lime or orange, and two long handles that you squeeze together to extract the juice. The long handles mean that it takes very little effort to extract the juice. This type of press is perfect for the smaller amounts of juice often required in cooking and baking.

Standing Hand Press

Another manually operated juicer, this works under basically the same principal as the hand held press except that the juice is gathered in a container that is part of the press. Instead of squeezing two handles together, the standing citrus juice press is operated by pulling down a small arm to squeeze the fruit that has been placed in the top part of the press. This method is great for producing single servings of juice for drinking.

Manual Reamer

This handy juicer involves more of a pushing and turning motion than a squeezing one. The reamer sits atop a container and you place a half piece of fruit on it and push and turn it until the juice has been extracted and collected in the container.

Electric Press

If you want to extract larger amounts of juice at one time, an eclectic citrus juice press may be just what you need. There are many varieties available online and in home department stores in a wide range of prices to suit every need and budget.

They function in the same manner as the manual press except that an electric motor does the work instead of you! Many of the electric presses also have a selection of filter baskets that you can use to allow you to select the amount of pulp you want in your juice.

Whichever type of citrus juice press you choose, you are sure to enjoy cooking with and drinking all that fresh and healthy vitamin C!

From orange chocolate cheesecake to candied chocolate orange peel, the opportunities for creating chocolate orange delights are only limited by your imagination. To get your creative cooking juices flowing, here are two really tasty ways to satisfy any chocolate orange craving.

Chocolate Orange Cocoa

Everyone loves a hot cup of steaming cocoa after some time out in the cold and snow! Next time make it an extra special treat with this recipe for chocolate orange cocoa. This recipe makes a mixture that you can keep for some time in an airtight jar ready to add to some hot water whenever the mood strikes you!

3 Tbsp. Coffee whitener
1 Tbsp. Orange drink crystals
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Powdered hot chocolate

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight jar. To make orange chocolate cocoa, add 2 Tbsp. of the mixture to 8 ounces of boiling water. Add a scoop of whipped cream and grate a bit of orange zest on top.

Chocolate Orange Truffles

With holidays just around the corner, these confectionery delights are sure to become a family favorite. They also make a wonderful gift for teachers, friends and co workers when packaged in a festive gift tin or cookie box.

3 Tbsp. Whipping cream
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 squares semi sweet chocolate grated or finely chopped
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tsp. Orange zest

Bring butter and cream to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth. Pour into small loaf pan and chill for about two hours.

Once chilled remove dough from fridge and shape into one inch balls. Return balls to fridge for about half an hour. Meanwhile melt 4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler with one Tbsp. vegetable oil. Dip balls in melted chocolate and chill again on waxed paper. Store in fridge.

Lemon Martini with real Lemon Drops

This is a fun but sophisticated drink that’s so easy to use when entertaining. The added bits of lemon rind and lemon drops bring out the kid in anybody…even while enjoying such a grown up drink! Even Oprah is a lover of this fun and festive beverage!

1.5 ounces vodka
1 ounce triple sec
1 tsp. Superfine Sugar
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest or peel for garnish
Lemon drop candies

Place first four ingredients in a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake gently until sugar is dissolved. Place a couple of lemon drop candies in the bottom of a sugar rimmed martini glass. Add cocktail mix and garnish with lemon peel or zest and a fresh mint leaf if desired. Sip and enjoy!

Non Alcoholic Lemon Breeze

This drink can be served up in a special glass such as one that you might use for a lemon martini, but it is completely non alcoholic for those who choose not to have any alcohol at all. It’s simple and quick and oh so pretty. In a glass, pour 1/3 lemonade, 1/3 pineapple juice, and 1/3 soda. Add some crushed ice and top with a piece of candied lemon rind, or a fresh lemon wedge.

Lemon Mint Cocktail

Believe it or not, the combination of lemon and mint is very intriguing. If you’re looking for a holiday drink this season that’s light, refreshing and a little bit different, be sure to give this one a try! It couldn’t be any easier to prepare, and served up in a nice Collins glass, it adds a really special holiday touch!

In a tall glass such as a Collins glass, combine over crushed ice, 1 ounce peppermint schnapps and 6 ounces lemonade. Garnish with a red cherry, green mint leaf and a wedge of fresh lemon.

Whether you use the juice for an effective and safe repellent or the lemon zest as a natural deodorizer, you will soon find yourself plucking fruit from your tree a lot more often.

Here are 7 ways to get the most from your lemon zest, juice and peel.

All purpose cleaner

Begin by mixing equal parts lemon juice and water. Warm the mixture for a few minutes in the microwave and leave to cool. Once your mixture is back to room temperature, pour it into a spray bottle and use to clean any of your household surfaces. This all natural lemon cleaner is great on windows, floors, kitchen counters and even bathroom tiles! And best of all, it’s completely safe for children and pets!

Ant deterrent

Spraying Lemon juice in an area where ants seem to gather will act as a deterrent and can help to prevent reoccurring invasions!

Refrigerator deodorizer

A small container of lemon zest placed inside the fridge will help to absorb and eliminate unpleasant food odors!

Microwave miracle

Do you scrub for hours to remove tough cooked-on food from the tray and walls of your microwave? Try microwaving some slices of fruit from your tree first. The evaporated juice will help to soften harden food and you will be able to wipe the interior clean in half the time!

Toilet bowl deodorizer

To give your toilet bowl a clean, but pleasant smell add a small amount of lemon juice to the bowl water after using your preferred bowl cleaner. The juice will help to lift the chemical smells which heavier strength cleaners leave behind!

Laundry uses

Adding lemon juice to your wash can help to remove grass stains and can also help to give clothes a fresh, energizing scent!

Hand scrub

Cooking is enjoyable, but the smell left on hands isn’t. To remove the lingering scent of garlic, fish or onions from your hands rub them with a small amount of lemon zest and rinse! This is an old wives tip that really works!