Best Lemonade Ever

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water. You can leave some lemon slices in the pitcher as well. It is sooo yummy.

A Request

Does anybody have a good recipe for sandwich bread for the bread machine? I've started to make our own bread, but haven't found a really good recipe yet. Thanks.

Mexican Beef and Rice

I kind of accidentally came up with this recipe one night, and we have loved it ever since.

1 box Mexican flavored Rice A Roni
1 pound ground beef
chopped onions and peppers
tortillas

Brown the ground beef along with onions and peppers (I usually use green, red, and jalapeno peppers) and set aside. Cook Rice A Roni according to pkg. directions. Mix ground beef mixture together with cooked rice, spoon into tortillas and fold to close. Top with your favorite toppings (I usually put cheese, sour cream, and a little taco sauce or salsa on mine).

Baked Fish with Lemon Pepper Crust

1 cup dried bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

firm white fish fillets, fresh or frozen, thawed

2 Tblsp. butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, lemon pepper, and salt. Set aside. Dip fish into melted butter and coat both sides with crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake until cooked through, yet flaky to the fork, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Our neighbors brought over some freshly caught walleye the other night. I know that fried fish is really good, but I am terrible at frying things (they always seem to burn), plus I don't like the smell. I had forgotten about this recipe, I hadn't made it in a long time, it's so good!

French Dip Sandwiches

1 beef roast (3 lb) (I just use whatever cut I have on hand)
2 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
pepper to taste

Directions: Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until tender. Remove meat and shred with fork. Skim off fat. Pour broth in small cups for dipping. Serve on rolls.

My thoughts: If you like a salty dip then add more soy sauce and some salt. Serve this with Angela's Spinach Penne Toss--Wonderful!

Rhubarb Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

Directions: Combine the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I love this recipe! All I can say is YUMMY!!

Spinich Penne Toss

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tblsp. plus 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinich
3/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon (I used real bacon bits instead)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
tomatoes, chopped
2 Tblsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

Cook pasta according to package. Saute red pepper and onion in 1 Tblsp. oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Add the red pepper mixture, spinich, bacon, cheese, and tomatoes. In a jar with tight fitting lid, combine vinegar, pepper, salt, and remaining oil; shake well. Drizzle over pasta mixture and toss to coat. 10 servings.

I made this last week at my parents, we all loved it. It was honestly the only thing I wanted to eat for days! It's very good for you too, I used some omega 3, multigrain pasta and made it even healthier. And I didn't get sick of it because I'm thinking about making it again soon. I wish I would've taken a picture, it even looks pretty! :)

Edit: I couldn't resist making it again! So I added a picture.

Cola Roast

1 beef roast (I just use whatever is closest to the top in the freezer, today it's an arm roast)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 cans cola

Place roast in crockpot. Sprinkle with soup mix. Pour soda over all.
Cover, and cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

This is so easy, I love crockpot meals! The pop makes this very tender. And for leftovers, I shred the beef and mix it with barbecue sauce to make some yummy sandwiches.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is very easy. There are only two ingredients. You need a 15 oz can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) and a spice cake mix. Mix the cake mix and pumpkin until well moistened. Do not add water, oil, or eggs. Just use the can of pumpkin and spice cake mix. Note: the batter will be very thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until done.