LIMONCELLO!!!

I love Limoncello! I love it so much that I have attempted to make it myself. I know that this blog is intended for Occasionally Sweet items that we all like to look at, but I am so excited about this that I just had to blog about it.

We have a Myer Lemon Tree in our backyard and I ventured out there to salvage what was left of the lemons. To my surprise and delight, the tree was still FULL of luscious lemons! I filled up my bag full of 30 lemons and took them inside. It was there that I washed, zested, and juiced these lemons! WHEW!

The zest was used with 2 bottles of 80 proof vodka in a giant pickle jar! I was advised to use a vanilla bean as well to give it that *magic touch*. My mother is currently filling 3 ice cube trays with the lemon juice (we have tons of leftover juice) to put in drinks for a fun summer-time twist to our drinks on a hot day!

You might be wondering what I did with the rest of the lemons? I try to use all parts of things that I use so that I do not waste. I am currently GOING GREEN, so I threw the extra parts of the lemon into our compost pile that my handy brother built in the backyard! (Fun side note: we recently used the rich soil from our compost pile to promote the growth of our lovely flowers when we essentially re-landscaped the front yard!) Mom is very proud of her little garden, so I have included a picture of it for her :D This area used to be covered in big ugly bushes with huge invasive roots! Good job Mom!
Anyways, the big jar of lemon zest and booze will have to sit around in the dark for a few months until I get to add SUGAR (yes, i love sugar) in the form of a simple syrup. Then it gets to sit again for a few more weeks. Then it will get bottled and gifted to friends and family for special events! I am so excited to try the finished product!

It is the BEST in champagne. I discovered this with the recommendation from my trusty neighbors at my college graduation party! It was a GOOD TIME!

More to come on this topic when it is done!