Last night I hosted Bunco at my house, a mindless dice-rolling game. (It’s really all about the treats and the prizes you win)! I loved all the little prizes I purchased for the winners (I even bought one of each for myself). For some reason when I went shopping for gifts that day, summer was on my mind and the theme became all about lemons; after all, lemon season is April through August – bet you didn’t know that (or even care). Here’s a pic of my assortment of “lemon” gifts:
This got me thinking: lemons are awesome. They serve a ton of different purposes. For example, my sister-in-law always requests a bowl of lemon slices, five splenda packets and ice water when she goes out to dinner – she makes her own totally calorie- and cost-free lemonade (a little cheap if you ask me, but pretty clever 
). Lemons also have some great nutritional value. They have no saturated fat or cholesterol, they contain phytochemicals that act as an antioxidants, and they are a source of Vitamin A and citric acid, which aids in digestion and the dissolving of kidney stones.
Here are some other cool ways to use lemons:
- Cut one in quarters and put it in your sink disposal – it makes your sink smell fresh and gets rid of any lingering odors.
- Put lemon juice mixed with water on apple slices to avoid oxidation (yellowing).
- Use lemons to flavor foods rather than using salt and fats.
- Reduce garlic breath by rinsing with lemon juice (don’t do this so often, as this might increase your dental bill when your tooth enamel is tortured by the acid).
- Keep your brown sugar soft between uses by adding a lemon peel to your brown sugar bin.
- And last but not least, my personal fave: good old fashioned lemon ice water. I just love a pitcher full of water, crushed ice and sliced lemons and limes – it makes for the perfect hot day refresher!