What a joy it is to share my passion for cooking and my blog with my kids. Today’s post will not only make your mouth water (Lemony Lemon Squares), but you will have a book to add to your reading list (Kitchen Gypsy), and see a new product in action (Jarware Juicer). Oh, and it is also my son, Braxton’s assignment for his Culinary Arts class.
Take it away Braxton… “Lemon bars have always been an obsession of mine. Due to their constantly different texture, tang and sweetness, I have found myself drawn to trying new variations picking apart the intricacies which make them unique. This morning, I decided to take on the challenge of constructing my own lemon bars which I have never attempted to make. Using Joanne Weir’s recipe for Lemony Lemon Squares, I dove right in. 
Following the recipe to a tee, resulted in a challenging, yet tastefully rewarding treat to begin my morning on a sweet note. Techniques used in this recipe included; grinding nuts,
cutting butter into a flour mixture,
whipping ingredients,
pressing a crust into a pan
and both juicing and zesting a lemon. 
The only problem I encountered with these bars was that I couldn’t stop at just one!”
Thanks Braxton!
BOOK REVIEW: Kitchen Gypsy: Recipes and Stories from a Lifelong Romance with Food
I own several of Joanne Weir’s cookbooks and find them all flavor-inspiring. Her experience as a cooking teacher comes through in her easy to follow writing style. Kitchen Gypsy: Recipes and Stories from a Lifelong Romance with Food, is a gem of a book as it combines many of her family recipes and those she has created from her travels along with memoir-style stories that bring each dish to life. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of taking one of Joanne’s cooking classes at King Estate Winery in Oregon. She was just as delightful in person as she is on her TV shows. I will repeat Joanne’s words promoting this new book from her website, “Grab a glass of wine and get ready for a great adventure!”
Product Review: Jarware Juicer 
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love storing everything I can in glass jars. We drink out of them; store, dried fruit, nuts and snacks in the quart size; tea, salt, baking powder and baking soda in the pint jars; and rice, flour, sugar and croutons in the gallon jars. We also actually use them for pressure canning venison and all kinds of fish. When I saw Jarware’s innovative jar accessories to “upcycle” Mason jars, I knew I had to buy them. This insert fit perfectly into the jar and is easy to hold down while juicing lemons, limes or small oranges. Great for those quick jobs when you don’t want to get out the big juicer.
Bonus Product Review: Winware Stainless Steel Dredges 
I have bought several of these as they work well for even distribution of popcorn salt, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. They also look great in photos and store nicely.
I would love to hear from you! Please contact me through this website with any comments or questions. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Enjoy!
