Sunny Spring Sunday

• Homemade Lemonade
• Prosciutto-wrapped Dates
• Mussels with Spring Veggies
• Ice Cream and Mixed Fruit
• Shopping List and Party Planner
• Activities

Homemade Lemonade

From real-restaurant-recipes.com
Photo from renxiaoou.spaces.live.com

Yield: 15 8-ounce servings

Lemon juice, freshly squeezed from 6 large lemons or 1.5 cups
1 cup of sugar, granulated; more or less to taste
6 cups cold water
1 large lemon, cut into small, thin slices
Freshly made Ice cubes (old ice can pick up freezer odors)

1. In a large pitcher, combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, granulated sugar and cold water
2. Stir briskly to dissolve the sugar completely
3. Add the ice and thin sliced lemon pieces and stir briskly again
4. Pour into tall glasses (if needed, add a few ice cubes to the glass)

Prosciutto-wrapped Dates

Recipe and photo from heartandstroke.ca

10 whole Medjool (or other large) dates
2 tablespoon (30 milliliters) soft goat cheese
2 teaspoon (10 milliliters) fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 (40 grams) paper-thin slices of prosciutto (Italian ham)

1. Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).
2. Cut each date in half, lengthwise, for a total of 20 halves. Remove the pit.
3. In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese with the rosemary.
4. Fill each date, half with 1⁄4 teaspoon (about 1 milliliter) of the goat cheese mixture.
5. Cut prosciutto in long thin ribbons, about 1/3 of an inch (1 centimeter) wide.
6. Wrap 1 ribbon around each date and place in an ovenproof dish. Make ahead: Prepared dates can be made 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge. Heat just before serving.
7. Microwave for 1.5 minutes or bake for 20 minutes just to warm. Serve. Use extra fresh rosemary to garnish the plate.

Mussels with Spring Veggies

Adapted from winepressnw.com
Photo from thws.blogspot.com

Serves 2 to 4

1 onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pint white wine
1 pint chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoon peanut oil
1⁄2 bulb, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium leek, washed, chopped
2 pounds mussels
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped

1. Caramelize onions in dry pan. Add pepper, wine and stock. Reduce by half.
2. Heat wok. Add peanut oil. Reduce heat and add garlic.
3. When garlic turns white, increase heat and add parsnips.
4. Once softened, add leeks. When leeks turn bright green, add mussels and place lid on wok.
5. When mussels are half finished, add stock and cover again.
6. As mussels finish, add parsley and toss. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

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Ice Cream and Mixed Fruit

Photo from dkimages.com

1 container of ice cream
1 pint of raspberries
1 pint of strawberries

 

1. In individual bowls, add a mixture of the above fruits.
2. Add a scoop of ice cream to each bowl and serve

Shopping List and Party Planner

Shopping List

• Seafood
  • 2 pounds mussels
• Produce
  • 7 lemons or 1.5 cups lemon juice and 1 lemon
  • 10 whole Medjool dates or another large variety of dates
  • 2 teaspoon (10 milliliters) fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 ⁄2 garlic bulb, finely chopped
  • 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
  • 1 medium leek, washed, chopped
  • 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 pint of raspberries
  • 1 pint of strawberries
• Pantry
  • 1 cup of sugar, granulated; more or less to taste
  • 3 (40 grams) paper-thin slices of prosciutto (Italian ham)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pint white wine
  • 1 pint chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• Dairy
  • 1 container of ice cream
  • 2 tablespoon (30 milliliters) soft goat cheese
• Cookware
  • Wok

Party Planner:

• Prep the dates the night before.
• Mix the lemonade and in the refrigerator.
• Chop all of the vegetables that are to go into the mussels.
• Place the dates in the oven.
• Cook the mussels.
• Serve all.
• Follow with the ice cream and fruit.

Activities

Paperless online coloring books are a great way to get excited about spring:

• Bee collecting pollen
• Spring bird
• Spring flower
• Spring mushrooms

Search for an Earth Day event, including beach clean-ups, tree plantings and other fun earth-friendly activities, in your community and get involved.

Here is a list of household cleaning products that are eco-friendly, effective and can be made using things from around the house. Since many of the housecleaning products we use go down our drains and make their way to the ocean, using more eco-friendly products can help curb pollution.