Ilana, I hope you've resolved that curve ball...

Here's the recipe I have for the marmalade, it doesn't have canning instructions but since it has no commercial pectin it can be doubled or tripled and then canned with the usual 10 minutes in a boiling water bath thing.

Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Marmalade
Bon Appetit

1 1/4 pounds Meyer lemons
5 cups water
5 1/2 cups (about) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Pinch of salt
Working on large plate to catch juice, cut lemons in half lengthwise, then very thinly crosswise. Discard seeds. Pack enough lemons and any juice to measure 2 1/2 cups. Transfer to large nonreactive pot. Add 5 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand uncovered overnight.

Measure lemon mixture (there should be about 5 1/2 cups). Return to same pot. Add equal amount of sugar (about 5 1/2 cups). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add pinch of salt. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy thermometer. Maintaining active boil and adjusting heat to prevent boiling over, cook until temperature reaches 230°F, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to jars. Cover and chill. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

The limoncello recipe was Lori's, here it is, we agreed it would also be good without the mint, if you don't have fresh mint:

Limoncello-Mint Sorbet with Fresh Blackberries

Limoncello, the citrusy Italian liqueur, brightens this sorbet. It's nice to have a bottle on hand to splash with soda in a spritzer or macerate with fruit for a quick dessert.

2 cups water
1-1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup limoncello
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 cups blackberries
Lemon slices

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and mint. Cover and chill.

2. Strain juice mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Serve with blackberries; garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

8 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup sorbet and 1/4 cup berries)

CALORIES 184 ; FAT 0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 13mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.3g; SODIUM 1mg; PROTEIN 0.6g; FIBER 2g; IRON 0.2mg

Cooking Light, MAY 2009

Have fun, I keep threatening to make limoncello, but I know I never will, I wouldn't use a bottle in 20 years!

Annie

Here's the Limoncello recipe I make. It's the one that we had at Peppis.

Limoncello
from BH&G "Italian"

10 large lemons
1 750ml bottle of good vodka
3 c sugar
2-1/2 c water

Scrub lemons well. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove enough of the yellow peel to make 2 cups. (Juice lemons and save juice for another use).

In large glass pitcher or bowl, combine the lemon peel and the vodka. Cover tightly and let stand in a cool place for 10 days, gently swirling the mixture in the container ach day. At the end of 10 days, strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discard the lemon peel. Return the lemon-infused vodka to the pitcher.

For syrup: In medium saucepan, combibe sugar and water. Bring just to boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cool to room temperature. Pour syrup into infused odka, stir to combine. Cover and chill overnight before serving.
Pour into clean bottles with lids and store in refrigerator up to one month.

My changes: I added 1-2 cups of the reserved lemon juice to the final product to give it a more lemony flavor. One could also make the simple syrup by substituting lemon juice for the water, I would think.

Linda

Thank you. I knew you would help.

Unfortunately this curve ball is not going to go away and it has irrevocably changed the course of my life. I have to come to terms with it, work through it and hopefully emerge stronger from it but it's going to take a while, maybe a long while.

In the meantime "when life gives you lemons...make lemonade" or in this case marmalade :)

No recipe here, just wishing you luck and courage.

Jo

Ilana, sorry to hear you are dealing with something not fun. Whatever it is, I wish you the fortitude to ride it out and get through it unscathed!

Linda

Here is the link to the Limoncello sorbet recipe from Lori. Yummers!

Here is a link that might be useful: Limoncello-Mint Sorbet with Fresh Blackberries

Thanks guys. For the recipes and all the support.

Tonight we had Sol's Lemon Garlic Chicken (will definitely be a regular dish) along with Lemon potatoes from this month's Southern Living, spring asparagus. Dessert was Matzo crack.

No lemon recipes here, either. Sending you lots of encouragement.

Tami

Wishing you all the strength you need, Ilana. Those curve balls can be rough.

Check in here when a little diversion would help.

Jim