Lemonade and Red White and Blue Tiramisu for the Fourth of July

June was busy, just a little.  There was a wedding and a reunion and then all of a sudden it is the Fourth of July.  Meals are once again under my control and with summer in full swing I have been craving lemonade, not the Crystal Light kind or the Country Time kind, but the real deal kind.  Making it is family activity.  Luckily I have two little girls who are happy to mush, smush, and twist 12 lemons into lemonade.

 

The Best Lemonade

12 juiced lemons (about 2 cups lemon juice)

1 lemon sliced thin

1 1/2 cup sugar

7 cups cold water

Combine the sliced lemon and the sugar.  Using a potato masher make a muddle.  Think brandy old fashioned.  This releases the juice and the oils in the peel giving the lemonade great lemon-y lemon flavor.  Combine the muddle, juice, and water.  Strain to remove slices.  Serve cold or over ice.

My list for the week just says cook out for tonight.  Hamburgers on the grill with watermelon sounds so great, but for the Fourth I decided to make a patriotic dessert.  Trolling the internet for "Red White and Blue" dessert turns up hundreds of options.  I do have a soft spot for tiramisu, so a Red White and Blue Tiramisu caught my eye.  Plus, it rhymes.  Instead of dipping the ladyfingers in espresso it suggested orange juice, but given the lemonade at my disposal... I made a few adjustments.

Red White and Blue Tiramisu

Red, White and Blue Tiramisu

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3-1/2 cups cold milk (I used 2%)
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) vanilla instant pudding
2 packages ladyfingers
1 cup strong lemonade
1 cups heavy cream, whipped (or a tub of Cool Whip would do)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually add milk, beating until well blended. Add dry pudding mixes; beat on low speed 1 minute or until well blended.

Quickly dip each ladyfinger in lemonade. Cover bottom of 13×9-inch pan with half the ladyfingers; top with layers of half each of the pudding mixture, Cool Whip and half of berries. Repeat all layers.

Refrigerate for 3 hours.

*My grocery store had exactly one package of ladyfingers, so adjusted things a bit to make a 9x9 pan.  I had left over cream cheese/pudding mixture, but my kids didn't mind.

The meal plan

Monday:  Cheesy calzone dipped in spaghetti sauce with Caesar salad

Tuesday and Wednesday:  Slow cooker pulled chicken.  First in BBQ Chicken sandwiches and then in Chicken Tacos with guacamole.

Thursday:  Cook out!  Hamburgers, watermelon, baked beans, and baked radish chips.  Baked radish chips?  CSA recipe!  If it is great I'll share:)

Friday:  Salmon with mango salsa and baby turnip salad.