Simply Citrus and My Meyer Lemon Tree

About a week ago I received this message:

"Lynn, CONGRATULATIONS you have won the drawing for the Meyer Lemon Tree from Simply Citrus Nursery. Give us a call for a time to pickup your new tree."

I cannot tell you how excited I was and still am. I was at home watching the girls while their parents attended a funeral, so the Hubby went in my place to accept my tree. We have been talking about adding more fruiting trees to the property and this is perfect! He also got the full tour of the nursery! Here are a few pictures of the Hubby and Ben. (Mary is behind the camera.) Thanks Ben and Mary for your hospitality and the beautiful Meyer Lemon Tree! It has found it's forever home and is happy beside the pond.

 Ben and the Hubby (AKA Craig)

and our Meyer Lemon Tree!

 Beautiful Oranges!

 Citrus Trees

 More Oranges!

Craig took these pictures with his phone.

I think it was a bad time of day.

Sorry they are a little blurry.

More fruit trees!

About Simply Citrus:

We are a small, family owned Citrus Nursery that began as a hobby and turned into a full time business. We serve the public homeowner, primarily in the Columbia, SC and surrounding area. We offer a wide selection of Citrus varieties, mostly Satsuma types and a small selection of unusual plants and trees. I have been working with citrus since 2000 and have educated myself with the help of friends and research. I try to be as knowledgeable as possible about our products, and experience is a good teacher. We have lemons, limes, navel oranges, mandarin oranges, kumquats and several more. 

Our Meyer Lemon Tree beside the pond...

 Blossoms and baby lemons!

 Here's a BIG baby lemon!

This tree is loaded with fruit!

 I am loving this tree!

Thank you so much Ben and Mary at Simply Citrus!

Please click on the link above ........ ^^^

for more information on their

nursery and their trees! 

PS... My son, Elliott freaked out a little with the blood orange. He asked if the orange was still good. I told him, "It's a blood orange." He looked at me sideways and said, "Blood Orange? Is it ok to eat? Will it hurt me? Not hurt me, but... Is it good?" Goofball! I have never tried one, so I could not give him a lot of information. I said, "If you don't trust it, google it!" He started to peel it and the look on his face said it all! (Cool!) He was grinning the entire time he was peeling it!

He says, "Yep! Looks like blood!" His opinion... "It's different, kind of hard to explain. It taste like an orange with a little grapefruit flavor." That's my boy!

PSS... Mary and Ben...Congratulations on getting Craig to try a kumquat! He's never eaten one, and I've never been able to get him to try one!

Williamsburg Orange Cake

This cake is incredibly moist. The directions took me by surprise, but it is a very old recipe. Use you own judgement or follow my revised directions at the bottom. My family went to visit my (Great) Uncle Perry in Virginia every summer, and we went to Williamsburg, Virginia as often as we could while there! For me anything that has Williamsburg in the title has to be awesome! :-)

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup drained, crushed Dole® pineapple
1/2 cup pecans or almonds, finely chopped (I used almonds)
1 tbsp orange zest
Williamsburg Butter Frosting*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Measure all ingredients into a large mixer bowl.*** Blend for 1/2 a minute on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat 2-3 minutes on high, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Pour into 2 - 9 inch greased and floured cake pans. (I made this one in a 9x13 pan.) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and frost cake.

Williamsburg Butter Frosting*

1/3 cup butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar (10X sugar)
3-4 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp orange zest

Blend butter and sugar. Stir in juice and orange zest. Beat until smooth.


*** The directions threw me, but the recipe is very old. I followed my own directions that I was taught in making cakes... I creamed the sugar, butter and shortening. I added the eggs, zest and vanilla. I combined the dry ingredients, and added alternating with the buttermilk. Lastly, I added the nuts and fruit.

Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

Orange Rolls

1 can Crescent Rolls
1/4 brown sugar
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup 10X sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

1/4 teaspoon orange zest

Mix the sugar, juice and zest in a small bowl and set aside...

I unrolled the sheets (on wax paper) in two sections,

mainly because it fell apart. Press the seems together.

Mix together the cinnamon, sugar and flour. 

Generously cover the dough sheets with the cinnamon mixture. 

Then, roll them up as tightly as you can,

but don't mash them or the seams will come apart. 

I put them in a small cake pan (6") lightly sprayed with oil.

I mashed them down a bit... 

...and sprinkled them with a little of the

cinnamon mixture that was left on the paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes
or until golden brown and all puffed up in the center.

Drizzle glaze over hot rolls!

Done... 

Candied Orange Peel and Southern Ambrosia

If you received fruit baskets over the holidays and still have some fruit left, this is a great way to use up the citrus. 

Orange, lemon, or grapefruit peel can be candied to make a deliciously fresh, zesty treat. This recipe specifies four oranges, but you can substitute two grapefruit or eight small lemons or limes. It is a time consuming project, so make sure that you have an afternoon or so to complete these tasty treats. Or... you could prepare the peels and wrap them in a damp paper towel. Place them in a zip-loc bag, and finish the process the next day. For me, peeling and removing the pith of the oranges was the most time consuming part.

4 oranges
4.25 cups water
2.5 cups sugar, plus more for coating


Use a knife or a citrus peeler to score the peels of four oranges into quarters. Peel the oranges carefully, trying to keep the peels intact as much as possible. Set the peeled oranges aside and reserve for another use, like Ambrosia (recipe follows).

Using a very sharp knife, cut away the bitter white pith from the underside of the peels. The remaining peel should be approximately 1/8” thick. Do not worry if small amounts of white pith remain, but try to remove as much as possible. This will produce a much tastier treat. Slice the peels into long strips approximately ½” thick. Some of the strips may tare as you are trimming the pith away... don't worry any size strips will do!

Combine 4.25 cups of water and 2.5 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, and heat, uncovered, until the sugar boils for 5 minutes.

Add the strips of peel and turn the heat down to low (this will depend on your stove... I set mine at 3 which is a medium low setting), until the mixture is at a good simmer. Cook, uncovered and simmering, until the syrup reduces to a quarter of its original volume (the syrup will barely cover the tops of the peels). Try not to stir during this process, or the mixture will crystallize and turn to sugar. The reduction will take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. (depending on the simmering process)

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool. Once cool, drain the peels in a colander. Wipe the peels with your fingers or pull between the tines of a fork to remove any excess syrup. At this point, turn your oven to 200 degrees.

Place about one cup of sugar in a small bowl. Dredge the peels in the sugar until they are coated, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Add more sugar if necessary.

Place the sugar-coated peels in the warm oven and allow them to dry out. This should take approximately one hour, but check them every 20 minutes to ensure that they are not burning or cooking in any way. The peels should look dry, not shiny. If they are shiny, dredge them in a little more sugar and continue to dry them. Alternately, they can be left to sit overnight on a drying rack instead of placed in the oven.

Once peels are completely dry store them in a zip-loc bag or air tight container. They should keep for weeks. Candied peels can be enjoyed plain, dipped in melted chocolate or used in cake, cookie, candy, or bread recipes.


Southern Ambrosia

"Often nestled among a host of traditional Christmas dishes on the Southern sideboard is a big crystal bowl of ambrosia. This "food of the gods" in its purest form is simplicity itself--fresh oranges layered with flakes of coconut. 

'People who add grapefruit, pineapple, grapes, and bananas, and Lord knows what else to ambrosia simply don't understand ambrosia,' proclaims Martha Pearl Villas in My Mother's Southern Desserts written by her son, James. Her recipe has just four ingredients: oranges, coconut, sugar, and orange juice." ~ Southern Living Magazine

Reserve all the juice and segments of the oranges you used for the candied peels. Toss them in a bowl with a handful of marshmallows, a sprinkle of coconut and dot with a few cherries. If the salad is to dry for your taste, add a little orange juice to the mixture and toss.

Pretty Flavored Butters

Strawberry Butter

2 sticks Butter, softened
1 cup 10X Sugar
16 oz fresh Strawberries*

Blend in a blender or processor until very smooth. Store in refrigerator.
*Remember to always taste your berries for sweetness. Some may need more sugar than others.

Orange Butter: Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter, 1 tsp grated orange peel and 1 tbsp orange juice until fluffy.

Honey Butter:
Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup)

 softened butter
and 1/2 cup honey until fluffy.

Pumpkin Butter

29oz can Pumpkin

1 1/2 cups Apple Juice

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 t Cinnamon*

Pinch of Ground Cloves

Whisk ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

*Add 2 t for more intense cinnamon flavor.

Stuffed Oranges

I found another recipe scribbled out on a small scrap of paper. I remember Mama doing these pretty little salads in the early seventies...

Cut tops of 6 medium oranges.
Remove fruit.
Combine orange pulp with 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup grated coconut and cherries.*
Fill oranges with fruit mixture.
Chill before serving.
Garnish with stemmed cherry. 


*You can also add banana, marshmallows and nuts if desired. 

Dirty Bananas and Waikiki Muffins

I'm helping my friend Michele at La Belle Cuisine celebrate a milestone on her website and Facebook page breaking 2000+ fans! We foodies are whipping up some treats and taking them over for the all day party bash! Come visit Michele on her website or 'like' La Belle Cuisine on Facebook and...

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"!!!

Dirty Banana

1 cup chocolate ice cream

2 small, ripe bananas, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup crushed ice

2 oz vodka or rum

1 oz kahlua

Combine ice cream, bananas, ice, vodka and liqueur in blender or food processor.

Cover; blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Garnish with banana slice and a pinch of nutmeg.

Waikiki Muffins

1 cup crushed Pineapple
1 (14oz) Orange Muffin Mix
2/3 cup milk
1 beaten egg
~ ~ ~
4 T butter, melted
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup coconut, toasted
1 (3oz) cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain pineapple, thoroughly and reserve liquid. Combine muffin mix, drained pineapple milk and egg. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Combine pecans and coconut in a small dish. Dip tops of warm  muffins in melted butter and then in pecan and coconut mixture. Beat cream cheese with 1 T of reserve pineapple juice until fluffy. Serve with warm muffins.

Jewel Breads

I also found this recipe while looking through Mama's boxes of recipes. I don't remember ever hearing them called Jewel Breads before though... Hmmmm! They are good! :-)

2 3/4 cups Self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp oil
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp grated orange peel
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries
Orange Butter or Honey Butter, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10 aluminum frozen juice cans or loaf pan, 9"x5"x3". Measure all ingredients except cranberries and orange butter into a large mixing bowl. Blend from low to medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down bowl constantly. Add cranberries and stir with a wooden spoon. Divide batter evenly among cans, filling each slightly over half full. Bake cans about 35 minutes, or loaf pan 50 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool before slicing. Serve with butter.

Orange Butter: Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter, 1 tsp grated orange peel and 1 tbsp orange juice until fluffy.

Honey Butter: Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup)

 softened butter and 1/2 cup honey until fluffy.

Waikiki Muffins

Looking through more of Mama's boxes of recipes, I found these... They are yummy!

1 cup crushed Pineapple
1 (14oz) Orange Muffin Mix

2/3 cup milk
1 beaten egg
~ ~ ~
4 T butter, melted
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup coconut, toasted
1 (3oz) cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain pineapple, thoroughly and reserve liquid. Combine muffin mix, drained pineapple milk and egg. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Combine pecans and coconut in a small dish. Dip tops of warm  muffins in melted butter and then in pecan and coconut mixture. Beat cream cheese with 1 T of reserve pineapple juice until fluffy. Serve with warm muffins.

Candied Orange Peel

If you received fruit baskets over the holidays and still have some fruit left, this is a great way to use up the citrus.

Orange, lemon, or grapefruit peel can be candied to make a deliciously fresh, zesty treat. This recipe specifies four oranges, but you can substitute two grapefruit or eight small lemons or limes. It is a time consuming project, so make sure that you have an afternoon or so to complete these tasty treats. Or... you could prepare the peels and wrap them in a damp paper towel. Place them in a zip-loc bag, and finish the process the next day. For me, peeling and removing the pith of the oranges was the most time consuming part.

4 oranges
4.25 cups water
2.5 cups sugar, plus more for coating


Use a knife or a citrus peeler to score the peels of four oranges into quarters. Peel the oranges carefully, trying to keep the peels intact as much as possible. Set the peeled oranges aside and reserve for another use, like Ambrosia (recipe follows).

Using a very sharp knife, cut away the bitter white pith from the underside of the peels. The remaining peel should be approximately 1/8” thick. Do not worry if small amounts of white pith remain, but try to remove as much as possible. This will produce a much tastier treat. Slice the peels into long strips approximately ½” thick. Some of the strips may tare as you are trimming the pith away... don't worry any size strips will do!

Combine 4.25 cups of water and 2.5 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, and heat, uncovered, until the sugar boils for 5 minutes.

Add the strips of peel and turn the heat down to low (this will depend on your stove... I set mine at 3 which is a medium low setting), until the mixture is at a good simmer. Cook, uncovered and simmering, until the syrup reduces to a quarter of its original volume (the syrup will barely cover the tops of the peels). Try not to stir during this process, or the mixture will crystallize and turn to sugar. The reduction will take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. (depending on the simmering process)

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool. Once cool, drain the peels in a colander. Wipe the peels with your fingers or pull between the tines of a fork to remove any excess syrup. At this point, turn your oven to 200 degrees.

Place about one cup of sugar in a small bowl. Dredge the peels in the sugar until they are coated, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Add more sugar if necessary.

Place the sugar-coated peels in the warm oven and allow them to dry out. This should take approximately one hour, but check them every 20 minutes to ensure that they are not burning or cooking in any way. The peels should look dry, not shiny. If they are shiny, dredge them in a little more sugar and continue to dry them. Alternately, they can be left to sit overnight on a drying rack instead of placed in the oven.

Once peels are completely dry store them in a zip-loc bag or air tight container. They should keep for weeks. Candied peels can be enjoyed plain, dipped in melted chocolate or used in cake, cookie, candy, or bread recipes.


Southern Ambrosia

"Often nestled among a host of traditional Christmas dishes on the Southern sideboard is a big crystal bowl of ambrosia. This "food of the gods" in its purest form is simplicity itself--fresh oranges layered with flakes of coconut.

'People who add grapefruit, pineapple, grapes, and bananas, and Lord knows what else to ambrosia simply don't understand ambrosia,' proclaims Martha Pearl Villas in My Mother's Southern Desserts written by her son, James. Her recipe has just four ingredients: oranges, coconut, sugar, and orange juice." ~ Southern Living Magazine

Reserve all the juice and segments of the oranges you used for the candied peels. Toss them in a bowl with a handful of marshmallows, a sprinkle of coconut and dot with a few cherries. If the salad is to dry for your taste, add a little orange juice to the mixture and toss.

Easter Dinner from my Blog...

My friend Laurie at Food is Love has thrown down the gauntlet! She has challenged me to make the Easter Holiday meal from dishes I already have on my blog. No pulling out Mama's old notes on the traditional Easter Feast this time! (Unless I've unwittingly already got it buried in all these posts :-) Soooo... Ok Laurie! I'm on it! Let's get ready to rumble!!!



Yes! That's me in the polka dot pants!!!

When I think of Easter, I think back to Easter Hunts with all my cousins, family and friends. I also think of a big ole whole picnic ham that has been cooked to perfection by my Mama, of course... green bean casseroles, brown rice, potato salad and someone always brings the Watergate Salad that most Southerners, that don't care for it much, refer to as "that Green Stuff"! No meal would be complete without Mama's macaroni and cheese. We also loved to churn ice cream and Mama always had a cake or two on the counter.



Now... let's see what I can come up with from previous posts that could come close to my Easter Food Memories!

First of all, what can I replace the ham with... I cannot believe I haven't covered something as simple as ham! Ok, let's go with Chicken Cordon Blue that has some ham and, you might think, is a pretty fancy holiday kind of feel, but wait, remember this is 'with a twist'! This an easy version that is turned into a casserole! So, it's perfect to fix for a large family get-together. Whew! Main course... check! Now let's find those sides!

There is Mama's Macaroni and Cheese and the green bean casserole. Instead of brown rice, let's go with Grandmama Bradham's Greasy Rice.

I can't believe I don't have my potato salad on here either. So, we'll go with my new popular Cornbread Salad. We always have to have some nibbles lying around so, I'll put out some Dill Pickles, pickled okra, pickled carrots and Bread and Butter Pickles. And no meal is complete without Mama's Short Biscuits. Oh and don't forget the Green Stuff!

Now, desserts... As I said, we loved to churn ice cream. So, I'd like to have some of Mama's Orange Pineapple Ice Cream and, I had already bought the ingredients to make the kids an Italian Cream Cheese Cake.

Well that's the Challenge... My Easter Meal from my Blog...

Thanks to Laurie at Food is Love! This was a fun challenge! So it's my turn to challenge some of my foodie friends. Here goes...

The Southern Lady Cooks

Rich Fletcher's Good Food Revolution

Cooking with Libby

Check out Laurie's Challenge Results too at Food is Love!

Cranberry Orange Dipping Sauce

Do you have turkey left over from Thanksgiving Dinner or Supper? This sauce is an awesome addition to those turkey and dressing sandwiches or just a plain turkey sandwich! It is also a great for a glaze on a pork loin or turkey.  

3 tsp cornstarch
3 tsp packed brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 (16 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce*
2 dashes of ground cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg

In a cold heavy saucepan, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar and orange juice until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened, Remove from the heat; stir in the cranberry sauce and cinnamon until blended. Cover and refrigerate. Serve cold.
*Use jellied if you prefer a smooth sauce.