when life hands you lemons...

A couple weeks ago I really wanted it to feel like spring--so when I saw a pretty pink bowl at Marshall's, I got it and filled it with lemons! So pretty!

but now I have these six lemons...and only vague ideas of what to make with them...

I decided to keep track of what I do with them.

Lemon #1 helped create a delicious dinner tonight, which I can only call "Lemony Snicket" because, well, that's what came to my mind!

Lemony Snicket (the measurements are very approximate...I didn't follow a recipe...)

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, pounded somewhat thin
• 2 Tbsp oil or butter (1 for chicken, 1 for mushrooms)
• 1 Tbsp butter (for the asparagus)
• salt & pepper, freshly ground
• 1 c. sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 2 tsp. or so minced garlic (I probably used more...)
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 c. chicken broth ( I would have used white wine instead, but we only had red...)
• 1/2 bunch fresh asparagus (rinsed, and with the bottom 1 in. trimmed off)
• 1/2 box pasta (we had leftover pasta w/ pesto from the night before...)

1. So, basically, in one skillet I heated some butter and put in the chicken, which I sprinkled salt & pepper on both sides of, and then into that same skillet I dumped the mushrooms and arranged them around the chicken. I drizzled some olive oil over the mushrooms and swished them around. Next, I added some minced garlic and mixed that in with the mushrooms, and let them get nice and tender over medium-high heat. The chicken needed to cook about 5-6 min. per side.
2. Meanwhile, in a second skillet I simmered the asparagus in some water.
3. When the mushrooms were looking softer, and the chicken was cooked through, I grated the rind of one lemon into the skillet, stirred it all around, then added the juice of one half of that lemon, and maybe 1/4 c. of chicken broth. I let that simmer for about 3-5 minutes, until it had thickened a little. Then I took out the chicken and put it on a plate, and added in the leftover pasta to the skillet, and stirred it around in the lemony mushroom broth.
4. Finally, I drained the cooked asparagus and added 1 T. of butter and a squeeze from the 2nd half of the lemon to its pan.
5. Each serving consisted of lemony pesto pasta with mushrooms, chicken, and asparagus with lemon butter....Voila! Lemony Snicket!

For Lemon#2, I think I will try either Lemon Yogurt Cake (as suggested by Aubyn C.) or Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares (as suggested by Andrea K.). =)

First, though, I'm going to finish my first attempt at Cake Pops! =)