With VERY little effort, you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. We like to keep flavored salts for making spice rubs and finishing dishes with. Here are a few ideas; but, get creative with your own ideas.

You can grind 1/4 cup of coarse sea salt and a teaspoon of these ingredients together in a coffee grinder:

*Spanish smoked paprika (Pimenton).
*Dried orange, lemon, grapefruit or lime zest
*Food grade dried lavender or rose petals
*Matcha - a green tea powder
*Finely ground dried mushrooms
*Saffron
*Vanilla bean
*Chile flakes
*Szechuan peppercorns

Once you are done with your grinder, you can clean it for use on coffee beans by grinding dry white rice. The rice will grab the loose particles and you’ll just have to wipe out the grinder bowl with a clean, dry towel.

Homemade Lemonade
and
Limoncello

When life gives you lemons…why just make lemonade?  All you will do is take the juice and throw out what could become a classic Italian liqueur and the best lemon cocktail you have ever had!  Here are the steps:

Step 1:  Buy 15 lemons, a big bag of sugar and 2 (750 ml) bottles of 100-proof vodka

Step 2:  Wash your lemons!  In one airtight container, combine the zest (that’s the yellow part) of all lemons and one bottle of vodka.  Set aside at room temperature for 10 days.

Step 3:  For the Lemonade - Halve lemons and juice.  All 15 medium lemons should yield about 1 1/2 cups of juice.  Combine juice with 1 cup of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water heated together, then cooled).  Add 5 cups plain water and VOILA!!!!

Step 4:  After 10 days have passed, add 9 cups simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water heated together, then cooled) and the other bottle of vodka to the zest and vodka mixture.  This can sit at room temperature for 10-40 days.  The longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes.  When you can’t wait any longer, strain the mixture into clean, sealable bottles.  Store in freezer and enjoy cold!