I am on a major lemon-loving kick and this is not the first time!

Let’s flash back to two summers ago, not long after we moved into the Dollhouse, where I went on about various lemon drinks in I’ll Drink to That: Lemon Edition.

I’m over the Shandy phase, preferring a good Arnold Palmer or Earl Grey Lemonade instead. The San Pellegrino Limonata is still an amazing soda and I almost picked up a 6-pack at the store yesterday but opted for LaCroix Lemon instead.

Now, if you’ve ever had a LaCroix fizzy water with a hint of flavor, you’ll know it’s not going to hold a candle to a full-fledged soda, but it wasn’t horrible, either. Of course, my favorite use for the LaCroix Lemon so far has been to spike it with a shot of Limoncello in a tall glass full of ice. Much more lemony that way with a slight hint of alcohol.

Speaking of Limoncello, though, I still have several bottles in the chest freezer from Fall 2010 when I made my own (see the Drink Diary wrap up for more on that). It keeps great and I might be using up some of it if this current lemon kick continues.

And it looks like we celebrated National Lemon Cupcake Day in 2012 with a cocktail I might need to revisit. (Actually, I’ve been thinking above revisiting the blog’s past cocktail posts but in video form, especially the 50 Shots of America series.)

I’ve been starting each day, this month, with hot water and lemon–something I decided to try while on my staycation at the beginning of June and it’s stuck. Supposedly it’s good for your digestion, and the liver, and wakes up your metabolism or some such, I just find it incredibly refreshing.

Lemon Oreos are back on store shelves and, yes, I’ve indulged. I also picked up a package of the Lemon-filled Oreo Thins this week and–while I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the thin format, not the biggest fan of crispy cookies am I–I think I like them!

When we ordered Chinese take-out last week (Todd wasn’t feeling well and needed soft foods due to a broken tooth, etc.) I ordered Lemon Chicken. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turns out it’s the same chicken as you get in Sweet & Sour but instead of the sickly-sweet, pineapple-studded red sauce you get a delightfully tangy lemon sauce. And they send a pint of it (the sauce), which is way more than is needed, so I saved the rest and may make more rice just to have with the sauce.

And while looking through past blog-mentions of lemons, I even found a lemon craft from the early days of The 64 Arts (2010!).

How far will my current lemon obsession take me and how long will it go on? Hard to say… According to an herbalist this is the season for bitter flavors, so it’s a natural inclination. Plus lemons are generally so light and best tasted cold, and that really suits my preferences this week (as you’ll see in next week’s menu recap). I have plans for a lemon-pesto noodle dish at the end of the week that I’m really looking forward to, as well.

Do you ever go on weird food kicks?

I’ve always (well, for at least the last 15 years) believed that cravings are our bodies way of telling us what we need. Even a pizza craving could be beneficial if what you’re lacking are amino acids from tomatoes, for instance, and that’s your #1 tomato vehicle. Or you like your pizza’s topped with triple cheese, maybe it’s calcium your body is low on.

So I’m giving into the lemony goodness around me. Sure, lemon cookies may not be the best option (we’ll chalk that up to a combo with the stress I talked about last week), but it’s more about the whole picture, right?