Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 64F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Try these lemonade marinades for chicken.

Try these lemonade marinades for chicken.

I'm always on the lookout for inexpensive ingredients that can be used in lots of recipes. I'm especially happy when I find unexpected uses for a common ingredient. I was wandering the frozen foods aisle and did a double take on a can of frozen lemonade. The wheels began to turn.

I keep frozen juice concentrate in the freezer at all times. Lemonade is a particular favorite because it's a useful ingredient for many different beverages and much more.

Some beverage ideas: Add strawberries, blueberries or raspberries to make fruity lemonade. Add mint or basil for a sophisticated twist. Mix lemonade with different soft drinks, like lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, for bubbly treats. Or mix with iced tea to make an Arnold Palmer.

Summer cocktails come to life mixed with lemonade. Who doesn't enjoy a hard lemonade slushy by the pool? Or a Lynchburg lemonade mixed with whiskey? Lemonade even makes a perfect base for a margarita.

How about dessert? Since frozen is as frozen does, here's the classic frozen lemonade ice box pie. Remember that one?

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

In a mixing bowl, blend the first three ingredients. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and freeze until solid. Tart and creamy, cold and dreamy.

But here's where I got excited! I thought, what is frozen lemonade? It's a concentrate of lemon juice, citrus pulp, lemon oil and sugar. You know what else uses those ingredients? Marinades. Especially marinades for chicken and pork. I can feel your skepticism. Stick with me!

I went all "mad scientist" in the kitchen and played around until I came up with two marinade recipes that all my taste testers loved. I promise, they're not sweet! Here are the winners.

Both recipes make 1 cup of potent marinade, enough for 3-4 pounds of your preferred chicken pieces.

Lemon, rosemary and garlic marinade

1 tablespoon garlic cloves, crushed (or more!)

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary)

In a gallon-size resealable food storage bag, combine lemonade concentrate, Worcestershire, vinegar, garlic, rosemary and onion powder. Add chicken pieces, seal the bag and smush to blend. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour or, even better, overnight. Optional -- before you add the chicken, reserve 1/4 cup of marinade and mix with 1 cup plain yogurt to make a delicious sauce for the chicken.

Lemon, ginger and soy marinade

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

In a gallon-size resealable food storage bag, combine lemonade concentrate, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag and smush to blend. Marinate in refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight.

To cook the chicken — Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. You can also grill, broil or pan fry this chicken.

Please note lemonade concentrate comes in two sizes: 6 and 12 ounces. These recipes call for 6 ounces, so you may get two recipes from one can. When buying concentrate, purchase brands that don't contain high fructose corn syrup. They may cost a few cents more, but it's truly worth it.

Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of divasonadime.com. © 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

Your comment has been submitted.

There was a problem reporting this.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.

Check your email for details.

Invalid password or account does not exist

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.

Thank you. Your purchase was successful.

A receipt was sent to your email.