When Life Gives You Lemons...

...Make Lemonade!

Normally I am not the sort of person who would make homemade lemonade, which I will illustrate in a moment. Today I was trying a muffin recipe from the Sue Gregg Soups & Muffins Cookbook. It called for fresh lemon peel. I needed the peel from about five lemons. When I was all done I contemplated what to do with the lemons, since once they've been zested they tend to go bad very quickly. It took me longer than I care to admit to realize I could use my Bosch juicer attachment and juice them for lemonade (d-uh, see what I mean?!). I found a rather too sweet recipe on All Recipes. I had to add more water and lemon juice, but now I'll know for next time. My two homeschoolers and I enjoyed this treat with lunch.

As I grow older, I am slowly learning to apply this lemonade concept to everyday life. Living in an old, still-fixer-upper house provides many opportunities for this. I often would avoid trying to do anything pretty and special because certain areas of the house were not complete. It was as though I was waiting to beautify a room until it was all perfect (and seriously, when will any room in an old house ever be perfect?).

My kitchen is the same design and cabinets from about 50 years ago. The design is poorly laid out, especially for a tiny kitchen. The cabinets are quaint and rustic (a former owner built them himself), but not very roomy. One wall has hand built wainscotting that, while charming, makes it impossible to place cabinets above the counter, further limiting storage. A total kitchen remodel is out of the question financially, perhaps forever, so I am learning to "make lemonade" and be content with what I have. Things that help are cleanliness, flowers (which I promise myself to do more of), and fragrances from Mrs. Meyer's. Keeping the counters as clear as possible also gives a free and airy feeling (which I am also promising myself to do more of!).

What is important is that the food that is prepared in this room is sprinkled with love (as I learned from Emilie Barnes), and that a clean, cheery feeling permeates the room.