Don’t Be Afraid Of Lemonade?

By CHRISTIE NORTHRUP

The Progress

One trite saying that I tire of hearing is “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I understand why someone made that up and agree with the philosophy that if you’ve having some sour situations in life, they can actually be dissolved if you add something sweet, like a simple smile, to the experience. The biggest problem I have with this advice is that it’s somewhat hypocritical: I don’t know many people who know how to make real lemonade!

Oh sure, opening a can of frozen concentrate or a package of powdered mix to water can create a lemon-flavored drink. But if you have lemons, ya gotta make the real stuff! I know because—are you ready for a confession? Until a couple of years ago, I’d only made the “just add water” variety.

I bought a dozen lemons to be used as decoration on my dining room table. Since we were getting ready to go out of town for a couple weeks, I knew the lemons needed to be used. So guess what I decided to make? Yep, that’s right—LEMONADE!

The only thing is, I didn’t have a recipe and was reluctant to try something I wasn’t familiar with because I did not want to ruin the juice I’d just squeezed from a dozen lemons. Admittedly, I was afraid of the lemonade!! This is just not like me because I’m a very experienced cook and love to experiment with and create new recipes, like what you read in this column.

I did an on-line search for lemonade recipes, but didn’t find one that sounded just right. Instead, I took parts from several recipes and made this basic recipe that begins with a simple syrup (that really is the correct culinary term for dissolving sugar into water and boiling for a few minutes). What a difference real lemons make!! The sweet solution was simple and very satisfying!

Ironically, that same week, we’d had some “sour situations” with an important business negotiation. I was unsure of the right decision because I didn’t have the recipe for its solution. I put my ingredients (the facts and the issues), together and then consulted some experts for their recommended “recipes.”

After this step, I concocted my own recipe for lemon “aid.” Initially, I hoped the satisfactory solution would have been as easy as adding water. But the sweetness actually came after a lot of “squeezing,” reaching the boiling point at times, and then dissolving the issues. Eventually I chilled out and can now sip of the sweet successes of my own recipe for life’s lemon aid and for icy lemonade.

Your Own Lemon Aid
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
5-6 cups ice cold water

Combine the 1½ cups water and sugar together in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the lemon juice and place in the fridge to chill. Just before serving, add the ice-cold water and stir in some ice cubes to suit your personal taste.

A fun taste sensation is to add some lemonade to my previously published recipe for Star Spangled Watermelon Snow (The Progress: June 30, 2021).

This copyrighted recipe and message taught in Pair-A-Bowls are compliments of Christie Northrup, owner of Pair-A-Bowls.com.