When life gives you lemons...

Life is so unfair!!! Nothing seems to be going your way. Everything just seems to be going wrong. Man, this sucks (sic)!!!

Have you ever felt this way? Has this ever happened to you? Well it has happened to me - more times than I care to remember. No matter how well I plan, no matter how sure the bet, no matter how prepared I think I am, something always happens to spoil the party.

I have been there, done that, got the t-shirt. I appologise for using this well worn yet apt cliche'. We dream dreams only to have them shattered. Everything goes along fine until suddenly - BAM!!! There it is... It has happened... Life. Yep, life has happened. Life has a way of creeping up on us and giving us a reality check. No matter who you are, what colour you are, what your status in life. No-one is spared from the realities of life. Life has a way of hitting us where and when we least expect it. We cannot prepare for it. We cannot shelter ourselves or hide from it, nor can we run away from it no matter how hard we try. It is there. It is going to happen.

So instead of reacting negatively and fighting against life I have decided to accept what life has to offer, be it good or bad, and embrace it. So, when life gives me lemons - I make lemonade.

If you are feeling as I do and you are tired of fighting against life; here is a first-aid kit to help you through:

Lemonade, that classic summer quencher, is easily made from scratch. The best version combines a simple sugar syrup and fresh squeezed lemon juice. This recipe serves two.

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 large lemon
16 to 20 oz. cold water
ice
garnishes (optional): mint sprig, lemon slice, maraschino cherry

Steps:

1. Make sugar syrup: Combine 1 c. sugar and 1 c. water in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat, stir to dissolve sugar completely, and allow to cool. (You'll only use a couple of tablespoons per serving, but this is a good item to make ahead and store in the refrigerator, covered. It keeps for weeks.)

2. For each serving, combine the juice of half a lemon, 2 tbsp. of the sugar syrup and 8 to 10 oz. cold water in a tall glass.

3. Add ice and any of the garnishes (or all of them, if you're feeling festive). Serve immediately.

Tips:

One lemon, depending on its size, will yield about 1/4 to 1/3 c. juice.

For a quick microwave version, combine 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 tbsp. water in a tall, microwave-safe glass. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir to dissolve completely, cool a bit, then add fresh lemon juice, cold water and ice, if desired.

Warnings:

Be extremely careful when handling hot sugar syrup. It can cause a nasty burn. A child can make the lemonade once the syrup is cooled, but an adult should do this first step.

(Recipe taken from: http://www.ehow.com/how_140_make-lemonade.html)