When Life Gives You… Apples?

Look, sometimes lemons just don’t work. Ok? Sheesh. Instead of lemonade, we’re talking apple crumble.

This little when life gives you quote popped into my head this week while renewing my driver’s license. I found myself laughing at the people that would walk into the DMV and get all crazy over the fact that there was a line. Like they fully expected to zip in and out of the DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES during their lunch hour. Hello? There are jokes written about how slow the DMV is, people, wake up!

Anyway, it got me thinking about perspective and how life, and whether you’re miserable in it or not, is really all about your own perspective. Do you make lemonade or do you whine and moan about the sour lemon after biting into it even though you were fully aware that it was sour?

                 Apples, lemons? Kinda the same?

For my DMV trip, I read very thoroughly through the paperwork about what to bring. I asked friends for suggestions. And then I read through the information again. New Jersey’s requirements are RIDICULOUS (I say that with love Jersey Civil Servants) so I wanted to make sure I had every last paper of my six-points so I didn’t have to get turned away and repeat my trip to motor vehicle hell. So I prepared and then I packed a book and cleared at least 90 minutes of my day.

                                            Still not lemons

Does it stink to stand in line for 90 minutes? Absolutely. Did it stink less because I was prepared to wait and thus not crazy impatient? Yes. In fact, I was able to focus on all that was right with the trip, like the overly friendly (and if prodded-snarky) greeter at the front desk. How about the amazingly well-behaved little boy sitting with his mom while dad stood in line? Best of all, I bounced out of that place with great relief when it only took an hour. Instead of being all angry that it took an hour, I was thrilled!

That my friends is making some damn, lemonade. Try it, sometime.

So why is my title about apples? Because I can’t let a week go by without some good eats for you, right? Well, last week we were inundated with apples and pears. I bought some. The veggie order came in with more and then The Husband got a gift box at the new job full of more. For a brief moment, I did this:

“Oh man it’s all going to go bad and what a waste and why was I so stupid to buy it knowing the veggie shares were coming and why suddenly do 2 of the 3 kids not like apples anymore?  And waaah.”

                                                       See? Perspective
                                                       Photo Credit Sue Barr

Then I stopped that nonsense and thought, “well, how can I use it quick?”.

I remembered a yummy fall fruit crumble thingy (That’s the official culinary name) that I concocted after being inspired by a recipe in Terry Walters’ Clean Food last year when we were once again bombarded with pears and apples. I had a girls’ weekend trip the next day and figured they’d help me eat my fruit if I showed up with it in crumble form.

Did I have time to make a Fruit Crisp? No, I did not. Let’s be real, no one has time to make a Fruit Crisp, but you make time, just like you make lemonade. So I made it. They loved it, and our fruit abundance did not go to waste.

So, when life gives you too many apples make some time for Apple Crumble