The idiom is that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. There are daily opportunities to turn that which is unfortunate into something positive, even beautiful. There are artists that create their works from junk yard discards. Much of our trash can be recycled into reusable items. And the thrift store, often gussied up and called an “antique store” is a wonderful place to find previously owned items. My sister has the most awesome treasure trove called Pedigo’s in Clarksville, TN. Some of the aisles are so narrow, you have to leave your purse on the floor and walk sideways like a ballerina doing plies. If you need pink glass dishes for an Easter brunch, you have hit pay dirt. Quilting is a fantastic way to use scraps of fabric to mae a bed cover.
Cooking and baking is my best way to turn something often considered waste into something delicious. I bought a double pint of picture perfect strawberries last week and promptly forgot about them in the bottom drawer of the fridge. I found them last night. They could have easily gone into the trash, the few furry members tainting the whole basket. Instead, I plucked out the rotten fruit, rinsed the rest, stemmed and sliced the remaining berries and made oatmeal strawberry bread. Two solid, dense loaves to share with my staff. This theme repeats itself with over ripe bananas, flimsy carrots, apples left too long on the side board.
Baking redeems an ingredient otherwise past perfection. What a lovely idea…that something easily judged to be trash or worthy of the compost bin can become something so fragrant and luscious. Bon Appetit!