When Life Gives You Lemons....

   ....It's really not that bad. 

   I know you loved that opening, didn't you? How the title played right into that first sentence....O.k, it sucked, get over it.  : )  

    I literally am writing a post for today about lemons! I just honestly love them!

   They are so fantastically good for you, and good at a lot of different things people may not realize. So, here it is, a list of things that should make you happy when life gives you lemons (or when you buy them at the grocery store...)! 

1. Health: The bright and beautiful fruit has anti-baterial properties that clean up the kidneys and liver, has a tonne of vitamin C (approximately 1/3 of your daily value!), and that vitamin C, coupled with it's anti-oxidants, and it's ability to fight free radicals (particles that damage our bodies cells and DNA) help keep you looking younger. For ana amzingly detailed article about the benefits of lemons (and vitamin C) for your skin, check out this link by Always Healthy Living.  There are sooooo many more health benefits, but let's move on!
2. Kitchen: This acidic fruit can prevent the oxidation that makes things like cut up apples, avocados and bananas, even potatoes, from browning. I keep a sealed container of lemon juice mixed with some water in the fridge (and replace it every 2 weeks or so) for cut up apples for the kids' school lunches. I simply dunk the cut-up pieces into the lemon mix, and pack them into the lunches. If they don't want them at school, they are still looking fresh afterward, and they will happily eat the slices as an after school snack. And if you're making a fruit tray, dipping the pieces, or having a lemon/water spray bottle to squirt your prepared tray can keep it looking fresh.   
3. More in the kitchen: The peel can keep brown sugar soft! Add a slice of the skin with all the pulp completely removed to your brown sugar to keep it from clumping and hardening. Neato.
4. Um....still in the kitchen: This hard worker can tenderize meat with it's acidity. To use it, make a simple marinade of lemon juice, some salt and spices. It also (obviously) is crazy-full of flavour! It is a great salt-substitute, can lighten up heavy dishes, and can balance the flavours in seafood.
5. Around the house: Sorry, we'll be in the kitchen again here, but it can deodorize, clean stains, remove grease and disinfect. Simply use a half lemon dipped in salt or baking soda for some tricky spots, and give a little scrub. An idea I got from my sister is to throw a already squeezed lemon into the sink after using it, and when you fill up the sink to do dishes, you get whatever juice was left from the fruit in your cleaning water. I like to keep it in the sink to use as a sponge to get grease off of kids plastic plates (those Ikea plates are cute, but can sometimes hold onto grease).

   This is by no means an exhaustive list of the benefits of lemons, but I just wanted to give you a glimpse of how wonderful this little gem is! I have lemon juice every day, either by squeezing some juice into a smoothie, or onto a salad. I have squeezed out halves in my sink for scrubbing greasy dishes, and then for giving the sink a rub-down after I'm done doing the dishes (it leaves a brilliant, bright citrus-y smell behind!). 
   So, anywho, I hope you enjoyed this little romp through the wonderful world of lemons! Now go out and buy yourself some! :)  
    And don't forget, if life does gives you lemons, do make lemonade.