Sunday Squirrel on meal selection and life choices...Apple Sauce or Apple Butter?

What if making choices in life resembled the basic choices we make in our food intake each day? 

Sometimes we are in a rush, so we pull together something frozen and quick instead of preparing something from scratch, requiring more time.  I think in some ways hunger is like the satiation we seek in life.  Sure, one is a physical need and one is merely a physiological urge or desire…spanning anywhere from where we want to land in life with a career, kids or no kids, and who we want to be with…or not.

So as I was making apple butter today for the first time ever, I gave this consideration as I worked through the process of my apple butter recipe.  First, you make applesauce, and then you continue simmering to make the actual apple butter.  I’ve had a few failed attempts at canning as of late, so I didn’t want to invest the time to make just apple butter and risk it being a total loss.  I decided to pull a few jars of applesauce from the saucepan at mid-point.  My rationale? I would have two chances to succeed at something tasty…both of which I really like.

I finished up the apple butter, which looks to have been a success as well.  I carefully stored the new jars to cool on the counter and froze the tubs of apple sauce in the freezer.  I put it next to the strawberry jam I made last week.

Getting back to my point about how choices in life can often be dictated by the convenience factor and the time you’re willing to invest, not knowing for certain if it will turn out the way you wanted.

Today’s lesson was a safe bet…at least for cooking.  Apple sauce takes less time to make and is almost as tasty as apple butter.  Apple butter takes a really, really long time to make, but when done right, it’s worth the trouble.

Here’s hoping we can all recognize that any choice we make in life is an important one, and we shouldn’t rely solely on immediate gratification or a sure thing.  Sometimes what requires the greatest effort is more rewarding than a quick and easy win.  So when you consider your next decision point outside the kitchen, remember that some of the toughest decisions are worth the trouble just as some of the hardest recipes result in the most rewarding outcomes.  And the more you practice, the more adept you’ll be in seeing the difference, one ingredient at a time.

M