Spring is in the Air

The weather predicts my mood and my level of productivity for the day. Today is a big gloomy - so I am sitting in my living room with my cup of coffee, deciding to have a relaxing day. Sunshine makes me happy. My mood does lighten as the temperature rises. Being able to sit in the sun on my deck for 30 minutes each day is magical. And all this sunny goodness makes me want to either paint something or pull out my spring and summer recipes.

Each Thursday day, a group of ladies meet at my home to discuss Beth Moore's Believing God.  Snack time for the study seemed to be the perfect place to enjoy some sunshine inspired treats.

I first started off decorating my table, pulling out my yellow, green and orange fiesta pieces.

A birdhouse made by my dad and scrabble tiles were thrown in for cuteness, and a few branches from a backyard tree in a simple vase completed the look.

I then started on my Yogurt Berry Pie. I was given this recipe by some family friends - and since Publix had a super good deal on yogurt last week, I had all the supplies on hand. 

Yogurt Berry Pie
Three 6 oz tubs of yogurt (I used two blueberry and one strawberry)
One tub of Cool Whip (I used "lite")
One graham cracker pie crust

Combine the yogurt and Cool whip. I had some strawberries in the fridge. After slicing them, I folded them into the yogurt mixture.  Poor the filling mixture into the pie crust.  Freeze the pie for 3 hours or overnight.

I usually take the pie out of the freezer 20 minutes before serving. You can also top the pie with some nuts.

Since I had some frozen mango chunks in the freezer, I decided to give Mange Lemonade a try. I googled a few options, but decided to be creative and just use my instincts. I've been purchasing frozen fruits and veggies at my Dollar Tree. Some foods at the Dollar Tree really are a great deal!



Since our Bible Study is all about believing God is who He says He is and that God can do what He says He can do, I've been looking for reminders that I really can trust God. I know it in my head, but I am making sure my heart believes it. As I was reading the suggested serving ideas on the back of the package, I was jaw-droppingly shocked.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 - The Lord used a bag of frozen mangoes from the Dollar Tree to remind me that if I seek Him, I will find Him. He can be trusted to direct my paths. Who would have thought that I would find this reminder on the back of a bag of frozen fruit?  Those words of truth were an encouragement to me. And, it made me decide to start looking on the back of all my frozen food bags. Who knows what other bits of truth I may find?

Cindy's Mango Lemonade

One 10 ounce bag of frozen mango chunks (could also use fresh mango)

Juice from 6 lemons

Simple syrup

Water

I pureed the mango in my blender and juiced my lemons. To create your simple syrup, combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar with 3/4 cup of water in a small sauce pan. Heat mixture until the sugar is dissolved in the water. (Side note: if you want to add vanilla, it would make vanilla syrup for your coffee or Italian sodas. Add fruit to make a fruity syrup...the possibilities are endlesss). Let the syrup cool completely.

Combine mango, juice, and syrup. I then ran the mixture through a fine seive to remove any of the chunks of mango that my blender left behind. I put the juice misture into a 2 quart pitcher and topped it off with enough water to fill the container. Stir and chill! Serve over ice - it is a bit tart. But it is a new favorite drink of mine!

It tastes like summer in a glass.

Another lady in the Bible study was bringing egg salad and carronts w/ ranch. I added some Scrabble tiles to the table for her items.

It was a summery feast.

How are you enjoying the warmer weather?

PS: Check out a project of mine that Dollar Store Crafts is featuring here.   And I'm linking up my spring wreath with Centsational Girl here.