A Delicious Labor Day Recipe

As the summer comes to an close here in Florida (we do have a little bit of a temperature change thank goodness) Mango season is also coming to an end. Locally, we drive about 10 minutes to a local mango farm in Merritt Island, FL which happens to be one of the most ideal places to grow mangoes, and they are delicious. When we first started going to this farm, we had so many mangoes that I had to come up with lots of recipes so we could use them up. You can only have so many mango smoothies!
So, I came up with this farm fresh dish that I make just about once a week at least. Here's the recipe:

Mango Farm Salad
1 Mango (peeled and sliced)
1 Avocado (pitted and sliced)
2 Cups Fresh Spinach
1 Large Tomato, chopped
1 Cup Frozen Corn (dethawed in warm water for 5 minutes)
1 Cup Pecans
1 Lemon, juiced
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup or Agave
2 Tablespoons Tamari
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
Pinch of Salt to taste


Directions:
Throw all ingredients into a large bowl and toss. If you have too much liquid you can strain it out. Serve immediately.

Yesterday I didn't have corn when I made this - and I usually made it with corn. But it's just as good without.
I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day and lots of relaxation time with friends and family!

A Recipe for Keeping Cool with Spa Water

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a massage and while sitting in the waiting room I enjoyed some of their "Spa Water." I'm not sure if that's the official name, but I'm sure you've seen it somewhere, sometime in a spa. You know, water that looks so pretty with cucumbers or lemons floating around, and tastes just as good? So, I just had to try and replicate the awesome memory of my spa time with this homemade Spa Water. Maybe - just maybe - it could bring me back to that peaceful relaxation.
Best of all, I found out that after you make this you can leave it out on the counter, and the lemon/cucumber "ice" will keep you looking and feeling "cool" all throughout the day. Seriously, I had forgotten about it on the dining table, and a few hours later I went and poured myself another, and it was nice and cold. Just what the doctor ordered.

To start, slice up your fresh lemons, cucumbers, kiwi, etc and place the slices in a muffin pan with enough water in each muffin area to cover your slice.

 

After taking out of the freezer they should easily pop right out. On a couple of them I wedged them out with a knife, but most came out with little effort.

 

I dumped them all into a bowl. Aren't these ice cubes just pretty?

 

Place them in your favorite summer pitcher and add water. That's it! Now take a little spa time in your home and slice up this soothing refresher that is sure to beat the summer heat!