Ambrosia Fruid Salad

This yummy dish comes from a 2008 Taste of Home Magazine my mother-in-law gave me.  We gobble it up quickly.  The recipe calls for marshmallows, which sometimes I leave out because Baby Girl has an addiction to them.  It's not pretty when we run out . . . or her big brothers are still eating theirs when she's consumed hers already.

2 c cubed fresh pineapple (or 1 can if you don't have fresh)

2 large oranges, peeled and sectioned (but last night I used a can of Mandarin oranges)

1 1/2 c grapes
1 large banana, sliced

1 c mini marshmallows

1/2 c flaked coconut

1/4 c chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

1 6 oz carton vanilla yogurt

Combine all the ingredients but the yogurt in a large mixing bowl; gently fold in yogurt.  Chill until serving.  Sometimes I wait until just before serving to add the bananas and marshmallows.

Fruit Trifle

Another good dessert from my friend, Marianne, of the Orange Push-Up Cake fame.

1 angel food cake (bought or made with a mix)
1 can pineapple chunks, well-drained
1 can fruit cocktail, well-drained
strawberries
bananas
blueberries
1-16 oz container Cool Whip

Cut strawberries and bananas. Mix them with blueberries and drained fruit. Cut the angel food cake in half and tear into chunks.

Layer:
1/2 angel food cake pieces
1/2 fruit mixture
1/2 Cool Whip

Repeat; add fruit on top for decoration.

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

This comes from Angela, a sparkling friend, and one of my sister's best. It's her special "mixed drink" that I could drink by the gallon, especially on hot summer days.

1 can of frozen lemonade juice concentrate (mostly thawed)
1 pint of strawberries, stemmed & halved
1 can of water
1 2-liter of Sprite

In a blender, combine the juice, strawberries & water. Blend until the strawberries are chopped smaller, but not pureed. (You still want 'chunks' of them! Yumm!) Then fill the rest of the blender pitcher with Sprite & stir. You DON'T want to blend carbonated soda in your blender! Add more Sprite to your glass, according to taste (or transfer to a larger pitcher & add more Sprite to the entire batch). Serve in your fanciest goblet with a halved strawberry on the side of the glass.

(I've made this without a blender and just used powdered lemonade mix and water. It just takes a little more work.)

Here is a link to her blog. While we don't see eye to eye on everything, she has a great heart for the Lord, and I appreciate her passion.

http://kingdomready.org/blog/2010/01/29/crazy-busy/