Springtime Is Just Around the Corner

About mid-February, everyone starts thinking about spring -

warm breezes, flowers beginning to blossom for Easter table

centerpieces, and all the scents of nature coming to life.



Surprise your table with this "springtime" basket when your salad

course comes to your mealtime plans. Fit two lettuce cups together.

Fill with tossed salad of your choice and use split green pepper rings

for the handles. Top with dressing or serve the dressing on the side,

depending on your family's preferences. Top with a bit of shredded

cheese. Trim with some springy "marigolds" - just notch thin slices

of carrots - and you have a really wonderful fresh touch to take you

and your family from the winter doldrums to springtime freshness.



Another way to bring a brand new season to your table is to serve

Sunshine Fresh Fruit Baskets - somehow baskets and spring just go

together perfectly.

Slice top from a large orange. With paring knife, remove orange sections

and any white membranes as these may be bitter. Combine orange

sections with banana slices, strawberry halves, blueberries, raspberries,

or whatever fruit you may enjoy. Refill orange shell with your fruit

choices and sprinkle some chilled ginger ale over the fruit. Trim with

mint sprigs and be ready for wonderful thoughts of springtime knowing

that your recipe is not only very pleasant to look at but is healthy, and

tasty.



When dessert time rolls around, try our Winter is Over dessert idea.

Start with 1 pkg. (8 ozs.) cream cheese softened, 3/4 cup confectioner's

sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 cup whipping cream, 2 quarts fresh

berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Blackberries

work well too, 1 carton (8 ozs.) frozen whipped topping, thawed.

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually

add the cream; beating until thick. Spoon mixture into 10 mounds on a

waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, shape into

3" cups. Freeze overnight.

To serve - just fill each cup with fruit and garnish with whipped topping

and chocolate curls. Aw, the luscious fruits and cream, made for a royal

meal indeed.



However you decide to start celebrating the "change in seasons" have fun

and enjoy what nature begins to tempt you with and you will have the

ingredients for some of the best meals available.

©Arleen M. Kaptur

February, 2008