Mango Festival

This past Saturday we went to the Mango Festival. Man was it HOT!!!! Too hot to even enjoy ourselves to the fullest. It made the youngest two very cranky.They would just stop walking and cry. We all were dripping with sweat. But we stuck it out for a while and I got some good pictures. They had several vendors, activities for the kids, food, tasting tables, gardening supplies, fruit and vegetable trees and plants and even butterfly gardening information. Mote Aquarium had a set up there with many specimens on display as well as a touch tank and a beautiful fish tank. Our children loved the touch tank. They were able to hold a water hermit crab, sea urchin, star fish, and a horse shoe crab. 

Later we found a bounce house and our three youngest spent about 20 minutes in it. Then we decided to call it a day and go get something really cold to drink. I still am glad that we went, even though it was so stinkin hot. One of the reasons I am glad we went is because my husband and I tasted our first Leechee. I loved it, he said it gave him heartburn. Too funny. Anyway, I plan on planting a Leechee tree this fall when I get my two square foot garden beds set up. They really are a unique fruit!

Here is a refreshing salad using the delicious mango fruit, in honor of the Mango Festival:

Elizabeth's Mango Sprouty Salad

Organic red leaf lettuce

1 mango, diced

mung bean sprouts

adzuki sprouts

grape tomatoes, sliced

red clover sprouts

broccoli sprouts

First cold pressed EVOO

1 T coconut vinegar

2 T fresh squeezed orange juice

pinch sea salt

pinch of onion powder

1 T raw honey

fresh lemon basil, chopped fine

Directions: Plate lettuce, top with mango, sprouts, and tomatoes. Whisk the oil, OJ, salt, honey and basil. Drizzle this dressing over the salad. Enjoy! 

~JMJ~ Today I was grateful for the breeze that would blow every so often, giving us much needed relief from the heat! Did I mention it was HOT at the festival? :)

Peace and Eat More Raw!