Oh hey, thanks for stopping by!
I want to talk about two things today: Jesus, and Mango.
Wait, wait, before you get all uncomfortable and squirmy I want to say first off that I’m not planning to get apocalyptic on you and use my blog as a platform to be preachy or judgy. Although… I may entice you to say a few “amens”, we shall see!
I think if you are a regular reader you’d get the impression by now that yes, I am a Christian, and yes I believe in Jesus, and so therefore Easter is a very important holiday for me. If you are new to the blog, well, now you know!
I’ve hesitated to talk about my faith in depth on the blog because to be honest, I don’t want to be labeled. I don’t want to be considered judgy, arrogant, close-minded, or unaccepting just because I am a Christian.
I think that somewhere along the way in the history of Christianity and the church, the focus became more about rules rather than on the relationship with whom Christianity is all about… Christ, and that could be why, many people are quick to put their hands up in the defence when they hear “I’m a Christian”. But fortunately, more recently it seems like there’s been a positive shift back to the focus on relationship and a recognition of the fact that Jesus always had a come as you are demeanour, and so should we.
As I celebrate Easter, and consider what Jesus did through his sacrifice on the cross, it reminds me to try my best to be the type of Christian that shows others who Jesus really was, and still IS; loving, compassionate, forgiving, gracious, merciful, generous. Always there to give strength, joy, peace, and acceptance with open arms, no matter who, let me repeat, no matter who you are, what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or what you struggle with.
I can’t imagine my life without Jesus as my friend, helper, constant companion, and of course Saviour, and am so thankful for all that Easter represents.
I’d like to encourage you, if you’ve had any preconceptions or bad-tastes in your mouth about Christianity/Christians/Jesus etc., to ask me more about my personal experience, so I can maybe turn that around or give you a new view on things.
Ok… on to the MANGO!
I’ve been majorly into dried mango lately. I picked up a bunch from Earth’s General Store and have been snacking on it non-stop.
Mango is super delicious and healthy! It’s a great source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin K, and potassium! It’s an immune boosting food and a beauty food!
When you buy dried mango, be sure that it is unsweetened, natural dried mango. There’s many different brands out there and often there is added sugar, so check in the ingredients list to be sure you are getting only pure, awesome mango!
I decided to make simple mango snacks to add a little somthethin’ somethin’ to my mango by dipping it into melted 70% dark chocolate and then coating the chocolate layer with crushed nuts and granola!
Um. Yum. A little bit of chew and crunch!
These little snacks are perfect for a mid day pick-me-up or a before bed treat. I actually need to make more because my hubby pretty much ate the whole ziploc bag I filled with these in less than a day.
(Between you and me, I should have just hid it… like I sometimes do with food/snacks/treats I want to have for myself. Unfortunately, I’m not that generous when it comes to food at home…I said I TRY to be like Jesus… I’m not perfect!)
I hope you have a wonderful Easter Sunday and that you get your hands on some dried mango to try this recipe ASAP!
Do you love mango? How about Jesus? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
- 10 pieces dried mango
- 1 oz 70% dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons crushed raw pistachios
- 2 tablespoons crushed raw hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons granola of choice
- Place the mango in the freezer for 20 minutes to make cold.
- After 20 minutes, heat a small pan over low heat and add in the dark chocolate and coconut oil, stirring until melted and smooth.
- Remove from heat and scrape into a bowl using a spatula.
- Take the cold dried mango pieces and dip into the chocolate to coat ½ of the mango piece.
- The chocolate should harden quite quickly, so before it is fully hardened, sprinkle each side with one of the crushed nuts or granola.
- Place on a large plate.
- Repeat the process with all the pieces of dried mango, then place the plate in the fridge to set for 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Christal
Nutritionist in the Kitch
