Happy Birthday Mark!

Yesterday marked a quarter of a century for Mark. To celebrate, we went to the park and had a lovely picnic per Mark's request. Sure Mark and I (Mark more than me) complain about living in Cincinnati--how cramped it is compared to out west; being far away from family; and always having to dodge cars parked on the roads, skillfully maneuver poorly planned intersections, and protect our tires and hubcaps (we're down to 3) from ubiquitous potholes, yet Cincinnati has some of the most amazing parks! This is one of our favorites: French Park.

The weather was just right for a nature walk and a much needed photo-op. Unfortunately we didn't get one of all 3 of us.

On the Menu:

• Gourmet ham and cheese sandwiches (gourmet because it had more than one kind of cheese on it and a couple extra goodies)
• Mango Soup (yum yum, see recipe below)
• Grape Salad (salad greens, onions, tomatoes, feta, and grapes)
• Pineapple upside down cake

Mango Soup Recipe:

1 package (12-ounces) frozen mango chunks or 2 cups peeled and chopped mango (I used fresh mangoes)

1½ cups orange juice

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

In a food processor, combine mango, orange juice, sugar lemon juice, vanilla and yogurt, mixing until smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill. Makes 4 cups. (This can also be doubled as a smoothies--but it's more fun to call it soup!)

Enjoy!