I thought long and hard about my favorite summer recipe to share with you today. Really, my husband is the one who chose for me. He LOVES when I make my Summer Grapefruit Granita.

Since it is refreshing and easy, I knew it was the one to share.

Did I mention refreshing?

And easy?

Okay. Good.

Here are the basics:

What You Will Need

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (Although dried mint works too, I’ve done it before when I didn’t have fresh leaves on hand.)
• 2 cups fresh grapefruit juice  - roughly 3 medium grapefruits (I’ve also experimented with other citrusy fruits. They are all delicious! So, if you feel creative, go for it. Grapefruit is my favorite option though.)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice -roughly 2 lemons

What You Will Do

1. In a small saucepan, bring sugar, mint, and 1/2 cup water to a boil over medium-high. Stir often, until sugar dissolves.
2. In a blender, combine fruit juices and mint syrup and puree on high to combine for 30-ish seconds. Pour mixture into a shallow, shallow, shallow baking dish.
3. Freeze until solid.
4. With a fork (or if you are like me, a hammer!), break granita into large chunks. Transfer to a food processor/blender and pulse until little delicious crystals form.
5. Serve deliciousness to your loves.
6. Serve to yourself. Since we all know, no one else is going to do it!
7. Kick back and relax.
8. Peruse your favorite magazine. May I suggest this one?

*Adapted from a recipe I ripped out of an Everyday Food during a long and boring winter day. Grapefruit names have been changed to protect the innocent. Oh, I kid. I kid.

Head on over to the fabulous Critty Joy to get cooking!

This is one of my all time favorite quotes. I often read it to myself when I need to encourage myself to keep going.

Quote:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.
-Mother Theresa

Question:

What is your current “anyway”?

Mine? People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.

“God would never choose for us safety at the cost of significance.”

–Erwin Rapahel McManus

I am mesmerized by tissue paper. I seek it out at every party store, stock it up in my pantry, fluff it up in every present I give and fold it up tight when I receive it.

I am, at times, more impressed with the tissue paper of a gift than the gift itself.

Isn’t there just something about polka dots, pink and paper so sheer you can see the world through it?

I think, in life, I’m mesmerized by tissue paper as well.

I get so caught up in the wrapping of this place — this earth — this one shot, that I often overlook the gifts given to me completely.

I see a house with a white picket fence.

I see an office with an actual address.

I see a convertible with my hair blowing wildly in the wind.

And I neglect to look deeper.

Because again, there is just something about the polka dots, pink and paper so sheer it tints my world to a brighter hue.

I say, “I want to be like Christ. I want to know Him.”

And most of the time, that’s a tissue paper statement. It looks good, adds flair, is polka dot and pink.

It’s a Christian wrapping. A gift bag we present – perhaps with good intention, but with lacking conviction.

“I want to be like Christ.”

A dangerous declaration.

It means nails in hand, betrayal in full, hunger for 40 days, temptation that aims to take, the weight of sin, the pull of the crowd, the ache for silence, the sickness of a wayward world. It means suffering in righteousness and patience in affliction. It means the testing of faith, hidden glory, the taking up of a daily cross.

“I want to be like Christ. I want to know Him.”

A gift.

Hidden underneath the tissue paper of this life.

I want to be one who looks past the polka dots and pink. Who means it when she says, “I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.” Philippians 3:10-11

I want to live dangerously.

Not worried about tearing up the paper the present is wrapped in.

I want to forfeit my hold on the temporal so I can fully embrace the eternal.

I want to live dangerously?

How about you?

Lately I’ve been asking the Lord, “Why?”

Lately I’ve been longing for change.

Lately the heat has been too much and ice pops have been my friend.

Lately decisions have had to be made.

Lately I’ve loved having my sister here for the summer.

Lately we’ve been on the hunt for the perfect cupcake.

Lately my husband and I have been looking ahead.

Lately life has been hard.

Lately I’ve found beauty in simple things.

Lately I’ve been reading this while considering grief and joy.

And I’ve been wondering, what have you been up to as of late?

Link up or share in the comments!

It seems we hunger for things and people that are genuine.

Tell me:

When you think of authenticity, who comes to mind?

Why do they come to mind?

What can we learn from them?

***

Also, quick reminder that tomorrow As of Late finally comes back! You can read about the details here. Hope to see you linking up or commenting.

The Fab CrittyJoy is hosting a Summer recipe link up.

Here are some details:

When:  Tuesday, July 20

Where:  at CrittyJoy

What:  You post your favorite summer recipe (you can post more than 1 if you like!) on your blog for Tuesday and then you visit CrittyJoy and link up.  Then explore the other blogs and find great new recipes to try!  McLinky will go live at midnight EST on the 20th.

Head on over to Christy’s place to let her know if you will be joining the fun. I know I will be!

The quote:

Each person is given something to do that shows who God is. — 1 Cor. 12:7 MSG

The question:

What’s your “thing”? What are you doing about it?

Two weeks or so ago she wrote a post that included one of my current favorite songs.

I hope you read it.

We weren’t meant to live on auto-pilot.

Read it here: kara with a k: Wake Up, O Sleeper.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I’m following suit today!

Many of you reading this blog did not read my previous blog Dancing in the Margins before I moved my focus to Exemplify.

I’d love to get to know you more!

And those of you I do know, I’d love to have you answer anyway. Things like this are fun, fun, fun! The more, the merrier.

Tell me:

What is your favorite drink at Starbuck’s? (Mine: Steamed Soy Milk or Passion Team Lemonade, Unsweetened. Although, before I had to give up coffee, I’d answer SkinnyVanillaLattewithExtraFoam&ExtraHot!!, faster than you could say “caffeine”!)

Where can I find you online? (Obviously, you’ve found me!)

In one word, describe your personality. (Me: spunky)

Other than blogging, what do you love to do? (Me: Find adventure/ get lost somewhere.)

Happy Thursday!

Read more about Monday Morning Musing.

The Quote:

Let me learn—
That the way down is the way up,
That to be low is to be high,
That the broken heart is the healed heart,
That the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
That the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
That to have nothing is to possess all,
That to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
That to give is to receive,
That the valley is the place of vision.

— Puritan Prayer