Savor the Sweetness of Mangos {#MakeItMango}

Do you like mangos? If you do, you're in luck, because mangos are the world's most popular fruit and are available in the United States, year-round! Last week, the National Mango Board invited Owen and me to a Mango Kids in the Kitchen cooking demonstration. The demonstration was held at a local cooking studio, Really Cooking With Robin in East Norriton, PA.

When we arrived, there were chips with a yummy Mango Salsa on the tables. I could have eaten the entire bowl, it was so yummy! We also enjoyed Mango and Banana Smoothies, which were a hit with the kids for sure!

Once we all arrived, it was time for the cooking lesson to begin. Robin showed us how she made the Mango and Banana Smoothies, and asked a couple of the kids to help her demonstrate how to cut and scoop the mangos.

After we whipped up some more smoothies, Robin instructed us how to make yummy Cinco de Mango Quesadillas using mangos. We make Quesadillas around our house a lot - it can be a great way to use up things in the refrigerator. I had never thought to add mangos, but it tasted so great.

As we were all enjoying the fruits of our labor, Robin brought out some Frozen Yogurt Dipped Mango Pops. Not only were these adorable to look at, but they tasted wonderful! This will definitely be a go-to summer snack for us this season!

I use mangos at home to sweeten my own green smoothies each morning. I have always used frozen mango, because I was intimidated to try and select and cut a mango myself. If you haven't tried to cook with mangos at home,  you should give it a try! Don't be intimidated, they are much easier to use than you may think. Here are some tips for using mangos in your own kitchen creations:

• A red mango, doesn't necessarily mean a ripe mango. To find a ripe mango, just squeeze gently. A ripe mango will be slightly soft, like an avocado. A firm mango will ripen at room temperature over a few days.

• To cut a mango, simply slice off the sides of the fruit, avoiding the large seed in the center. Once you have the two sides, you can get to the flesh and slice or dice as needed. Just scoop it our of the skin.

• Keep unripe mangos at room temperature. Don't refrigerate mangos before they are ripe, but once ripe, mangos can be moved to the refrigerator to slow down ripening for several days.

For additional tips on cutting mangos and some more delicious recipes, visit www.mango.org

What have you made with mangos lately?

catch you soon -
This is a sponsored post, completed in cooperation with the National Mango Board and The Motherhood. As always, all opinions are my very own, or that of my family.