The Ranch Kitchen: Paula's Frozen Fruit Cups

You can meet the nicest people when you aren't expecting it. That was the case for me more than 8 years ago in Indianapolis, Indiana when I met Paula Achison over the back of cement cattle tie. We were both at a National Jr. Exposition that our kids were attending. Paula, I found out, loved to cook as much as I do. One day our interest in what the other was making for our state group of kids while in the barns got the better of us and we introduced ourselves to each other. I remember distinctly how impressed I was with her frozen fruit cups and after having one that day, I have remembered them to this day and our friendship has grown. She is a wonderful mother, friend, and cattle woman who is a constant supporter of my blog and my daughter Bethany as she has served as National Hereford Queen this year. As a member of the American Hereford Women she is a representative for all of us throughout our nation who are interested in not just our great Hereford cattle, CHB (Certified Hereford Beef), but mentoring and promoting our youth to lead our organization in the future!

As my family adds one more thing to the cattle trailer for our trip to this years National Jr. Hereford Expo, the one thing I will be placing in my cooler will be this recipe that Paula got from a friend years ago for her Frozen Fruit Cups! She messaged me a bit ago and told me that you can find them at the grocery store made by Glad Mini Cups in eight packs. Packing in these little containers makes it both convenient and easy to store in your cooler. I plan to serve these little fruit treats for breakfast one hot morning as a treat for our crew!

This year we will be eating with the state associations that will be providing lunch and some dinners nightly. It's a huge task for these states to host a Jr. Nationals with over 1,500 head of cattle in attendance and over 900 jrs. and their parents in attendance each year. We've been a little scared this year that our nationals may be cancelled due to flood water conditions and heavy rains north of Kansas City, Missiouri. But thankfully for the north the rains have subsided some and for those of us in Texas we just wish they would send it our way! Hay this year will be hard to come by. Pray for us! Fires and drought have ravaged the ranches and land in our state this spring and summer season of 2011.

This summer our Bethany will serve as National Hereford Queen and she could not be more excited. She and I have planned a Queen's Tea at her insistence. Little girls, their mothers, former National Queens and the American Hereford Women are in for a fun treat and etiquette lesson on Tea by our friend Diane Johnson of Details by Design of Fort Worth who will give an overview at our event. Bethany is really looking forward to getting to meet all the little Hereford girls in attendance!

Good luck to all the juniors in attendance and especially our little Audrey who will be showing at her 3rd Jr. Nationals. I will be also cooking my Chicken Spaghetti For A Crowd once again and expect to see all my 'kids' at the stalls on that day! I'll let you know when it's on the menu. So stop by our stalls just to visit and catch up! Safe travels and to everyone enjoy your July. Stay cool and please try the fantastic recipe below. You will not be disappointed!

Frozen Fruit Cups From Paula Achison - Anita's Frozen Fruit Cups:

1 cup each of assorted fruits like cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, etc.

1 container of frozen orange juice concentrate

Mix fruit and frozen orange juice concentrate together. Place in Glad Mini Bowls and freeze. You can serve these frozen, slightly thawed, or completely thawed according to your taste. ***You can use any fresh fruit that is in season says Paula. Cantaloupe, grapes,strawberries etc. Sometimes she would put in a can of peaches for the juice. The real secret to the dish she says is the frozen orange juice concentrate that you stir in undiluted. This keeps the fruit from turning brown. Then she puts the fruit mixture in small cups and freeze them. She uses the reusable Glad Mini Bowls in the eight pack with a lid to freeze them.

Paula says that during the summer her boys would work for a large farming/cattle operation. They both enjoyed Anita's wonderful cooking as much as the money. They always were telling about something she made and the Frozen Fruit Cups was one thing she would pack in a cooler for a snack in the tractor or combine.

Get cooking!

Below are some pictures of our National Jr. Hereford Expo in Indiana last year!

Alise and Paula!