Luscious Lemon Cream Cups and Why We’re Like Hydrangeas

When we moved into our house, the flowers beds left little to be desired.  Slowly we’ve been adding plants that we like and filling them in here and there.  One of the first things we did though was plant hydrangeas in a shady spot under some crape myrtles.  Despite the fact that they can be a little finicky, they’re one of Heather’s favorite flowers, so we added them.

I found 3 of the most beautiful pink hydrangeas I had seen from a local grower.  They were amazing – so bright and vibrant.  They were the perfect pop of pink color.  But then something happened.  Each season, the blooms would change color.  They’ve changed from a vibrant pink to an amazing purple.  Next year, I imagine they’ll be even closer to blue.  They’re beautiful, but now very different than what I bought.

Here’s the thing… Many hydrangeas are affected by the pH of the soil around them.  It plays an integral role in determining the color of the bloom.  Acidic soil creates blue or lavender blooms while alkaline soil will create blooms that are pink or even red.  And you can change it.  Get blue flowers by adding garden sulfur to the soil around the plant.  If you want pink blooms, add lime to the soil.  Now, it’s not something that happens immediately.  It usually takes an entire season to see the change and not all hydrangeas will change.  For instance, white hydrangeas will always be white.

All of this got me to thinking though.  You know, as humans we’re a lot like these hydrangeas.  The things that we choose to surround ourselves with often have an effect on the people we become.  Here’s the perfect example.

Several years ago, I was working on a project with someone who just generally had a negative attitude toward everything.  I realized she was like that, but being that we were working together, there wasn’t really a way to avoid her.  Being around her just made me have a terrible attitude.  I was slowly adopting the same negativity toward all kinds of things.  It just made me unpleasant. But it was such a gradual thing, I didn’t really notice it happening to me.  Once the project was over and I started distancing myself from this person, I was able to see what was going on.  I had no idea how negative I had become.  I found myself to generally be grumpy all the time.  Eventually, I was able to take control and change my disposition, but it was scary to see how much of an effect one person had on me.

The same goes for when you surround yourself with positive people who lift you up.  Being around people who are positive, supportive, and comforting will make you more like them.

All this to say… Be careful who you surround yourself with. They might change the color of your character.  And it might not be a color that looks good on you.

I can’t wait for y’all, to try these delicious little Lemon Cream Cups.  They’re no-bake, super easy, and are the perfect thing to keep in the freezer when you need a delicious, quick dessert.  You can serve them topped with any of your favorite fruit, but I especially love to top them with strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi.  They’re the perfect cool, sweet treat for summer, too!  The bright lemon flavor is perfect with the cream.  You’re just going to love them!

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Recipe Card

Luscious Lemon Cream Cups

Author Stacey Little

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 to 10 cups

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 cups whipping cream
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ cut fresh fruit

Instructions

• ▢
  Place 8 to 10 cupcake liners (I like to use the foil ones, but paper will work) in a cupcake pan. Set aside.
• ▢
  With a mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the whipping cream and beat until you get semi-stiff peaks. Stir in the juice, zest, and vanilla. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the mixture into each cup and freeze. To serve, remove the cream cups from the liners and allow to soften for about 5 minutes. Serve topped with fresh fruit. I like to use blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi, but use whatever you like.

Notes

For long term storage, place the frozen cups in a zip top bag and return to the freezer.

* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.

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