Strawberry Pretzel Salad!

Pretzel Salad is an old southern favorite that you used to find at a lot of holiday meals or church potlucks.  I think we have forgotten about this yummy recipe a little in recent years though.  Maybe it's just in my family that we don't make it as much anymore.  I am not really sure why though, because most everyone loves it.

 It's actually not a salad, but more like a dessert that goes really well with the other holiday selections.  This recipe can also be lightened up quite a bit without sacrificing much of the flavor at all by using light cream cheese, light whipped topping and sugar free Jello..

Here is what you will need for this Pretzel Salad:

1 stick butter, melted
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup chopped pecans
3 Tbs. sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1  8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1  8oz. frozen whipped cream
1 16 oz. box frozen strawberries
1 large strawberry flavored jello
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick spray.   Mix together butter, crushed pretzels, 3 Tbs. sugar and chopped pecans.  Press into the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.   Let cool.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together and then beat in frozen whipped topping. 
Spread over the cooled crust.   Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Dissolve Jello in 2 cups bowling water,  add 1 1/2 cups of cold water and the strawberries.  Stir until it starts to slightly thicken.   Pour over the  cream cheese layer, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until Jello sets completely. 

Serve cut in squares with a dollop of whipped cream on each piece. 







Pina Colada Ambrosia!

Remember ambrosia, the creamy fruit salad mixture with the mini marshmallows usually served at Thanksgiving or Christmas, sometimes at church potlucks or picnics?  Nothing wrong with a good ambrosia fruit salad.  My husband can eat it by the bucket full. 

This is a twist on that ambrosia. This is decidedly more tropical in nature and to me is more of a springtime, summer sort of ambrosia, but would be good anytime actually. 

Here is what you will need:

3 bananas

1 can pineapple tidbits with juice (you can use fresh pineapple but will need to add 1/2 cup pineapple juice)

2 (15 oz.)  cans tropical fruit salad drained

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges drained

1 (10 oz.) small jar maraschino cherries

1 3 oz instant vanilla pudding mix

juice of 1 lemon

2 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup cream of coconut

8 oz. whipped topping

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for topping (optional)

Slice bananas into mixing bowl and pour the juice of 1 lemon over them.

Drain all of the fruit except the pineapple and add to the bananas.  Add the pineapple tidbits with the juice to it.

Juice 2-3 oranges to make 1/2 cup orange juice and mix with 1 cup cream of coconut.  You can use 1/2 cup of refrigerated orange juice, but the fresh orange juice is so much better.  Pour this mixture over the fruit and mix gently.

Add pudding mix to the fruit and mix together.

Add all of the cherries but a few for garnishing the top!  Fold in whipped cream and marshmallows.  Chill for several hours so it thickens.

Toast the coconut in a 450 degree oven.  This usually takes about 10 minutes, but watch it carefully, because it will burn quickly.  Mix 1 cup into the fruit salad and sprinkle the other cup on top right before serving.  I also like to top it with chopped walnuts or pecans and a few whole maraschino cherries for garnish!

Pina Colada Ambrosia!

Millionaire Salad!!!

Remember the recipe for Millionaire Pie?  That rich and wonderful concoction we've been making since at least the 1970's in the south and serve mostly for holidays!    I decided to make it one day and then realized that I didn't have any graham crackers for the crust, so I thought why not make it a salad!   You know those sweet 'salads' we love to make for holidays , potlucks, church suppers, or just because in the south!!! 

I must say, the results were wonderful.  I am not a huge fan of these sorts of recipes sometimes, because they are heavy on fruits I cannot or don't eat that much and even I loved this one!   My daddy said it was one of the best things he's eaten in a long time and he's a picky one at times! 

It's also super easy which is always  a good thing!     This is perfect for the holidays and all ages seem to love it!

Here is what you will need for this:

1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, drained well
1 (16 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1  1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped and divided
1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped (leave a few whole to garnish the top)

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined.  Beat in the vanilla.  With a large spoon, stir in the crushed pineapple.

Fold in the whipped cream and miniature marshmallows.  Add 1 cup of the pecans or walnuts, reserving the other half cup to garnish the top.   Add the chopped maraschino cherries.

Pour into a large serving bowl and garnish the top with some of the whole cherries and the other half cup of pecans or walnuts!!!  Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight and then serve!  This serves 8 - 10 people easily! 

If you are interested in making the Millionaire Pie, here you go! It's also pretty wonderful!!!  Click on the recipe name and it takes you to the recipe!   Enjoy!!!

Fresh Fruit Salad!

This is a light and fresh tasting fruit salad that is made up of totally fresh fruit!  This makes it one healthy recipe and it's also dressed with nothing more than lemon juice and a little confectioner's sugar. 

Here is what you will need for this:

2 ripe pears, peeled and diced
2 peaches, pitted peeled and diced
2 oranges, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1 cup flaked coconut (optional)
4 Tbs. confectioners sugar
the juice of 1 fresh lemons

Place all of the diced fruit in a fruit bowl.  Whisk together the confectioners sugar and the juice of the two lemons. 

Pour over the fruit and toss lightly!

This is great served for brunch, lunch or dinner! 



Traditional Southern Ambrosia!

Last year during the holidays, I kept getting requests for Ambrosia.  As most of us who grew up in the South and have been cooking for a few years now know,  there are about a gazillion recipes for Ambrosia.  My husband is an ambrosia expert, even though he probably doesn't even know it's technically called ambrosia or that it's a southern classic.  He does know which ones he likes best.  Therefore, I posted Aunt Vel's Southern Ambrosia!   We have always loved that recipe and it's the type of ambrosia you will find the most in this part of Kentucky.  The kind that has more than just oranges and coconut in it and is a bit sweeter.  You know how we like to do things up a bit in Kentucky when it comes to holiday food and such.   There is nothing simple or plain about our holiday specialties in most cases.

Well, there were a few folks who just got crazy about the whole thing and let me know that was not 'true ambrosia'!   They just lost it!   I had heard of these 'ambrosia purists', but I didn't know they really existed.  This recipe, if you can call it a recipe, is for the ambrosia purists out there.  It's what so many grew up with and called ambrosia.  It's simple and only has a few ingredients.   I can see that this would be excellent served for a Christmas brunch or breakfast!  

Here is what you will need:

7-8 Navel oranges, peeled and cut in sections

2 Tbs. powdered sugar

2 cups fresh grated coconut or canned coconut

Peel the oranges, making sure to remove all of the pith. See the white stuff in the picture, that is the pith and it's bitter and it will make your ambrosia bitter.   I just cut a slice off the top and bottom of the orange with a sharp knife and then go down each side, just removing the skin.  Go back and trim the pith off.

See, no pith.  Now, hold the orange over a bowl and slice into sections follow the natural line of the membrane on the orange.  By holding it over the bowl, you will catch the juices.   Layer half of the oranges in a pretty glass bowl or trifle dish.  Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. of powdered sugar.  Sprinkle half of the coconut over the oranges.  Repeat with the rest of the oranges, 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar, ending with the coconut.  I garnish the top with a few orange segments and a cherry.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving! 





Holiday Fruit Salad!

I call this "Holiday Fruit Salad" because it's the fruit salad my mother has made for years for most holiday meals or one of the various salads we will have at a holiday meal.  This recipe probably originated back in the 1970's or maybe even the sixties.  I know that I grew up with it, but I am not sure when it actually got started.  I remember my late mother-in-law making it also back in the day.  

It's really such a simple little fruit salad to prepare, but I think it's one of the favorites to this day. 

My husband loves it.  Sometimes, I think he just mindlessly eats what I put in front of him, but since I have been writing for this site, he is thinking a bit more about food and what's good and what people might like more than others.  After I made this particular fruit salad for this post, he said he thinks it's still his favorite fruit salad after all of the varieties we make in our family. 

When you look at the list of ingredients, it might seem too simple and uncomplicated, but I think that might be what makes it so popular.  The instant pudding is the key.  The original version called for vanilla pudding.  You also sprinkled the bananas with about a 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to keep them fresh looking longer if you used the vanilla pudding.  I just use instant lemon pudding and I think it gives it a little more zip and flavor.  Feel free to use either one.  They both work!  

Here is what you will need:

1 (20 oz.) can of pineapple tidbits or chunks in juice (do not drain)

1 (3.4 oz.) instant lemon pudding mix (can use vanilla)

2 (15 oz.) cans of good fruit cocktail, drained

3-4 bananas, sliced

1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and sliced in half

Combine the pineapple tidbits and the pudding mix until the pudding has dissolved.  Add in the fruit cocktail and the sliced bananas.  Some of you will ask, what I mean by 'good fruit cocktail'.  Not all fruit cocktail is created equally.  The slightly better brands have better stuff in them.  I like Del Monte.   Some canned goods you can scrimp on, some it's best not to.

 Place in a pretty salad bowl.  Sprinkle the cherry halves over the top.   Chill for about an hour before serving! 

This is also good served for a holiday brunch or luncheon! 





Banana Split Salad!

  

This is a yummy fruit salad that can be served with a meal or as a dessert.  It would be great for the holidays, but it's also a cool summer salad.   The ingredients are things you usually have on hand, so you can whip this up at the last minute.   Here is what you will need for this:

1  11 oz. can Mandarin orange segments, drained

1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained ( 8 oz. can)

1 cup Maraschino cherries, drained on a paper towel

1 cup flaked coconut

2 bananas sliced, tossed in a little lemon juice

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup frozen whipped topping

2 Tbs. powdered sugar

Mix all of the fruit together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix the sour cream, frozen whipped topping and powdered sugar.  Pour over the fruit and mix.  Pour all into a glass serving bowl.  Top with additional cherries.  Chill until ready to serve.  This can be made several hours before serving as long as you keep it chilled.







Waldorf Salad...or Apple Walnut Salad!

My mother has been making this salad since I was a little girl and it's always been a family favorite.  She usually always serves this with some sort of poultry...chicken and dumplings, chicken and rice, roasted turkey and the flavors really go well with those sorts of dishes. 

 When I make it I usually just call it 'apple walnut salad', because if I say to my husband (no matter how many times I say it)  "How about a Waldorf Salad" for supper?"...then he is going to say,  "Huh, what's a Waldorf Salad?"   Then, for the umpteenth time in 32 years, I am going to say..."You know, it's that apple walnut salad that Mama makes" and he is going to say "Well, why don't you just say apple walnut salad and don't put the celery in it cause you know I don't like celery and sometime your Mama puts the celery in it anyway".  To which, I roll my eyes and say "OK, I won't"  while I am getting the celery out of the fridge and washing it...lol.  

 See, I like the celery and when I serve it, he complains and I just say "Pick the celery out, it isn't gonna  kill you."  So, he picks the celery out and proceeds to eat half of the bowl.   This is a simple salad and it's really very healthy. 

 Here is what you need:

Ingredients:

4 sweet apples, unpeeled and diced (something like Romas or Red Delicious work well)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup sliced celery

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs sugar

dash of salt

Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and dash of  salt.  Pour over the fruit and nuts and toss to coat.  Chill until ready to serve.  You can make this a couple of hours ahead of time, but it's best made the same day. 

Waldorf Salad!