Pineapple Fluff!

This "Pineapple Fluff" is one of those yummy dessert salads we love so much in the south!  I really liked this one, because it wasn't overly sweet and little lighter!   My husband loves anything pineapple, so he really liked it!  I served this for Easter!   It's also perfect for warmer weather, when you want something sweet, but don't want to turn the oven on!


Here is what you will need:

1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, drained well

1 (15 oz.) can of  mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, divided

1 (8 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping, slightly thawed

Beat the cream cheese with the confectioner's sugar until it's fluffy.  Add the vanilla and blend it in. Add the mandarin oranges and the pineapple and beat on low just to combine and break up the orange segments a little.  Add half of the nuts to the mixture.  Fold in the whipped topping until the it is all combined.  Pour into a serving dish or bowl and sprinkle the other half of the nuts on top.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving!

This will be great for Spring and Summer events!  

Caramel Apple Salad!

If there is one thing I love about Fall, it's caramel apples, so this salad was right up my alley.  It's so easy to make with a few simple ingredients and it's pretty enough to serve for even your special holiday meals.  This salad goes so well on a Fall menu.  Another bonus is that kids love this one!  You can also adapt this to make it practically sugar free and low fat. 

  This is what you will need:

1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple with the juice

1 (3 oz.) box of instant butterscotch pudding mix

3 large apples, cored and diced, leave the peel on

8  oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Mix all ingredients except the peanuts.  Chill for at least 1 hour. 

 Sprinkle the top with the chopped peanuts before serving.  You can also garnish with a few apple slices to  make it pretty.





Harvest Salad!

This "Harvest Salad" is a little different than a typical mixed salad, because it does have a base of salad greens but the rest of it is fruit and nuts.  The combination is just delicious and it's also very healthy!   The homemade dressing is also really good on this and easy to whip up.  This salad is very flexible so feel free use the fruits your family likes best or you have available in your area.

 Here is what you will need for this yummy salad:

5-6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped (baby spinach also works well in this)

2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded (could use cheddar )

1 pear, cored and diced

1 apple, cored and diced

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 cup Craisins dried cranberries

1 cup walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

5-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Dressing

1/3 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup honey (can use sugar substitute)

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tsp. poppy seeds

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large salad bowl layer the romaine lettuce and cheese.  Toss the diced pear and apple with the 1 Tbs. of lemon juice and then layer it on top of the cheese.  Next layer Craisins, walnuts, blueberries, strawberries and bacon. 

In a blender blend the lemon juice, honey, oil and Dijon mustard until emulsified.  Add the chopped onion, poppy seeds, salt, garlic powder and pepper.  Blend again until smooth.    This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

I like to serve the dressing on the side and let everyone dress their own to their liking, but you can dress the entire salad at the table right before serving also! 

This is such a pretty salad and it's special enough for your holiday meals or add more bacon and some grilled chicken and make a main dish out of it! 





Honey Pecan Fruit Salad!

This fruit salad is a really fresh tasting fruit salad that uses all fresh fruit and just a light dressing with honey for a bit of a sweetness.  It's a great salad for those who are trying to reduce processed sugars and you can feel good about giving this to the children as a healthy snack or with their dinner or lunch.  My husband is our big fruit eater in the house and he just absolutely loves this salad.

 Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup mayonnaise (can use light)
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
3 oranges, peeled, seeded and cut in bite size pieces (can use a 11 oz. can of Mandarin oranges, drained if you do not have fresh oranges)
4 apples, cored, unpeeled and diced (I used 2 red and 2 green for color)
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup pecans, chopped


Mix the honey and mayonnaise together in a bowl until smooth.  Set aside.  Place the grapes, orange pieces, apples and bananas in a bowl.

Sprinkle the lemon juice over the fruit.  This keeps the apples and bananas from turning dark. 

Sprinkle half of the pecans in and pour the dressing over all.  Toss gently, careful not to mash the fruit.  Once tossed, sprinkle the other half of the pecans on top. 

Serve immediately or chill for an hour before serving!

Cool and Creamy Salads and Desserts!

This is the time of year when you want cool and creamy dishes that do not require hours of cooking in the oven or standing over a hot stove.  I decided to take some of the most popular ones on the site and put them all here in one place for you.  These are salads or desserts that we tend to make over and over in my family, because no one gets tired of them.  I hope you and your family will enjoy some of them also.  They are not complicated or fussy and some don't even require actual cooking, but they are so good. 

Click on the title of the recipe below each picture and it will take you to the post with the recipe! 

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Salad

2 Minute Tropical Pie

Banana Split Salad

Snicker's Pie

Mama's Coleslaw!

Caramel Pecan Delight Pie!

Strawberry Dream Salad!

White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie!

Mama's Potato Salad!

Kicked Up Caramel Pie!

Southern Ambrosia!

Key Lime Pie!

Chili Cheese Frito Corn Salad!

Candy Bar Salad!

 Tortellini and Broccoli Harvest Salad!

Blueberry Lemon Trifle!

Orange Buttermilk Salad!

Lemon Icebox Pie!

Watergate Salad!

Pretzel Salad!



Strawberry Dream Salad!

This strawberry salad is a really old recipe that we have been making for years.  It's a bit different from some of the other congealed salads and is not really quite as sweet.   It is really  tasty though. It's perfect for potlucks and holiday meals.   

Here is what you need for this one: 

  

2  (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry gelatin

1 cup water

2 (10 oz.) boxes frozen strawberries

3 bananas, mashed

1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (16oz.) container of sour cream

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese,softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add gelatin to dissolve.  Add strawberries and break them up to separate them.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except the sour cream cream cheese sugar, and vanilla.  Pour half of the mixture of the mixture in a 9"x13" dish.  Refrigerate until soft set.

Mix the sour cream, cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until smooth.  Spread over the gelatin layer.

Pour the rest of the gelatin/fruit mixture over the top of this layer.   Chill for at least 4 hours.  Cut in squares and top with a dollop of whipped cream to serve.



Orange Buttermilk Salad!

 

 

This is one of those "salads" that is really almost a light dessert, but however you serve it, it's really delicious.  I am not a person who is really crazy about the congealed, creamy, fruity salads, but this one is one of my favorites.  If you are one of those folks who doesn't care for buttermilk, don't worry, you will never know this has buttermilk in it when it's all mixed together.   Here is what you need for this "Orange Buttermilk Salad": 

 

 

1  8 oz. can of crushed pineapple in syrup

1  5 oz. box of orange flavored Jello gelatin

2 cups buttermilk

1 8 oz. container of whipped topping, thawed

1 (11oz.)  can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

 

Place pineapple with it's juice in the microwave and cook until it boils...about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes in most microwaves.   Pour orange gelatin in and mix.  Let this cool to room temperature.  Whisk in the buttermilk. Fold in the whipped topping, mandarin orange segments and the nuts.  You can pour this into an 8 cup mold or in a pretty glass serving bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight is best. 

 

This basic recipe can be easily altered by to make different flavors.  For example by using cherry gelatin and a cup of chopped maraschino cherries, you can change this to a Cherry Buttermilk Salad.

 

Orange Buttermilk Salad 

 





Aunt Vel's Southern Ambrosia!

Ambrosia is a southern classic on the holiday table and there are literally hundreds of variations on the basic idea of ambrosia.  This recipe is my Aunt Vel's and it is a fairly straightforward ambrosia, which I like because it's not too sweet or overly complicated.

 It is great with baked ham or roasted turkey.  My husband is our fruit lover in the family and he really loves all ambrosia and fruit salads. This ambrosia is one of his favorites. 

This is what you will need for this:

1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup nuts, chopped (pecans or walnuts)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together until combined, chill and serve. So simple and so good!  If you are looking for a little more variation in an ambrosia type salad, you might also want to check out Pina Colada Ambrosia or Banana Split Salad!

Southern Ambrosia!