Fruit Salad with Plum, Madarin, Kiwi & Banana

Tired of the cold grey weather already?  Christmas sweets and comforts foods got you down?  Then make fruit salad!  This is so simple and quick to make.  Refresh yourself with a juicy salad that will brighten your day!

FRUIT SALAD
by Mum In Bloom

2 bananas
3 plums
3 kiwis
3 madarin oranges
lemon juice
sugar (or Truvia which is what I prefer)

Slice all the fruit into bite sized pieces, add a couple teaspoons of lemon (or lime or orange) juice, add sugar to taste and stir all together.

Yes, it's just that easy.

Printable Recipe

Happily submitted to Tastey Tuesdays over at A Beautiful Mess.
Enjoy!

from the book "The Rainbow Dictionary"

by Wendell W. Wright, PH.D.

Asssited by Helene Laird

Illustrations by Joseph Low

1959 The World Publishing Company

I purchased this beautiful book at an auction for pennies!

Back-to-School "Boo Hoo Brunch"

Bob's Bean Salad Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Each year our MOMS Club, along with my friends and I, get together just after back-to-school for a "Boo Hoo Brunch".  It's a great way to connect with the mothers who have little ones going to school for the first time, or who suddenly find themselves alone all day while everyone's at school.  As a stay-at-home mother, this can be a difficult time when your home is all too quiet, and the reality of no children under foot can create a sense of loneliness and purpose.

Our "Boo Hoo Brunch" was full of laughs, friendship, support and great food.  It's so uplifting to be around all the girls discussing what's next in our lives... and did I mention the great food?

Happily submitted to Family Friendly Friday's over at Mommie Cooks!

Recipe: White Bean and Tuna Salad

I've been busy making lunches lately as my husband takes lunch to work each day, and our daughter is back-to-school.  My goal is to pack a waste-free-lunch so no uneccessary garbage is thrown away at work or school, therefore, you won't find any Lunchables here, eh?

Bean salads are a good choice for lunches because they last for days in the fridge, and are packed with flavour and nutrition.  This White Bean and Tuna Salad I found over at Simply Recipes - such a  lovely site.  It has red onions, zesty lemon, tuna, white beans, parsely, and Tabasco.  This zippy salad is perfect served on crackers and is a change from the everyday tuna salad sandwich.

WHITE BEAN AND TUNA SALAD
from Simply Recipes

1 cup of chopped red onions
The zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 five to six ounce cans of tuna packed in olive oil
2 15-ounce cans of Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
A few splashes of Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt and olive oil to taste

Sprinkle some of the lemon juice over the chopped onions while you prepare the other ingredients. This will take some of the oniony edge off the onions.

Drain the oil from the tuna and put the tuna into a large bowl. Add the beans to the tuna and gently stir to combine. Add the onions, herbs, black pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix to combine. Add Tabasco or chile to taste. If the salad needs more acid, add a little more lemon juice. If the salad seems a little dry, add a little bit of olive oil. Add salt to taste.

Chill before serving. This salad will last several days in the fridge, tightly covered.  Serves 4.

Printable Recipe

Some other lunch box favourites you may enjoy:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Cowboy Caviar (bean salad)
Ham and Cheddar in a Loaf
Tomatoe Basil Soup
 
Enjoy!

from the book "Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever"

pictures by Richard Scarry

1968, Golden Press

I bought this book from a local thrift shop.

Recipe: Blueberry Peach Salad with Thyme

Make this fruit salad to celebrate the first day of summer or anytime.  Made with fresh peaches and blueberries with ginger, lemon and thyme.  A perfect salad to take with us in the cooler for our Father's Day ride on the boat yesterday. 

The kids loved this salad and all asked for seconds.  The ginger and thyme are very pronounced but the sweetness from the peaches and blueberries add balance to this salad.

BLUEBERRY PEACH SALAD WITH THYME
from Simply Recipes

4 peaches

4 nectarines (I used 8 peaches)

1 cup of blueberries
2 teaspoons of fresh, chopped thyme (I used 1 -1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, will use less next time)
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup of sugar  (I used 2 packets of Truvia)
Or 1 tablespoon of agave syrup in lieu of water and sugar

If using water and sugar place them into a saucepot and bring to a boil and liquid is reduced by half into a simple syrup. Allow to cool.

Chop up the peaches and nectarines and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Pour over the cooled simple syrup or agave syrup. Add the thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, and ginger.

Stir and cover with plastic wrap, place in the fridge and allow to macerate for one hour. Serve.  Serves 4-8.
(I made this in the morning, then placed it into a plastic container, and we put it in the cooler until late that afternoon.  It still tastes great this morning).

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from "Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens"

by Mary Mason Campbell

pictures by Tasha Tudor

1971, Western Publishing Company

Recipe: Cowboy Caviar (Bean Salad)

Packed full of nutricious beans, peppers, tomatoe, celery and red onion this salad is delicious.  I'm glad it's called Cowboy Caviar because I don't think my kids would eat it if it was called bean salad.  My husband brought home this recipe from a lady at his work who brought some in to share.

A gift for a friend.  Isn't it pretty in the jar?

This salad takes a little time to make as there's alot of chopping, but it lasts 2 weeks in the fridge.  Perfect for a pot luck, camping, to pack in a cooler, lunches for the week, or to give as a gift to a neighbour.  Yes, you don't always have to give baked goods as gifts.  This recipe makes a huge batch.

I served this with homemade turkey burgers and buns and I'll post those recipes next week.  Let me tell you, they were awsome!  You can also serve this on tortilla chips, pita bread, flat bread crackers or simply with a spoon like we did.

COWBOY CAVIAR (BEAN SALAD)

Boil the oil, vinegar and sugar, and let cool
1 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

Dice and place in large bowl
4 stalks celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3-4 roma tomatoes, diced

Drain, rinse and place in a large bowl with diced vegetables
1 can (15 oz) shoped or white corn
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans
1 can (15 oz) black eyed peas
1 can (15 oz) black beans
1 can (15 oz) chick peas

Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

After oil, vinegar and sugar mixture has cooled, mix it together with the diced vegetables and beans.  Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  This gets better by the day, if you can keep it that long.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1952, Harper and Row

Recipe: Fruity Crab Pasta Salad

Our boat was slipped and docked this weekend, so it's time to gear-up for recipes that can easily be prepared and packed into a cooler.  This healthful recipe is made with yogurt to replace most of the mayonnaise and sweetend with honey and a subtle ginger flavour.

FRUITY CRAB PASTA SALAD
from Taste of Home

3/4 cup uncooked spiral pasta
1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat
1 snack-size cup (4 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup halved seedless red grapes
1/4 cup halved seedless green grapes
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1-1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, combine the pasta, crab, oranges and grapes.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey and ginger; pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 2 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

Recipe: Cardamom Citrus Fruit Salad

I wanted to serve a healthier dessert after dinner and this didn't disappoint.  This was a real treat with it's sweet and sour flavours and the wonderful aftertaste of cardamom.   Everyone loved the cardamom spice and the honey-lime sauce.

CARDAMOM CITRUS FRUIT SALAD
from Simply Recipes

1 large ruby pink grapefruit
3 navel oranges or a combination of naval oranges, blood oranges, mandarin oranges and/or tangerines
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Peel the fruit. Cut away the membranes of the individual segments with a sharp knife. Collect the peeled segments in a bowl.

Drain off any excess juice from the fruit into a small saucepan. Add the lime juice, honey, and cardamom to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes and then remove from heat and let cool to room temp. Pour over fruit mixture and gently fold in so that all the fruit is coated. Let stand for 15 minutes or chill until ready to serve.

Serves 4.

Printable Copy

Enjoy!

from "Barbie Goes to a Party"

Story by Jean Bethell

Pictures by Claudine Nankivel

1964 Mattel, Inc.

Recipe: Mango and Radish Salad with Lime Dressing

Oh my goodness this was a fantastic salad!  It's as flavourful as it is colourful.  I could've easily eaten this as a dessert.  I even drank the leftover dressing from the bowl... yes, I did.  My kids loved this too.  The combination of sour lime with the sweet from papaya and honey is heavenly.  This would go perfectly with grilled chicken, pork chops or steak.  This is very easy to make and comes together in a flash.

MANGO AND RADISH SALAD WITH LIME DRESSING
from Matha Stewart Living May 2010

1 mango, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced (I used a regular cucumber)
1 bunch of radishes (about 8), halved or quartered (I thinly sliced mine)
1 Tablespoon finely grated lime zest
2 Tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
Coarse salt (I used Kosher)

Arrange mango, cucumber, and radishes on a platter.  Whisk together lime zest and juice, oil and honey.  Season with with salt.  Drizzle dressing over salad, and season with salt.

Printable Copy

Enjoy!

from the book "The Puppy Who Found a Boy"

Story and Pictures by George and Irma Wilde

1951 by Wonder Books, Inc.

Recipe: Broccoli Salad

I'm on a salad kick here lately.  With summer just around the corner, it's hard to resist serving fresh salads again and again.   My kids love brocolli (I'm not kidding!) so I knew this salad would be appealing to them, especially as it has lots of bacon in it. 

This is a make-ahead salad worked out perfect with our busy weekend.  The longer you leave it in the fridge the more flavour is infused into the brocolli.  I was going to skip the sunflower seeds but am so glad I didn't.  They really added a lovely nutty flavour and blended well with the crispy bacon pieces.

I served this with a London Broil steak, so supper was done cooking and served within 10 minutes.  I only had to take the salad out of the fridge, toast the sunflower seeds and broil the steak.

The recipe comes from a great site I discovered recently called Mennonite Girls Can Cook.  This fantastic site is filled with simple, down home recipes.  I must've printed at least a dozen to try.

BROCCOLI SALAD
from Mennonite Girls Can Cook

2 bunches raw broccoli, cut in small chunks
I med onion, diced (I used half a red onion)
1/2 cup raisins
8 slices crisply cooked bacon, cut in small pieces
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
roasted sunflower seeds, approx 2 Tablespoons

Mix mayo, sugar and vinegar.
Pour over the ingredients except for the sunflower seeds, mix well and cover.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
Just before serving mix in the sunflower seeds.

Printable Version

Enjoy!

Our plans for today...

from the book "The Busy ABC"

Illustrated by Eloise Wilkin

1950 Whitman Publishing