Aunt Pat’s World Famous (on two continents at least) fruit salad to be precise.  A family tradition since I was a mere lad visiting the Middlebrook family (my mom’s sister) for Thanksgiving in La Crescenta, CA, scenically located in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest.  Even as a child I always looked forward to the fruit salad part of the feast.

Once I had my own family I secured the recipe and have been making it for the holidays ever since.  Here’s how it’s done:

I start with cutting up two largish bananas…

…then I drain two 16 oz cans of fruit cocktail and a large can of mandarin oranges…

…while the cans drain I chop up an apple. I prefer a tart granny smith in my fruit salad…

…then I put all the fruit in a bowl and douse it with a large helping of sour cream…

…add a bag of pecan pieces, then sweeten it up with some coconut and baby marshmallows…

stir until it’s all mixed up, chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow all those flavors to blend and then eat it up!

I don’t think of it as a dessert, I prefer to enjoy it right alongside my turkey and fixings. And don’t you dare call it ambrosia because it is not!  Don’t get me started.

Happy Thanksgiving!.