Grandma's Fruit Salad

This is my dad's mom's recipe.  We lost Grandma twenty years ago, Dad 9 months ago.  Hurts my heart to think about them but it warms my heart to make food that they loved.  Grandma loved this salad and whenever she would make it she would add bananas at the last minute then make sure to tell us to eat them.  Every time.  You HAD to take bananas in your bowl or they would turn brown.  Over the years, it became a joke with her, culminating in her telling us to "Eat the GODDAMN Bananas!". 

Grandma's Fruit Salad

2 grapefruits

1 can pineapple- drained

2 oranges

1 can mandarin oranges

Maraschino cherries with some juice

 

Peel and chunk up the oranges and grapefruits.  Make sure to squeeze out the grapefruit halves to get the juice into the bowl.

Stir in the cans of mandarin oranges and the drained pineapple.

Add some cherries to taste (I usually cut them in half)

Add some of the cherry juice to taste - we go for color as well.  The juice is a little pink.

 

RIGHT BEFORE you serve it, cut up a banana.  Yell at everyone to eat the banana.

 

I've added grapes before as well if I have them around - they are good. 

 

Her recipe makes a good sized bowl and, without the goddamn bananas, will keep about a week.

Fall Breakfast for Dinner

It's Fall.  Yippee!!!  Time for real cooking to begin again.  One of the first things I crave when the weather cools is my mom's Stuffed Squash.  But this isn't your mother's stuffed squash....it's MY mother's stuffed squash.  Think of a perfect Fall breakfast, then have it for dinner.

Recipe from mom....

STUFFED SQUASH

 

1 or 2 Buttercup squash- depending on the size

2 lbs bulk pork breakfast sausage 1 hot and 1 mild

1 lg onion, chopped

~ 1/3 of a loaf of Italian bread, crust removed and cubed

Maple syrup, butter, salt  and a 9”x13” casserole

Cut the squash in half and clean out the seeds. Spray a baking sheet with PAM and put the squash cut surface down on the baking sheet and bake at 425°F for about 40 min.

Or

Pierce squash all over with a knife tip. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 375° for about 1 hour. When soft, peel and seed.

While the squash is baking, spray the casserole with PAM. Then in a large skillet, brown the sausage, breaking it up into little bits. When the sausage is almost done, push it to the back of the pan and add the onions. When the onions are brown, push them aside and brown the bread cubes-you may need a little oil here. Then mix it all together and turn off the heat.

 

****Mom and I have different opinions here.  I do the onions first.  Probably makes no difference but thought I'd point it out anyway.***

When the squash is done-it will be soft- scoop it out of the skin and put it in the casserole. Add salt and a few pats of butter and mash it around. Smooth it out and drizzle with the maple syrup. Then add the stuffing and drizzle again with the syrup.

Put the casserole back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes-the top will get crispy.

 Notes: Other types of squash work-buttercup is my favorite. I used to make this by stuffing a half of a squash but it’s easier to eat this way. But sweet dumpling squash are very pretty stuffed.

I buy the sausage when it’s on sale and keep it in the freezer until I’m ready to use it. If I have only mild sausage, I add some crushed red pepper. I’ve used Bob Evans, Jimmy Dean and no name bulk sausage-they all taste the same to me.

Real maple syrup works best for this. I get a big container at Costco.

I say Italian bread but what is really needed is a sturdy bread.

You can use more onion. I usually do.

While the squash is baking and after the stuffing is made, you’ll have time to make a salad, etc.

The bake time is flexible and you can adjust it to accommodate other things you have to do.

 

***Amanda here again. This makes a big casserole, so if you're just cooking for one or two, then obviously get less squash!  And get 1 lb of mild sausage and add red pepper flakes.***