A New Fruit Salad

I have vowed that with all the food storage I have that when it's time to make or take something somewhere, like a potluck or party, that instead of picking a recipe and running to the store to get what I needed, I would look at what I already have and then pick a recipe and make something without the extra trip to the store. (When I have done the run-to-the-store type cooking I have usually walked out of the store with at least $20 worth of stuff--not good when I am trying to watch my grocery budget!)  So when it was time for the Superbowl party, what I really wanted to take was a fruit salad...and I actually thought I had everything to make my favorite one.  Unfortunately I didn't, but I decided to wing it and improvise...and I'm glad I did because this salad turned out fabulous!  It might even be better than the original...

ORANGE CREAM FRUIT SALAD

1 can pineapple chunks

1 can peach slices or chunks

2 cans mandarin oranges

1 can tropical fruit

1 lrg. box instant vanilla pudding

1 1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup frozen Hawaii's Own passion orange juice concentrate, thawed but NOT diluted

3/4 cup sour cream

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 cups marshmallows

Combine all fruit and drain well; set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until soft and smooth.  Add sour cream and mix well.  Slowly beat in orange juice concentrate, milk, and pudding mix and beat for 2 minutes.  Add fruit and marshmallows and toss gently.  Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

NOTE:  I only had peach halves, so I drained and sliced them into chunks.  The original recipe calls for regular orange juice concentrate, which is really yummy, but I didn't have any, so that was one of the things I had to improvise. I think any type of frozen juice with orange in it would be good (I also had orange pineapple, so it was a toss up which would be best). I would have liked to add bananas, too, but I didn't have any.

  

FROSTED CRAN-RASPBERRY SALAD

Jello salad of some kind is a staple of our Thanksgiving dinner...and this year I realized I was truly tired of the same ol' orange jello that we usually have and went looking for a new recipe to try.  I also only wanted to use stuff I already had--no special trips to the store for me! (that's part of my new food storage deal--try to do with what I have on hand!) Unfortunately, I didn't have anything to make any of the recipes I had, so I had to come up with something new...and it turned out FABULOUS!

FROSTED CRAN-RASPBERRY SALAD

1 lrg. box raspberry jello

1 10-oz package frozen raspberries, drained (reserve juice)

2 cups jellied cranberry sauce (about a can and a half)

1 12-oz. can ginger ale

Measure juice from raspberries and add enough water to equal one cup.  Bring liquid to a boil and dissolve jello in it.  Allow to cool, then beat in cranberry sauce until mixed well.  Stir in ginger ale and raspberries and pour into a 9x13 pan. ( The jello will be a little bubbly and foamy on top) Refrigerate until set.

TOPPING

1 8-oz. cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 8-oz. whipped topping

Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add sour cream and powdered sugar and mix thoroughly.  Fold in whipped topping and spread evenly over salad.  Refrigerate to allow topping to set up slightly.