Thanksgiving Salad

Interesting how a very simple recipe can become so draped in memories by the simple act of showing up at a holiday meal.  About 40 years ago - cream cheese, whipped cream, cherries, & nuts were kind of rare at a normal meal.  That’s why this salad was so special.  Thanksgiving was just not the same without it.

I had to document this recipe for my family so we don’t lose it.  Most people nowadays would not think this is anything out of the ordinary - as “extreme” ingredients are all the rage.  It’s rosy pink color (which I didn’t achieve because I chose not to include the juice from the cherries) - was always so pretty on a Thanksgiving table.  

My mother made this for as long as I could remember.  We always had it at Thanksgiving, and sometimes for Easter dinner as well.  When Mom made it for Easter, she portioned it into individual “bunny” molds.  First, though, she melted chocolate chips and poured them into the impressions at the bottom that looked like little bunnies.  Then she spooned this creamy jello salad over the top.  Each of us had our own small round, chocolate bunny-topped salad nestled into a leaf of lettuce.  Those were great memories!

For some reason though - my kids never developed a taste for pecans, walnuts, or even maraschino cherries.  So it’s alive only in my memory, as well as my sisters’.  It’s really a delicious salad (more like a dessert though).  I brought it to my sister’s home for Thanksgiving dinner this year - and we all had a little trip down memory lane.

The pictures here aren’t stellar - but you get the idea.  We had too much fun eating that day - great photography wasn’t a priority.

For the recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com