We try to have a lot of family get-togethers, we are all scattered about, so it makes it difficult to get everyone together in one place.  But, last May, I hosted a Family Reunion here at our new home.  Click on that link to see what craft projects I did and how I changed my decor for that very special day (my theme was red and white gingham, gerber daisies, and mason jars).  ANYway, I had asked my family members to bring food to share, so my sweet cousin Donita walked in with her famous fruit salad!  OH my gosh, can I tell you something?  I’ve had a lot of fruit salad in my day, some okay, some so-so, and some downright bland, but Donita’s fruit salad was fabulous. 🙂  I gobbled a bowl of it down and had seconds, yes, indeed I did!

Here are Donnie and I on the day of our family reunion (I’m in the white blouse):

Here is just *some* of the food that we enjoyed on that wonderful day–you can see Donita’s fruit salad at the far end of the island…

Donita has shared her recipe with me and I am fixin’ to share it with you right now. 🙂  It is a mixture of fresh and canned ingredients…

This recipe makes a TON of fruit salad, I made some yesterday and have split it up, some will go to a Craft Day that I’m attending with my girlfriends. 🙂  If you were making this just for your family, I’d probably half the recipe, although, I eat it for breakfast, snacks, a side dish, and dessert, so if you’re like me, go for it and make the entire shebang! 😉

• 3 large cans of Del Monte cubed peaches – with juice
• 2 large cans of mandarin oranges – drain juice
• 2 regular cans pineapple tidbits – drain juice
• 2 containers fresh strawberries — cut in small pieces
• 1 jar maraschino cherries – drain juice & cut in half
• 1 ‘bunch’ of grapes – cut in half
• 1 small basket of blueberries – rinse well – add just before serving
• 2 bananas – not too ripe – add them just before serving
• 4 Tablespoons of sugar

*Note*:  I used 6 regular sized cans of cubed peaches as opposed to 3 large cans…they were on sale, plus they were out of the large cans…

The first thing that I did was to cut up the strawberries.  I added 3 tablespoons of sugar to them and let them macerate.

Then I cut up the maraschino cherries…

Then came the grapes…

Okay, I was ready to assemble…I retrieved my HUGE red bowl (just about the biggest bowl that I own…haha) down out of my cabinet and I started pouring the fruit in…

Be sure to add the juice from the peaches into the bowl, but drain the juice from the pineapple tidbits and the mandarin oranges…

Add the strawberries (with the juice that adding the sugar produced) and the cherries and mix everything together well…

Only add bananas when you are getting ready to serve…**Note** I didn’t not purchase blueberries this time around because they didn’t look too spiffy in the market…

I packed some up and have it all ready to go to my Craft Day…

And I had some for breakfast this morning with my hot tea…

ALL is right with my world!!

I hope y’all enjoy this.  It is definitely one of my family’s tried and true recipes.

Until next time, y’all take good care! ❤

~Arlynn ❤