Hoosier Home Cookin'

With the holiday entertaining season quickly approaching, I want to devote the next several weeks of columns to delicious, simple and sometimes unusual additions to your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. This week, I start with an interesting array of fruit salads. No holiday meal is completewithout one.

FallFruitSalad has a seemingly strange compliment of ingredients and has added kick with cayenne pepper. Yes, there's no typo here. Cayenne brightens the flavor and adds heat to the sweet. Just use sparingly. Grape Nut Salad is another unique combination of ingredients, but has a rich, creamy texture when allowed to chill overnight. This salad is almost good enough to have as dessert. And, finally, Fruit Salad Supreme is a delicious ambrosia-like salad that's perfect for brunch or lunch.

Upcoming columnswill feature side dishes, entrees and desserts. Happy eating!
Fall Fruit Salad
2 (15- or 17-oz.) cans fruit cocktail in
syrup, chilled and verywell drained
2mediumbananas, sliced
1 (10.5-oz.) pkg.miniaturemarshmallows

1/2 pint whipping cream, unsweetened,
whipped
1 (3-oz.) pkg.skinless salted peanuts,
crushed
2 or 3 dashes cayenne pepper
5 heapingT.Hellmann'sMayonnaise

In a large bowl, fold mayonnaise into fruit cocktail.Add sliced bananas. Stir gently. Stir in marshmallows. Fold inwhipped cream.Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Place into pretty serving bowl. Sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper.Sprinkle on crushed peanuts. Hint: Do not substitute nondairy whipped topping in this recipe. It is too sweet.
Grape Nut Salad
1 8-oz. non-dairy whipped topping,
thawed
1 C.milk
1 C.Grape Nut cereal
2 C.minimarshmallows
1 small box instant vanilla pudding

Combine pudding mix with milk. Whisk until blended smooth. Fold in whipped topping, then cereal and marshmallows. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Fruit Salad Supreme
1 (10.5-oz.) pkg.miniaturemarshmallows

1 C. sour cream
1 (16-oz.) can crushed pineapple,
drained
1 small can mandarin oranges,
drained
2 C. shredded coconut
1 C. chopped pecans
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.Chill.