Mama's Sweet Southern Ambrosia...

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners mean turkey and Mama's Southern Ambrosia.  We don't cook turkeys any other time of the year and we don't make ambrosia. My family loves fruit and fruit salads and we make them year round but throwing in those few extra ingredients and calling it ambrosia puts them into a catagory all its own.  It's sweet and tart, soft and crunchy and just plan yummy.  The perfect side for all the rich flavors of your turkey dinner.  It's beautiful served in your fancy holiday bowl and it is great as a left over treat. Try it, I know you'll enjoy it. It's yummy!
Mama"s Southern Ambrosia
1 large can of pineapple chunks – drain off the juice
1 large can of mandarin orange sections – drain off the juice
1 large can of peaches – chopped into bite size pieces and drained

2 bananas – sliced and sprinkled lightly with lemon juice so as not to brown

1 ½ Cups of seedless grapes – sliced in half
1 ½ Cups of mini marshmallows – the pastel ones are pretty in here
1 can or half a bag of shredded sweetened coconut – more or less to taste
1/2 Cup of red cherries cut into half. Can be left out, we do sometimes.
¾ Cup of chopped Pecans – can use more or less to taste
1 pint container of Sour Cream
2 tablespoons of Light Brown Sugar – Stir well into the sour cream and let sit awhile to dissolve

Carefully fold all ingredients together and serve in a pretty bowl. We sometimes use a trifle bowl and it looks so nice that way.  Ambrosia is best after it has set for a few hours in refrigerator and even overnight giving the flavors time to meld.



 

Thanksgiving sides - Baked Corn Pudding - Family Traditions...

One of the things my family likes best about Thanksgiving dinner isn't the turkey but the sides.  They actually have joked many times about skipping the bird and just having a table full of side dishes.  We have many of the same ones year after year, that include 2 kinds of dressing, regular herb stuffing and a cornbread dressing, petite peas, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with an orange and praline topping, cranberry relish, ambrosia, and if that's not enough, baked corn pudding.
I generally only make this wonderful corn custard two or three times a year and usually only for holidays.  It's rich and yummy and a true southern delight. 

With Thanksgiving so close now I thought I would start to share some of my favorite side dish recipes in case you'd like to try them on your table. This is one that is easy to put together, throw into the oven and let it cook along with the bird.  Try it, I know you'll enjoy it.

Baked Corn Pudding

1 stick of butter – melted

1 cup of cream (have used half and half)

4 large whole eggs – beaten
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
Salt and pepper to your taste (I use about a teaspoon salt)
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 cans of creamed corn
2 cans of corn kernels (drained)
Mix together all ingredients, adding your corn kernels last
Fold the kernels into the batter so as not to break them up.
Pour the corn mixture into a buttered baking dish (will fit a 9 x 13)
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the custard has set and the top is golden brown.

What excitement it is to open a new blog and to welcome all to join us in this fun endeavor. We plan on bringing you some of what my family and I have to offer with a touch of the old south thrown into the mix. We are a creative group and we look forward to introducing you to our beautiful jewelry, some great old southern cooking and just plan down home fun. We might be city people now but you can still find that southern touch in all we do!