Rehoboth Beach Waldorf Salad

The summer before I started high school, Mom and her friend Ann rented a cottage at Rehoboth Beach, and the ladies and all us kids (six from our family and Ann's four) all spent the a very casual week at the beach while the dads stayed behind and worked. So that they would have to cook as little as possible during vacation, we roasted a big turkey on the first day. After that, variations of turkey leftovers were served. On the evening that Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles, we planned to visit the neighbors down the way, who had a small black and white television so we could watch the wedding. Before going, the moms put out a "wedding" buffet spread. That night, the turkey was made into a cool and summery Waldorf Salad:

Waldorf Salad
4 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup of seedless grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup of walnuts -- toasted in the oven for about 10 minutes, then coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup cooked turkey (or chicken) diced
enough mayonnaise to hold it all together
salt and pepper to taste

Adjust ingredients to your liking. To serve, arrange some pretty lettuce leaves in a bowl, then add the Waldorf salad, and sprinkle with paprika.

Carrot Pineapple Salad

This gelatin mold was a staple at our summer get-togethers. It was easy to make, it was cool, the kids all loved it, it is chock full of fruit and vegetables, and adds a pretty color to any picnic table.

Make a small box of lemon Jell-o as per package directions (orange would also work)
When its just about set, stir in the following:
1 cup grated carrots
1 can of pineapple chunks (drained)

Refrigerate a few more hours until set.

Molly's Strawberry/Pretzel Salad

In '92 I moved to Virginia as a military wife. I was very homesick. Grandma and Mom would often send me family recipes so I could make things that reminded me of home.

By October '94, I was living in Hawaii. My friend Molly brought this dish to a barbecue at my house and it was a big hit. Its a nice salad for warm weather get-togethers (think Grandma's pineapple-carrot salad). I asked Molly for the recipe and sent a copy home to Mom.

Not a year later we had a substantial fire in our quarters and, among other things, I lost everything in my kitchen. Including the small collection of recipes and cookbooks I had. While we were (eventually) reimbursed for our loss and replaced most of our kitchen items, there are some things you cannot replace. And there are some things you forget you even had.

And then you run across them in your mother's recipe box, over a decade later.