{ 5 Cup Salad }

A couple weeks ago, I posted that we had lost our dear Grammy. Today I am going to share another one of her recipes. This one is a particular favorite of my husband's. You could always count on this being requested for holidays and large family gatherings at her house.

When I was editing the photos for this post, I was telling Darla I wished I had a photo of Gram in her kitchen. It's funny the things you think of once it's too late. Gram was a great cook. She always said, "I'm not a fantastic cook", but I will tell you that NO ONE complained or left her house hungry. More photos of Grammy smiling in her kitchen is something I really wish I had. Flipping through my scrapbooks, I did stumble upon one, and thankfully, it is a really good one :)

This is Gram and my sister in law, Lori. Gram's kitchen had a large pass through window. I was standing in the dining room when I took this through the pass through.

This photo is several years old. The wallpaper is now gone, replaced with clean white walls, the counter top is different, but mostly it looks the same. The same cabinets, the same fridge, the same warm feeling.

You know how some people say we take too many photographs now because we always have one on us with our phones? They are wrong. Take the photo. Moreover, print them out, put them in books, keep them & the originals safe. One day you will be thankful you did.

Now, back to the salad. 5 Cup Salad, which we all refer to as "Grammy's Salad", is an old fashioned fruit salad that takes just minutes to make, but there is a secret. You must refrigerate it several hours minimum or overnight for the best flavor!

Now, the fruit and the sour cream are probably going to sound weird together, but they aren't. The sour cream picks up all the sweetness of the fruit and tastes nothing like it's original flavor.

This is a great, cool salad for summer picnics if you keep it on ice, but you can always find it on our Thanksgiving table. It's been that way for decades and will continue to be. I'm sure some of you out there have had this very salad made by your own grandmothers! :)

Here's one last photo of Gram. This one I snapped while she was sitting at her kitchen table telling me stories about her youth. She was always a great storyteller. <3

Til later,

5 Cup Salad
By Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers' Grammy

1 Cup Mandarin Orange Segments (drained)
1 Cup Pineapple Tidbits (drained)
1 Cup Mini Marshmallows
1 Cup Flaked Coconut
1 Cup Sour Cream

Make sure fruit is drained very well.  Mix all together in a large bowl, refrigerate several hours before serving (we prefer overnight). Stir before serving.

Will keep 2-3 days in fridge.

{ Love, Loss, and Pancakes }

Yesterday we lost someone really special to us, my husband's grandmother, aka, Grammy.

With her older brother

Grammy was one of a kind. She was a special lady with a kind and giving heart. She grew up (in the Great Depression) in a family of 14 children (though 2 died during childhood). She often said though they were poor, they had everything they needed and no one ever went hungry.

With her daughter

She was an avid reader and gardener. In a time when it was more common for a woman to stay home, she worked. She worked while her husband was in WWII, a total Rosie the Riverter type. Back then she worked in a metal factory. After leaving there she went on to work at a grocery store. She worked there for over 40 years, and when she retired in the 1980s, she was a manager. 

Gram was one of the strongest and hardest working women I know, She overcame struggles, worked 6 days a week, and loved her family more than anything. She was one of Bean's best friends growing up. He adored her from the time he was born. We all loved her so much and she will be deeply missed. She was 92, but still that wasn't long enough for those of us that loved her.

Back in 2012, I posted her recipe for pancakes. They are definitely the best pancakes ever. I hope you will try them out. The recipe I mention in the post still hangs in my cabinet to this day. 

Grammy's Pancakes

The same year, I also posted her Strawberry Pie. It's delicious and oh so easy!

Strawberry Pie

As Elizabeth II said, "Grief is the price we pay for love.".

We will miss you, Grammy, but the love you taught us all will live on.